November 2025 Real Estate MARKET UPDATE

BY: D. MICHAEL BURKE, Mich Kanigsberg, & HUNTER D. HABIB

Fall is officially here — and so is season in Southwest Florida. The airports are busier, restaurants are buzzing again, and more visitors are coming back to enjoy our warm weather. Along with the seasonal shift, the housing market is beginning to show early signs of activity — and opportunity — heading into the winter months.

📊 Active Listings and Market Inventory

As of November 2025, there are 18,777 active listings across Southwest Florida — marking the first increase in inventory in several months.

Here’s how the year has tracked so far:

• May 2025: 24,688 active listings

• June 2025: 20,974

• September 2025: 17,529

• October 2025: 16,911

• November 2025: 18,777

That’s a meaningful uptick, signaling that more sellers are entering the market as season begins. Historically, inventory rises sharply as we move toward January, when full season hits and listings can climb by 25% or more.

In just the last 7 days, there were 1,247 price decreases, a reminder that sellers are continuing to adjust to market realities and growing competition.

🏠 Supply, Demand, and Market Pace

Inventory growth is also reflected in the months of supply, which now sit at 7.2 months in Lee County and 7.8 months in Collier County — both slight increases from last month.

Days on market continue to climb slowly, averaging 95 days in Lee County and 109 days in Collier County. Buyers are taking their time, and well-priced homes are still selling — but overpricing can cause listings to linger.

💰 Economic Snapshot: November 2025

Recent data from the region provides a mixed picture of local economic conditions:

• ✈️ Airport passenger traffic rose 5% year-over-year, showing strong visitor inflow.

• 💵 Tourist tax revenues were down slightly (less than 1%), though still robust heading into season.

• 🛍️ Taxable sales fell 8%, pointing to softer retail spending.

• 📉 Unemployment held steady at 4.3% — up slightly from summer levels.

• 🧱 Building permits are down 11%, while single-family home sales rose 19% year-over-year, signaling continued housing demand.

• 💲 Home prices dipped slightly, falling 1–2%, while active listings increased 12% compared to last year.

• 📉 Consumer sentiment dropped 1.5 points, reflecting some caution among consumers.

In short: tourism and travel are healthy, demand remains solid, but buyers are becoming more value-driven as the market normalizes.

🏦 Federal Reserve Meeting and Mortgage Rate Outlook

Last week, the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point, lowering the target range to 3.75 %–4.00 %.
This move signals the Fed’s growing concern about a softening labour market and slower job growth, even as inflation remains elevated. 

For the housing market, this is meaningful: lower policy rates tend to feed into slightly better borrowing conditions, so if you’re a buyer, now may be one of the better windows to lock in a favourable mortgage rate before competition intensifies this winter.

That said, Fed Chair Jerome Powell stressed that further cuts are not guaranteed, given data gaps and policymaker uncertainty.

🏗️ Builder Incentives and End-of-Year Opportunities

If you’re a buyer considering new construction, now is a great time to look for deals. Many major builders are closing out their fiscal years and offering deep incentives to move standing inventory:

• Lennar’s fiscal year ends November 30th

• Pulte’s fiscal year ends December 31st

These deadlines often translate into price reductions, closing cost credits, and upgrade packages as builders work to meet year-end goals.

If you’ve been eyeing a new home in Babcock Ranch, Naples, Estero, or Fort Myers, now’s the time to negotiate from a position of strength.

🌴 What This Means for Homeowners

With season underway and more people arriving daily, visibility for your listing is increasing. However, once January arrives, inventory typically jumps significantly, meaning more competition for sellers.

If you’ve been considering selling your home this season, listing sooner rather than later will put you in front of motivated buyers — before the market becomes saturated.

💡 Final Thoughts

The November 2025 real estate market in Southwest Florida reflects a classic seasonal shift:

• Inventory is rising

• Prices are leveling

• Buyers are active — but selective

Now is the window to act strategically — whether that means listing before full season crowds the market or taking advantage of builder incentives before they disappear.

If you’d like a personalized market analysis or want to talk timing, strategy, or new-construction opportunities, reach out today — I’m happy to guide you through your next move.