Real estate statistics can tell two very different stories depending on which numbers you choose to emphasize. Inventory is falling. Pending sales are improving compared with last year. Price reductions are slowing. At first glance, that sounds like the Lee County housing market is strengthening quickly. Today AI goes inside the numbers to discover hidden trends lurking in the market.

The deeper story is more complicated.

AI Goes Inside the Numbers

Using artificial intelligence to compare the relationships between inventory, pending sales, pricing and market time reveals that the market is improving—but much of that improvement is coming from sellers leaving the market, not from a dramatic surge in buyer demand.

As of July 7, 2026, Lee County had approximately 6,459 active single-family homes for sale. That is down about 21% from the same time last year. Pending and contingent single-family sales increased about 9%, while the Ellis Team Current Market Index improved from 4.91 last July to 3.56 today. Because a lower index indicates a stronger market, this is meaningful progress.

However, today’s market looks much more like July 2024 than the fast-moving markets buyers and sellers experienced several years ago. Total inventory is almost identical to July 2024, while pending activity is slightly lower. In other words, the market has recovered from the inventory buildup of 2025, but it has not returned to boom conditions.

Hidden Trends

One of the most revealing trends occurred between May 5 and July 7. Total active inventory fell about 13.4%, but pending sales also declined about 12.2%. If buyers were rapidly absorbing available homes, pending sales should have held steady or increased as inventory declined. Instead, both moved lower together.

That suggests many listings expired, were withdrawn, were canceled or were temporarily taken off the market. The market is healing through a combination of buyer activity and seller attrition. This makes sense because the Market Spread Index is nearing that critical 4,800 mark while the Current Market Index has not yet reached 3.0

Price range also matters more than the countywide averages suggest. In the April snapshot, homes priced under $300,000 had approximately 4.1 months of supply. Homes between $300,000 and $400,000 had about 5.5 months. Inventory rose to nearly 6.8 months between $400,000 and $800,000, 8.7 months between $800,000 and $1 million, and approximately 12 months above $1 million.

That means there is no single Lee County market. A well-maintained home under $400,000 may face relatively balanced conditions, while a luxury seller could be competing against a full year of inventory.

Invisible Listings

The lower price ranges contain another warning. Nearly 29% of homes priced below $300,000 had been on the market longer than the average selling time. Lower price alone does not guarantee a sale. Buyers may still reject homes because of condition, insurance costs, flood exposure, high association fees, financing issues or unrealistic pricing.

Price reductions remain an important signal. During the week ending July 7, approximately 470 single-family listings reduced their asking price. That represents about one out of every 14 active single-family listings. The average reduction was approximately 2.9%.

For sellers, the lesson is straightforward: conditions are better than last year, but the market is still punishing overpricing. Pricing correctly from the beginning matters because buyers can compare more listings, study price histories and identify homes that have been sitting.

Opportunity Depends on Data

For buyers, opportunity depends heavily on the price range and location. Negotiating leverage is generally stronger at higher prices and in slower areas, while appealing lower-priced homes may still attract competition.

The market is not crashing, and it is not booming. It is normalizing. The winners will be buyers and sellers who understand that the headline numbers are only the beginning of the story.

Are you thinking of selling your home? Always call the Ellis Team at Keller Williams. 239-489-4042 We’ll give you the straight scoop on what the market is doing, and the best way to attack the market.

AI Goes Inside the Numbers Video

 Ellis Team Luxury Market Index July 8, 2026

We are watching 7 key market metrics improve for sellers. If you’re a real estate seller in Southwest Florida, or contemplating selling, you’re going to love this update. Many sellers are complaining that they cannot sell their home. Agents are telling them the market is bad and to take their home off the market.

Not everyone can afford to take their home off the market. Some need to sell for their own reasons. Still others want to capitalize on opportunity and need to sell to take advantage. The market isn’t bad, it’s simply reset.

From a technical standpoint, the market isn’t bad. Sellers won’t like their home value if they compare it against 2021. However, home prices increased last month, and we are on pace for the 3^rd best year on record for home sales. If you accept that prices have reset and 2021 isn’t coming back anytime soon, the market looks good fundamentally.

7 Key Market Metrics Improve

Let’s look at 7 metrics to get an idea of what is happening:

Closed Sales– Up 2.5%

Median Sales Price– Up 1.3%

Average Sales Price– Up 1.5%

Dollar Volume– Up 4%

Pending Inventory– Up 6.5%

Inventory (Active Listings)– Down 14.8%

Month’s Supply of Inventory– Down 23.8%

In baseball terms we’d call that a perfect game. It may not seem perfect when you were expecting a higher price. Many sellers have been caught chasing the market down, and their home has become invisible to buyers and the algorithms. Our team has an Index called the Invisible Listings Index™ which tracks how many homes are invisible to home buyers and the algorithms. It is quite possible your home has become invisible to home buyers, and that’s not good. Just Google Invisible Listings Index and you can read more about that.

