Fort Myers Leading Indicators Are the Strongest in Years — the Closed Count and DOM Reflect a Market Still Catching Up
Data reflects MLS records as of April 1, 2026. MLS figures may update as late transactions are recorded.
Fort Myers’ leading indicators are pointing in one direction. Inventory fell 24.1% year over year, pending sales rose 18.3%, and showings per listing climbed 25.9% — buyers are actively engaging and going under contract at a pace the market has not seen since early 2022. The closed count fell 9.5% year over year against a strong March 2025 comparison, and median days on market rose from 45 to 65 days. Those two figures reflect the recent past and a portion of the market still working through pricing alignment, not where buyer demand is headed.
The Southwest Florida regional hub report frames the five-city comparison and regional context. This report focuses on what the Fort Myers data shows for buyers and sellers in this market. The Worthington Realty Fort Myers Housing Market Report for April 2026 covers March 2026 transaction data for the Fort Myers market within Southwest Florida’s five-city corridor. All data draws from the Florida Gulf Coast MLS (FGCMLS via Stellar MLS).
Key Takeaways
- Pending sales rose 18.3% year over year to 653 while closed sales fell 9.5% year over year to 512. Pending is a leading indicator — those contracts close in April and May. The closed decline reflects the base comparison period and the timing gap between contract formation and closing.
- Median days on market rose 44.4% year over year, from 45 to 65 days, the largest DOM increase in Southwest Florida. First-attempt listings are closing at 54 days; relisted active listings have already accumulated 89 days in their current attempt.
- Median sold PPSF fell 8.5% year over year to $204, the steepest value decline in the region. Median sale price fell 3.0% to $335,000 — a smaller drop because more larger homes closed this month, which pushed the median price up.
- The Re-list Rate stands at 29.7%, the highest in Southwest Florida. Relisted homes that eventually sold accepted a median of $15,000 less than their original asking price.
- Competitive MOI is 4.2 months against an overall MOI of 7.5. The 3.3-month spread reflects how much of the active pool buyers have already evaluated and moved past.
Pending Sales Rose 18% in Fort Myers While Closed Sales Fell 9.5%
Closed sales tell us what buyers decided weeks ago. Pending sales tell us what they are deciding right now.
Fort Myers recorded 512 closed sales in March 2026, down 9.5% from 566 a year ago, with total dollar volume of $230.3 million, down 10.9% year over year. New listings came in at 757, down 23.0% from 983 in March 2025. Active inventory of 3,402 is down 24.1% year over year. By every supply-side measure, the market should be tightening in a way that supports higher closing volume. The pending count tells a different story than the closed count: with 653 pending sales, up 18.3% from a year ago, contracts are forming at a pace the market has not seen since early 2022. The pending-to-active ratio of 25.2% means roughly one in four active listings has an accepted offer.
The gap between pending sales growth (+18.3% year over year) and closed sales decline (-9.5% year over year) reflects the nature of these two metrics: pending sales are a leading indicator of what buyers are deciding now, while closed sales reflect contracts formed 30 to 60 days earlier. The strong pending growth points to building buyer confidence, and those contracts will close in April and May. The closed count decline is largely a base effect — March 2025 was an exceptionally strong month.
What Is Not Yet Visible in the Active Count
Shadow inventory in Fort Myers — listings that expired, were withdrawn, or were cancelled in the past 12 months without selling and without coming back to market — totals approximately 4,036. These owners tried, did not find a buyer, and are sitting on the sidelines. That pool is not visible in the current active count but represents homes that could return if sellers decide to try again. Showings per listing rose from 2.7 to 3.4 year over year, up 25.9%. Buyers are touring more actively per listing than at any point in the past 12 months.
Mortgage Rates as of April 2, 2026
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.46% as of April 2, 2026, per Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey, down from 6.64% a year ago but up from around 5.90% in late February — rates have risen more than 50 basis points in six weeks. Fort Myers carries a higher share of financed purchases relative to Naples or Bonita Springs, making the rate trajectory more directly relevant to buyer affordability here — the year-over-year comparison is still favorable, but buyers financing today are locking at a meaningfully higher rate than those who moved in February.
Fort Myers PPSF Fell 8.5% Year Over Year, the Steepest Value Decline in Southwest Florida
Price per square foot normalizes for home size, making it the more reliable read on what is actually happening to values. Median price moves when the mix of homes closing changes, even when underlying values have not.
Fort Myers homes are selling for 8.5% less per square foot than a year ago, the steepest value decline of any city in Southwest Florida. The median sale price tells a narrower story.
Median sold PPSF fell from $223 to $204 year over year. Median sale price fell from $345,500 to $335,000, a 3.0% decline. The median price fell less steeply than PPSF because more larger homes closed this month than usual — larger homes push the median price up even when per-square-foot values are declining. At $204 per square foot, PPSF represents a measurable correction from the 2022-2023 peak range.
