If you want to know how the post-Ian recovery is going on Fort Myers Beach, you have to look at two pictures at the same time.
Margaritaville never missed a beat. It opened, it filled, it kept filling. The energy on that corner of the island feels like the version of FMB that was always going to come back first, and it has.
A few miles away, the Keller Williams office we worked out of on the island sat in pieces for a long stretch, and like a lot of homes and offices on the beach, it is not rebuilt yet. The beach itself was devastated. Some of it is back. A lot of it is still in motion. If you stand on the right block, you can see both versions of FMB at once: the rebuilt restaurant on one side of the road, the empty lot on the other.
The May 2026 numbers tell the same two-track story. The island is not a single market in 2026. It is a single-family market and a condo market, and right now they are on different timelines.
Here is what the data says.
Single-Family Homes on Fort Myers Beach, May 2026
| Metric | May 2026 | vs May 2025 | vs April 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Sales Price | $1,055,000 | ▼ 1.6% | ▼ 1.9% |
| Closed Sales | 12 | → 0.0% | ▼ 7.7% |
| Median Days on Market | 106 | ▲ 17.9% | ▲ 67.5% |
| List-to-Sale Ratio | 93.1% | ▼ 0.1% | ▲ 2.1% |
| Median $/SqFt | $506 | ▼ 12.8% | ▼ 4.7% |
| New Listings | 26 | ▼ 31.6% | ▼ 7.1% |
| Active Inventory | 170 | ▼ 19.4% | ▼ 11.5% |
| Months Supply of Inventory | 14.2 | ▼ 19.4% | ▼ 4.1% |
Source: Domus Analytics, Florida Gulf Coast MLS. May 2026. Single Family Residence only. Small-sample volatility applies given n=12 closed transactions for the month. Statistics for informational purposes only; verify with a licensed real estate professional before relying on any specific data point for a transaction.
The single-family takeaway. Twelve closed single-family sales in the entire month is a small sample, and small samples bounce. But the rest of the picture is consistent and the picture is clear. FMB single-family inventory is at 14.2 months of supply. The median home is sitting on the market for 106 days. New listings are down. Active inventory is down. The price held within 2% of last year, but the market is moving slowly because volume is thin on both sides.
If you are a single-family seller on FMB right now, your buyer pool is small and patient. If you are a buyer, you have leverage in time and in negotiation room (the 93.1% list-to-sale ratio confirms that), but you have fewer choices than you might expect for a buyer's market because so much inventory is either still being repaired or being held off-market by owners waiting on insurance and rebuild decisions.
Condos on Fort Myers Beach, May 2026
| Metric | May 2026 | vs May 2025 | vs April 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Sales Price | $390,000 | ▼ 13.3% | ▼ 8.2% |
| Closed Sales | 18 | ▲ 38.5% | ▼ 37.9% |
| Median Days on Market | 79 | ▼ 1.9% | ▼ 16.0% |
| List-to-Sale Ratio | 95.0% | ▲ 3.1% | ▲ 0.8% |
| Median $/SqFt | $386 | ▼ 0.9% | ▼ 3.4% |
| New Listings | 47 | ▲ 56.7% | ▲ 30.6% |
| Active Inventory | 283 | ▼ 11.3% | ▼ 7.2% |
| Months Supply of Inventory | 15.7 | ▼ 35.9% | ▲ 49.5% |
Source: Domus Analytics, Florida Gulf Coast MLS. May 2026. Condo and Townhouse. Statistics for informational purposes only; verify with a licensed real estate professional before relying on any specific data point for a transaction.
The condo takeaway. This is the more interesting half of the story. New condo listings on FMB are up 56.7% year over year. That is post-Ian inventory finally hitting the market. Buildings that have been under repair, reconstruction, or insurance limbo since 2022 are getting their certificates of occupancy back, owners are listing, and the supply on the island is climbing fast.
Closed condo sales were up 38.5% year over year too, so demand is meeting some of that supply. But the median condo price came in at $390,000, down 13.3% from a year ago. That is the cost of the new listings hitting the market: buyers have more options on Fort Myers Beach right now than they have had in years, and they are negotiating accordingly. Months supply on the condo side sits at 15.7, the highest figure we cover anywhere in Southwest Florida.
