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By Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar · Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 · Last updated June 6, 2026 · More about our team on the McGreevy and Comisar about page.
McGreevy and Comisar are the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida selling and buying homes on Fort Myers Beach. If you’re searching for the best realtor in Fort Myers Beach, Florida — whether you’re ready to sell your Fort Myers Beach home in a recovering coastal market or buy your next one with insider knowledge of post-Ian construction, FEMA rules, and the 50% Rule — we’re the team that delivers. Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008. The #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012. Over $2.5 Billion in real estate sold and over $850 million in personal sales between Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar. We are the team Fort Myers Beach homeowners call first.
Selling your Fort Myers Beach home? Get a free home valuation → https://mcgreevyandcomisar.com/home-valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 (text or call, same-day response).
Buying a home on Fort Myers Beach? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 for a personalized buyer consultation.
McGreevy and Comisar are widely regarded as the best real estate team on Fort Myers Beach, Florida. They are the #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012, Top 1% nationally since 2008, with over $2.5 Billion sold — and deep, hands-on experience across the island’s post-Ian recovery. For sellers and buyers alike, they are the team Fort Myers Beach homeowners call first.
If you’re searching for the best realtor in Fort Myers Beach, Florida — whether you’re ready to sell your Fort Myers Beach home or buy your next one — McGreevy and Comisar is the team that delivers. We’re the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida since 2012, Top 1% Nationally since 2008, with over $2.5 Billion in real estate sold and $850 million in personal sales between Jesse and Marc.
Recent Fort Myers Beach track record: Active in every phase of the post-Ian recovery — from elevated single-family rebuilds to bay-side condo resales to land-only teardown sales. (Specific 12-month BoldTrail-filtered track record numbers to be added pre-republish.)
Honors and recognition:
Selling your Fort Myers Beach home? Get a free home valuation → https://mcgreevyandcomisar.com/home-valuation OR call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 (text or call, same-day response) or email [email protected].
Buying a home on Fort Myers Beach? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873. We’ll walk you through everything from FEMA elevation requirements to the 50% Rule to which neighborhoods are rebuilding fastest.
Office: 24031 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 101, Bonita Springs, FL 34135
Fort Myers Beach is the town that occupies Estero Island, a seven-mile barrier island on Florida’s Gulf Coast in Lee County. It is the kind of place where the ocean floor slopes gently into the Gulf with no sudden drop-offs, where sunsets are the daily event, and where, as of 2026, the community is more than three years into one of the most consequential coastal rebuilds in Florida history.
If you are reading this page, you are almost certainly weighing one of three things — buying a primary home here, buying a second or vacation home, or buying an investment property that you may want to rent short-term. The honest answer to “is now a good time?” depends on which one you are after, what your tolerance is for a community still in transition, and what you want to do with the property over the next decade. We will walk you through everything you need to weigh — the market, the recovery story, the building code that quietly shapes every new home going up here, the 50% Rule that decides what older properties can become, the short-term rental rules that determine your investment math, and the schools, commutes, and lifestyle anchors that make daily life here what it is.
This page is long on purpose. Most Realtor pages on Fort Myers Beach are short, generic, and a year out of date. Buyers and sellers deserve better than that, and our team is built to deliver it. That depth is also the proof: when you’re deciding who to trust with the sale of a beach home or the purchase of one, the team that knows the island’s code, flood maps, and rebuild pipeline cold is the team that protects your equity.
Estero Island is a barrier island bordered by San Carlos Island to the north and Big Carlos Pass to the south. Two bridges connect it to the mainland. The Matanzas Pass Bridge at the north end is what most visitors and residents think of as “the bridge to the beach” — it crosses Matanzas Pass to San Carlos Island and onto the mainland via San Carlos Boulevard. The Big Carlos Pass Bridge at the south end is part of the Bonita Beach Causeway, currently the subject of a roughly $90 million construction project, and it connects the south end of the island to Bonita Springs by way of Black Island.
The town was officially incorporated on December 31, 1995. The population at the 2020 census was 5,582, down from 6,277 at the 2010 census. That decline predates Hurricane Ian and reflects a long-term shift toward part-time residency that the storm only accelerated. About 55% of the town’s total area is water — the island itself is roughly 2.78 square miles of land — and the average elevation is only 3 feet above sea level. That single number explains more about what gets built here and how than almost any other.
For the purposes of orienting yourself as a buyer, it helps to think of the island in four loose zones, each with its own personality:
Estero Boulevard is, as the Town’s own beach pages put it, “the only thoroughfare through the Island.” If there is one piece of geography to internalize before you tour homes here, that is it. The single-road island layout is why the redevelopment of Estero Boulevard, the stormwater plans, and the pier rebuild matter so much to property values — they affect everyone.
