MPC Sales Declined at Mid-Year Amid Heightened Economic Uncertainty and Weak Consumer Sentiment, as the broader new home market saw a YoY decline of 6.6% in June According to RCLCO Real Estate Consulting's 2025 Mid-Year Master-Planned Communities Report

Master-Planned Communities were not immune to broader housing market declines, but many were more resilient in the face of economic uncertainty and continued affordability challenges.

BETHESDA, Md., July 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- RCLCO Real Estate Consulting, an advisory firm focused on the real estate industry, has released the results of their bi-annual survey of the top-selling master-planned communities (MPCs) of mid-year 2025. The survey shows that new home sales among the 50 Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities declined by 6.6% compared to the pace set in early 2024, similar to the broader new home market nationally.

"Despite near-term headwinds, Master-Planned Communities remain a 'haven' for consumers amid elevated interest rates and economic uncertainty," said Karl Pischke, Principal at RCLCO. "Same-store sales of top-MPCs remain ahead of the broader new home market, a positive sign given the economic and political headwinds experienced in the first half of the year."

Key takeaways from this year's results include:

• New home sales among the 50 Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities were down 6.6% at the end of June compared to the pace set by top communities in the first half of 2024.
• Economic uncertainty, weak consumer sentiment, and continued affordability challenges are contributing to a cooling new home market.
• The broader new home market experienced a similar decline, with sales of new single-family houses in the United States at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 627,000 in June, representing a 6.6% decline from June 2024.
• Existing home sales have similarly fallen more than expected in June, to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 3.93 million units, which is the lowest level since September 2024.
• The Villages is once again estimated to remain the top-selling community in the nation as it continues to attract retiree buyers to Central Florida, while also expanding its offering as the new all-ages neighborhood of Middleton helps to address the housing needs of working families.
• Sarasota, Florida's Lakewood Ranch claims the number two spot overall with 1,185 sales. Cadence in Henderson, Nevada earns the third-place rank with 722 sales through the mid-year. While both communities are seeing a slight decline in sales compared to the first half of 2024, each continue to outperform the broader new home market.
• The Houston MSA is once again the top-performing metropolitan area with 11 communities in the Top 50, representing 3,666 sales, or 22% of all sales among ranked MPCs.
• The state of Florida represents 41% of sales among ranked communities, followed by Texas at 34%.

RCLCO's national survey of master-planned communities has been conducted since 1994, and it identifies the top-selling MPCs through a rigorous search of high-performing communities. The ranking is based on new home contracts, net of cancellations, as reported by each individual community and establishes updated rankings from the previously released 2024 report. This initiative exists not only to commend the most successful communities, but also as: a tool for monitoring the overall health of the for-sale housing industry; a means of locating markets with residential momentum; a process for highlighting trends affecting communities; and a medium through which to learn development best practices.

"New home sales in master-planned communities represent only a fraction of total sales in the country, but the trends and patterns we see there tell us a lot about the state of the housing market overall," said Gregg Logan, Managing Director at RCLCO.

About RCLCO Real Estate Consulting
Since 1967, RCLCO has been the "first call" for real estate developers, investors, the public sector, and non-real estate companies and organizations seeking strategic and tactical advice regarding property investment, planning, and development. Our team leverages quantitative analytics and a strategic planning framework to provide end-to-end business planning and implementation solutions at an entity, portfolio, or project level. With the insights and experience gained over 55 years and thousands of projects, RCLCO brings success to all product types across the United States and around the world. RCLCO has offices in Austin, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, and Washington, DC and offers an array of consulting services across real estate economics and management consulting. Learn more at www.rclco.com

SOURCE RCLCO