The AI Interview

This is why we suggest sellers read about the AI Interview on our website.  If your home isn’t optimized for artificial intelligence, it is invisible to today’s high net-worth buyers.

Today, 67% of home buyers begin their search with AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and perplexity. One year ago, that number was 18%. With buyers placing so much emphasis on AI search, doesn’t it make sense to list your property with someone who knows how get your home ranked for AI?

Ranking for AI

Everyone wants to rank at top of AI, but very few get there. When you Google search for a service, Google provides the search results. What has changed is now Google has added an AI overview and AI mode to its search so you can interact with the results and ask questions.

Go ahead and search Google for Best Fort Myers Real Estate Agent. Depending on where you are searching from, you may get the Local pack results using Google maps. Others will get the AI overview which shows top rated. There may also be an AI mode, and that’s where more users go.

Did you know that Google has entered the display of real estate listings game? They are now competing with Zillow and Realtor.com.  AI has changed the real estate marketing business. Not only must your Realtor be good at pricing, negotiating, and all the other things it takes to get a home sold, they now must be experts in AI marketing.

Algorithm is Everything

The algorithm decides which homes get shown to home buyers. Much like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, you won’t see all the content, just what they choose to feature. Sure, if you know about a specific piece of content you can search for it, but it won’t be featured. Ever wonder why some videos have 100 views and others 1 million?  The same is true with real estate listings.

If you’d like to get your home featured in the portals and AI search, call the Ellis Team at 239-489-4042 We’ll sit down with you and help you get your home seen by as many as possible. The more people that see your home, the higher price it should sell for and faster.

Happy selling, and enjoy the 4^th of July Independence Day holiday!

May home prices increased 1.3% over last year. Isn’t it nice to read that home prices increased for a change versus declining?

For regular readers, this change shouldn’t be a surprise. For months we’ve been telling readers about changes we are seeing in the Southwest Florida real estate market. These changes should lead to a balanced market and eventual price increases if conditions continue.

Market Indexes

The indicators that have been predicting the market balance are the Ellis Team Current Market Index and the Market Spread Index. The latest reading of the Current Market Index came in at 3.54 this week. The Southwest Florida real estate market lost another 51 units this week as pending sales remain strong. It’s no wonder closed home sales were up 2.5% over last year. We are still looking at the third best year on record for single family home sales, and most agents don’t realize it.

The Ellis Team Market Spread Index was at 4,892 last week and we expect it to shrink further to around 4,865 when new numbers come out this week. As we have been reporting, if that index gets down to around 4,800, we should see pricing balance out. When the CMI gets close to 3.0 and the MSI gets around 4,800, we could see prices rise. We are not far off those numbers, and that’s why we’re not surprised prices rose over last year.

May Home Prices Increased

One month does not make a trend, however it is a start. Next month we might see another gain, or we could slip backwards. Much of what happens from here on out is a function of economic conditions. Will we maintain positive momentum? Gas prices are coming down, so what will that do for consumer confidence, spending money, and inflation in upcoming months?

I saw a report that showed people moving from California to Florida are speeding up. Many of these buyers are moving from Silicon Valley to Miami and Fort Lauderdale, but some could move to the west coast. As the east coast becomes unaffordable, we could continue to see buyers come over from the east coast of Florida. Housing is all about affordability, and we could sure use some good news in the interest rate, insurance, and property taxes departments.

Interest Rates

Predicting interest rates is difficult. Essentially, we need to wait and see when inflation comes down. In the meantime, rates could go up or down. The good news is the bond market has been reacting favorably to the Iran situation. Property taxes may decline next year for some if the property tax initiative passes, and insurance is always a crap shoot.

Precision Pricing

The Ellis Team are experts at getting Top Dollar for our sellers. We use these indexes to advise our clients on how to get the most for their home. Since these indexes are forward looking, meaning they accurately predict forward direction of the market, we are able to advise our clients with more confidence than simply looking at months old comparable sales.

With our aggressive marketing, professional sales agents, and advanced market data we can sell homes faster and for more money by keeping our listings algorithm ready. The last thing you want is for the algorithm to hide your home due to unoptimized data or inaccurate pricing based on the models.