Dollar Volume and Sold-to-List Ratio
Dollar volume of $230.3 million was 10.9% below March 2025’s $258.6 million. Both the count and the average price per transaction fell. Dollar volume declined more steeply than either figure would indicate on its own.
The sold-to-list ratio in Fort Myers for March 2026 is 96.1%, in line with the regional figure and essentially flat from 96.3% a year ago. Buyers are getting within 4% of the most recent asking price at contract. The larger pricing friction is earlier in the process, captured in the Ask-Bid Gap.
The Ask-Bid Gap Is the Smallest in the Region but Not Evenly Distributed
Fort Myers’ Ask-Bid Gap of 5.3%, active listings at $216.75/sf against closings at $205.75/sf, is the narrowest in Southwest Florida. That figure does not mean every Fort Myers listing is priced appropriately. Entry-level listings under $300,000 are generally priced close to where they are transacting. In the $450,000-$650,000 range, particularly community-golf-access homes in established developments, asking prices are running well above where comparable units are closing. Sellers in that tier carry more of the regional Ask-Bid friction than the blended city figure reflects.
Approximately 21.0% of active Fort Myers listings have been on market for 180 days or more, 703 listings that have not responded to sustained buyer rejection with a meaningful price reduction. These listings anchor the upper end of the price distribution and are the main reason the overall MOI reads so high.
Fort Myers Leads Southwest Florida in Relist Rate at 29.7%
The Re-list Rate measures what share of current listings have already failed to sell once. It is a behavioral signal telling us how sellers are responding to current conditions.
Fort Myers leads the region at 29.7%. Of 3,342 active listings, 991 have previously failed to sell at least once in the past 12 months and returned under a new MLS number. Not every relist reflects a pricing error: agent changes, personal timing, and seasonal pulls account for some returns. The majority-driver in this market is clear, though: sellers who priced above the market on their first attempt and came back hoping conditions had improved.
What Relisting Has Cost Fort Myers Sellers
The average Fort Myers seller who needed a second attempt left $15,000 on the table and spent additional weeks on market, before carrying costs.
For homes that eventually sold after relisting, the median original asking price was $365,000. The median final sale price was $350,000. First-attempt homes that sold closed at a median of $335,000 and 54 days. Relisted active listings have already accumulated a median of 89 days in their current attempt, 35 days beyond the first-attempt closed DOM, and have not yet gone under contract.
Approximately 21% of relisted active listings returned at less than a 3% reduction from their prior listing price, effectively the same price point that buyers declined before. Those listings are accumulating days at the same rate as their first attempt. Meaningful reductions of 5% or more are the threshold at which relisted Fort Myers homes reliably start generating showings again.
At 4.2 Months of Competitive Supply, Fort Myers Sellers Face Less Competition Than the Headline Suggests
Competitive Inventory strips stale listings and stubborn relists from the active count to show the supply a well-priced seller actually faces. Not everything in the MLS represents real competition.
Fort Myers three-tier months-of-supply breakdown, March 2026:
| Tier | Active Count | MOI |
|---|---|---|
| Overall MOI (all active listings) | 3,402 | 7.5 |
| Stale-stripped MOI (removing listings over 180 days) | 2,699 | 6.2 |
| Competitive MOI (removing listings over 90 days) | 1,806 | 4.2 |
Based on 12-month trailing average closing rate of 432.9 sales per month.
What This Means for Correctly Priced Sellers
A correctly priced Fort Myers seller competes against 1,806 listings, not 3,402. The 1,596-listing difference is composed of stale inventory and persistent relists that buyers have already evaluated and rejected. In practical terms, that narrower competitive pool is why correctly priced Fort Myers listings are generating 3.4 showings per listing and closing in 54 days. The friction is not absent demand. It is the share of the active pool that has not priced to the current market.
The pending-to-active ratio of 25.2% is above the neutral threshold and rising year over year, a directionally positive signal for sellers who price accurately.
Florida Insurance and the Fort Myers Transaction Environment
Fort Myers transactions are affected by Florida’s insurance environment at two points. On the supply side, rising annual insurance premiums have made holding costs less manageable for some sellers, contributing to listing activity. On the demand side, buyers who discover true insurance costs during due diligence use that information as a basis for renegotiation or cancellation. Older homes, waterfront properties, and properties in flood zones carry the most exposure. Sellers in those categories should obtain current insurance quotes before listing and provide them proactively to reduce the probability of contract disruption mid-process.
