Keys to the Coast: May 2026 | Fort Myers Market Update, Spring Events &; What’s Changing in Real Estate
Keys to the Coast · May 2026
Fort Myers Real Estate Market Update
Market data, industry moves, hidden spots by boat, and what’s actually happening in Southwest Florida heading into summer.
A Note from Justin
May in Southwest Florida
May is when Southwest Florida becomes a different place. The seasonal crowd heads north, the roads clear out, the restaurants stop requiring reservations, and the people who live here year-round remember exactly why they do. The water turns its best shade of blue-green. The fish are running. And the real estate market is telling a story that most people are not paying close enough attention to.
This month I am covering what March’s data actually means for buyers and sellers, two industry shake-ups that are reshaping how homes are bought, sold, and where top agents are migrating, the best May events on the calendar, and five spots you can only reach by boat that most people in SWFL have never heard of.
Let’s get into it.
Market Snapshot
Cape Coral – Fort Myers MSA · Single-Family Homes · March 2026 Year-Over-Year
MEDIAN SALE PRICE
$376,750
▼ 4.6% vs. year ago
CLOSED SALES
1,514
▲ 9.5% vs. year ago
ACTIVE INVENTORY
8,208
▼ 18% vs. year ago
NEW PENDING SALES
1,871
▲ 16% vs. year ago
NEW LISTINGS
1,981
▼ 11% vs. year ago
DOLLAR VOLUME
$842M
▲ 5.1% vs. year ago
What This Actually Means
Most people reading the headlines are looking at the price number and stopping there. Median price down 4.6% year over year. That is the number that makes sellers nervous and makes buyers think they can wait.
The rest of the data tells a completely different story. Inventory is down 18% year over year. New listings are down 11%. Pending sales are up 16%. Dollar volume is up over 5%. Those four numbers together are not what a declining market looks like. They are what a tightening market looks like.
The correctly priced, move-in ready homes are going under contract. The overpriced ones are sitting and dragging down the median. That split is the real story, and it is the difference between the homes that sell in 30 days and the ones that collect price reductions for six months. For a full breakdown of what sellers are getting wrong right now, read my complete guide to selling your home in Fort Myers in 2026.
For buyers: inventory is compressing at a pace most people have not noticed yet. The selection you have this spring may not exist by fall. Pending sales up 16% tells you demand is back. The window of advantage on the buyer side is real but it is not permanent. If you are relocating, start with my full Fort Myers relocation guide or the Cape Coral buyer guide.
This is not a declining market. It is a rebalancing one. And right now, position matters more than timing.
Want to Know Where Your Home Stands?
I put together a 2026 Seller Strategy Guide built specifically for this market. Or get a quick number right now.
Download the Seller Strategy Guide Check Your Home ValueMay 2026
Justin’s Top 5
Best Kept Secrets to Reach by Boat in SWFL
Cayo Costa State Park
Nine miles of undeveloped barrier island beach with no hotels, no condos, and no road access from anywhere. You get there by ferry from Pine Island or you bring your own boat. What you find is the Gulf Coast as it existed before anyone tried to develop it. Shelling, sea turtles, and almost no one past the ferry crowd that leaves by 4 PM. The people who know this place guard it like a state secret.
Cabbage Key
A small island in Pine Island Sound with a restaurant that has been there since 1938. The walls and ceiling are covered in over 50,000 signed dollar bills. Tie up at the dock, order the cheeseburger, and look around at the walls. The story goes that Jimmy Buffett stopped here in the 1970s on a sailing trip and wrote a certain song shortly after. Whether you believe the legend or not, the lunch is worth the trip.
North Captiva Island
No bridge. No causeway. No cars connected to the mainland. North Captiva split from the rest of Captiva during a 1921 hurricane and has been accessible only by water ever since. You dock at Safety Harbor, walk to one of a handful of restaurants, and spend time on a beach that genuinely feels like a discovery. The residential properties here are some of the most interesting in all of Lee County, and almost no one outside the boating community knows they exist.
Johnson Shoals
A shallow sandbar between Captiva and Cayo Costa that only appears at low tide. When it surfaces you get crystal-clear water in every direction, thigh-deep for hundreds of yards, with dolphins working the edges and almost nobody else around. It does not show up on most tourist maps. You find it by knowing where to look or by following the locals. Best months are May through August when the afternoon light hits the water perfectly.
The Estero Bay Sandbars Near Fort Myers Beach
A series of shifting sandbars just inside Estero Bay that appear at low tide and disappear when it rises. No official name on most charts. No signage, no markers, no facilities. Just flat white sand, warm shallow water, and the resident dolphin pods that treat these bars as their own territory. The boating community knows where they are. Everyone else is at the public beach. Come by boat in the morning before the wind picks up and you have the whole thing to yourself.
What’s Happening in Real Estate
Two stories this month that directly affect how homes are bought, sold, and where serious agents are moving.
INDUSTRY CONSOLIDATION
Real Brokerage Just Acquired RE/MAX for $880 Million
Real Brokerage has agreed to acquire RE/MAX Holdings in a deal that assigns RE/MAX an enterprise value of roughly $880 million. When the transaction closes, Real shareholders will own approximately 59% of the combined company and RE/MAX shareholders about 41%, operating under a new name: Real REMAX Group.
