Florida’s growth story is well-documented, and it continues to fuel demand for rental housing. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Association of Realtors, Florida welcomed approximately 475,000 new residents in 2024, leading the nation in net migration. The state’s lack of income tax, favorable weather, and business-friendly climate are powerful attractors. However, this rapid population growth comes with challenges for the single-family rental market. Infrastructure, schools, and public services often lag behind and can create quality of life challenges. 

Additionally, Florida’s economic landscape has evolved beyond its historic dependence on tourism and hospitality. Sectors such as healthcare, technology, logistics, and financial services have seen strong job creation. This diversification has strengthened the underlying economy, providing long-term support for housing demand, particularly in the rental sector as housing affordability continues to erode.

Florida’s demographic trends are also shifting. Remote work flexibility, retiree relocation, and an influx of younger families seeking affordable living have all contributed to Florida’s rental market surge. This evolving population mix has further diversified rental demand, from suburban family homes to urban single-family rentals near employment hubs.

Supply constraints and investor interest

A persistent shortage of housing inventory remains a key driver of rental demand across Florida. Builders continue to face challenges from high land costs, zoning restrictions, supply chain disruptions, and rising labor expenses. Many homeowners, meanwhile, are hesitant to sell their properties, holding on to historically low mortgage rates secured during the pandemic. This has reduced the number of homes available for sale and kept renters in the market longer.

The imbalance between supply and demand has also prompted increased investor interest in Florida’s single-family rental (SFR) market. Institutional investors, build-to-rent developers, and mom-and-pop landlords alike see opportunity in markets like Lakeland, Fort Myers, and Ocala, where affordability relative to larger cities remains intact. However, this growing competition has led to higher acquisition costs and thinner margins, making disciplined underwriting and long-term thinking essential.

Additionally, the rise of build-to-rent communities is reshaping the SFR landscape. Purpose-built rental neighborhoods are gaining popularity, offering modern homes with amenities like green spaces, pools, and community centers, designed specifically for long-term renters. These communities appeal to families and professionals who want the benefits of suburban living without the barriers to homeownership.

There are cracks in the foundation

Affordability pressures are growing. Home price appreciation in Florida surged over the past several years, driven by migration and low mortgage rates. However, that trend has begun to reverse. According to Zillow, the average home value in Florida fell by 1.8% year-over-year as of February 2025, bringing the average home price to $385,851. In cities like Tampa, the decline has been even more pronounced.

While this cooling trend offers entry points for new investors, it also signals a recalibration of market dynamics. The days of double-digit rent growth may be behind us, and property values may remain flat or slightly decline in the near term. Investors should be cautious not to rely on appreciation alone as an investment thesis.

At the same time, Florida’s property insurance market is facing structural challenges. Premiums have skyrocketed across much of the state, fueled by increased storm activity, rising claims, and a shrinking pool of insurers. For SFR owners, this reality isn’t just a budget concern—it’s an existential one. The rising cost of insurance, coupled with elevated property taxes and maintenance expenses, is forcing investors to reassess financial models. According to data from the Insurance Information Institute,…

Regulatory uncertainty is another factor investors must navigate. While Florida has historically maintained a landlord-friendly environment, the political landscape is not immune to change. Some municipalities are exploring rent control proposals and increased regulation of short-term rentals in response to mounting affordability concerns. Additionally, new policies around flood insurance requirements and building codes could impact both existing and prospective investors.

A market that requires disciplined, long-term thinking

The Florida SFR market is neither a sure bet nor a market to avoid. It is, however, a market that demands careful analysis, thoughtful planning, and a long-term perspective.

Successful investors will be those who:

• Stress-test financial models to account for rising insurance premiums, property taxes, and capital expenditures.
• Avoid overpaying based on past rent growth trends, which may not continue.
• Identify markets with sustainable job and wage growth that can support ongoing rental demand.
• Take climate and natural disaster risks seriously, ensuring that properties are properly insured and resilient.
• Focus on long-term tenant relationships and build-to-rent strategies, rather than short-term speculation.