Core Market Metrics (March 2026 Data)
| City | Median Sold Price | Price/SF | Active Listings | Months of Supply | Sold-to-List | Closed Sales YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Myers | $335,000 | $204 | 3,402 | 7.5 | 96.1% | -9.5% |
| Cape Coral | $355,000 | $207 | 2,977 | 6.0 | 97.4% | -14.5% |
| Estero | $467,500 | $246 | 731 | 6.0 | 96.1% | +26.7% |
| Bonita Springs | $580,000 | $309 | 1,172 | 7.8 | 95.1% | +11.4% |
| Naples | $587,500 | $326 | 6,124 | 8.7 | 95.4% | +11.7% |
| SWFL Region | $410,000 | $243 | 20,656 | 7.7 | 96.1% | +2.4% |
Worthington Market Lens (March 2026 Data)
| City | Competitive MOI | Re-list Rate | Ask-Bid Gap | Pending-to-Active | First-Attempt DOM | Relist DOM (current attempt) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Myers | 4.2 | 29.7% | 5.3% | 25.2% | 54 days | 89 days |
| Cape Coral | 3.5 | 26.3% | 15.3% | 29.6% | 54 days | 77 days |
| Estero | 3.6 | 24.9% | 6.1% | 34.9% | 66 days | 76 days |
| Bonita Springs | 4.2 | 28.3% | 13.8% | 28.1% | 61 days | 112 days |
| Naples | 4.7 | 27.7% | 16.0% | 23.2% | 61 days | 90 days |
Source: FGCMLS via Stellar MLS. March 2026 data. Competitive MOI uses active listings under 90 days; 12-month trailing average closing rate. Relist DOM reflects current-attempt days only.
Worthington’s Featured Fort Myers Communities
Worthington Realty features six Fort Myers communities with dedicated IDX search pages and monthly tracking. This cycle they show a clear divide between those where first-attempt pricing is working and homes are closing efficiently, and those where elevated relist rates are driving up days on market and wearing down seller proceeds.
Verandah
- Active Listings: 51
- Sold (Last 120 Days): 40
- Homes Pending: 15
- Pending-to-Active Ratio: 29.4%
- Previously Listed Share of Active: 39.2%
- Months of Inventory: 5.1
- Median Sold Price: $465,000
- Sellers Received: 95.9% of asking price
A relist share of 39.2% is the dominant signal at Verandah right now: more than one in three active listings previously expired or was withdrawn without selling. Sellers returning to the market have reduced asking prices by a median of 6.6% from their prior attempt, yet the active median list of $538,000 still sits $73,000 above the median closed price of $465,000. Active listings are carrying a median of 114 days on market. Sellers who price within the range where homes are actually closing — rather than anchoring to the prevailing active ask — will convert their listing without a second attempt.
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The Plantation
- Active Listings: 58
- Sold (Last 120 Days): 46
- Homes Pending: 17
- Pending-to-Active Ratio: 29.3%
- Previously Listed Share of Active: 29.3%
- Months of Inventory: 5.0
- Median Sold Price: $613,750
- Sellers Received: 96.7% of asking price
At 5.0 months of inventory and a 29.3% pending-to-active ratio, The Plantation is running in balanced-to-soft territory where selection is strong and first-attempt pricing discipline matters. Somerset and Bridgetown are telling separate stories: Somerset closed at a median of $681,500 over the past 120 days, while Bridgetown closed at $545,000. Somerset’s $136,500 price premium over Bridgetown reflects its golf-and-dining orientation versus Bridgetown’s resort-recreation model, though both neighborhoods are selling at similar rates, with nine pending contracts in each. Buyers who want the community’s full amenity set at the lower entry point have 30 active listings to evaluate in Bridgetown right now.
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Pelican Preserve
- Active Listings: 66
- Sold (Last 120 Days): 52
- Homes Pending: 39
- Pending-to-Active Ratio: 59.1%
- Previously Listed Share of Active: 25.8%
- Months of Inventory: 5.1
- Median Sold Price: $411,000
- Sellers Received: 97.0% of asking price
A 59.1% pending-to-active ratio reflects active demand across this 55-plus community, concentrated in single-family product. The 5.1 months of inventory is weighted toward condos: Palazzo, Siena, and Camarelle account for 22 of 66 active listings in the $214,500 to $356,000 range. The pending pipeline tells the demand story more precisely — Prato at Pelican Preserve, Materita, and Carena collectively hold 19 of 39 pending contracts, confirming where buyers are focused. The median sold price of $411,000 reflects that mix. Buyers targeting single-family product here should act deliberately: it is clearing at 97.0% of asking price.