Together, the two companies supported roughly 1.8 million transaction sides globally in 2025. Real CEO Tamir Poleg framed the deal as a technology and scale play: layering Real’s AI-driven back-office platform on top of RE/MAX’s global franchise network. Agents under both brands are expected to gain access to integrated transaction management, AI tools, and new financial services.
What this means for Southwest Florida: RE/MAX has a significant presence in Fort Myers and Cape Coral. The agents who are thriving through this consolidation are the ones who already invested in their own brand, systems, and client relationships. The ones who were relying on a brand name are now watching that brand merge into someone else’s.
SERHANT. EXPANSION
SERHANT. Launches in California — Five Markets, $2B+ in Recruited Agent Volume
SERHANT. announced its expansion into California this week, launching simultaneously across Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, San Francisco, and Tahoe. The recruited agents closed more than $2 billion in sales over the past 12 months. Operations are based in Beverly Hills, led by Ezra Leyton, a 23-year industry veteran with over $2.5 billion in career sales.
The California launch is SERHANT.’s largest market entry by sales volume, following its January expansion into Massachusetts. The firm now operates in 16 states and Washington D.C., with more than 2,000 agents and $7.13 billion in 2025 sales volume.
What this means for my clients: California has historically been one of the largest source markets for buyers relocating to Southwest Florida. SERHANT.’s presence there means direct pipeline into that buyer pool in a way that a regional or single-state brokerage cannot replicate. When you list with me, your home reaches buyers on both coasts.
Thinking About Buying or Selling?
Let’s put together a strategy based on what’s actually happening in the market right now, not what you’re reading in the headlines.
Book a Call With Justin Search Available HomesFeatured Listings Across Southwest Florida
What is active right now across Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, and North Port, organized by market.
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Want to experience Southwest Florida before buying? Both properties are available now.
Looking for something specific? Search the full Southwest Florida inventory.
Search All SWFL ListingsWhat’s Happening Around Southwest Florida
Events, things worth doing, and what’s on the calendar this May
MAY
1
ARTS & CULTURE
Monthly Art Walk — Downtown River District
Friday, May 1 · Downtown Fort Myers · 5–9 PM
Monthly gallery walk through the River District. Local art, open studios, food and music along the waterfront. One of the best recurring events in the neighborhood.
MAY
2
FOOD & FUN
Mexican Food Throwdown — Millennial Brewing
Saturday, May 2 · 1811 Royal Palm Ave · 12–8 PM
Local teams compete for the best tacos and quesadillas at one of Fort Myers’ best craft breweries. The BBQ version in April sold out early. This one will too.
MAY
2
FAMILY
Fort Myers Farmers Market — Every Saturday Through May
Every Saturday · 2200 First St · 9 AM–1 PM
Fresh produce, local vendors, and one of the best Saturday morning routines in Fort Myers. Running every week through the end of May.
MAY
9
COMMUNITY
Hurricane Preparedness Expo
Saturday, May 9 · 1375 Monroe St · 11 AM–3 PM
Insurance, generators, shutters, emergency planning. Post-Ian, this is not a casual event. It is a practical afternoon with direct impact on your home’s value and insurability. Worth attending if you own property here.
MAY
7–9
FESTIVAL
Hibiscus Festival — Gilchrist Park, Punta Gorda
May 7–9 · Gilchrist Park, Punta Gorda
Now in its 22nd year. Live music, local food, plant markets. Worth the short drive up 41. One of the better community events in the region heading into summer.
MAY
15
ARTS & MUSIC
Monthly Music Walk — Downtown Fort Myers
Friday, May 15 · Downtown Fort Myers · 6–10 PM
Live music across multiple venues in the River District. Outdoor dining, local businesses open late. May’s version is one of the last cool evenings before summer fully arrives.
MAY
16
PERFORMING ARTS
Mahler Chamber Orchestra — Artis–Naples
May 16 · Hayes Hall, Artis–Naples
The internationally renowned Mahler Chamber Orchestra makes its Hayes Hall debut. Pianist Yuja Wang joins for a program spanning Prokofiev, Tsfasman, and Chopin. One of the most notable performing arts events in SWFL this month.
MAY
23–26
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
Memorial Day Weekend in Southwest Florida
May 23–26 · Southwest Florida
Memorial Day weekend is when the summer rhythm officially starts in SWFL. The snowbird crowd is gone, the locals are on the water, and the beaches are still beautiful. If you are thinking about a long weekend before making a real estate decision, this is the weekend to do it.
Guides and Resources from the Blog
If you are in the middle of a buy or sell decision, these are the most relevant reads right now.
FOR SELLERS
FOR BUYERS
Ready to Make a Move?
Whether you are buying, selling, or just trying to understand where this market is headed, let’s have a real conversation about it.
Justin Jamison · Luxury Real Estate Advisor · SERHANT. · Fort Myers · Cape Coral · Naples
Text: (913) 832-7931 · justin.jamison@serhant.com
