The November 2025 Luxury Market Report from The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing reveals a tale of two distinct markets across Boca Raton and Delray Beach—one that presents compelling opportunities for both buyers and sellers, depending on where you're looking and what you're seeking. 

The Single-Family Luxury Market: A Balanced Playing Field with Accelerated Pace

For properties above the $1.2 million luxury threshold, the single-family market has achieved what real estate professionals call equilibrium—a balanced market where neither buyers nor sellers hold disproportionate leverage. With 602 homes available and 106 sales in October, the 18% sales ratio tells us we're in that sweet spot between scarcity and abundance.

What's particularly striking is the dramatic acceleration in transaction velocity. The median days on market plummeted to just 30 days—a 61% decrease from last October's 77 days. This isn't merely a statistical quirk; it reflects genuine buyer urgency and suggests that well-positioned properties are commanding immediate attention. When the right home meets the right buyer in today's market, decisions are being made swiftly.

The median sales price of $1.987 million remains essentially stable year-over-year, declining just 1% from $2.01 million in October 2024. This price stability, combined with faster transaction times, indicates a healthy market where values are holding firm even as properties move more quickly. Homes are selling at 93.71% of list price, which tells us that sellers need to price strategically from the outset—there's limited room for the aspirational pricing that sometimes characterized previous years.

Where the Action Is: The $1.2-$1.3 Million Sweet Spot 

The most dynamic segment of the single-family market sits in the $1.2-$1.3 million range, where the sales ratio reaches 44%. For context, anything above 21% is considered a seller's market, so this price band is seeing nearly double the activity needed for that designation. For buyers seeking their first luxury home in Boca Raton or Delray Beach, this creates competition. For sellers in this range with properties that show well, the opportunity is clear.

Interestingly, as we move up the price spectrum, market conditions shift. Properties between $5-$6 million show a 15% sales ratio (buyer-favorable territory), while estates above $11 million carry just a 6% sales ratio with only three sales against 54 listings. The ultra-luxury segment requires patience, precise positioning, and often, a willingness to wait for that one exceptional buyer who recognizes the irreplaceable value of a truly special property.

The Attached Home Market: A Different Narrative Altogether

The luxury attached home market—including condominiums and townhomes above $500,000—presents a markedly different landscape. With a 10% sales ratio, we're firmly in buyer's market territory. The 559 available units substantially outnumber the 56 October sales, creating genuine negotiating leverage for purchasers.

What's particularly noteworthy is the 46% year-over-year increase in median sales price, from $640,000 to $937,500. This dramatic appreciation reflects a market recalibration, but it's also resulted in extended marketing times. Days on market increased 54% to 60 days, compared to 39 days last October. Properties are taking longer to sell, and buyers are exercising more due diligence before committing.

For buyers considering attached homes, the current environment offers the luxury of choice and the ability to negotiate thoughtfully. For sellers, this market demands exceptional presentation, strategic pricing, and patience. The most active price band for attached homes is $800,000-$899,999, with a 21% sales ratio—the only segment that's achieved seller's market status.

 What This Means for Waterfront Property Seekers

Given my specialization in waterfront properties across Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Highland Beach, Deerfield Beach, and Hillsboro Beach, I'm watching these trends with particular attention to how they intersect with oceanfront, Intracoastal, and direct-access water properties.

Waterfront homes in the luxury single-family category are participating in the market's accelerated pace. When a waterfront property is priced correctly and showcases the lifestyle advantages that drew you to South Florida in the first place—the morning light on the water, the ease of boat access, the privacy that comes with water-protected boundaries—buyers are moving decisively.

For international buyers relocating from the UK, Canada, Latin America, or Europe, the current market fundamentals are particularly interesting. The balanced single-family market means you're neither competing in a bidding frenzy nor negotiating in a depressed environment. The challenge and opportunity lie in moving quickly when you find the right property, particularly in that highly active sub-$3 million range where much of our waterfront inventory lives.

 Strategic Considerations for Buyers

If you're considering a luxury purchase in Boca Raton or Delray Beach:

For single-family homes: Be prepared to act when you find the right property. With just 30 median days on market, the days of extended deliberation are behind us. Secure your financing, understand your must-haves versus nice-to-haves, and work with representation that can move at the pace the market demands.

For attached homes: You have the luxury of time and choice. Use it wisely. This is the environment to negotiate, to request inspections, to ensure that what you're buying truly serves your lifestyle for the long term. The 60-day median marketing time suggests sellers are more willing to engage in substantive conversations about price and terms.

For waterfront properties: Recognize that water-access homes, particularly those with direct ocean or deep-water Intracoastal access, often operate in their own micromarket. While overall trends provide context, each waterfront property is, by its nature, somewhat irreplaceable—a reality that influences both pricing and negotiation dynamics.

Strategic Considerations for Sellers 

For single-family homes: The market is working, but it's not working for overpriced properties. That 93.71% sale-to-list-price ratio tells us buyers are sophisticated and informed. Price strategically from day one. Invest in presentation—professional photography, staging consultation, and positioning that tells the story of why your home matters. In a market where properties move in 30 days, first impressions are often final impressions.

For attached homes: Patience and precision are your allies. With a buyer's market dynamic, you need to give buyers every reason to choose your property over the 558 alternatives. This might mean addressing deferred maintenance before listing, offering terms that ease the transaction, or simply recognizing that the price you might have achieved six months ago may not reflect today's reality.

For waterfront properties: Your competitive set isn't the entire market—it's the other waterfront listings in your price range and location. Understand that positioning thoroughly. What makes your dock, your seawall, your water depth, your view distinctive? The buyers who will pay a premium for waterfront living need to immediately understand what they're getting that they can't find elsewhere.

The View from November

As we move through the final months of 2025, the Boca Raton and Delray Beach luxury markets are demonstrating resilience and sophistication. We're not in the frenzied seller's market of 2021-2022, nor are we in the correction some predicted. Instead, we're in a market where knowledge, strategy, and appropriate expectations create opportunities.

For buyers, that opportunity lies in a stable pricing environment with genuine selection—particularly in attached homes—and the ability to make informed decisions without artificial urgency in most price ranges. For sellers, the opportunity is a functional market where well-positioned properties are finding buyers within reasonable timeframes, provided the positioning is thoughtful from the outset.

The luxury real estate market in South Florida continues to attract sophisticated buyers from around the world who recognize the fundamental value proposition: favorable tax environment, exceptional lifestyle, world-class amenities, and in many cases, the incomparable advantage of waterfront living. Those fundamentals haven't changed. What has changed is the pace and precision required to capitalize on them.

Whether you're considering a move to Boca Raton or Delray Beach from Boston, London, São Paulo, or Toronto, or you're a local resident contemplating your next chapter, understanding these market dynamics is essential. The numbers tell one story; the lived experience of finding the right property in the right location at the right moment tells another. Both matter.

If you'd like to discuss how these market trends apply to your specific situation—whether you're searching for a waterfront estate, a luxury condo with ocean views, or positioning a property for sale—I'm here to provide the market intelligence and local expertise that makes the difference between a transaction and the right decision.

 Maureen Harmonay is a luxury real estate agent and Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Specialist based in Boca Raton, Florida. With over 27 years of experience, she serves buyers and sellers across Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Highland Beach, Deerfield Beach, and Hillsboro Beach. As a Certified International Relocation Specialist, Maureen is well-equipped to make your move a seamless one.