September 24, 2025 – Florida's real estate market continues to set national records for cash transactions in 2025, with West Palm Beach leading all major U.S. metropolitan areas at 49% of homes purchased entirely with cash, according to data from Florida REALTORS® and recent comprehensive market analyses examining county records across the state.
According to Florida REALTORS® February 2025 report, multiple Florida metropolitan areas rank among the top markets nationally for all-cash home purchases. West Palm Beach leads the nation at 49% cash sales, followed by Jacksonville at 46.2%, Tampa Bay at 42.8%, Fort Lauderdale at approximately 40%, and Miami at 38%. Redfin's comprehensive 2024 year-end report indicates approximately 40.7% of all Florida home sales were conducted in cash, significantly above the national average of 34.1%.
The concentration of cash buyers intensifies dramatically in Florida's luxury real estate segment, according to MIAMI REALTORS® Chief Economist Gay Cororaton's April 2025 analysis. In Miami-Dade County alone, cash buyers accounted for over 65% of million-dollar condominium and townhome sales. Realtor.com's August 2025 data reveals homes between $1 million and $5 million saw 53.5% cash purchases, homes between $5 million and $10 million reached 54.1%, and homes above $10 million hit 58.6% cash transactions.
In the ultra-luxury segment—properties priced above $2,000 per square foot—cash transactions reached a staggering 83% of condominium purchases and 79% of single-family home sales, according to Miami Condo Investments' comprehensive September 2025 market report analyzing luxury real estate trends.
The surge in cash purchases is being fueled significantly by international investment, particularly from Latin America. NBC Miami reports that Argentinians and Colombians alone accounted for 32% of all South Florida international closed sales, with buyers seeking to protect wealth from domestic economic volatility while capitalizing on Florida's favorable tax environment and stable property rights.
"What we saw from the pandemic coming forward was a big trend of people selling their homes in the Northeast or other places that had higher valuations and leveraging that equity," explained Jonathan Lickstein, President of Broward, Palm Beaches and St. Lucie Realtors, in an interview with NBC Miami. These buyers are "taking the equity from a condo, a loft in Manhattan, and taking that into a single family home, with a bigger space, and higher living quality in South Florida."
Data from local MLS systems and REALTOR® associations reveal significant regional variations across Florida's diverse markets. Coastal luxury markets demonstrate the highest concentrations, with Lauderdale-by-the-Sea at 86% cash sales, the exclusive Town of Palm Beach at 84%, Hallandale Beach at 81%, North Palm Beach at 78%, and Sunny Isles Beach at 74%, according to MIAMI REALTORS® April 2025 data.
Meanwhile, Central Florida markets show different trends entirely. Marion County experienced a substantial 26.8% year-over-year decline in cash sales, dropping to 27.8% of total transactions, while neighboring Citrus County saw cash buyers increase to 38.9% of the market. Southwest Florida's Sarasota County reported 28.9% cash sales in June 2025, indicating more balanced market conditions compared to South Florida's cash-dominated landscape.
"In today's Florida market, sellers are increasingly drawn to cash offers for their certainty and speed. We typically close cash transactions in 7-14 days versus 30-45 days for financed deals," noted Ellie Verdura, Founder of Cornerstone Homebuyers, a Miami-based property investment company. "For sellers facing time constraints or seeking to avoid the uncertainty of buyer financing falling through, cash buyers provide a reliable path to closing that's become invaluable in our current market."
Several key economic and demographic factors continue driving Florida's cash-heavy market dynamics. Florida's lack of state income tax attracts wealthy buyers from high-tax states like New York, California, and Illinois. Economic instability in Latin American countries drives international wealth preservation through U.S. real estate investments. National Association of REALTORS® data shows 26% of repeat buyers made cash purchases compared to only 6% of first-time buyers, indicating significant demographic shifts favoring cash transactions. Additionally, in Florida's competitive housing market environment, cash offers provide buyers significant negotiating leverage and certainty of closing.
Gay Cororaton, MIAMI REALTORS® Chief Economist, stated in her June 2025 comprehensive analysis that "cash buyers are likely to continue to be the major source of demand in the condominium/townhomes market as mortgage rates remain volatile and elevated."
The prevalence of cash transactions creates distinct opportunities and challenges for market participants. Sellers benefit from substantially faster closing times, greater transaction certainty without financing contingencies, and potential for multiple competitive offers in desirable areas. Conversely, financed buyers face increased competition, particularly in luxury segments, requiring strategic positioning, strong pre-approval letters, and often need to make above-asking offers to compete effectively.
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This comprehensive analysis aggregates publicly available data from Florida REALTORS® monthly and quarterly reports, Redfin Data Center, MIAMI Association of REALTORS® market statistics, REALTOR® Association of Sarasota and Manatee, Showcase Properties of Central Florida, NBC Miami market reporting, and Realtor.com's Housing Market Trends Reports.
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For more information about Cornerstone Homebuyers Inc, contact the company here:
Cornerstone Homebuyers
Ellie Verdura
(305) 615-2888
ellie@cornerstonehomebuyers.com
Cornerstone Homebuyers
3165 NW 61st St,
Miami, FL 33142
