- December 4, 2025
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RCLCO, an industry leading real estate advisory firm, has announced that Lakewood Ranch once again is the top-selling, multigenerational, master-planned community in the United States.
The latest report by RCLCO, which has tracked master-planned community sales since 1994, was announced Monday.
It's mid-year report noted that Lakewood Ranch had 1,185 new home sales through June, numbers that represent a 4% decrease year-over-year from the same period in 2024. That, however, was encouraging news for Lakewood Ranch developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, which had internally forecast a slightly higher decrease.
The new home market in the nation's top 50 master-planned communities declined 6.6%.
"Our mid-year numbers beat our own projections," said Laura Cole, senior vice president of Lakewood Ranch Communities.
The first-half 2025 trend showed that 42% of the sales in Lakewood Ranch were attached homes — including townhomes, villas and condominiums. That was far above the historical average of 12% attached homes.
"We have seen a sensitivity in the market to a more attached product," said Cole, who noted that those products have been accessible to all buyers, including people who might not have realized they could own a home in Lakewood Ranch.
"For a long time, this market has thought of us as unattainable," she said.
She also said that buyers have a comfort level in terms of purchasing a home in Lakewood Ranch.
“Buyers become more discerning," she said in a Schroeder-Manatee Ranch release. "They don’t gamble with their home purchases. They look for places with a track record, consistency, and proven stewardship. That’s what gives them peace of mind and Lakewood Ranch fits that profile in spades.”
The release noted that the buyer profile included 42% who were "moving up," 29% entry-level buyers, 22% active adults (typically buying in 55-and-over communities), and 7% in the luxury segment.
“In times of uncertainty, there is always a flight to quality,” Cole said in a release. "That trust is reflected in the steady stream of individuals and families drawn to Lakewood Ranch — not simply for homes, but for a better way of life."
Lakewood Ranch's numbers include 46% open space and 150 miles of trails.
Lakewood Ranch has been the No. 1-selling, multi-generational, master-planned community in the U.S. since 2018.
In overall master-planned community sales, RCLCO estimates that the top spot will be held by The Villages, which doesn't announce mid-year sales until the end of the year. RCLCO estimates The Villages is on track to match its 1,604 sales in the first half of 2024.
Lakewood Ranch was No 2 overall, followed by Cadence of Henderson, Nevada (722); and Cane Bay Plantation of Charleston, South Carolina (543) and Sunterra (543)) of Katy, Texas.
Placing sixth overall was Wellen Park of Venice with 531 sales.
The Houston area was the top-performing metropolitan area with 11 master-planned communities ranked in the top 50 of sales (3,666, or 22% of ranked master-planned communities).
Florida master-planned communities represented 41% of all sales, followed by Texas at 34%.
