Author: Mike Renick

Manatee County recorded a busy late-August week from August 23 through 29, 2026. 231 new listings came on the market during the seven-day window, 180 properties went pending, and 213 sales closed. On the attrition side, 23 listings expired and 68 were withdrawn or cancelled, so sellers who priced ahead of the market were still getting rewarded while the rest reset. New construction accounted for 41.3% of activity and cash buyers for 31.0% of closings — two forces that continue to define how this county trades.

Pricing held steady. The median sold price was $420,000, or roughly $214 per square foot, and sellers achieved 94.4% of list price on average. Closed listings took an average of 88 days to get to the finish line, while the week’s newly listed homes averaged just 1 day on market, as expected for brand-new listing flow. Single-family homes carried the volume with 154 closings at an 84-day average and a $490,000 median, while the condo, townhome and villa group closed 59 at a $297,000 median and a 96-day average.

The segment story is a tale of two ends. Villas were the fastest property type at a 56-day average across 16 closings, and the under-$500K band did the heavy lifting with 134 closings at 84 days. At the other extreme, the $1M–$1.99M band needed an average of 143 days across 9 closings, and Holmes Beach averaged 188 days on 4 closings — both places where a patient buyer has leverage. Palmetto was the county’s quickest submarket at 59 days across 24 closings, and Bradenton led on volume with 83 closings at a $421,000 median. New listing flow skewed affordable too: 126 of the 231 new listings arrived under $500,000, with 78 between $500K and $999K and only 27 above $1M.

Sarasota County’s housing market ran at a steady late-summer pace during the week of August 23 through 29, 2026. 217 new listings came on market during the week, 217 properties moved into pending status, and 202 sales closed countywide, alongside 17 expired listings and 68 withdrawals or cancellations. The median sold price settled at $430,000, or a median $243 per square foot, and sellers achieved 97.1% of list price on average — evidence that accurately priced homes are still drawing near-asking offers. Cash buyers made up 46.0% of closings and new construction accounted for 16.8%.

Closed sales averaged 80 days on the market, while the week’s newly listed homes show an average of just 2 days on market, reflecting how fresh this supply is. New listing flow skewed heavily toward the entry and move-up tiers: 119 of the 217 new listings arrived under $500K and 66 landed between $500K and $999K, versus 19 in the $1M–$1.99M band, 11 from $2M to $4.99M, and 2 above $5M. Single-family homes drove 140 of the 202 closings at a $510,000 median and 74 days on market, while the condo, townhome, and villa segment contributed 62 closings at a $309,950 median and a slower 93 days.

Segment spreads point to clear opportunity. Longboat Key was the fastest submarket at an average of 22 days across 6 closings, while Nokomis was the slowest at 148 days on 11 closings. By price band, the $500K–$999K range moved quickest at 77 days on 56 closings, and the $1M–$1.99M band lagged at 98 days on 21 closings. Townhouses were the fastest property type at 65 days on 9 closings, with condominiums slowest at 98 days on 32 closings. Luxury — defined as $1 million and above — recorded 28 closings at a $1,357,500 median and 93 days on market. Sarasota led all submarkets with 105 new listings, 93 pendings, and 82 closings, followed by Venice (50/40/51) and North Port (33/38/36).