The Southwest Florida market is giving buyers and sellers a little bit of everything right now. Interest rates are moving around. Affordability is still better than it was not long ago. Inventory is adjusting. In this breakdown with Mary Bartos with the Bartos Group of Premiere Plus Realty and Cheryl Stokes with New American Funding, they discuss how across Naples, Marco Island, Fort Myers, and Cape Coral, the numbers are pointing toward something that actually feels healthy: a more balanced market.

That does not mean everything is simple. It just means this is not the kind of market people should fear. It is the kind of market people should understand.

Is Now the Time to Buy or Sell? Bartos Group Shares the April 2026 SWFL Market Update.

For anyone trying to decide whether now is the right time to make a move, the answer depends on more than one headline. Mortgage rates matter, of course. But so do home prices, income, local inventory, seller flexibility, and realistic expectations.

Mortgage rates are volatile, but there is context

Yes, rates have come up. And yes, they are volatile.

That volatility is tied to broader economic uncertainty. Geopolitical events, energy price spikes, and inflation concerns all feed into mortgage pricing. When energy prices rise, inflation pressure tends to rise with them. When inflation expectations climb, mortgage rates often follow.

That is why rates have not been moving in a straight line. They are not changing in isolation. In periods of uncertainty, rate swings can happen more than once in a single day.

Even with that volatility, perspective matters. Rates are not as low as they were earlier in the year, but they are still below some recent highs. A fixed-rate mortgage sat around 7.26% in January 2025. By early April 2026, it was closer to 6.45%. There was even a brief moment around 5.99%, although it disappeared so fast it barely counts.

The real takeaway is simple: mid-to-high sixes are still very much part of the current landscape.

Why the advertised rate may not be your rate

This is where people can get tripped up. An advertised mortgage rate is just a general benchmark. It is not a promise.

Actual rates are individualized based on factors like:

• Credit history
• Debt-to-income ratio
• Property type
• Loan structure
• State and location
• Overall borrower profile

So when buyers see a number online and assume that is automatically theirs, that is usually not how it works. The better approach is to treat those rates as averages and get specific guidance based on the full picture.

Rates may come down, but probably not overnight

One of the biggest misconceptions in today’s Southwest Florida market is that rates will snap back down quickly if global pressures ease.

That is unlikely.

Even if major geopolitical disruptions ended immediately, inflation tends to linger. Infrastructure shocks, supply disruptions, and energy spikes create what economists call second-round effects. In plain English, that means the aftereffects stick around longer than people want them to.

Interest rates usually come down much slower than they go up. That can be frustrating, but it also means waiting for a perfect rate environment may not be the best strategy.

For many buyers, the smarter question is not, “Should I wait for rates to drop dramatically?” It is, “How do I make today’s rate work better for me?”

There are still ways to improve affordability

This is the part that gets overlooked. A higher rate does not automatically mean a bad time to buy.

There are tools available, and one of the most important is the seller concession.

In markets where buyers have more leverage, asking a seller to contribute toward a rate buydown can make a lot of sense. Instead of waiting and hoping for a future refinance opportunity, a buyer may be able to use the seller’s money to secure a better payment upfront.

That can be especially valuable in a more neutral or buyer-friendly segment of the Southwest Florida market. It is one of the clearest examples of why affordability is not just about the sticker price or the headline rate.

Affordability comes from the interplay of several moving parts:

• Mortgage rates
• Home prices
• Household income
• Local market conditions

And that last point matters. Affordability in Southwest Florida will look very different depending on where someone is coming from. A buyer relocating from New Jersey, Connecticut, or Michigan may see this market through a completely different lens than a local buyer who has been here for years.

Home prices are not crashing, but growth is flattening

This is another area where national headlines can create confusion.

In the current Southwest Florida market, the story is not a collapse in home values. The story is that price growth has flattened. That is a big difference.

Prices rose significantly over the past several years, and those increases still affect affordability today. But overpriced homes are no longer breezing through the market just because inventory exists. If a property is priced too high, it may sit. And when homes linger, seller power starts to fade.

That is good information for both sides of the transaction.

• For sellers: pricing correctly matters more than ever.
• For buyers: there may be room to negotiate, but not room to be unrealistic.

A snapshot of the Southwest Florida market

Looking at the March numbers across the region, the Southwest Florida market appears to be leveling out in a very practical way.

Inventory

Naples had the largest number of homes for sale, but inventory was down by roughly 300 homes from the previous year. Marco Island was fairly flat. Fort Myers had about 1,000 fewer homes on the market year over year, and Cape Coral was down by around 2,000.

That reduction in supply helps support pricing. More importantly, it suggests some areas are moving away from an overly strong buyer’s market and back toward neutral territory.

