Palm Beach County Real Estate Market Forecast: Fall 2026 Update

Short answer: Palm Beach County is a tighter market than it was a year ago. Active listings are down about 22%, supply has fallen from roughly 7.6 to 5.3 months, and homes are selling faster and closer to their asking price. Prices are up modestly, not sharply. Heading into the November–April season, that favors well-priced sellers — while buyers still have more room to negotiate than they did a few years ago.

The numbers: October 2025 vs. September 2026

Source: BeachesMLS via Flexmls, Palm Beach County, all residential property types (single-family homes, townhomes and condos combined), monthly figures. September 2026 is the most recent full month reported.

What changed this year

• Inventory shrank steadily. Active listings peaked near 15,000 last winter and have fallen every month since, to about 11,500.
• Supply moved toward balance. Months of supply dropped from 7.6 to 5.3. Around six months is generally treated as a balanced market, so the county has moved from buyer-leaning to roughly even.
• Homes sell faster. Average days on market fell from 82 to 69.
• Less negotiating room. Sellers are now getting about 92% of their original asking price, up from about 90%.
• Prices are steady, not surging. The median sale price peaked at $540,000 in June and settled at $510,000 in September — about 3% above last October.

What this means for buyers

You still have options and some leverage, especially on homes that have sat for 60+ days or were priced too high at the start. The difference from last year is that the best-priced homes in desirable areas — Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta and the coastal pockets — are moving faster again. Get pre-approved before season starts, decide your must-haves early, and be ready to act on the right home rather than waiting for a broad price drop the data does not show.

What this means for sellers

Conditions are better than a year ago, but buyers are still price-sensitive: most homes sell a few percent below their original list price. Pricing correctly from day one matters more than any other decision, because a stale listing gives buyers the leverage back. If you are planning to sell, listing in time for the seasonal buyer wave — roughly November through April — puts your home in front of the most buyers.

A note on luxury and waterfront homes

County-wide figures blend every price point. Above $1 million, conditions vary sharply by neighborhood and by water access. Ocean-access single-family homes in Palm Beach County, for example, currently show about 7 months of supply — a slower pace than the county overall. See our fall 2026 waterfront market update for that segment.

Outlook for the 2026–27 season

The trend going into season is tightening supply, faster sales and stable prices. If seasonal buyers return in normal numbers while inventory stays near current levels, sellers should keep gaining ground over the winter. Rates, insurance costs and condo-building requirements remain the wild cards, and they affect some property types far more than others — which is why neighborhood-level numbers matter more than any county headline.