Today’s residential real estate market can be an adventure for buyers and builders of new construction homes alike, which is noted in RCLCO’s mid-year 2025 ranking of the United States’ 50 top-selling, master-planned communities.
We at ICI Homes have built new custom Florida homes all over the state for 45 years, developing master-planned communities and serving as preferred builders in others, and we know the customer appeal of a well-built community with desirable resident amenities.
This type of new residential construction has performed well in many market headwinds over the past decades and continues to do so.
Let’s break down RCLCO’s latest mid-year report to discover why.
Key Takeaways
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Despite a 6.6% dip in national master-planned community sales, these communities remain strong performers thanks to their value, amenities, and long-term buyer appeal.
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Florida continues to shine, accounting for 41% of sales among the top 50 master-planned communities, with The Villages and Lakewood Ranch leading the way.
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RCLCO’s mid-year 2025 report highlights economic challenges like tariffs and interest rates, but also emphasizes continued demand for new construction homes.
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ICI Homes is a preferred builder in two of the top 10 ranked communities: Wellen Park (No. 6) in Venice and Silverleaf (No. 10) in St. Augustine.
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Master-planned communities remain resilient, offering buyers lifestyle-focused, well-amenitized living options even amid shifting market conditions.
What the report says
The RCLCO Real Estate Consulting organization tracks sales of the top 50 master-planned communities in the U.S., issuing mid-year and end-of-year reports highlighting performances and trends.
Its mid-year 2025 report reflected complications such as tariffs, stubborn interest rates and affordability concerns during the first half of the year. It also noted endurance: that master-planned communities remain popular with buyers.
What statistics say
The most dour finding was an overall 6.6 percent decline in sales for the top 50 master-planned communities compared to mid-year 2024. It was echoed by a 6.6 percent decline in the new single-family home market during that same period.
As June ended, the resale home market experienced its deepest dive in sales since September 2024.
But not all is dour. Here are steadier findings from RCLCO’s mid-year 2025 sales ranking of the United States’ top 50 master-planned communities, particularly for Florida.
- The Villages, a large active-adult community in Central Florida, again took the top-selling spot.
- Lakewood Ranch in Sarasota, again ranked second overall and first in multigenerational sales.
- Houston, Texas again was the top-selling metro area for master-planned communities with 11 communities accounting for 22 percent of all sales during the mid-year period.
Forecast for Florida
Bright and sunny!
Florida accounted for 41 percent of 2025 sales for the top 50-selling master-planned communities in RCLCO’s mid-year report, followed by Texas with 34 percent.
With the ongoing need for new custom Florida homes because of a long-term U.S. housing shortage, and the Sunshine State’s popularity as a residential destination, market and economic headlines often serve as sales speed bumps rather than roadblocks.
Buyers continue to seek new construction as illustrated by the performance of master-planned communities nationwide. And you’ll find ICI Homes’ work at two communities ranked in the top 10 of RCLCO’s mid-year 2025 report.
We’re preferred builders at No. 6-ranked Wellen Park in Venice, and No. 10-ranked Silverleaf in St. Augustine. At Wellen Park, we’re building in the Palmera and Oakland neighborhoods. At Silverleaf, we’re building in the Courtney Chase and Courtney Grove neighborhoods.
Ready for your new custom Florida home? Talk to ICI Homes here.