In brief
Inventory is tighter, prices are holding and the market is more balanced than a year ago. Here's what the latest NABOR data means if you're buying or selling.
In this article
If you've been waiting for a clear read on the Naples housing market, the latest official numbers are finally telling a coherent story. The most recent monthly report from the Naples Area Board of REALTORS (NABOR), covering September 2026 and released on October 23, shows a market that has absorbed most of the extra inventory that built up in 2025 and is heading into season in a more balanced place than a year ago.
NABOR's October report is scheduled for November 20, so September is the latest full official snapshot we have as of mid-November. Here's what it actually says, and what I'd tell a buyer or seller sitting down with me today.
A more balanced market than last fall
According to NABOR's September 2026 Market Report (opens in a new tab), which tracks listings and sales in Collier County excluding Marco Island, 623 homes closed last month, up 2.5% from 608 closings in September 2025. New listings rose 4.8% to 1,073. And even with that fresh supply, inventory fell 17.3% year over year, to 4,240 homes from 5,128.
That's the core of the story: buyers are still buying, sellers are still listing, and the backlog is shrinking. Months of supply, the simplest way to measure leverage, dropped from 7.8 months a year ago to 5.5 months in September. Six months is the traditional line between a buyer's market and a seller's market, so we are sitting close to balance.
Homes also sold a little faster and a little closer to asking price. Average days on market were 99, down from 107 in September 2025. Sellers received 94.8% of list price, up from 93.9% a year earlier.
One number I am watching is pending sales, the contracts signed but not yet closed. They slipped 6.8% in September, to 702 from 753. That's a softer near-term signal. It does not erase the bigger trend: NABOR reported year-to-date closed sales were up 15.1%, and year-to-date pendings were up 19%.
Prices are holding, not running away
The overall median closed price in September was $575,000, up 4.5% from $550,000 a year earlier. That sounds like a jump until you put it next to the rest of the year. The same NABOR report shows the year-to-date median holding at $600,000, and the rolling 12-month median at $590,000, down 1.7% from a year ago.
In plain English: Naples prices are steady. They are not collapsing, and they are not taking off.
It helps to separate property types. Single-family homes had a September median of $747,500, up 3.1%, with 332 closings and 5.3 months of supply. Sellers of those homes received 95.5% of list price. Condominiums told a softer story: 291 closings, a median of $400,000 that was down 2.4%, and 5.8 months of supply. Condo pendings fell 15.8%. If you own or you're shopping a condo, pricing and association documents matter more than the countywide headline.
Be careful with average prices. Brokers reviewing the NABOR report noted the average sales price in September was about $1.2 million, well above the median. A handful of expensive closings will always pull the average up in a market like ours. The median is the better read on a typical sale.
For context, Florida Realtors' September 2026 data (opens in a new tab), released October 16, showed statewide existing single-family sales down 3.5%, with a statewide median of $415,000, up 1.2%. In the Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island metro, which covers all of Collier County including Marco Island, Florida Realtors reported 365 single-family sales, up 2.0%, at a median of $785,000, up 1.6%. Naples held up better than the state as a whole.
Luxury and waterfront are not the same as the middle of the market
This is where I spend a lot of my time, and it's where the countywide "balanced" label can be misleading.
In NABOR's September report, homes priced from $1.5 million to $5 million tightened more than any other price range. Months of supply in that bracket fell from 9.7 a year ago to 5.4. That's a meaningful shift. A year ago, buyers in that range had more room to wait. Today, well-priced homes are meeting a tighter market.
The very top is still slower. Homes over $5 million carried about 10.1 months of supply and took longer to go under contract. Luxury buyers take their time, and they should. Waterfront and beach-area inventory also tightened. In the Naples Beach area, single-family inventory was down 23.5% year over year, and months of supply dropped from 11.7 to 7.3, even as monthly median prices bounced around on a relatively small number of sales.
The tightest corners of the county were more everyday than people expect. Single-family homes between $300,000 and $500,000, and North Naples single-family homes, were both around 3.9 months of supply. On the other side, inventory under $300,000 actually grew 3.5% to 555 properties, and NABOR reported that roughly 84% of those listings were condominiums.
Mortgage rates are still part of the conversation
Financing is the other half of this market. According to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey (opens in a new tab), the 30-year fixed rate averaged 7.18% as of November 5, 2026, down slightly from 7.24% the week before, but well above the 6.22% average a year earlier.
NABOR's own commentary on the September report was straightforward: rates sit well above where they were last September, and that is making buyers more deliberate. Brokers reviewing the data also noted plenty of cash transactions, not necessarily because there are more cash buyers, but because fewer buyers are financing. If you need a mortgage, shop your financing early. If you don't, that can still be an advantage, especially as seasonal buyers arrive.
What this means if you're buying
You still have room to negotiate in parts of this market, just not everywhere. Countywide, homes are selling about 5% below list price. The most leverage remains in many condos, especially smaller units, in the entry-level bracket where inventory grew, and at the very top of the luxury market. The least leverage is in well-priced single-family homes in the tighter price ranges and in pockets like North Naples, where supply is thin.
If you've been waiting for a broad price correction, the latest NABOR data does not point to one. Inventory is lower than a year ago, the rolling median is essentially flat, and season is here. The better approach is to look at the specific neighborhood, property type and price range, then write a clean offer when the right home shows up.
What this means if you're selling
This is a healthy market for a well-priced home, and a slower one for a home that is priced for last year's headlines. Sellers received more of their asking price than a year ago, and homes sold faster. At the same time, September new listings jumped 35% from August, and overall inventory ticked up from 4,093 to 4,240. That's a normal start to the season ramp. If you plan to list this winter, getting on the market before the bigger January wave can mean more attention and less competition.
Price against the active competition in your building or neighborhood, not against a county median. If you own a condo, have association financials, reserve information and inspection reports ready. Buyers are asking for them.
Let's look at your situation
Every street in Naples, Marco Island, Fort Myers and Cape Coral can tell a slightly different story. If you want to buy, sell or just understand what your home would do in this market, reach out and we can schedule a consultation. I'll walk you through the current comps, not last year's assumptions.
Sources
- NABOR, "September Housing Activity Shows Naples Area Real Estate Market Is Finding Its Balance," October 23, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- NABOR market statistics and 2026 report release schedule (opens in a new tab)
- Florida Realtors, "Fla.'s Housing Market Continues Recent Trends in Sept. and 3Q 2026," October 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- FGCU Regional Economic Research Institute, single-family home sales dashboard, updated October 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 5, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
