Naples area home sales jump 29% as prices ease in December

Closed home sales in the Naples area surged nearly 29% in December, a sign of renewed momentum in a housing market that has been steadily regaining balance after years of volatility.

The Naples Area Board of Realtors reported 773 closed sales in December, up 28.8% from 600 a year earlier, according to its December 2025 Market Report, which tracks listings and sales across Collier County, excluding Marco Island. Broker analysts said December marked the seventh consecutive month of improving sales, driven largely by sellers showing greater flexibility in negotiations.

That shift has translated into lower prices. The overall median closed price declined 5% in December to $570,000, down from $600,000 a year earlier, while the full-year median fell 2.5%. With 8.3 months of inventory available heading into 2026, analysts said conditions are increasingly favorable for buyers.

“While the median closed price decreased in 2025, the average closed price increased 4.5%,” said Jillian Young, president of Premiere Plus Realty. “This is because we are seeing a shift in the mix of product that is in demand today.”

Luxury properties continued to lead the market. Sales of homes priced at $1.5 million and above outpaced all other price categories, and closed sales of properties over $5 million increased 16.6% during 2025. In the Naples Beach area, which includes zip codes 34102, 34103 and 34108, closed sales jumped 52.3% in December even as median prices rose 15%, said Carrie Lademan, senior regional vice president of sales for William Raveis Real Estate.

Overall pending sales rose 12.5% in December to 704, suggesting continued activity early in 2026. Still, analysts cautioned that a sizable gap remains between pending contracts and completed sales.

“We had almost the exact number of pending sales in 2025 as we did in 2024,” said Mike Hughes, vice president and general manager of Downing-Frye Realty Inc. “But if you look at the number of pendings compared to closings, you can see there were still a considerable number of sales that fell through. Sellers need to be aware of this because negotiating may be better than letting a deal collapse.”

Inventory declined 3.8% year over year to 5,714 properties, with the steepest drop — 30.1% — in the 34116 zip code, which also posted the highest increase in closed sales, up 155.6%.

Buyers were especially active in the condominium market under $300,000, where closed sales climbed 56.6% in 2025. Inventory in that segment rose sharply in December, fueling expectations for further gains in early 2026.

Several analysts said broader economic conditions are reshaping buyer and seller expectations, including stabilizing insurance rates, mortgage rates hovering near 6% and growing demand for larger, multigenerational homes.

“Now the focus is on properties east of Airport Road,” said Cindy Carroll of Carroll & Carroll Appraisers & Consultants LLC, citing increasing interest in Golden Gate Estates. “This is a great target for those looking to build or buy multigenerational homes.”

Young said sellers who can afford to adjust prices may benefit as competition intensifies during the peak winter season. “Homes priced to sell rise to the top,” she said.