Buyer Activity Climbs as Sellers Continue to Adjust Pricing Ahead of Season
The Estero real estate market continued its improvement this November. Pending sales rose for the second straight year, closed sales posted the strongest gain in Southwest Florida, and buyers remained active as pricing aligned with recent comparable closings. Prices are down from their early-2025 high point, and the homes that reflect today’s numbers are the ones moving. So why do some neighborhoods still feel slow? A sizable share of active listings already tried once earlier this year, and those older listings are shaping how the market feels on the ground.
All data comes from the Royal Palm Coast REALTOR® Association and Florida Gulf Coast MLS via Stellar MLS, current as of December 1, 2025. November figures are preliminary and will be finalized mid-December.
Key Takeaways (TL;DR)
- Pending sales rose for the second straight November, up 24.4% year over year.
- November closed sales improved from last year’s low point.
- Median price sits around $555,000, down from the January 2025 peak.
- Roughly one in three active listings in Estero already tried once this year and returned with meaningful adjustments.
Buyer Activity: Two Years of Improving Demand
Buyer activity in Estero strengthened again this November. Pending sales climbed for the second year in a row, rising from 79 in November 2023 to 90 in 2024 and reaching 112 this November. That is a 24.4% year-over-year improvement.Closed sales followed the same pattern. November closings rose from 62 last year to 81 this November, and year-to-date closings reached 1,221 compared with 935 at this time last year. That 30.6% gain is the strongest increase in closed sales among the major Southwest Florida cities.
The pattern is steady. As more sellers price in line with the last five comparable closings, buyers respond. These Estero numbers match the broader regional trend in our December 2025 Southwest Florida Market Update.
Shadow Inventory: Why Some Neighborhoods Still Feel Slow
A meaningful share of Estero homes currently for sale already made an earlier attempt before coming back on the market. About 28% of active listings are returning after expiring, withdrawing, or terminating earlier this year.
Most came back with pricing adjustments. Roughly 82% of returning sellers reduced their price, typically by about 6%, before finding new traction. Buyers are responding to these adjustments, and roughly 23% of all pending sales in Estero right now are returning listings that revised their strategy and found success.
Fresh listings priced with the last five comparable closings tend to move. Older listings that came back without meaningful adjustments tend to sit longer and shape the perception that the market is slow, even as buyer activity improves.
Regional Comparison: Active Inventory and Pricing Patterns
Southwest Florida Market Comparison (November 2025)
| City | Active Listings | YoY Closed Sales | YoY Pending Sales | Returning Inventory | Avg Price Adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Myers | 3,300 | +11.3% | +13.7% | 30% | −6.1% |
| Cape Coral | 2,986 | +5.7% | +22.4% | 24% | −6.0% |
| Estero | 740 | +30.6% | +24.4% | 28% | −6.3% |
| Bonita Springs | 1,134 | +28.0% | +7.6% | 32% | −4.3% |
| Naples | 5,486 | +6.3% | +9.5% | 29% | −5.6% |
Fresh, well-positioned listings are moving throughout the region. Returning listings that kept earlier pricing strategies are usually the ones waiting.
Pricing Adjustments That Are Working in Estero
Most returning Estero listings reduced their price by about 5–7% before finding success. That remains the practical threshold we are seeing across Southwest Florida. Sellers received a median 96% of their final list price in November, which reflects moderate but real negotiation room.
The approach that continues to work is straightforward:
- Match the last five comparable closings within your community.
- Homes within about 5% of those numbers tend to move.
- Homes 10% or more above tend to wait.
Neighborhood Snapshots: How Six Estero Communities Are Moving Right Now
Based on properties that either sold or came off the market between January and November 2025, here is how six featured Estero communities performed. The pattern is consistent across all of them: sellers who priced in line with recent comparable closings found buyers. Those who held older pricing strategies are still waiting or have cycled off the market.