Always Call Brett Ellis or Sande Ellis at 239-489-4042 to find out how to get your home optimized for the algorithm and priced correctly. Remember, a home that isn’t optimized isn’t seen by as many buyers, and that can cost you in your sales prices.

Good luck, and Happy Selling!

May Home Prices Increased Video

Southwest Florida Luxury Market Video

Ellis Team Current Market Index Video

Real Cost of Overpricing: The Stagnation Tax

Every seller wants to get the most money possible for their home. That is the goal. The problem comes when “testing the market” turns into sitting on the market.

In today’s Southwest Florida real estate market, overpricing is not just a strategy risk. It is a real cost. I call it the Stagnation Tax.

What Is the Stagnation Tax?

The Stagnation Tax is the hidden price a seller pays when a home is listed too high, misses the strongest buyer activity in the first few weeks, and then begins to age online. It is not one single expense. It is the combination of carrying costs, lost negotiating leverage, price reductions, lower offers, and reduced digital visibility.

That last part may be the most expensive.

Years ago, a listing could sit in the MLS and still be seen by every buyer who searched in that price range. Today, real estate websites and search platforms are not simple filing cabinets. They are algorithm-driven systems. They watch buyer behavior. They notice when buyers skip a listing, do not click on it, do not save it, do not share it, or do not schedule showings.

Real Cost of Overpricing

When a home is overpriced, buyers often ignore it. The algorithm may interpret that lack of engagement as a sign the listing is not as relevant or attractive compared to other homes. As days on market climb, the problem can get worse. The home may receive less attention, fewer impressions, and weaker placement in buyer feeds.

That is the algorithm penalty, and it may be the steepest part of the Stagnation Tax.

The Algorithm Penalty May Be the Biggest Cost

Let’s say a home should realistically be priced at $500,000, but it is listed 3% too high at $515,000. On paper, that extra $15,000 may seem harmless. The seller may think, “We can always come down later.” But the market does not always work that cleanly.

Buyers are most alert when a home first hits the market. Real estate websites, email alerts, agent searches, and AI-driven property feeds all give a new listing its best opportunity early. If the home is overpriced during that window, the most motivated buyers may skip it entirely. They do not always make an offer. Many simply move on.

That is especially true in a market like this one. The Ellis Team Current Market Index recently dropped to 3.52, which tells us buyers are still active, but they are being selective. They are not chasing overpriced listings. They are comparing choices, watching days on market, and waiting for sellers to adjust.

In other words, buyers are not gone. They are just more rational.

Why the First 30 to 60 Days Matter

Once a listing crosses the 60-day mark, the conversation changes. Buyers begin asking, “Why hasn’t it sold?” They may assume there is something wrong with the property, even when there is not. Then, instead of making a strong offer, they often come in low because they believe the seller is getting tired.

Meanwhile, the seller is still paying the bills. Insurance, taxes, HOA fees, utilities, maintenance, lawn care, mortgage interest, and pool service do not stop just because the home has not sold. Those carrying costs can easily run into thousands of dollars over a few months.

Then comes the price reduction. The first reduction may bring attention back to the property, but it rarely recreates the excitement of a brand-new listing. If the home was overpriced long enough, buyers and algorithms may still treat it like old inventory.

That is the stagnation loop.

This is how a seller who tried to get an extra $15,000 can end up losing far more than that. They may pay months of carrying costs, reduce the price below where it should have been, and negotiate from a weaker position.

The better approach is not to underprice. It is to price with precision.

How Sellers Avoid the Stagnation Loop

Today’s pricing strategy must consider more than recent comparable sales. It must account for current competition, buyer search behavior, neighborhood supply, condition, insurance concerns, online presentation, and how the listing will be interpreted by buyers and algorithms.

That is where The AI Interview™ comes in. Before a home goes live, we use it to identify what buyers are likely to notice, question, compare, and search for. The goal is to position the home in the right pricing lane on Day 1, when attention is highest and leverage is strongest.

Overpricing feels safe because it leaves room to negotiate. In reality, it often does the opposite. It gives buyers time, choices, and confidence to negotiate harder.

The market is still moving, but it is rewarding accuracy. Sellers who hit the sweet spot early are far more likely to protect their equity than those who pay the Stagnation Tax later.

