If you've been watching the Sarasota and Manatee real estate markets this year, July brought a few surprises — and the two counties didn't move in exactly the same way. Inventory keeps shrinking in both, homes are moving faster, and in Sarasota County, condos suddenly outpaced single-family homes on price growth — a reversal that didn't happen in Manatee. Here's an honest, county-by-county look at what actually happened, based on the REALTOR® Association of Sarasota and Manatee's (RASM) July 2026 report.
Sarasota County: the headline numbers
Sarasota County single-family homes continued to sell at a healthy clip in July, with 744 closed sales, up 2.9% from a year ago. The median sale price rose to $493,500, a 5.0% increase year-over-year, while the average sale price climbed more sharply — up 11.6% to $764,307 — reflecting continued strength at the higher end of the market.
Sellers are also closing the gap with their original asking prices. The median seller received 94.2% of their original list price in July, up from 91.0% a year earlier — a meaningful jump that points to intensifying competition for well-positioned homes.
Inventory keeps shrinking
The biggest story this month is still supply. Active single-family listings fell 23.4% year-over-year to 2,736 homes, pushing months of supply down to just 3.9 — well below the level typically associated with a balanced market. Homes are also moving faster: the median time to go under contract dropped to 52 days, down 17.5% from a year ago.
Fewer homes on the market combined with steady buyer demand is creating a more competitive environment, particularly for homes that are priced realistically from day one.
Condos just flipped the script
For much of the past year, condos and townhomes had been the softer side of the Sarasota market — more inventory, longer days on market, and softer pricing compared to single-family homes. July changed that story. Condo and townhome sales jumped 33.1% year-over-year to 318 closings, and the median sale price rose 13.3% to $340,000 — a sharp reversal from the price declines seen earlier this year.
That said, the shift wasn't uniform across every metric. Condos are still taking longer to reach contract — a median of 92 days, up from 72 a year ago — even as sales volume and pricing accelerated. It's a reminder that a single number rarely tells the whole story; a property's specific building, location, and price point still matter enormously.
Higher-priced condo activity was especially notable: Sarasota County recorded 41 condo and townhome sales of $1 million or more in July, up from just 12 a year ago.
Manatee County: a similar story, with its own twists
Manatee County's single-family market also had a strong July, with 694 closed sales, up 11.2% year-over-year — a faster sales pace than Sarasota County saw. The median sale price rose modestly, up 1.0% to $495,000, while the average sale price climbed 7.1% to $675,943. Sellers received a median of 95.2% of their original list price, up from 93.7% a year ago — even stronger than Sarasota's number.
Inventory tightened here too, though not quite as sharply as in Sarasota. Active single-family listings fell 7.9% to 2,724 homes, and months of supply dipped to 4.1. Homes moved to contract in a median of 50 days, down 13.8% from a year earlier — a similarly quicker pace than last year, even if not as fast as Sarasota's 52-day median.
Manatee's condo and townhome market told a different story than Sarasota's, though. Sales rose 18.4% to 238 closings, but the median price actually dipped slightly, down 1.9% to $313,950. That's the opposite of what happened in Sarasota, where condo prices jumped double digits. In other words, Manatee's condo buyers are still finding some relative price stability, while Sarasota's condo market has clearly heated up. Manatee condo sellers, meanwhile, still saw improved terms overall — a median of 93.2% of list price received, up from 91.0% a year ago.
Sarasota vs. Manatee, side by side
Both counties are moving in the same general direction — tighter inventory, faster sales, and stronger seller leverage than a year ago. But the details diverge in a few notable ways:
- Single-family price growth: Sarasota (+5.0%) and Manatee (+1.0%) both rose, but Sarasota's gain was considerably larger this month.
- Condo pricing: Sarasota condos surged (+13.3%), while Manatee condos slipped slightly (-1.9%) — genuinely opposite directions.
- Inventory decline: Sarasota's single-family supply fell more sharply (-23.4%) than Manatee's (-7.9%), meaning the squeeze on buyers is more pronounced in Sarasota right now.
- List price received: Manatee sellers (95.2%) are slightly outperforming Sarasota sellers (94.2%), suggesting marginally stronger seller leverage there this month.
What this means if you're buying
Fewer homes to choose from means less time to deliberate once you find one that fits — and that's true in both counties, though Sarasota's squeeze is the tighter of the two right now. Homes going under contract in 50-52 days, down meaningfully from a year ago in both markets, points to a faster-moving process than buyers may be expecting. Condo shoppers should pay close attention to which county they're looking in: Sarasota condo prices have moved up quickly, while Manatee condos are still offering relatively stable pricing.
What this means if you're selling
Sellers in both counties are in a stronger position than they were a year ago, particularly if their home is priced to reflect current conditions. Manatee sellers are seeing slightly better terms on average (95.2% of list price received) than Sarasota sellers (94.2%), though both figures represent real year-over-year gains. Well-priced, well-presented homes are being rewarded quickly in either county — overpriced listings, on the other hand, risk sitting while the market moves on.
The bottom line
July's numbers point to Sarasota and Manatee County markets that are both tightening and moving faster than a year ago — but not identically. Sarasota's condo market staged a real reversal, closing the pricing gap with single-family homes after trailing for much of the year, while Manatee's condo prices held relatively flat. As always, county-wide numbers are a starting point, not the full picture. Conditions vary block by block, county by county, and property type by property type, which is exactly why it's worth reviewing your specific situation before making a decision.
