Report Ranks the Best-Selling Master-Planned Communities

Real estate advisors RLCO have been compiling data on sales at master-planned communities since 1994. The mid-year report for 2019 shows strong sales growth in the sector.

1 minute read

July 11, 2019, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


The Villages Florida

The Villages, a master-planned community in Florida. | Ted Eytan / Flickr

"Home sales at the nation’s 50 top-selling MPCs exceeded expectations in the first half of 2019, with a pace that indicates the potential for a 10% increase at year’s end compared with 2018," according to an article written by Todd LaRue, managing director of RLCO, and Karl Pischke, vice president of RLCO.

"On average, communities on this year’s list experienced approximately 3% growth in sales over the same time period last year. Texas, Florida, and California account for 66% of total sales among the 50 top-selling communities, with the share of total top-selling MPC sales in other states decreasing from 38% to 34% since mid-year 2018," according to the article.

According to LaRue and Pischke, the growth in sales at master-planned suggests that the market is staving off a downturn, as predicted by some, and documented in a "sentiment report" from RLCO published in June.

As for the list of top-selling markets, the list is led by The Villages, in The Villages, Florida; Lakewood Ranch, in Sarasota, Florida; and West Villages, in Venice Florida.   

The strong demand for homes in master-planned communities is the flip side of a market also defined by strong demand for multi-family housing.

Tuesday, July 9, 2019 in RCLCO

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Metrorail train pulling into newly opened subterranean station in Washington, D.C. with crowd on platform taking photos.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”

The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

June 2, 2025 - The Hill

Large crowd on street in San Francisco, California during Oktoberfest festival.

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns

In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

June 2, 2025 - Robbie Silver

Man in teal shirt opening door to white microtransit shuttle with cactus graphics and making inviting gesture toward the camera.

Albuquerque’s Microtransit: A Planner’s Answer to Food Access Gaps

New microtransit vans in Albuquerque aim to close food access gaps by linking low-income areas to grocery stores, cutting travel times by 30 percent and offering planners a scalable model for equity-focused transit.

June 13 - U.S. Department Of Transportation

Group of people at table set ouf with picnic food on street during a neighborhood block party.

This City Will Pay You to Meet Your Neighbors

A North Kansas City grant program offers up to $400 for residents to throw neighborhood block parties.

June 13 - The Kansas City Star

Crowd gathered with protest signs on April 5, 2025 on steps of Minnesota state capitol protesting Trump cuts to social security and other federal programs.

Commentary: Our Silence Will Not Protect Us

Keeping our heads down and our language inoffensive is not the right response to the times we’re in. Solidarity and courage is.

June 13 - Shelterforce Magazine