To get your home sold for Top Dollar, and beat the Stagnation Tax, Always Call the Ellis Team at
Keller Williams 239-­489-­4042 or visit https://www.TopAgent.com

 Ellis Team Current Market Index June 16, 2026 Video

Ellis Team Luxury Market Index June 17, 2026Video

 

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🙋 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is the “Algorithm Penalty” in real estate?
A: The algorithm penalty occurs when an overpriced home is systematically ignored by active buyers. Modern real estate platforms and AI property feeds track user engagement, clicks, and favorites. When a listing suffers a lack of initial engagement due to an inaccurate starting price, search algorithms interpret this as a lack of relevance, resulting in weaker placement in buyer feeds, fewer impressions, and an accelerated rise in days on market.

Q: What is the real estate “Stagnation Tax”?
A: The Stagnation Tax refers to the compounding financial losses a seller incurs when a home sits on the market too long. This includes thousands of dollars in ongoing carrying costs (mortgage interest, property taxes, HOA fees, insurance, and maintenance) combined with the eventual, aggressive price reductions required to attract buyers after the initial 30-to-60-day peak attention window has passed.

Q: How do Fort Myers home sellers avoid the stagnation loop in the current market?
A: Sellers can avoid the stagnation loop by pricing with absolute mathematical precision from Day 1 rather than using legacy “aspirational” pricing models. With tools like The AI Interview™ and the June 2026 Current Market Index (CMI™) sitting at 3.52, the local market is moving, but buyers are highly rational and selective. Achieving top dollar requires analyzing current neighborhood inventory and digital search algorithms to hit the market’s sweet spot immediately.

Florida voters may be asked this November to decide whether to expand property tax relief for many property owners. The headline sounds simple. Details matter.

The first thing homeowners need to understand is that a Florida tax bill is not one single thing. It is made up of different parts. The proposed amendment primarily affects ad valorem taxes, not non-ad valorem assessments.

Ad Valorem Taxes

Ad valorem is a Latin phrase that means “according to value.” In plain English, an ad valorem tax is based on the taxable value of your property. The property appraiser determines value, exemptions are applied, and taxable value is multiplied by millage rates set by local taxing authorities. Those authorities can include the county, city, school district, water management district, fire district, and other taxing bodies.

That is different from non-ad valorem assessments. Those are charges for specific services or improvements and are not based on your home’s value. Examples may include solid waste, stormwater, drainage, lighting, paving, or special assessments. These charges can appear on the same tax bill, but they are calculated differently. Translation: if an exemption lowers the value-based part of your bill, it does not automatically lower every line item.

That distinction matters with the proposed amendment.

Florida Property Tax Ballot

If approved by at least 60% of Florida voters, the amendment would take effect January 1, 2027. For existing Florida homestead owners who maintained permanent Florida residence by December 31, 2026, the proposal would create a larger exemption on the non-school portion of ad valorem taxes. In 2027, up to $150,000 of assessed value would be exempt from non-school property taxes. Beginning in 2028, that amount would increase to up to $250,000, with inflation adjustments beginning in 2029.

The key phrase is “non-school.” This does not eliminate school property taxes. School district taxes are still part of the ad valorem side of the bill, but this proposed increased exemption is aimed at the non-school portion.

Who Benefits?

 Who benefits most? Existing homesteaded Florida homeowners would likely be the biggest winners, especially those with enough assessed value to use the larger exemption. A homeowner with low taxable value may not receive the same dollar benefit as someone with a higher assessed value. The savings depend on exemptions and local millage rates.

New Florida residents would benefit too, but not immediately at the same level. Someone who establishes Florida homestead on or after January 1, 2027 would start with up to a $50,000 homestead exemption. After five years, that homeowner could qualify for the larger exemption. Beginning in 2030, local governments or school districts could shorten that waiting period by a two-thirds vote for a critical local need.

The proposal also affects second homes, rental properties, and commercial properties. For non-homestead residential and non-residential property, the annual cap on assessment increases for many non-school taxes would drop from 10% to 5%. That could slow taxable-value increases for investors, landlords, businesses, and seasonal property owners.

Who is Sweating it?

Now for the other side of the ledger. Lower taxes for property owners mean less revenue for local governments. That could pressure county and city budgets, infrastructure planning, public safety, stormwater projects, parks, and other services. Fire protection is a good example of why homeowners need to read their tax bill. In some cases, fire services may be funded through ad valorem taxes. In other cases, they may show up as a non-ad valorem assessment or special district charge. The amendment would not treat every fire-related line item the same way.

The bottom line is this: the amendment could reduce value-based, non-school property taxes for many property owners. It would not erase the entire tax bill, and it would not automatically reduce service-based assessments. For homeowners, this is potentially meaningful relief. For local governments, it is a major budget challenge. Voters should look past the slogan and understand exactly which part of the bill is being changed.

