Palm Beach has a well-earned reputation as a great place to live: luxury real estate, beautiful beaches and high-value properties. It’s a reputation that’s made Palm Beach attractive to home buyers both across the U.S. and abroad. But as is so often true in real estate, timing matters, particularly when homes can take months to sell and buyer activity can change with the seasons. 

Choosing the right time to sell your waterfront home, condo or villa can make all the difference in what you’ll get back. The right moment can influence your sale price, how many offers you get and how long your home will spend on the market. We’ll break down the best (and worst) times to sell in Palm Beach, with an eye on the latest housing trends, risk factors and buyer patterns. 

Palm Beach housing market trends at a glance 

First, let’s take a look at the hard numbers on house sales in Palm Beach. According to the most recent data, the median home price in Palm Beach is $2.8 million, confirming Palm Beach as one of Florida’s most elite markets. But homes aren’t exactly flying off the proverbial shelves in Palm Beach, either. The average home spent an average of 109 days on the market as of October 2025, which is up from 98 days the previous year (already significantly more than the national average). That’s an indicator that buyers are taking their time, evaluating the risks, and using caution when making offers. 

So what’s influencing Palm Beach housing sales the most? A few factors: 

• Prime waterfront inventory —High-value coastal homes often have very high price tags, as one would expect; 

• A smaller buyer pool — Luxury buyers are by nature uncommon, far fewer than entry-level buyers, which means longer timelines from listing to closing; 

• Seasonal migration patterns — Snowbirds and second-home buyers are a significant part of the buyer pool; 

• Supply constraints — limited land means high exclusivity, but slower turnover. 

Why it takes so long to sell a home in Palm Beach 

Palm Beach housing sales are slower than the norm by a fair margin, with the average listing taking three to four months to sell. There are a few reasons for this. 

First, as previously mentioned, a luxury price tag comes with a smaller buyer pool. Homes that cost several million dollars are naturally going to attract fewer buyers. A lot of them are likely to be investors or second-home purchasers, who tend to make decisions more slowly. 

Higher prices also command a higher level of diligence. For the kind of money they’re paying, buyers often conduct multiple inspections, negotiate repairs, explore their flood/hurricane insurance options (crucial in Florida) and review HOA or condominium requirements. 

Seasonal patterns also reduce demand during off-peak times. Late winter through spring, when seasonal residents come back to South Florida, is a peak time, whereas summer and early autumn are quieter due to travel schedules and elevated concerns over extreme weather. 

Speaking of extreme weather, that’s another reason why Palm Beach homes tend to spend longer on the market. Hurricane exposure and the accompanying insurance premiums, flood zone requirements, wind-mitigation standards, tight zoning — these are all highly localized factors that can draw out the sales process significantly. 

The best time of year to sell 

With all that in mind, when is the best time of year to sell a home in Palm Beach? While you can certainly sell year-round, some months are simply going to deliver you better outcomes than others. 

The best time of year to sell, as you may have guessed by now, is late winter to late spring (February, March, April and May). 

Why? For one, snowbirds generally return during these months and are actively viewing homes. Northeastern and Midwestern buyers also tend to come to Florida during harsh winters elsewhere. Hurricane season doesn’t start until June 11, which means buyers feel more comfortable about buying (justified or not). 

The prime weather of these months also tends to broaden the appeal of Palm Beach homes, which leads to healthy competition. In general, luxury agents point to March and April as the “sweet spot” for selling a Palm Beach home. 

The worst time to sell 

Obviously, with a “best time to sell” comes a “worst time to sell,” and experts generally agree that it’s late summer through early autumn (August, September, October). 

As you might expect, many conditions are basically the inverse of the high-demand months. These months are peak hurricane season (with accompanying insurance premium increases), and fewer seasonal buyers are in town. Storm risk will also lead to heightened buyer caution, since awareness of hurricanes is likely to be elevated during this time period. Actual hurricanes or tropical storms can often halt buyer activity entirely. 

The second-worst time to sell your Palm Beach home is November through December, which is merely slow by comparison. The holiday season tends to reduce viewings and showings, and many buyers are looking to put off big decisions until the new year. Winter overall isn’t bad for selling, necessarily, but activity will take a dip in November and December before rebounding in January. 

Understanding the Palm Beach market 

In summary, selling in Palm Beach means keeping a set of local variables in mind. 

For example, hurricane and flood risk means buyers are increasingly aware of premiums for windstorm and flood insurance, mandatory flood-elevation certificates, roof age and impact window requirements, and potential special assessment in condos. 

The snowbird and international buyer patterns in Florida means that Palm Beach generally attracts Northeastern retirees, Canadian and European seasonal buyers, and domestic second-home purchasers. All these groups tend to be most active from January to May. 

Palm Beach’s housing inventory is limited due to its strict zoning rules, limited land (and accompanying high land values), which can support higher prices during off-season selling, but within reason. In addition, condos tend to move faster than single-family homes due to their more modest pricing and lower maintenance — but HOA rules and special assessments (a frequent necessity for condos) can lengthen the closing period. 

Strategies for selling your Palm Beach home successfully 

Even in a luxury home market, it pays to prepare and strategize for selling your home. 

The first and most crucial step is to pick the right listing window. Aiming for late winter or spring will make a huge difference in the market conditions. Be sure to prepare your home ahead of this peak season by doing any landscaping, luxury staging, photography, videography or drone footage before the weather changes. 

It’s also a great idea to highlight your home’s storm-resilient features, whether it’s reinforced roofs, impact-resistant windows and doors, updated flood-elevation certificates, hurricane shutters or generators. These have a strong appeal for cautious buyers wary of storm season. 

Because the days on market are long, avoid overpricing early, especially if you’re trying to sell during off-peak months. It’s smart to market broadly, including international investors, remote workers, second-home buyers and Northeastern and Midwestern buyers. 

Finally, if you must list during the off-season, prepare to be flexible. Try pricing a little more competitively, offer credits toward insurance or pay the closing costs. These sorts of incentives can help counterbalance any proverbial headwinds you might meet.