Is There Really a Best Time to Buy or Sell? Real Estate Expert Bobby Freeman Analyzes 5 Years of Space Coast MLS Data
By Bobby Freeman, Space Coast Real Estate Expert // September 4, 2026
Five years and 60,000+ Brevard County sales show activity and prices don't always peak in the same month.
ABOVE VIDEO: Space Coast real estate advisors Bobby Freeman and Nikki McCoy Freeman of McCoy Freeman Group at Compass break down five years of Brevard County MLS data to answer one of the most common questions in real estate: Is there really a best time of year to buy or sell a home on Florida’s Space Coast?
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Is there really a best time of year to buy or sell a home on Florida’s Space Coast?
For years, conventional real estate advice has told sellers to list in the spring, while some Space Coast property owners prefer to wait for winter and the arrival of seasonal residents.
But what does the local data actually show?
Bobby Freeman, REALTOR® and Space Coast real estate market analyst with McCoy Freeman Group at Compass, analyzed five complete years of Brevard County MLS sales data, more than 60,000 closed residential sales from 2021 through 2025, to find out.
The research examined single-family homes separately from condominiums and townhomes and compared average monthly sales activity with average monthly median sale prices.
The result challenges one of the most common assumptions about timing the real estate market:
The busiest month is not necessarily the month with the highest prices.
“We wanted to get beyond the usual advice about spring selling seasons and snowbird season and see what five years of actual Space Coast sales told us,” Freeman said. “What stood out to me is that there is seasonality in our market, but higher sales activity does not automatically mean higher prices. The market matters more than the month.”
Single-Family Homes: May Was Busiest, August Had the Highest Prices
For single-family homes across Brevard County, the five-year analysis found that May was the busiest month, averaging approximately 1,050 closed sales.
But May did not produce the highest average monthly median sale price.
That occurred in August, when the five-year average monthly median sale price reached approximately $405,000.
The distinction is important.
If the conventional theory were simply “more buyers equal higher prices,” the busiest month and highest-priced month should be much more closely aligned.
The Brevard County numbers show that other factors are at work.
Inventory, interest rates, competing properties, condition, location, price range and overall buyer demand can have a greater effect on an individual seller’s outcome than the month printed on the calendar.
Condo Sales Tell an Even More Interesting Story
Brevard County’s condominium and townhouse market produced an even clearer example.
Over the five-year study period, March was the busiest month for condo sales, averaging approximately 83.8 closings.
But April recorded the highest average monthly median sale price at approximately $365,000.
Freeman then compared monthly condo sales volume with monthly median sale prices to determine how closely the two moved together.
The resulting correlation was approximately 0.04, essentially no meaningful linear relationship.
In simple terms: more condo sales did not reliably mean higher condo prices.
That finding is particularly relevant on the Space Coast, where condominium markets can vary substantially from one building and community to another.
“A condo buyer isn’t just comparing price and square footage,” said Nikki McCoy Freeman, REALTOR® with McCoy Freeman Group at Compass. “They’re looking at the building, reserves, assessments, insurance, rental rules, amenities, location, and the condition of the individual unit. Those factors can outweigh whether it happens to be March, April, or November.”
Why Space Coast Real Estate Is Different
Brevard County is not one uniform housing market.
Florida’s Space Coast includes everything from oceanfront condominiums in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral to waterfront homes in Merritt Island, beachside properties in Satellite Beach and Melbourne Beach, master-planned communities in Viera, and residential markets stretching from Titusville to Palm Bay.
The buyers for those properties can be very different.
A direct-ocean condominium in Cocoa Beach may attract second-home buyers, retirees or investors.
A Cape Canaveral condo may be evaluated partly on rental rules and proximity to Port Canaveral and the beach.
A canal-front home in Merritt Island may be valued based on boating access, water depth, dockage and proximity to the Banana and Indian rivers.
Meanwhile, buyers in Viera may be evaluating schools, new construction, amenities and commuting patterns.
That is why Freeman says countywide statistics are useful for understanding the larger market, but they should not be used alone to determine when to buy or sell a specific property.
Previous Space Coast Daily analysis by Freeman has similarly found significant differences between mainland and beachside housing conditions, reinforcing that Brevard County increasingly needs to be evaluated by location and property type rather than through one countywide headline.
What About Snowbird Season?
For coastal property owners, one of the most persistent beliefs is that winter must be the best time to sell because seasonal residents return to Florida.