For questions on how this could affect your property Always call the Ellis Team at Keller Williams 239-489-4042

Ellis Team in the News

The Ellis Team Blog was selected by Feedspot as one of the Top 60 Estate Agent Blogs on the web.

Ellis Team Current Market Index Video

Ellis Team Luxury Market Index Video

When you list your home for sale, entering it into the local MLS is important. But in today’s market, that should be the starting point, not the entire strategy.

The Ellis Team takes an additional step.

When you list with the Ellis Team, your home is entered into our local MLS, and we also use expanded MLS access to connect your listing with more markets, more real estate professionals, and more referral opportunities beyond Lee and Collier County.

That means your home is not limited to a standard local MLS-only approach. It has the opportunity to be seen by more agents in more places, including parts of Southwest Florida, Central Florida, other areas of Florida, and participating markets outside the state.

That broader reach matters.

Not Every Buyer Is Already Local

Many buyers looking in Southwest Florida do not currently live here. Some are relocating from another part of Florida, some are coming from another state, and others are seasonal residents or retirees who begin their search online months before they ever step foot on a plane.

Because these buyers are searching from afar, their demand patterns concentrate heavily on our two primary regional hubs:

• The Fort Myers Demand Pool: Buyers targeting the core Fort Myers Real Estate Market are typically searching for central convenience, historic riverfront charm, or established, fee-free neighborhoods like Whiskey Creek. Because these buyers start filtering properties online from their hometowns, your listing must send the right algorithmic signals to cross county lines and hit their screens.

• The Estero Migration Pipeline: Families and retirees looking at the Estero Market are driven by master-planned convenience, proximity to top-tier shopping, and community-centric lifestyles like we see in Gateway. These buyers are almost always working with out-of-area agents who rely entirely on expanded MLS networks to discover active inventory for their clients.

In many cases, these out-of-town buyers are already working with an agent in their home market. If that northern or East Coast agent can access and identify your listing more easily through an expanded network, your home has a significantly better chance of being introduced to the right buyer.

That is the true value of expanded MLS listing exposure. More agents can see it, more agents can share it, and your property is no longer forced to rely only on buyers who happen to search through standard local channels.

More Than Basic MLS Marketing

 There is a big difference between entering a home into the MLS and actually marketing it.

Some sellers assume that once a home is listed online, every buyer looking in the area will automatically find it. That is not how real estate works anymore. Homes compete for attention. Buyers scroll quickly. Agents search with specific criteria. Online platforms sort and filter listings constantly.

That is why the Ellis Team looks at exposure from multiple angles.

Your home needs to be priced correctly, photographed well, described clearly, and distributed widely. The MLS is important, but it should not be treated like a digital filing cabinet.

Making Your Home Algorithm Ready

Expanded MLS access helps more agents find your home, but the listing still has to perform once people see it. That is where making your home algorithm ready comes in.

Today’s listings are evaluated by buyers, agents, real estate websites, social media feeds, and AI-powered tools. The Ellis Team utilizes our proprietary system, The AI Interview™, to audit your property’s digital footprint. We test whether your home is truly “Algorithm-Ready” to ensure it sends the right signals. These systems look for signals: strong photos, accurate details, searchable features, useful descriptions, competitive pricing, and buyer engagement.

The Ellis Team works to make sure your home sends the right signals. We highlight the features buyers care about, position the home against the competition, and create marketing that gives people a reason to stop, click, and schedule a showing.

Why Micro-Data Changes the Equation in June 2026

With the Southwest Florida market showing a clear split—where our mid-tier Current Market Index (CMI) sits at an active 3.59 while the luxury tier Luxury Market Index (LMI) experiences a seasonal shift to 5.41—exposure strategies cannot be one-size-fits-all. When inventory parameters tighten or stall, expanded MLS access ensures your home catches the exact regional or out-of-state buyer tier looking for your specific price point.

The Facebook Effect Still Applies

We have all seen the Facebook Effect. You post something online, but only a fraction of your audience sees it because the algorithm decides who gets shown the post.

Real estate has a similar challenge. Being online is not the same as being seen.

Expanded MLS listing exposure widens the audience before algorithms and filters start narrowing what people see.

Expanded MLS Listing Exposure: The Ellis Team Advantage

When you list with the Ellis Team, your home receives more than basic MLS entry. It receives local MLS exposure, expanded MLS access, algorithm-ready marketing, and a strategy designed to help your home stand out.

Your home deserves more than a sign in the yard and a listing in one database. It deserves professional marketing, wider reach, and every reasonable opportunity to be seen by the buyers and agents who matter.