Stoneybrook
Stoneybrook has 17 active listings with a median asking price of $625,000 at $279 per square foot, and most homes have been on the market fewer than 90 days. The neighborhood has 6 homes under contract, including 4 firm pendings, all reaching contract in a median of 12 days, the fastest in this group. None of the current pendings came from earlier expired or withdrawn attempts, which shows Stoneybrook buyers tend to act quickly when homes reflect recent comparable sales. About 29% of active inventory is returning after an earlier attempt, with modest reductions averaging just 2.3%. Stoneybrook finished with a 76.8% year-to-date success rate, the strongest among these Estero communities.
Verdana Village
Verdana Village has 29 active listings priced around $639,000 at $261 per square foot, with a median of 53 days on the market. Buyer activity remains steady, with 10 homes pending — 3 firm and 7 contingent — at a median $667,000, taking about 66 days to reach contract. Roughly 30% of pending homes had a prior failed attempt before adjusting. The community recorded 111 sales year-to-date, reaching a median sold price of $585,000 at $262 per square foot with a 98.6% list-to-sale ratio, the highest in this group. Only 13.8% of active inventory is returning, the lowest shadow percentage among these communities. About 62% of active listings are under 90 days. Verdana Village finished with a 68.1% year-to-date success rate.
Cascades at Estero
Cascades at Estero has 14 active listings priced around $444,444 at $243 per square foot, with a median 70 days on the market. The neighborhood has 3 pending homes — 1 firm and 2 contingent — at a median $385,000, reaching contract in just 15 days. About 33% of pending contracts came from earlier failed attempts. The community recorded 29 sales year-to-date, with a median sold price of $460,000 at $242 per square foot and a 97.3% list-to-sale ratio. Roughly 35.7% of active listings are returning after an earlier attempt, and returning sellers reduced by about 5.1%. About 57% of active homes are under 90 days. Cascades finished with a 60.4% year-to-date success rate.
Grandezza
Grandezza has 24 active listings at a median $515,000 and $269 per square foot, with a median 70 days on the market. The neighborhood has 4 contingent pendings at a median $574,475, taking about 95 days to reach contract. About 25% of these pendings had previous failed attempts. Year-to-date, 41 homes sold, reaching a median $660,000 at $324 per square foot with a 95.2% list-to-sale ratio. Roughly 33.3% of active listings previously expired or withdrew, and returning sellers made the deepest adjustments in this group at about 12%. About 58% of active inventory is under 90 days. Grandezza finished with a 56.9% year-to-date success rate.
Bella Terra
Bella Terra has 35 active listings priced around $506,000 at $253 per square foot, with a median 50 days on the market. The community has 11 contingent pendings at a median $454,000, taking about 86 days to reach contract. Roughly 27% of pending homes had a prior failed attempt. Year-to-date closings reached 68 homes, with a median sold price of $511,250 at $245 per square foot and a 97.5% list-to-sale ratio. About 48.6% of active inventory is returning, the highest in this group, and returning sellers reduced by about 5.1%. About 77% of active homes are under 90 days. Bella Terra finished with a 55.3% year-to-date success rate.
The Place at Corkscrew
The Place at Corkscrew has 43 active listings, the largest inventory among these communities, with a median asking price of $715,000 at $297 per square foot and a median 58 days on the market. The neighborhood has 10 pending homes — 3 firm and 7 contingent — at a median $727,000, taking about 88 days to reach contract. Roughly 30% of pending homes had a prior failed attempt. Year-to-date, 78 homes sold, reaching a median $793,494 at $317 per square foot with a 96.2% list-to-sale ratio. About 34.9% of active inventory is returning, and returning sellers reduced by about 7.7%. About 72% of active homes are under 90 days. The Place finished with a 51.7% year-to-date success rate, the lowest in this group.