The Carrying-Cost Reality for FMB Sellers
We have a current FMB listing on the island where the monthly carrying cost on the property comes to $4,617 a month. That is taxes, insurance, HOA where applicable, and the basics. Not the mortgage. Just the cost of owning the property without occupying it.
At 106 median days on market for single-family or 79 days for condos, that is real money before you ever close. The carrying cost is the single most underappreciated number on the island right now. A seller who lists too high in 2026 is not just losing the chance at the right buyer. They are watching the monthly hold compound while they wait.
This is the number we walk every potential FMB seller through before we agree on a list price. It changes the conversation.
What This Means for Buyers
If you have been waiting for the right window to buy on Fort Myers Beach, this is closer to that window than anything we have seen since Ian.
A few practical points if you are thinking about it.
Insurance is now reasonable, but get a quote before you write. The 2026 insurance market has recovered materially. Our blog yesterday covered the SWFL homeowner insurance recovery in detail with three agents on the record. (If you have not read it yet, that one is required reading before you make an offer on the island.) Premiums on the right home, with the right roof, can come in tighter than most people expect. But always get a real quote before you write the offer, and always use the Florida Realtors and Florida Bar Insurance Rider so you can walk and keep your deposit if the insurance number comes back wrong.
Know what you are buying. Some condo buildings on the island are fully back, some are halfway through reconstruction, and some have not started. Ask hard questions about each building's reserve study, special assessment history since Ian, insurance coverage, and reconstruction timeline. The differences between buildings are enormous in 2026.
Use the inspection period to your advantage. Order your 4-Point and Wind Mitigation reports during the inspection window. The post-inspection insurance requote almost always lands lower than the pre-offer ballpark, especially on homes with newer roofs and good wind mitigation features.
The negotiation room is real. A 93.1% list-to-sale ratio on single-family is not abstract. On a $1 million list price, that is room to talk.
What This Means for Sellers
The hardest message we are delivering to FMB sellers in 2026 is this: the buyer is patient, the inventory is broader than it has been in years, and pricing within the comp set matters more than it has at any point since the recovery began.
Three things matter most:
Price to the recent comps, not to what you paid or what your neighbor listed at six months ago. The market clears at the right number. It does not clear above it.
Stage and photograph for the buyer pool that actually exists. Most FMB buyers in 2026 are second-home and investment buyers who are sensitive to maintenance, insurance, and rental income potential. The marketing should reflect that.
Have a real conversation about carrying costs. If your home is going to sit through hurricane season unsold, what is that going to cost you? We will walk you through that math.
The View From Here
A friend asked us last week, "is FMB coming back?"
Yes. Slower than we want. Faster than the worst predictions of 2022. Margaritaville is open. The traffic on Estero Boulevard is back. The number of homes back in service is climbing month by month. But the data above is the honest scorecard for May 2026: a deep buyer's market on both single-family and condo, a meaningful new wave of inventory in the condo market specifically, and prices that are softer than a year ago because the supply finally caught the demand.
If you are thinking about buying or selling on Fort Myers Beach this year, the numbers reward conversation. Call or text us at (239) 420-9027 or email martin@teamhawley.com. We will tell you what the comps actually say, walk you through the carrying costs, and help you make a clear-eyed decision.
The island is coming back. We will help you read where it is in the recovery and where it is going.
The Hawley Team at Keller Williams Fort Myers serves Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Captiva, Naples, Estero, Bonita Springs, Lehigh Acres, North Fort Myers, Alva, and the surrounding Southwest Florida communities.
Disclosures
Market statistics in this article are drawn from Domus Analytics and the Florida Gulf Coast MLS for May 2026. Data reflects closed transactions only. Small-sample volatility applies, especially on single-family closings (n=12). Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed; readers should verify any specific data point with a licensed real estate professional before relying on it for a transaction.
Carrying cost figure cited above is from one specific Hawley Team listing on Fort Myers Beach and is intended only to illustrate the order of magnitude of monthly ownership costs on the island in 2026. Actual carrying costs vary widely by property, insurance carrier, taxes, HOA structure, and other factors.
This article is not legal, financial, tax, or insurance advice. Consult licensed professionals for guidance specific to your situation. Equal Housing Opportunity.
