October 2025 Sanibel & Captiva Islands Real Estate Market Report:
A Clear Shift Toward a Balanced (and Still Resilient) Island Market
As the high season approaches on Sanibel and Captiva Islands, the October 2025 data from the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® Multiple Listing Service (MLS) paints a fascinating picture: inventory is climbing rapidly, pending sales are surging, and days on market are trending in both directions depending on property type and location. After three years of historically low supply and rapid price appreciation in the wake of Hurricane Ian, the islands appear to be transitioning from an extreme seller’s market into a more balanced — yet still highly desirable — real estate environment.
Here’s the complete October 2025 market breakdown, island by island and property type by property type, with year-over-year and year-to-date comparisons.
Sanibel Island Highlights (October 2025 vs October 2024)
Single-Family Residential (Sanibel)
- New Listings: 32 → 50 (+56.3%)
- Pending Sales: 5 → 10 (+100.0%)
- Closed Sales: 5 → 9 (+80.0%)
- Days on Market: 242 → 194 (-19.8%)
- Median Sales Price: $735,000 → $815,000 (+10.9%)
- Average Sales Price: $1,460,000 → $914,889 (-37.3%) ← heavily influenced by one ultra-high-end sale in 2024
- Inventory: 106 → 163 homes (+53.8%)
- Months Supply: 7.6 → 12.9 months (+69.7%)
Condominiums (Sanibel)
- New Listings: 16 → 27 (+68.8%)
- Pending Sales: 5 → 7 (+40.0%)
- Closed Sales: 2 → 9 (+350.0%)
- Days on Market: 234 → 128 (-45.3% in October; +15.6% YTD)
- Median Sales Price (Oct): $842,500 → $1,250,000 (limited sample size)
- Year-to-Date Median: $775,000 → $714,500 (-7.8%)
- Inventory: 77 → 131 units (+70.1%)
- Months Supply: 11.6 → 16.2 months (+39.7%)
Year-to-date through October 2025, Sanibel single-family pending sales are up a robust +35.8% (265 → 360), while closed sales are down -11.3%, indicating a growing pipeline of contracts that should close in the coming months as financing and insurance finalize.
Captiva Island Highlights
Captiva continues to operate as its own micro-market with far fewer transactions but significantly higher price points.
Single-Family Residential (Captiva)
- New Listings (Oct): 3 → 4
- Pending Sales (Oct): 0 → 1
- Closed Sales (Oct): 0 → 1
- Year-to-Date Closed Sales: 6 → 8 (+33.3%)
- Median Sales Price (Oct): $3,311,250 → $1,302,500 (-60.7% — small sample)
- Inventory: 18 → 25 homes (+38.9%)
- Months Supply: 15.0 → 17.5 months (+16.7%)
Captiva condo activity remains extremely limited, with only scattered sales throughout 2025.
The Big Story: Inventory Is Finally Returning
The most important headline coming out of October 2025 is the dramatic increase in active listings:
- Sanibel single-family inventory is up 53.8% year-over-year
- Sanibel condo inventory is up 70.1%
- Combined island-wide inventory now sits at well over 300 properties — a level not seen since before Hurricane Ian
For context, in late 2022 and much of 2023, active inventory on Sanibel routinely hovered in the 30–50 range total. The current 12.9 months of single-family supply on Sanibel and 16+ months of condo supply represent a complete 180-degree turn from the frenzied seller’s market of the past three years.
What’s Driving the Surge in Inventory?
Several converging factors are bringing more properties to market:
- Post-Ian reconstruction is largely complete — Many owners who rebuilt or renovated after the September 2022 storm have decided to capitalize on strong pricing rather than keep the home as a second residence.
- Insurance premiums have stabilized (but remain high) — While Florida insurance rates are still elevated, the worst of the post-Ian rate shock appears to be behind us, giving owners more confidence to list.
- Seasonal timing — October–November is historically when snowbirds and second-home owners decide whether they will use their island property this winter or place it on the market.
- Interest rate expectations — With the Federal Reserve having cut rates multiple times in 2024–2025, some owners who were “locked in” by low mortgage rates on their primary residences now feel comfortable upgrading or purchasing a new island home, freeing up their existing property.
Buyer Activity Is Responding Quickly
The jump in pending sales is the clearest evidence that buyers have been waiting on the sidelines for more choices:
- Sanibel single-family pending sales doubled in October alone (5 → 10)
- Year-to-date pending sales are up +35.8% — the strongest absorption signal in years
- Condo pending sales on Sanibel are up +30.9% YTD
Well-priced, move-in-ready properties — especially those with recent renovations, new roofs, impact glass, and elevated living spaces — are still seeing multiple offers and selling in weeks rather than months.
Pricing Trends: Still Strong, but More Realistic
Despite the significant increase in supply, median prices remain resilient:
- Sanibel single-family median price up +10.9% in October
- Year-to-date median price essentially flat (-0.1% when removing outlier sales)
The drop in average sales price is largely a statistical artifact of 2024 having several $5M+ sales that did not repeat in 2025. When looking at median price (the more reliable indicator), the market has held value remarkably well given the inventory surge.
What This Means for Buyers in Winter 2025–2026
For the first time since 2021, buyers have legitimate negotiating leverage on Sanibel and Captiva. Expect:
- More realistic list prices (many new listings are priced 5–15% below 2023–2024 peaks)
- Sellers offering concessions (roof credits, closing cost help, HOA fee coverage)
- Longer escrow periods as buyers conduct thorough due-diligence on post-Ian repairs and flood zones
- The best selection in years — especially in the $1M–$2.5M single-family and $700K–$1.5M condo range
What This Means for Sellers
If you’re considering listing this season:
- Price aggressively to the current market — not to 2023 comps. Overpriced listings are sitting.
- Highlight post-Ian upgrades: new standing-seam metal roof, elevated mechanicals, impact-rated windows/doors, and whole-home generators are table stakes for top dollar.
- Professional staging and photography matter more than ever in a higher-inventory environment.
- Be prepared for thorough inspections and insurance discussions — transparency wins.
Looking Ahead to 2026
With inventory now at multi-year highs and pending sales surging, the islands are poised for one of the most active high seasons in recent memory. Many local agents are forecasting 2026 to be the strongest sales volume year since 2021, as deferred demand from the past three lean years finally meets meaningful supply.
The paradise that is Sanibel and Captiva remains as desirable as ever — but for the first time in years, it’s once again possible to find the right property without getting into a bidding war.
Whether you’re a buyer who’s been patiently waiting or a seller ready to take advantage of years of equity growth, the October 2025 numbers confirm one thing: the window of opportunity on Sanibel and Captiva Islands is wide open right now.
Data sourced from the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® Multiple Listing Service as of November 10, 2025. Percentages are calculated from reported figures and may be affected by small sample sizes, especially on Captiva and in the condominium segment.
