Master-planned communities (MPCs) got a boost in 2019 with a six-percent sales increase, and Texas, Florida, and California boasted 61 percent of all sales of the 50 top-performing communities. But as MPCs become increasingly popular, experts see that MPCs are missing a key demographic that could unleash a whole new market segment: potential homebuyers looking for smaller, more affordable homes. If they can find a way to meet that demand, Robert Charles Lesser & Co. estimates that MPCs could grow their sales and expand their market share.
Communities on RCLCO’s 2019 Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities (MPC) List experienced total sales that were over 6% higher than the total sales in 2018. The Villages, with an estimated 2,134 home sales, is once again ranked as the top-selling community in the country. Sarasota, Florida’s Lakewood Ranch claimed the second overall spot, with Las Vegas’s Summerlin in the third-place position once again. Also in this issue, we recap the best-selling communities of the decade as we ring in both a new year and a new decade—one which is poised to present bountiful opportunities for MPC development as indicated by RCLCO consumer research, trending historical data, and interviews with RCLCO clients and colleagues.
Every year since 1994, RCLCO has conducted a national survey identifying the top-selling master-planned communities (MPCs) through a rigorous search of high-performing communities in each state. For this 2019 report, we have surveyed MPCs throughout the country to establish the rankings following the release of “The Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities: Mid-Year Update 2019”. Also in this issue, RCLCO breaks down the best-selling MPCs of the decade and assesses the current state of the MPC market, which indicates a positive future as we enter a new decade. Indeed, consumer preference surveys, conversations with RCLCO clients and colleagues, and trending historical data all suggest that this decade could be a “roaring 20s” for MPC development.