TC Palm.

February brought notable increases across the Treasure Coast real estate market, according to recent Realtor® data, with rising home listings and median prices in Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties. Alongside higher prices, the market also experienced an uptick in sales and home availability, pointing toward evolving market dynamics.

"It is hard to qualify this as a buyer's market when interest rates and the costs of acquiring a home are so high," said Jonathan Lickstein, president of Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors ®. "There’s definitely more negotiability on the buyer's side. At the same time, it’s still an expensive venture to purchase a home in today’s market."

Despite climbing mortgage rates—with the 30-year fixed rate nearing 7%—increased home inventory, now surpassing pre-pandemic levels, continues to lean the market in favor of buyers, giving them enhanced leverage in negotiations.

"You’re seeing more inventory come on, which leans toward a buyer's market," Lickstein added. "Sellers are going to have to be more realistic."

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Epoch Times

Real estate experts nationwide are predicting a more active spring market in 2025, with the National Association of Realtors forecasting moderate price increases and stabilizing mortgage rates. Jonathan Lickstein, president of Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors®, emphasizes that despite reduced transaction volume and rising inventory, South Florida continues to attract buyers:

“If interest rates improve slightly, that would incite more transactions to occur from the pent up demand in our region,” he said. “Even with the reduction in transaction volume, prices have continued at a healthy pace of growth, with a 3.5 percent year-over-year increase of the median sales price across all south Florida counties.”

Although multiple offers and bidding wars have eased since the pandemic frenzy, Lickstein notes this shift may benefit buyers with more options and negotiating power—especially in areas like St. Lucie County and Lauderdale Lakes, both of which offer more affordable entry points into Florida’s housing market.

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TC Palm.

The Treasure Coast real estate market, which was controlled by sellers at the start of 2024, appears to be shifting toward a buyer’s market as 2025 begins, according to local Realtors® associations. Inventories approached the 5½-month mark—often considered a “balanced” market—and the time to sell homes increased across all three counties compared to 2023.

"When inventory increases, it means buyers gain more leverage in the market. If you’re a seller, it takes longer to sell your home now because of the increased competition. If you’re a buyer, this is a beautiful market for you," said Jonathan Lickstein, president of Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors ®. More homes were listed in Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties—giving buyers greater choice and bargaining power in 2025

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South Florida Agent Magazine

Dionna Hall, CEO of Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors®, emphasized the impact of investing in the future of their members with her recent article in South Florida Agent Magazine. Hall highlights the newly released commercial, “Perfect Strangers,” which is an extension of their award-winning campaign, ‘Only a REALTOR®’.

First unveiled in 2022, the ‘Only a REALTOR®’ campaign has produced four commercials spotlighting the Realtors®’ vital role in clients’ journeys. Backed by industry research, “Perfect Strangers” illustrates Realtors®’ contract knowledge, negotiation skills and dedication to their clients’ long-term success, safeguarding buyers from potential pitfalls. Beginning in 2025, associations nationwide can license “Perfect Strangers,” expanding its impact nationally. This initiative further reinforces Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors’® commitment to communicating Realtors’® indispensable role to a successful and secure real estate transaction.

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Sun Sentinel

The Sun Sentinel spotlights Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors® president’s thoughts on whether to continue renting or take the leap into homeownership. Although both buying and renting markets are active, increased housing inventory in 2025 is likely to help stabilize prices and potentially encourage some sellers to convert their properties into rentals.

“As properties take longer or increase days on market, many of those homeowners will not want to sit on market, so the increase in inventory on the sales side lends toward an increase in inventory for rentals. First-time homebuyers, when they’re getting in, it’s the start of building long-term generational wealth,” Jonathan Lickstein, president of Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors®, states.

Ultimately, the decision to buy or rent will depend on the individuals’ personal circumstances, but Lickstein sees benefits for first-time homebuyers in 2025.

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Inman News

Inman highlights the positive consumer-focused ad campaign Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors® launched to help understand how to work with an agent. Led by President David Serle, the “Perfect Strangers” commercial aims to help everyday buyers understand the value a realtor brings.

“Only a Realtor® was built at a pivotal time for Realtors® and continues to serve as a long-term investment in the industry’s future,” said Dionna Hall, CEO of Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors®,” in the release. “The commercial’s powerful message emphasizes how Realtors® are indispensable in the home buying process, providing their clients a sense of security during one of their largest investments — buying a home.”

“Realtors® are multi-faceted experts who juggle an array of complex scenarios for their clients while getting them to the closing table and underscores the relationships built along the way,” said David Serle, president of Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors®, in the statement.

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Sun Sentinel

As 2025 approaches, South Florida’s high-cost housing market is expected to offer better prices, greater inventory, and more choices for buyers and renters. David Serle, president of Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors®, notes that prices have started to level off and will encourage, potential home buyers or renters, to take their time, compare options and negotiate deals.

