MPC Sales Finished Just 3% Below Pace Set by 2024 Top-Sellers, Marking an Improvement over Mid-Year Performance that Showed 6% Declines, According to RCLCO Real Estate Consulting's 2025 Top-Selling 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., Jan. 8, 2026 /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 2025. The survey shows that new home sales among the 50 Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities declined by just 3% compared to the pace set in 2024, an improvement over the first half of the year.

"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. "The pace of top-selling MPC sales improved over the first half of the year, a positive sign given the economic and political headwinds experienced in 2025."

Key takeaways from this year's results include:

• New home sales among the 50 Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities were 3% below the pace set by top communities in 2024.
• The Villages, the nation's leading active adult community, once again ranked first overall with 3,611 sales*.
• Lakewood Ranch in Sarasota, Florida ranked second nationally with 2,085 sales and remains the fastest selling multigenerational community in the country.
• Cadence in Henderson, Nevada earned the third-place rank with 1,247 sales, followed by Babcock Ranch in Punta Gorda, Florida with 1,066 sales, a 34% increase over 2024.
• The Houston MSA was once again the top-performing metropolitan area with 10 communities in the Top 50, representing over 6,335 sales, or nearly 20% of all sales among ranked MPCs.
• The state of Florida represented 42% of sales among ranked communities, followed by Texas at 33%.
• New home sales in Master Planned Communities (MPCs) continue to do better than the market overall. While new home sales overall were down just over 6% at mid-year, Top MPCs had improved by year-end, setting a pace just 3% below the top communities of 2024**. This data suggests that MPCs will continue to outperform the market in 2026, given their lifestyle appeal, amenities, and broader mix of housing product, including more attainably priced detached homes on smaller lots.
• Looking ahead to 2026, we expect a modest for-sale housing market improvement over 2025, with a moderate increase in total new-home sales, roughly 5%, and low single-digit price appreciation. That assumes mortgage rates remain in a range that does not further erode affordability, and the broader economy avoids a sharp slowdown.

*While 8% of sales in The Villages occurred in the all-ages neighborhood of Middleton, it remains primarily oriented as an Active Adult community for households over the age of 55.

**Due to the government shutdown, more recent new home sales data for the market overall has not been released.

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 mid-year 2025 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

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SOURCE RCLCO