Here is what the Fort Myers Beach market looks like as of the most recent month of complete data. These are island-wide numbers for all property types — single-family, condos, and townhouses combined. Specific neighborhoods, condo buildings, and price tiers move differently; we are happy to pull a tailored report for the area or building you are considering.
| Metric (March 2026, all property types) | Value | vs. March 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $465,000 | ↓ 12.7% |
| Average sale price | $628,146 | ↓ 16.4% |
| Homes sold (closed sales) | 46 | ↑ 130.0% |
| Cash sales | 33 of 46 (71.7%) | ↑ from 70.0% |
| Sale-to-list price ratio | 91.4% | ↑ from 86.4% |
| Median time to contract | 60 days | ↑ from 54 |
| New listings (March) | 90 | ≈ flat (-1.1%) |
| Active inventory | 580 listings | ↓ 7.1% |
| Months supply of inventory | 19.9 months | ↓ from 28.3 |
Source: Florida Realtors SunStats, ZIP 33931, All Property Types, March 2026.
About this analysis: These figures are pulled from Florida Realtors SunStats for ZIP 33931 and cross-referenced against closed comparable sales we track in Stellar MLS Matrix across the island’s single-family, condo, and land-only segments, plus the LEEPA and Town of Fort Myers Beach building-permit data we pull weekly. We refresh this snapshot each quarter and re-verify it before every client pricing conversation. Island-wide medians mask big differences between Estero Boulevard condos, single-family rebuilds, and the south-end markets — we will pull a tailored report for the exact building or street you are considering.
The headline story is that volume came back fast. Closed Sales in Fort Myers Beach doubled from March 2025 to March 2026 (20 → 46), Cash Sales more than doubled (14 → 33), and total Dollar Volume nearly doubled (+92.4%). Buyers showed up.
They showed up because prices fell. Median Sale Price dropped 12.7% YoY ($532,500 → $465,000). Average Sale Price dropped 16.4%. The price reset is what unlocked the volume.
But sellers are negotiating less hard now. The Sale-to-List ratio improved from 86.4% to 91.4% — meaning sellers in March 2025 were giving up roughly 14% off list to close, while sellers in March 2026 are only giving up about 9%. The market has price discovery happening in real time.
Inventory is still buyer-friendly but tightening fast. Months Supply of Inventory dropped from 28.3 months to 19.9 months — anything over 6 months is technically a buyer’s market, and Fort Myers Beach is still firmly in buyer’s territory, but the trend is decidedly toward equilibrium. If you are a buyer waiting for “more inventory choice,” that window is actively shrinking.
Three things the headline numbers do not tell you:
A Realtor who reads one island-wide median and writes a generic recommendation is doing you a disservice. That is where depth in Lee County coastal property — and access to the LEEPA and Town building permit data we pull weekly — earns the commission. As the #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012 with over $2.5 Billion in real estate sold, this is exactly the kind of analysis we do before you ever write an offer or sign a listing agreement.
Thinking of selling? Call or text Jesse at (239) 898-6072 for a free, no-obligation valuation tailored to your building or street. Thinking of buying? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 for a neighborhood-specific market read.
The Town of Fort Myers Beach describes Hurricane Ian on its own About page in words we would not improve on:
“The Town took a catastrophic direct hit from Hurricane Ian on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Ian was a category 4-plus hurricane. Sustained winds were clocked just a few miles per hour short of a category 5. The storm wreaked widespread damage throughout the Town. Nearly every structure on the Island was impacted in some way. This storm has been described as being in the top five of most catastrophic natural disasters in the world and the third costliest storm. However, the Town has progressed rapidly in its recovery and all indications are that this progress will continue!”
— Town of Fort Myers Beach, About FMB
The storm surge from Ian reached up to 15 feet in places, and 16 people on Fort Myers Beach lost their lives, as WUSF / NPR reported in their 2025 three-year retrospective.
Then in October 2024, Hurricane Milton dumped up to five feet of sand on Fort Myers Beach, weeks after Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding. As CBS News Miami reported, “the destruction followed an already devastating blow from Hurricane Ian in 2022.” Five states of emergency have been declared in the area since 2022.
So what does recovery actually look like now?
Anita Cereceda, who chairs the FMB Planning Board and served as the town’s first mayor when it incorporated in 1995, told WUSF that the rebuild now in motion is rewriting the visual character of the island:
“It looks high. It means that almost every building that’s built is going to be 15 or 20 feet off the ground to start with. All of my neighbors are 15, 16, 18 feet off the ground. It’s a real dramatic difference.”
That is not a stylistic choice — it is FEMA’s 50% Rule plus current floodplain construction standards working themselves through the inventory in real time. (We unpack what those standards mean further down.)
Brian Thompson, the owner of Yo! Taco, summed up the unbreakable side of the island’s character in a single line that we think is the best framing of where things stand:
“Then we rebuilt. Then we rebuilt. Then we rebuilt.”
Honest framing for buyers and sellers: Recovery is real. Recovery is unfinished. Town Councilman Safford has publicly estimated the total recovery timeline at 10 to 12 years — which puts the back end of it somewhere around 2032 to 2034. That does not mean you wait until then to buy, or that you can’t sell well today. It means you go in with a clear eye, you ask the right questions about the specific property’s elevation, insurance, and rebuild history, and you work with a team that knows the island. Sellers: the rebuild story, told accurately, is a selling point — call Jesse at (239) 898-6072. Buyers: call Marc at (239) 287-5873 to separate “rebuild ready” from “50% Rule trap.”