And neutral is not a bad word. A neutral market gives buyers options without overwhelming them, and it gives sellers opportunity without unrealistic expectations.

Is Now the Time to Buy or Sell? Bartos Group Shares the April 2026 SWFL Market Update.

Sales activity

Total March sales were mostly flat across the region, with one notable exception: Naples. Sales there jumped from 832 last year to 1,057 this year, which is a significant increase.

The other markets were steadier, which makes sense. Fort Myers and Cape Coral tend to have more full-time residents and are less driven by second-home activity than places like Naples or Marco Island.

Pending sales

Pending sales were up across the board in March. That is an encouraging sign. It shows buyers are still engaging, even in a rate environment that is less comfortable than it was at earlier points.

It also suggests the Southwest Florida market still has momentum, especially when homes are priced and presented properly.

Days on market are giving buyers breathing room

One of the healthier signs in this market is that homes are taking longer to sell.

That may sound negative at first, but it really is not. It means buyers have a little more time to think, compare, and make informed decisions.

In March, average days on market looked like this in key areas:

• Marco Island: 113 days
• Cape Coral: 87 days

If a home has been sitting well beyond the area average, that is usually a signal. Most often, it points to a pricing issue, a condition issue, or a mismatch between presentation and buyer expectations.

At the same time, properties are still going pending. So longer market time does not mean no activity. It means the market is being more selective.

Showings-to-pending ratios tell a useful story

One of the most practical metrics in the Southwest Florida market is how many showings it takes, on average, to get a home under contract.

That number helps set realistic expectations for sellers.

For example:

• Naples: about 10.4 showings to reach pending
• Marco Island: about 12.1 showings to reach pending

If a listing is getting significantly more showings than average and still not attracting an offer, something may be off. If it goes pending in fewer showings than average, that is a strong sign the home was positioned well.

Monthly showings per listing also matter. If a listing is getting more traffic than the local average, that is generally a good sign. If traffic is below average, it may be time to revisit pricing, marketing, or both.

These are the kinds of numbers that move a conversation from emotion to strategy.

How much can buyers really negotiate?

This is where discipline matters.

Average sale-to-list price discounts in March showed some room for negotiation:

• Naples: about 5%
• Marco Island: about 6.3%
• Fort Myers: about 4.4%
• Cape Coral: very close to list price

Those averages are useful benchmarks. If a buyer comes in wildly below what the market typically supports, there is a risk of offending the seller and shutting down a productive conversation before it starts.

That does not mean buyers should not negotiate. It means they should negotiate intelligently.

In many areas, the realistic wiggle room appears to be somewhere in that 3% to 5% range, whether that shows up as a lower purchase price, a seller concession, or some combination of both. Beyond that, it starts to move outside the norm.

For sellers, the message is equally important: know the market, know the averages, and work with an agent who can help identify whether the issue is price, presentation, or something else entirely.

So, is it time to move?

Probably yes.

Not because the market is perfect. It never is. But because people always have reasons to move. They are upsizing, downsizing, relocating, changing lifestyles, buying a second home, or simply ready for something different.

The current Southwest Florida market is not sending a signal to freeze. It is sending a signal to be informed.

Rates are higher than the very lowest points, but they are still workable. Affordability has improved compared with some recent periods. Inventory is no longer flooding the market in the same way. Sales and pending activity remain active. And buyers and sellers alike have better data to guide their decisions.

That is not a market to fear. That is a market to navigate with a clear plan.

FAQ: Southwest Florida market update

Is now a good time to buy in the Southwest Florida market?

For many buyers, yes. Rates are still volatile, but affordability has improved from some recent periods, inventory is leveling off, and seller concessions can help reduce the cost of financing.

Are home prices falling in Southwest Florida?

The data points more toward flattening price growth than a crash. Overpriced homes may sit longer, but that is different from a broad collapse in pricing.

Why are mortgage rates so unpredictable right now?

Mortgage rates are reacting to inflation concerns, energy prices, and global uncertainty. In this kind of environment, rates can move several times in a day.

Can buyers ask for seller concessions in this market?

Yes. In many situations, asking for a seller concession to buy down the mortgage rate is a smart strategy. It can improve monthly affordability and reduce the need to rely on refinancing later.

How much below asking price can buyers reasonably offer?

That depends on the area, but recent averages suggest many markets are seeing negotiation room in roughly the 3% to 5% range, with some areas slightly higher. Offers far below local norms may not be taken seriously.

What is the biggest takeaway from this Southwest Florida market update?

The market is becoming more balanced. Buyers have more breathing room, sellers need sharper pricing strategies, and both sides benefit from understanding local numbers instead of relying on broad headlines.