The listings are coming, the listings are coming! Homesellers are relisting their properties at the fastest pace in a decade. Sellers are betting on a stronger spring market, and brokers, don’t let these sellers list with another brokerage. |
And investors, don’t miss out on the latest shift. Capital that once flowed heavily into Florida markets is moving to the West Coast. Today, I’ll break down this investor trend, the opportunity of relisted properties, a luxury Walt Disney World mansion, and how global tensions are affecting the housing market. |
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Here's what you need to know today: |
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While investor purchases rose just 2% in the fourth quarter of 2025, the bigger story is geographic: investors are increasingly pulling back from Florida while leaning into West Coast markets. Seattle led the country with a 37% year-over-year jump in investor purchases, followed by strong gains in Portland and San Francisco. Meanwhile, Orlando posted the steepest decline among major metros with investor purchases falling 16%.
This shift didn’t come out of the blue. A year ago, investor purchases had already dropped sharply in Florida. The reasoning behind the lack of investor interest is tied to rising insurance costs, swelling HOA fees, softer rents, and a surplus of inventory. This has made it hard for investors to generate reliable returns, particularly for condos.
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Now this doesn't mean that Florida’s market is ice cold. While investor-heavy markets are slowing, luxury pockets are holding up. In West Palm Beach, investor purchases actually climbed 17% year over year, signalling that high-end buyers are still active even as mid-market investments face tighter margins.
Investors are becoming much more selective about where they place capital. Investors are prioritizing single-family homes, moving further into the luxury segment, and avoiding markets where the spread between acquisition costs and potential returns no longer works. The takeaway isn’t just that Florida is cooling and the West is heating up, it's that investor strategy is becoming more disciplined, more regional, and far more sensitive to local profitability.
What investors are prioritizing now: |
- Insurance and operating costs: Investors are taking note of rising insurance premiums and HOA fees, especially in climate-exposed states like Florida. These are becoming major underwriting factors when evaluating potential deals.
- Luxury and lifestyle markets: Luxury investor pockets remain active, even as mid-tier investment deals tighten. High-end vacation-home and lifestyle markets are still attracting capital, particularly in destinations with strong demand from affluent buyers.
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Regional profitability, not national trends: Investors are becoming geographically selective, focusing on specific metros where supply constraints, job growth, and rental demand support long-term returns.
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🌉 Evaluate West Coast markets and determine if the area fits your investment strategy
📊 Run updated underwriting assumptions on potential investments to factor in rising insurance costs and HOA fees 👀 Analyze where investor activity is rising and where it’s decreasing in your area |
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Do you think investors will continue shifting capital away from Florida? |
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| Do you think the average time homeowners spend in their properties is going to rise in the coming years? |
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Escalating conflict involving Iran has quickly introduced a new variable into the US housing market. While the situation is primarily geopolitical, its economic ripple effects – particularly rising oil prices and inflation concerns – are already influencing financial markets that determine mortgage rates. Oil prices have surged more than 15%, reaching about $84 per barrel, since the conflict intensified, increasing concerns that inflation could rise again after months of gradual improvement.
Inflation fears are already showing up in mortgage rates. After briefly dipping below 6% for the first time in more than three-years, the average 30-year mortgage rate has moved back to roughly 6%. While rates remain nearly a full percentage point lower than this time last year, economists warn that prolonged geopolitical instability could slow the downward rate trend many buyers and sellers were hoping would fuel a stronger spring market and increased affordability.
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The path forward for the housing market now depends on how broader economic conditions evolve. If the conflict is short-lived and inflation pressures remain contained, mortgage rates could stabilize near current levels, allowing housing activity to gradually improve.
If economic uncertainty deepens due to prolonged conflict, borrowing costs may remain closer to the 6%-6.5% range, which could extend the slower transaction environment the market has experienced over the past two years. For buyers, sellers, and agents alike, the key takeaway is that housing markets are increasingly influenced not just by local conditions but also by global economic forces. What this could mean for the market: |
📈 Mortgage rate volatility: Global conflicts can shift oil prices and inflation expectations, which in turn affect mortgage rates. Even small swings around the 6% level can change buyer affordability and momentum.
😬 Buyer confidence concerns: If buyers aren’t confident in the economy or the market, they’ll be less likely to make a major purchase, like a new home. Headlines about inflation, global tensions, and economic volatility may cause some buyers to pause or delay decisions.