Home Prices: Down From the Peak, Still Above 2020
Median price in Estero reached its high point at $610,000 in January 2025 and has eased since. November closed at $555,000, a 9% decline from that peak and the third straight November of softening:
- $572,500 in November 2023
- $568,000 in November 2024
- $555,000 today
The five-year view offers useful context. Estero’s 2020 monthly median ran in the low $300s, and today’s median remains roughly 70% higher than those pre-pandemic levels.
Price per square foot peaked earlier at $314 in January 2023 and has since declined to $267. That remains well higher than the pre-surge baseline in the low $170s per square foot. The earlier softening in price per square foot shows the upper end of the market adjusted first, with the broader market following in 2024 and 2025.
Inventory: Elevated and Starting to Stabilize
Inventory in Estero reached 777 homes on average in 2025, up from 601 in 2024 and 327 in 2023. November finished with 740 active listings, slightly above last year but well below the spring peak.
The November-to-November comparison shows how the market has changed:
- November 2021: 132 homes
- November 2023: 439 homes
- November 2024: 673 homes
- November 2025: 740 homes
Inventory growth has slowed as more sellers adjust pricing to meet current demand.
Days on Market: Patience Required
Homes in Estero are taking longer to sell than at any point since 2020. November’s median of 74 days is the highest November figure in the data.
For comparison:
- 2020: 41 days
- 2021: 11 days
- 2022: 10 days
- 2023: 25 days
- 2024: 51 days
Even well-priced homes should expect six to eight weeks of exposure.
Months of Supply: A Buyer’s Market With Early Signs of Improvement
Estero sits at 6.6 months of supply. A balanced market typically runs 4–6 months. Anything above 6 favors buyers.
Months supply reached 12 months in early 2025 before improving as more listings adjusted to match recent comparable closings. The November reading is down slightly from last year’s 6.8 months, showing signs of stabilization even as inventory remains elevated.
What Estero Homeowners Are Asking
Because roughly 1 in 3 active listings already tried once earlier this year, and those older listings tend to sit much longer. They create the impression that nothing is happening even as new, well-priced homes go under contract. The activity is there. It is just concentrated in listings that reflect today’s prices, not last spring’s.
Probably not. Most returning sellers reduced their price, and those are the listings reaching the closing table. Homes holding older pricing strategies tend to wait.
Match your home to the last five comparable closings within your community. If you are within about 5% of those numbers, you are positioned well. If you are 10% above those numbers, expect a longer timeline.
Buyers have options and leverage. Prices are down from the 2025 peak, months supply is elevated, and sellers are negotiating. Rising pending sales suggest other buyers are stepping back in.
Yes. November closings improved from last year’s low point, and 2025 is running ahead of 2024 with stronger momentum heading into the new year.
Final Thoughts
The Estero real estate market enters the 2026 season with steadier buyer activity, prices that have eased from their high point, and neighborhoods where well-priced listings continue to move even as older listings create the impression of a slower market. Inventory is higher than it was a few years ago, but its growth has started to level off, and the rise in pending and closed sales shows that buyers are paying attention again.
If you want to see how these trends fit your home or neighborhood, you can search Estero homes for sale, explore community-level data, or contact our team to walk through the numbers together.
Most homeowners feel overwhelmed when it is time to move. At Worthington Realty, we provide personalized guidance and clear communication so you feel heard, valued, and confident in your decisions.
Sources & Methodology: All data in this report comes directly from the Royal Palm Coast REALTOR® Association, Florida Gulf Coast MLS, and Stellar MLS, combined with multi-year InfoSparks trend analysis and a full address-level review of every active, closed, expired, and returning listing in Estero from January through November 2025. Citywide metrics, including prices, pending sales, closed sales, days on market, months supply, and inventory, are based on finalized MLS trend data. Community-level insights, including shadow inventory rates, price adjustments, negotiation patterns, and success rates, come from matching individual properties across multiple listing attempts to track how pricing and time on market influenced outcomes. This blended approach gives a clear, evidence-based view of how the Estero real estate market is moving as we head into the 2026 season.
