Written By: Todd LaRue, Managing Director; and Karl Pischke, Senior Associate
Every year since 1994, RCLCO has conducted a national survey identifying the top-selling MPCs through a rigorous search of high-performing communities in each state. In this update for mid-year 2018, we have surveyed MPCs throughout the country to establish the updated rankings following the release of The Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities of 2017.
Home sales at the nation’s 50 top-selling MPCs were strong in the first half of 2018, with a total increase of 7% over the first half of 2017. On average, communities on this year’s list experienced approximately 17% growth in sales over the same time period last year. Texas, Florida, and California account for 62% of total sales among the 50 top-selling communities, with the share of total sales in other states growing from 31% to 38% since Mid-Year 2017. Sarasota, Florida’s Lakewood Ranch experienced a significant jump on the list, reaching the number 2 spot for the first time in its history. The Villages chooses not to share sales information until the close of each year, but RCLCO estimates that it once again holds the top spot with approximately 1,115 sales.
Master-planned communities that achieved sales increases thus far in 2018 continue to credit successful market segmentation—the targeting of various age, income, and household segments with appropriately priced and designed residential product types and lifestyle amenities. Indeed, most communities within the Top-50 have created successful strategies that seek to fill multiple market niches. Developers of communities with historically high sales that have begun to drop in this year’s survey cited the lack of supply of moderately priced housing as a potential reason. As these communities near build-out, sales volume is sacrificed as price points begin to increase. The outlook on home sales through the remainder of 2018 remains overwhelmingly positive, with many communities expecting the trend of strong growth and sales increases to continue for the balance of the year.