Seasonal activity is certainly present in Brevard County, particularly in beachside and condominium markets.
But the five-year analysis does not support the idea that winter automatically produces the highest prices.
“Snowbird season is real, but it doesn’t mean every seller should wait until winter,” Freeman said. “If inventory is low and buyers are looking for exactly what you own today, waiting for a supposedly better month could mean giving up a very good market opportunity.”
That is why Bobby and Nikki Freeman say they evaluate current competing inventory before recommending a listing timeline.
How many comparable properties are available? How many have recently gone under contract? What have similar properties actually sold for? Are competing sellers reducing their prices?
How long are comparable properties taking to sell? And how does a particular home or condo compare with everything else a buyer can purchase right now?
Those questions may be more valuable than simply asking what month historically produces the most transactions.
Should Space Coast Sellers Wait Until Spring?
Not necessarily.
The data shows that spring can be an active period, but higher transaction volume does not guarantee a higher sale price.
For a seller with little competition, strong current demand, and a desirable property, listing outside the traditional spring selling season could potentially provide an advantage.
Conversely, listing during a historically busy month does not guarantee a strong result if buyers have numerous competing properties to choose from.
“The better question isn’t, ‘What is the best month to sell?’” Freeman said. “The better question is, ‘What does the market look like for my property right now?’ That’s where the decision should start.”
Buyers Shouldn’t Wait for a “Magic Month” Either
The same lesson applies to buyers.
There is no single month when Brevard County real estate suddenly becomes inexpensive.
Opportunities often come from individual property circumstances rather than seasonality alone.
A home that has accumulated significant days on market may offer negotiating leverage.
A condominium building with several similar units listed simultaneously may give buyers more choices.
A motivated seller may create an opportunity regardless of whether the calendar says February, June, or October.
On the other hand, a rare oceanfront corner unit, highly desirable waterfront home, or property in a neighborhood with very limited inventory can attract strong interest at virtually any time of year.
The Market Matters More Than the Month
After analyzing five years and more than 60,000 Brevard County residential sales, Freeman said the research points to a straightforward conclusion:
It’s not just the time of year. It’s the market you’re entering.
Seasonality exists.
Some months consistently generate more real estate transactions than others.
But more transactions do not necessarily mean higher prices.
For sellers, the best time to list is not automatically the busiest month.
For buyers, the slowest month is not automatically the least expensive month.
Instead, Bobby and Nikki Freeman say buyers and sellers should evaluate the market at the property level, including location, property type, competing inventory, recent sales, pricing and current buyer demand.
“Real estate has always been local, but on the Space Coast it can get even more specific than that,” Freeman said. “Sometimes the most important market isn’t Brevard County, Cocoa Beach or Cape Canaveral. It can be the specific neighborhood or even the specific condo building you’re buying or selling in.”
5-Year Space Coast MLS Study: Key Findings
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More than 60,000 Brevard County closed residential sales analyzed
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5 complete years of MLS data: 2021 through 2025
Single-Family Homes
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May: Busiest month, averaging approximately 1,050 closings
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August: Highest average monthly median sale price, approximately $405,000
Condos & Townhomes
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March: Busiest month, averaging approximately 83.8 closings
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April: Highest average monthly median sale price, approximately $365,000
Condo Sales vs. Price Correlation
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Approximately 0.04
Biggest takeaway: The busiest month and the highest-priced month were not the same for either major residential property category.
How the Research Was Conducted
The analysis examined closed residential sales reported through the local MLS for Brevard County, Florida, from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2025.
Single-family homes and condominiums/townhomes were analyzed separately.
Closed sales were grouped by calendar month and averaged across the five complete years to identify recurring seasonal transaction patterns.
Monthly median sale prices were evaluated across the same period to compare seasonal pricing patterns.
The condominium and townhouse analysis also compared average monthly closed-sale volume with average monthly median sale price. The resulting correlation of approximately 0.04 indicates little to no linear relationship between the two measures.
The research is intended to identify historical patterns and should not be interpreted as a prediction of future prices or market conditions. Individual results can vary substantially by location, property type, price range, condition, and current inventory.
Data Source: Local MLS closed residential sales data, 2021 through 2025.
Research and analysis: Bobby Freeman, REALTOR®, McCoy Freeman Group at Compass.
About Bobby Freeman and Nikki McCoy Freeman