That is what expanded MLS listing exposure is all about.

To see how The AI Interview™ can position your property ahead of the summer shift, contact Brett and Sande Ellis at 239-489-4042 or visit topagent.com to work with the Best Fort Myers Real Estate Agent team today.

Ellis Team Current Market Index Video

Ellis Team Luxury Market Index

Have you ever posted a beautiful family vacation photo on Facebook or Instagram, waited for the likes to roll in, and… nothing? You have 500 friends, but only 12 people reacted. Did your friends deliberately ignore you? No. They simply never saw it. If the algorithm is hiding your home, will people see it?

The platform’s algorithm decided your post wasn’t engaging enough right out of the gate, so it quietly buried it at the bottom of the feed.

Algorithm is Hiding Your Home

It is incredibly frustrating when it happens to a vacation photo. But it is financially devastating when it happens to the sale of your home. What Facebook does to your photos, modern real estate portals-like Zillow, Realtor.com, and local MLS feeds-do to your house.

Over the past few months, we have discussed how every home must pass an “AI Interview” and the widening “Algorithm Gap” in the real estate industry. Today, we need to talk about the bouncer at the door.

Many sellers still believe that real estate websites are just digital filing cabinets. They assume that if an agent puts a sign in the yard and uploads the listing to the internet, every buyer looking in Fort Myers will eventually see it. That is no longer true. Real estate platforms are now highly aggressive, AI-driven social feeds. Their ultimate goal is to keep buyers clicking, scrolling, and saving.

When your home hits the market, the search algorithm immediately tests it. Is the price mathematically aligned with neighborhood comparables? Are the photos high-contrast and tagged properly? Is the underlying data structured in a way the machine understands?

Bouncer at the Door

If the algorithm detects that your home is overpriced or poorly presented, it assumes buyers won’t click on it. Instead of showing your home to the thousands of active buyers in Southwest Florida, the platform acts like a digital bouncer. It physically pushes your listing down to page four or five of the search results.

Your home becomes an “Invisible Listing.” The buyers are out there, but the algorithm simply refuses to serve them your property.

This is the exact reason why the old strategy of “pricing high to test the market” is now a fatal error. If you overprice your home, the algorithm immediately throttles your visibility. By the time you finally drop the price weeks later, the algorithm has already labeled your home as “stale,” and you will never get that initial surge of digital traffic back.

This algorithmic sorting is becoming the defining factor of our current market. This week, the Ellis Team Current Market Index™ (CMI) dropped again to 3.45, and active single-family inventory in Southwest Florida fell to 7,133 homes. We are in the middle of a “Summer Squeeze.”

Ellis Team Current Market Index Video

What this math tells us is that the physical field of available homes is shrinking rapidly. The buyers who remain in the market are highly motivated, well-qualified, and aggressively absorbing high-quality inventory. The demand is absolutely there, but buyers are ruthless about value. In a tightly constrained market, an overpriced or unoptimized home doesn’t just sit on the market longer; it gets actively hidden by the search engines.

Selling for Top Dollar

Alternatively, if you feed the algorithm exactly what it wants-algorithm-ready pricing, flawless data structuring, and machine-readable marketing-it acts as a massive spotlight. Because overall inventory is shrinking, a perfectly optimized listing will immediately command the top of the search feed, driving multiple qualified buyers straight to your door.

Having a real estate license and putting a property on the MLS just gets you an account on the platform; it does not guarantee you a spot at the top of the feed. Modern real estate is no longer just about negotiations and open houses; it is about digital engineering.

If you are thinking of selling your home in Fort Myers or the surrounding areas, do not let your biggest financial asset get treated like a bad social media post. You need an agent who understands how to beat the algorithm, manipulate the search feed, and command top dollar for your property. Always Call Brett Ellis or Sande Ellis 239-489-4042, or visit Topagent.com

 Luxury Market Index Video

Ellis Team in the News

🗞️ In the News: The Ellis Team Market Data

We always tell our clients to rely on real-time data, not delayed national headlines. Recently, national news syndicators began reporting on the exact proprietary models we built for Southwest Florida homeowners.

Third-News recently published a feature analyzing our Market Spread Index™ and our Invisible Listings Index™, highlighting how the Ellis Team uses algorithmic strategies rather than outdated MLS tactics to price homes in Fort Myers and Cape Coral.

While it is great to see the media validating our metrics, their data is already weeks behind. They reported an MSI of 5,369, but as our readers know, our live index just dropped to 5,065 this morning!

