The March 2026 South Florida housing data is out and the headline is this: not all of South Florida is moving in the same direction. Palm Beach County is accelerating. Broward is softening. Miami-Dade is holding steady at elevated prices. If you're buying, selling, or investing anywhere in the region, the county you're focused on matters more than any regional headline right now.
Palm Beach County: the standout
Palm Beach County was the clear bright spot in the March data. Single-family home sales jumped 14.3% year-over-year, and condo sales were up 11.2% over the same period — both double-digit gains at a time when mortgage rates are still sitting above 6%.
Prices followed the sales pace higher. The median existing condo in Palm Beach County closed at $330,000 in March, up 6.5% from a year ago. The median single-family home sold for $645,000, up 3.2%. Inventory dropped by at least 14% compared to March of last year, which likely helped support prices by limiting options for buyers.
What's driving Palm Beach? Jaime Kriske, president of the Miami Association of Realtors Jupiter-Tequesta-Hobe Sound division, put it plainly: Palm Beach County isn't just a lifestyle destination anymore — it's attracting buyers for careers, investment opportunities, and quality of life. The combination of more space, relative affordability compared to Miami-Dade, and the same Florida tax advantages has been pulling buyers north for several years. The March numbers suggest that trend has real momentum.
Broward County: the pressure zone
Broward tells a different story. Condo prices have been falling year-over-year for at least 12 consecutive months. The median existing condo in Broward sold for $270,000 in March — down nearly 4% from a year ago. Single-family home prices declined in five of the last six months, dropping 5.5% in March. What makes Broward's situation interesting is that inventory also fell by 12% — meaning fewer homes are for sale, yet prices are still declining. Normally, tighter supply supports prices. The fact that it isn't doing so in Broward suggests the demand side is the issue, not supply.
For buyers, Broward right now offers something rare in South Florida: genuine negotiating leverage. As Sophia Allen, president of the Broward division of the Miami Realtors Association, noted, buyers move to Broward from Miami for more land and more price accessibility — and that value proposition is becoming even more pronounced as prices soften.
For sellers in Broward, particularly condo owners, the market is challenging. Pricing aggressively and presenting the property well matters more now than it has in several years.
Miami-Dade: resilient but expensive
Miami-Dade is holding its ground. Single-family home sales jumped more than 10% in March and the median price was largely unchanged from a year ago — which, given the broader macroeconomic environment, is a form of strength. The median existing single-family home in Miami-Dade is now above $670,000.
Condo sales in Miami-Dade grew nearly 3%, with the median existing condo selling for $445,000. The affordability picture remains tight — there were only 14 homes for sale in all of Miami-Dade last month priced below $300,000. Across all three South Florida counties combined, about two-thirds of the homes listed last month were asking more than $600,000.
Gay Cororaton, chief economist at the Miami Realtors Association, framed the resilience well: South Florida's housing market is expected to outperform the national market due to sustained wealth migration. The buyers coming to Miami aren't primarily rate-sensitive first-time buyers — they're equity-rich relocators and international buyers whose decisions aren't made or broken by a 25 basis point rate move.
What this means depending on where you're focused
If you're a buyer looking for value and growth potential, Palm Beach County's combination of rising sales, tightening inventory, and relative affordability makes a compelling case right now — especially in the Jupiter, Tequesta, and northern Palm Beach corridor.
If you're a buyer who wants leverage in negotiations, Broward's softening condo market is worth a serious look. Prices are down, inventory is thinning, and motivated sellers are out there.
If you're focused on Miami-Dade, you're buying into one of the most resilient urban real estate markets in the country — but you're doing so at elevated prices with limited entry points below $600,000. The long-term thesis is intact. The short-term deals are harder to find.
Whichever county you're focused on, I'd be glad to walk through what the current market looks like for a specific budget and property type. Reach out and let's talk.
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