Moreover, investors should keep a close eye on Florida’s evolving climate resilience policies. Several coastal counties have already begun implementing stricter building codes and infrastructure projects aimed at mitigating flooding and hurricane damage. These efforts, while essential, will likely contribute to higher development and maintenance costs over time.

Another consideration is the growing discussion around environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles in real estate investing. Florida’s unique climate exposure makes it a focal point for ESG-minded investors who are seeking sustainable, long-term assets. Incorporating energy-efficient upgrades, storm-proof construction, and sustainable community planning can offer investors both risk mitigation and long-term value.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that Florida’s SFR market is closely tied to national economic conditions. Rising interest rates, shifts in migration trends, or a broader economic downturn could all impact demand for rental housing. Investors should not only analyze local market conditions but also keep an eye on macroeconomic signals that could influence tenant demand and property values.

The Florida SFR landscape is nuanced. Success will belong to those who do the work, ask the hard questions, and recognize that true resilience comes not from betting on easy returns—but from understanding the full picture.

Tony Julianelle is CEO of Atlas Real Estate. Tony has over 25 years of executive leadership experience in the finance and real estate industries.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial department and its owners.

To contact the editor responsible for this piece: tracey@hwmedia.com

The former reality television stars known for the USA Network series “Chrisley Knows Best” had been serving multi-year sentences in prison for bank and tax fraud since the beginning of 2023.

Promise that the government will maintain “implicit guarantees” of the companies’ obligations suggests that what Trump has in mind is monetization, not privatization.

Agent Janice Pouch had a listing go up in February for a single-family house in a desirable part of Washington, D.C., where homes typically don’t last long. 

She had no reason to think that wouldn’t be the case this time either, especially after a packed open house during its first weekend on the market. Instead, it got only one offer among the 40 people who showed up to see it, and that offer was below the list price.

“I was in shock, truthfully,” said Pouch, a Compass agent. “Two or three people walked in and said they really want to buy a house, but need to wait and see what’s going to happen.”

What they were waiting to see was whether they were going to have a job or not.

President Donald Trump’s cuts to the federal workforce has put Washington, D.C., residents and the housing market there on edge. Through his administration’s U.S. DOGE Service, mass layoffs have occurred across virtually every federal department and agency. 

While some of these layoffs are currently held up in court or have been reversed, the ripple effect has prompted many to leave their positions voluntarily. And it doesn’t only impact civil servants as many private businesses in D.C. are tied to the federal government.

It has also put many homebuyers in a holding pattern. Altos data shows that inventory for condominiums in D.C. is currently up 59.2% on a 90-day rolling average, compared to 29.1% for single-family homes. It’s a similar story for new listings as condos are up 29% annually and single-family homes are up 17%.

While inventory is rising substantially all over the country, D.C. is outpacing the rest of the U.S. At the national level, inventory is up 32.5% year over year and new listings are up 9.6% on a 90-day rolling average.

“There were a few weird weeks [of data] that we kind of discounted because weekly data are so messy,” Bright MLS chief economist Lisa Sturtevant of tracking the D.C. market.

“But now that we have two and a half months, we have consistently seen the supply out there growing much faster in the D.C. market than it is in other places. Is that DOGE? Is that just general economic uncertainty? I don’t know, but it’s building a narrative.”

There’s enough evidence to think that upheaval in the federal government is having an impact. 

A poll conducted by The Washington Post and George Mason University found that 20% of D.C. residents are seriously considering leaving the city. This number rises to 45% among households that had someone lose their job as a result of DOGE-driven cuts.

The condo market — which makes up the bulk of owner-occupied housing in Washington, D.C. —has been particularly sluggish.

On the demand side, pending new sales of condos (-9.1%) are down by more than that of single-family homes (-7.3%). Meanwhile, the median price of pending new sales is rising faster for single-family homes (+7.4%) than for condos (+2.4%).

Some homeowners are in a position where they don’t have much choice but to sell despite poor conditions. Redfin agent Stuart Naranch said that condo owners who don’t want to be landlords are selling for less than they paid — including one who sold for $100,000 less.