🔗 Read the Third-News Feature Here

If you want real-time pricing strategy rather than delayed headlines, let’s run an AI Interview on your property today.

We see the Southwest Florida real estate market building momentum heading into Memorial Day Weekend. You might ask, how can you say that considering you published an article last week entitle “Downward Pressure on Real Estate?”

Real Estate Market Building Momentum

Despite downward pressure from interest rates, inflation, and oil prices, the Southwest Florida real estate market has been resilient. It just makes you wonder how much better it could have been had we not had these headwinds. The Ellis Team Current Market Index has been predicting good things for our market, and this week’s numbers were even better than last week’s. The latest CMI number is 3.48, down from 3.52, which is good news for sellers.

Third Best Year on Record For Home Sales

We’ve reported previously that 2026 is shaping up to be the third best year on record for home closings in Southwest Florida. If you look at the chart, it appears that momentum is building. 2022 saw a downturn in home sales in the second half of the year. If our market continues to build momentum, things could get interesting.

Inventory is Disappearing

 Southwest Florida inventory is down to 7,959 officially in April. Ellis Team analysis of local MLS data suggests it may be down to 7,188 currently. Pending home sale activity has been quite good. We are closing home sales and working down the inventory.  Once the Market Spread Index (MSI) gets down to about 4,800 we could see an uptick in prices. We think that index will be somewhere around 5,125 when official numbers are released this Friday.

As you can see the Southwest Florida real estate market is building momentum and inching closer to equilibrium and onto higher prices. What we cannot answer is if the momentum will continue or stall due to downward pressure. What we can say is this market is tough, and nothing has stood in its way on the road to recovery.

Invisible Listings

With all this optimism, why is it that some homes are not selling? The truth is that some homes are invisible to people and algorithms.  If a home has been rejected by the market for a variety of reasons, buyers give up on the home.

Have you ever noticed that you do not see all of your friends updates online? This is because the algorithm determines which friends updates you see. Sure, you can always go look up a friend and see what they’re up to if you think about it. But you are not seeing their updates.

Real estate is the same way. If you know a home exists and want to see the latest on it, you can look it up. For most buyers, the algorithm determines which ones they see. If you are a seller, do you want your home invisible to the algorithm and buyers, or do you want your home featured and shown to the most amount of people.

Search is Changing

Google is beginning to feature homes on its search. Zillow, Realtor.com, and Homes.com use an algorithm to display homes. Hiring a Realtor and throwing it out there to MLS no longer is a guarantee your home will sell. If your home becomes invisible, it will sit. Getting your home sold and for Top Dollar requires an agent who knows Search and AI recommendations.

AI Interview

Always call the Ellis Team and ask about the AI interview. Brett or Sande will sit down with you and show you how to make your home Seen and attract buyers. It’s a good market right now, if your home is seen.

Call Brett Ellis or Sande Ellis 239-489-4042 or visit https://www.topagent.com/ai-interview/

Good luck and Happy Selling! Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend!

Despite downward pressure on real estate, Southwest Florida is holding up well. Nationwide housing inventory is increasing, while it is decreasing locally. The Ellis Team Current Market Index fell to 3.53 from 3.54 last week, which is better news for sellers.

Rising Costs

Interest rates were expected to go down this year. Inflation was supposed to subside. Oil was supposed to remain stable. All of that changed when the US and Israel decided to take action in Iran. Since then, oil has risen, understandably. Unfortunately, rising oil prices have led to rising inflation, which has lead to rising interest rates. When we get a new Fed Chairman it was widely expected the Fed would begin reducing rates sometime this year. That may be off the table. Some say rates may need to rise again.

Alternative to Raising Interest Rates

The Fed could vote to raise interest rates, but we think the more likely scenario is to lower the Fed’s balance sheet through quantitative tightening. This is a process whereby the Fed reduces its holdings of mortgage-backed securities, which inevitably would lead to higher mortgage rates. The difference is that rising rates would be set by the market, not the Fed. The Fed is still in restrictive policy at the stated rates. This would buy time until we see if oil prices level out or decline.

Venezuela

 Believe it or not, Venezuela may be key to lower oil prices in the US if they can increase production. Many people ask if the United States is a net producer of oil, why are our gas prices going up? The truth is, the United States hasn’t built a refinery in almost 50 years. Oil has been frowned upon for a while. Permits are hard to get, and capital has been reluctant to invest given the backlash against oil.

Many US refineries were designed to refine heavier lower quality crude oil from countries like Canada and Mexico. We are forced to export much of our oil due to refinery limits, so essentially, it’s like trading better oil for heavier oil. If we had more refining capacity for our own oil, we could use more of our own oil.