“We’re actually seeing this in both the buying and the renting,” David Serle stated. “We’re looking at more renters coming into the market and more buyers coming into the market as they perceive that this is a good time to buy or a good time to rent.” Overall, 2025 should see a more balanced, opportunity-rich landscape for those looking to live in South Florida.

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South Florida Agent Magazine

Jonathan Lickstein, Incoming President of Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors®, emphasizes the historic year for real estate in Florida — from newly enacted state legislation to compensation and representation rule changes for Realtors nationwide. South Florida has experienced increased housing supply, especially in condos, though demand has lagged. With negotiation becoming key after the Sitzer-Burnett settlement, Realtors® are urged to guide clients through complex transactions while leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance efficiency and accuracy in MLS processes and communications. Looking ahead to 2025, the Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors® association focuses on AI integration, continued education for agents, and launching the "Perfect Strangers" campaign to showcase Realtors®' critical role in mitigating risks and ensuring successful transactions.

“Throughout my nearly 20-year career, there have seldom been times as critical as it is today to be well-informed and engaged as a real estate professional. So, as the year comes to a close, let’s explore some of the insights and trends that will help shape South Florida residential real estate in 2025 and beyond.”

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Inman News

The Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP) was notably absent from discussions at the 2024 NAR NXT conference, despite being a hotly debated issue in real estate over the last year. Dionna Hall, CEO of Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors®, shared her thoughts in an interview following the event.

“There were some pre-approved questions ahead of time that we agreed to with NAR, so we stuck to those instead of discussing CCP,” Hall explained. She also noted that NAR’s legal team had set restrictions to avoid potential antitrust issues. While the CCP remains a topic of significant debate, Hall pointed out that it seems to be at an impasse, with NAR continuing to gather feedback and address related concerns.

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TC Palm.

Before Hurricane Milton made landfall on October 9, data reflected a sellers’ market along the Treasure Coast. David Serle, president of Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors®, has addressed his thoughts in a recent interview with TC Palm.

“Inventory has creeped up a bit for single-family homes, but we are still in a seller's market," he stated. Although Milton affected several neighborhoods in the Treasure Coast area, Serle believes the hurricane won’t negatively impact the real estate market on a large scale.

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South Florida Sun Sentinel

Our 2024 President, David Serle, spoke with Sun Sentinel about the current state of Broward County’s residential real estate market. According to our July market reports, there were nearly 9,000 active listings of townhouses and condos in July throughout the county, as opposed to about 4,500 active townhome and condo listings in July of last year.

“In the next three to four months, you might see that average sale price come down a little bit, but prices are still pretty much remaining stable even in the condo market until it gets into closer to the eight, nine months of inventory,” David said. “That’s when you’ll see prices start to come down a little bit.”

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WPBF 25 News

To combat the increasing housing costs in Palm Beach, the county’s Workforce Affordable Housing Development program is getting a big boost in the form of more than $2 million in federal funding. Our very own association president, David Serle, recently offered his insight in an interview with WPBF 25.

“[The funding] is going to affect a lot of residents that may have an opportunity now to purchase a home that they may not have had before. So, I think it's a really good thing,” he said. However, the housing market in our area is robust with more options out there for buyers than there were two years ago. “That's why it's so important to really lean on your local real estate professional local realtor to be able to navigate you through some of the challenges and obstacles of today's market.”

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Real Estate News

Our CEO, Dionna Hall, recently spoke with Real Estate News about the industry's changes as of August 21. Over the past year, we have armed members and informed consumers with essential information that reinforces the importance of Realtors® as essential contributors to real estate.

Dionna expressed her belief that these recent changes will remind homebuyers about the importance of buyer representation. “I think that the consumer realizes that there's a lot of value to having somebody by their side that understands the process," she said. "So, I think even while parts of that may change, that main fact cannot be denied. There's a lot of information out there, and it's hard to synthesize when you are a person that is not trained in that area.”

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Inman News

How are Realtors® navigating the recent settlement changes from NAR? “Since Aug. 17, I have been relieved to see our local Realtors® are having success obtaining buyer written agreements and are confident in their abilities to make the needed changes to comply with the settlement,” said Dionna Hall, Chief Executive Officer of Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors® and BeachesMLS.

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WLRN NPR News

Florida leads the nation in the number of Realtors® in the state. What do Buyers and Sellers need to know about the recent NAR changes? "These are the changes we are faced with, and we need to embrace and lean into this and not try and circumvent the rules," said President of the Broward, Palm Beaches, and St. Lucie Realtors David Serle. "Our job is to make sure that it's more transparent and to protect the consumer going forward, even more than we had in the previous years."

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