🐌 A slower spring rebound: Hopes were high for a stronger spring market when rates dipped below 6%, but renewed uncertainty could delay the pickup in transactions many economists expected for 2026. |
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When you wish upon a star, your (real estate) dreams come true. If you dreamed of living in Walt Disney World’s ultra-exclusive Golden Oak community, good news: a property just hit the market for $10,450,000. The over 6,000 sqft single-story home contains five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a chef's kitchen, a seven dwarfs-themed guest casita, a hidden doorway entrance, a replica of Walt Disney’s personal office, a courtyard pool, and other Disney hidden details.
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Golden Oak is an ultra-luxury, exclusive Disney community, designed by Imagineers. The homes are all custom-built and designed with Disney details – one home in the community boasts a Star Wars-themed movie theater, while another has a Beauty and the Beast-inspired design. Homes in Golden Oak typically range from $9 million to over $20 million, and the community is considered one of the most exclusive residential communities in the country.
The demand for this community is fueled in part by the rise of “Disney Adults”. This term describes adults who maintain a deep emotional connection to the parks, often returning regularly for nostalgia and escapism. For some affluent buyers, that attachment extends beyond vacations to ownership. Living inside the Disney bubble offers something increasingly valuable in luxury real estate: a fully immersive lifestyle built around nostalgia, storytelling, and community.
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Disney’s influence extends well beyond fandom – it reshapes local housing markets. Massive park expansions attract workers, tourists, and investors, driving demand for nearby real estate. Disney’s $17 billion expansion at Walt Disney World is already fueling the local tourism-driving housing market, with many nearby homes purchased as short-term rentals. Golden Oak, though, operates differently: rentals aren’t allowed, attracting buyers who aren’t chasing yield, but the rare chance to live permanently inside the magic.
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Nearly 45,000 homeowners who pulled their listings last year relisted their homes in January, the highest January total since tracking began a decade ago. These sellers stepped away during last year’s uncertainty, and many had previously been unwilling to cut prices. Now that the spring market is here, the same sellers are returning with enthusiasm, hoping the market conditions have improved.
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Brokers, this doesn’t mean that inventory has rebounded. While relisting is rising, overall supply remains historically tight. Active listings are slightly up year-over-year, but inventory remains about 17% below pre-pandemic levels. These statistics reiterate the fact that every listing matters.
The brokerages capturing these listings aren’t waiting for their phones to ring. The agents are proactively reaching out to last year’s expired, withdrawn, and canceled listings, whether they listed through the brokerage or not, and offering them a fresh strategy. Many of these homeowners still want to sell, but they simply paused to reevaluate the market. Now that spring demand is returning, they’re ready to learn about their options – and the agents who reconnect first are often the ones who secure the listing.
What’s working right now: |
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Updated CMAs: Agents are preparing comparative market analyses (CMAs) for homes that delisted in the last year to show sellers how market conditions have changed and how it has affected (hopefully positively) the value of their home. I’d recommend delivering these CMAs in person, leaving them on their doorsteps, or, if needed, mailing them. Always follow up with a phone call.
- Relisting scripts: Provide your agents with structured scripts to reconnect with homeowners who previously removed their listings. Include information on what’s changed in the market, updated pricing strategies, and how a refreshed approach could help the property sell this spring.
- Consistent nurturing schedules: Implement follow-up systems to ensure agents regularly check in with past selling leads. Vary outreach efforts, whether it be texts, calls, or emails. I’d recommend using a CRM system to automate messages and send reminders to help agents stay top of mind with sellers.
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🔒 Luxury homes going “subscription only”: Realtor.com reports some luxury developers are selling homes through invite-only waiting lists, with buyers securing properties 12-18 months before completion and customizing finishes before they’re built.
🇯🇵 Japanese builders expand in the US: CNBC reveals that Japanese firms are rapidly acquiring US homebuilders, with 33 companies now operating in the US and approaching 6% market share as they bet on long-term housing demand.
🌈 Mario Kart-inspired apartments open in Phoenix: Homes.com showcases the new 36-unit “Rainbow Road” apartment building in downtown Phoenix, which is attracting early renters with its colorful, video-game-inspired design. |
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Sophia Doyle is a staff writer at The Close and a licensed New Jersey real estate agent with hands-on experience in residential real estate. Sophia brings real-world insight into today’s housing market, combining on-the-ground agent experience with a strong background in communications. She understands the full transaction lifecycle, from lead generation and client relationships to marketing strategy and deal execution. Through her writing, Sophia delivers clear, practical guidance to help agents navigate an evolving industry with confidence and creativity.
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