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Timber Creek
- Active Listings: 26
- Sold (Last 120 Days): 26
- Homes Pending: 9
- Pending-to-Active Ratio: 34.6%
- Previously Listed Share of Active: 15.4%
- Months of Inventory: 4.0
- Median Sold Price: $604,000
- Sellers Received: 98.0% of asking price
At 4.0 months of inventory and a 98.0% sold-to-list ratio, Timber Creek is a market where sellers who price accurately are transacting with minimal concessions. The median sold price of $604,000 reflects a 120-day period when larger single-family homes on Timber Creek Drive and Canopy Loop drove the mix, with 10 closings in that tier landing between $570,000 and $845,000. The current active pool leans toward townhomes and smaller homes on Pine Lodge Lane and Winding Cedar Way, where list prices run from $290,000 to $440,000. Buyers should anchor their price expectations to comparable homes on their specific street — the community-wide median will mislead in either direction.
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Lexington Country Club
- Active Listings: 42
- Sold (Last 120 Days): 54
- Homes Pending: 29
- Pending-to-Active Ratio: 69.0%
- Previously Listed Share of Active: 23.8%
- Months of Inventory: 3.1
- Median Sold Price: $273,750
- Sellers Received: 95.5% of asking price
A pending-to-active ratio of 69.0% and 3.1 months of inventory signal strong demand across most product categories, with buyer demand running well ahead of available supply. The community-wide median sold price of $273,750 reflects the high volume of condo and villa closings in Southmont Cove, Waterford, and Sommerset Villas, where units cleared between $194,000 and $345,000 over the past four months. Single-family homes in the Golf Village neighborhoods on Edgemont Drive and Willowcrest Way closed between $375,000 and $865,000 over the same period — a tier the community-wide median significantly understates. Sellers pricing Golf Village homes should anchor their analysis to those neighborhood-specific closings, not the community figure.
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WildBlue
- Active Listings: 26
- Sold (Last 120 Days): 31
- Homes Pending: 7
- Pending-to-Active Ratio: 26.9%
- Previously Listed Share of Active: 15.4%
- Months of Inventory: 3.4
- Median Sold Price: $1,400,000
- Sellers Received: 96.8% of asking price
At 3.4 months of inventory, WildBlue is reasonably tight at the community level, though active asking prices in Vista WildBlue have moved above where things are clearing. Vista WildBlue sellers are currently listed at a median of $1,414,500 against a closed median of $1,165,000 over the past 120 days, reflecting sellers testing above the established range. WildBlue proper is more closely aligned: active median $1,907,000 against a closed median of $1,950,000. Buyers ready to negotiate have the strongest position in Vista WildBlue, where 10 active listings offer more room than the WildBlue proper tier currently allows.
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Frequently Asked Questions About the Fort Myers Housing Market
The elevated DOM is a pricing issue, not a demand issue. Homes priced within 5% of current comps are closing at 54 days median. The 65-day overall median reflects listings still priced to 2023 comparables pulling the average up.
Pending sales measure contracts forming now; closed sales reflect contracts that completed 30 to 60 days ago. The March closed decline is a base effect — March 2025 was an exceptionally strong month. The pending growth points to where April and May closings are headed.
Inventory is down, sellers are accepting 96.1% of asking, and rates remain below year-ago levels. Pelican Preserve and Lexington are moving quickly and offer more selection than 12 months ago in the $400,000-$600,000 tier.
Buyers are averaging 3.9% below the most recent asking price at contract. Listings with elevated DOM and prior reductions accept larger concessions than freshly listed, accurately priced homes.
Fort Myers has a narrower Ask-Bid Gap (5.3% vs. 15.3%) — sellers here have adjusted closer to where buyers are transacting. Cape Coral has higher buyer activity by showings per listing. Fort Myers’ pricing is more aligned; Cape Coral’s demand is stronger.
Final Thoughts on the Fort Myers Housing Market
The Fort Myers housing market in March 2026 is a market where the signals point in competing directions. Sellers who priced to current comps are closing in 54 days at near-asking prices. Sellers who did not are accumulating days, a second listing period, and a widening difference between what they expected and what they will ultimately accept. For buyers, the combination of tightening supply, rates that remain below year-ago levels, and motivated sellers at the correctly priced end of the market creates real opportunity, particularly in communities where the data confirms the market has found its footing.
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April 2026 Southwest Florida Housing Market Report Series
- Fort Myers Housing Market Report ← You are here
- Southwest Florida Housing Market Report
- Cape Coral Housing Market Report (Coming soon!)
- Estero Housing Market Report (Coming soon!)
- Bonita Springs Housing Market Report (Coming soon!)
- Naples Housing Market Report (Coming soon!)
IDX Searches Fort Myers homes for sale | Cape Coral homes for sale | Estero homes for sale | Bonita Springs homes for sale | Naples homes for sale
All data referenced in Worthington’s market reports draws from the Florida Gulf Coast MLS (FGCMLS via Stellar MLS) unless otherwise noted. Read more about how we calculate these metrics.