“Sellers have to be really realistic with what they can get with so many choices the buyers have,” Naranch said. ”If you bought within the past four years, maybe you’re getting what you paid for it.”

While federal layoffs have impacted residents and appear to be dragging down parts of the housing market, it’s uncertain whether the effects will be as dramatic as the headlines related to the layoffs.

Some of the layoffs are depending on court decisions, and other workers are deciding on whether to take the early buyouts offered to some by DOGE. This could spread out job losses in a way that makes it more difficult to find signals in the data beyond rising inventory and sluggish sales.

Robbie Cook, a partner at D.C.-based brokerage McWilliams Ballard, believes the people who would’ve left as a result of DOGE actions likely did so at the beginning of Trump’s term.

“When the DOGE thing was going crazy, everybody reacted,” Cook said. “If they were going to move, they did, but we haven’t seen some giant upswell in federal employees trying to leave. Those ripples have already normalized.”

Breanna Banaciski is making a name for herself with her unconventional videos.

She’s only been in the real estate business for nine months, but one Tampa, FL, agent is already drawing a large following for her cheeky humour in listing tour videos on TikTok.

“This carport is tall enough to fit your jacked-up F-150,” one recent video begins. “But not tall enough to fill the void of when your father left.”

Breanna Banaciski, 30, is the mastermind behind the sardonic listing tours, in which she roasts everything from baby boomers and her “neckbeard” fanboys to the lamentable state of housing affordability.

“I’ve always wanted to do stand-up comedy,” she tells Realtor.com. “I just never got around to it, so I guess I’m doing it now — just inside of a house that’s for sale.”

Banaciski, an agent with Realty One Group Advantage, only got her real estate license in August.

Now, her listing tour videos regularly draw millions of views on social media and praise from fans in the comments.

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Breanna Banaciski, 30, is the mastermind behind sardonic listing tours, in which she roasts everything.

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“If I win the lottery, I’m buying houses from you just to hear you give me the tour,” wrote one commenter.

Another remarked, “Can you come and roast my listed home?”

Banaciski, who has a background in theatre and comedy, switched to real estate after years of working in car sales and business-to-business technology sales.

“I was like, ‘Man, I hate 9 to 5; I just hate going into an office and sitting in a desk all day,’” she recalls. “Now I can work whenever I want to — which is pretty much 24/7 — but I didn’t realise that then.”

Her earliest real estate videos on social media were based on what she saw other agents doing: local market updates, tips for buyers, and traditional touting of listings.

“For months, I was just making these regular old, kind of bland videos that didn’t really show who I was,” she says. “They weren’t me, exactly.”

Then on a lark last fall, she improvised a listing tour video sprinkled with jokes, uploading it to social media on a Friday before leaving town on a weekend trip.

When she returned, she was stunned to see the video had been viewed more than 20,000 times, and she realised she had struck on a style that resonated.

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Banaciski, an agent with Realty One Group Advantage, only got her real estate license in August.

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“This carport is tall enough to fit your jacked up F-150 but not tall enough fill the void of when your father left,” she says in one video.

“You guys are going to f***ing hate me. This house is worth $1.3 million. Please share this with your rich friends. I am way too poor to be in this house right now,” she said in another.

Dara Khoyi, Banaciski’s broker at Realty One, says he was initially stunned upon seeing her roast videos — but that he has supported her humorous approach to drumming up business.

“We do take our clients very seriously, and our role in helping them very seriously, but at the same time, we kind of like to have fun with the work that we do,” he tells Realtor.com. “We give our agents business freedom, so to date I’ve been supportive of her, and I’m thrilled that she’s getting a good reception.”

Banaciski says that her comedy videos have not yet led directly to sales of the properties she’s featured, but have generated lots of interest from buyers and sellers interested in working with her.

“A lot of people say, ‘You’re a breath of fresh air. You seem so down to earth. I can relate to you,’” she says.

Those client connections have proven crucial for Banaciski as she launches her real estate career in a decidedly slow market.

“There are people out there buying and selling right now,” she says. “You just have to really, really find them and somehow hone in on your niche.”

The post Meet the real estate agent whose snarky roast videos are going viral appeared first on realestate.com.au.