We are building a new refinery in Texas for the first time in a while, but it won’t be online until 2029. This is where Venezuela comes in. If we can help them increase their production, more of that oil can find its way to the US. Remember, Venezuela stole our oil companies’ property and did not reinvest, so their oil capacity fell off even though they hold the richest reserves in the world.

Energy Holds the answers

When we get oil stabilized, this will help the US and our economy. We were on a good path. As AI increases, energy will be the key driver in a country’s success. The Southwest Florida real estate market has been resilient. It feels like it was about to go on a run. The good news is, whenever we come out of energy stalemate, Southwest Florida may do better than other areas of the country. We were down when everyone else was up due to hurricanes. It’s our time to rise, if we can get the stars to align.

Thinking of Selling? Call Sande Ellis or Brett Ellis at 239-489-4042 and learn how to make your home visible to the AI Algorithm. Or visit www.SWFLhomevalues.com for an instant online value estimate. Of course, for the best estimate, talk to Brett of Sande. Don’t let the downward pressure on real estate hold your home sale back.

Good luck, and Happy Selling!

In the 2026 Southwest Florida real estate market, there is a massive divide between the data the public sees and the data that actually sells homes. We call this the real estate algorithm gap.

If you are browsing the big national portals or reading the monthly headlines, you are looking at “lagging indicators-data that is 30 to 60 days old by the time it hits your screen. In a market as sensitive as ours, that’s like trying to drive a car while looking only at the rearview mirror.

At the Ellis Team, we have spent nearly four decades building a “Single Source of Truth” for Fort Myers real estate. Today, we are opening the door to that data in a way that’s never been done before.

Introducing the AI Interview™ and the Ellis Team Market Assistant

We have officially launched a sophisticated AI Market Assistant at TopAgent.com. For the general public, this tool serves as an immediate bridge to the high-level metrics we use every day to protect our clients’ equity.

While other agents are still using 20th-century “look-at-me” marketing, we have moved into the era of AI-Driven Discovery. Our new assistant is trained directly on our proprietary algorithms, including:

• The Current Market Index™ (CMI™): Our real-time pulse of inventory velocity.
• The Luxury Market Index™ (LMI™): The “Ask-Bid Gap” tracker for high-end estates.
• The Invisible Listings Index™ (ILI™): The “hidden” inventory that current algorithms are actively ignoring.

 The Public “Hook” vs. The Client “Premium”

Why are we putting this intelligence on our website for anyone to use? Because we want the public to see the difference between a “sales pitch” and a data strategy.

When a visitor interacts with our AI, they aren’t just “chatting”; they are getting a taste of the Ellis Team Advantage. They get instant answers to macro-market questions that would take an average agent days to research. However, this is just the beginning.

There is a clear line between being a website visitor and being an Ellis Team client:

• The Public Experience: Instant access to real-time macro-trends, CMI updates, and a baseline understanding of market pressure. It’s the “What” of the market.
• The Client Experience: Once you hire the Ellis Team, you move behind the data wall. You get the “How” and the “Why.” You get the Market Spread Index™ (MSI™) tailored specifically to your property’s unique velocity, the 21-Day Velocity Window strategy, and our direct, daily consultation.

 Why Your Agent’s “Tech IQ” is Your Greatest Asset

Buyers in 2026 don’t just type keywords; they ask questions. They use AI tools to find “the best deal in Fort Myers” or “waterfront homes with high appreciation potential.”

If your agent doesn’t understand how to structure your home’s data to be favored by these algorithms, your listing will fall into the Invisible Listings Index™. Currently, over 17% of Southwest Florida homes are “mathematically hidden-they are sitting on the market, but the machines that control what humans see have already moved on.

Our new AI assistant is the first step in ensuring your home stays in the “Discovery Layer.” It’s our way of showing you that we aren’t just marketing to humans; we are mathematically marketing to the machines that decide which homes get shown to the most qualified buyers.

Experience the Future of Real Estate

We invite you to visit TopAgent.com today. Challenge our Market Assistant. Ask it how the market is doing or how the CMI is trending this week.

You’ll see immediately that we operate on a different level of precision. And when you’re ready to move beyond the public data and get the premium, surgical analysis required to win in this market, Brett and Sande Ellis are a phone call away.

Don’t leave your home’s equity to a 20th-century marketing plan. Get the data. Hire the experts. Visit TopAgent.com. Beat the real estate algorithm gap.

Our AI Market Assistant Has the Answers

May 7th Real Estate Market Update