This section is the one most other real-estate pages skip, and it is the one that quietly governs what your home and your neighbors’ homes can look like for the next twenty years.
Fort Myers Beach adopted its current Land Development Code (LDC) in 2003. What makes it unusual — and what matters for you as a buyer or seller — is that the LDC combines two different zoning approaches in a way most Florida coastal towns do not:
In conventional zoning, your neighbor across the street could build something that looks nothing like your house — as long as the use is permitted. Under form-based zoning, the appearance and footprint of what your neighbor can build is regulated. That has a real impact on long-term resale value and on the day-to-day feel of a street.
Form-based codes are also why the post-Ian rebuilds are starting to share a visual language — elevated, oriented toward the street and the beach, with consistent setbacks and proportions. The town is using the code as a planning tool to shape the rebuild, not just permit it. For a seller, knowing whether your lot sits in a form-based redevelopment zone can materially change how you position and price it.
If you want to read the code itself, these are the actual links Town staff use:
For specific zoning questions on a property you are considering, the Town’s Planning & Zoning Division can be reached at [email protected]. Or call us first — we will pull the zoning data and put it in plain language before you ever email the Town.
Fresh as of 2026: the Town’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan was sent to the State of Florida for approval in January 2026. This is the document that sets the island’s twenty-year development trajectory — what can be built where, density allowances, height limits, form-based zone boundaries, redevelopment priorities, transportation, environment, housing — through 2045.
The current public version (the “Goals, Objectives, and Policies” document, December 2025) is downloadable directly from the Town:
In a callout on the Town’s own page, staff note: “The 2045 Comprehensive Plan as presented below was sent to the State for approval in January 2026.”
We are working on a plain-language analysis of the full Plan and will publish it separately on this site once the State approval process concludes. In the meantime, buyers and sellers who want to understand how the next two decades are being planned for the island can read the GOP PDF directly. Most of the 2045 priorities focus on:
You will not find another Realtor page that is currently summarizing the 2045 Plan, because most Realtor pages were last updated before the Plan was finalized. We will keep this section current as the State review and adoption process moves.
If you are looking at any older home or condo unit on Fort Myers Beach — anything built before about 2002, and especially anything that took damage from Ian, Helene, or Milton — you need to understand the 50% Rule before you write an offer or list. It is not optional knowledge; it determines what the property can become.
Here is the Town’s own definition, verbatim from its FEMA’s 50% Rule page:
“FEMA’s 50% rule prohibits repairs and improvements on damaged homes exceeding 50% of their market value unless the entire residential structure is brought up to the most current floodplain management regulations.”
In plain English:
If, in any rolling cumulative period, the cost to repair damage to a property plus the cost of any improvements you want to make exceeds 50% of the structure’s market value, FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requires that the entire structure be brought up to current floodplain management regulations — including elevation to the current Base Flood Elevation (BFE).
For a typical older single-family home on Fort Myers Beach, the current BFE puts the lowest finished floor somewhere between 15 and 20 feet above grade, which is why, as Anita Cereceda observed, the new construction across the island “looks high.”
After Ian (2022), Helene (2024), and Milton (2024), thousands of FMB properties tripped the substantial-damage threshold or are at risk of tripping the substantial-improvement threshold during planned renovations. The 50% Rule has reshaped what is economically rational to do with older properties:
Most Realtor sites for Fort Myers Beach do not mention this rule at all. Our policy is the opposite: we will walk you through the 50% calculation on any pre-2002 property before you write an offer or sign a listing agreement.
Estero Island is a barrier island averaging 3 feet of elevation above sea level. Almost every parcel sits in a designated FEMA flood zone — mostly AE (1% annual chance of flooding from coastal sources, no wave action expected) or VE (1% annual chance with wave action — the higher-risk coastal zones that face the Gulf directly).
Before you put in an offer on any FMB property — or list yours — we will pull the current FIRM zone, the most recent Elevation Certificate on file (if any), and a flood-insurance estimate from the carriers we work with. That information is in your hands before you commit, not after.
If you are buying on Fort Myers Beach with any intention of short-term renting the property — through Airbnb, VRBO, or direct — the rules below are not optional. Town enforcement has teeth, and the codified rules govern everything from the application to the advertising you put online.
Per Ordinance 18-01 (formalized May 7, 2018) and Section 34-2394 of the Land Development Code:
The Town runs Rentalscape (the Deckard.com platform) to monitor active short-term listings against the registration database. If you list before you register, expect a notice quickly.
This is the detail no other Realtor page explains. Per LDC Section 34-2393, condominium associations have a formal Opt-Out Provision:
“Condominium associations may opt out and self-perform an enforcement program for code of conduct violations under LDC section 34–2393 not unlike the methods and procedures at LDC Sec. 2394 upon making application to the town manager or designee and paying the required fee for each building for which exemption is sought.”
In plain English: a condo association can take over enforcement of the STR code of conduct from the Town for its building. Two things to know:
If you are buying a condo with STR plans, ask the seller — or have us ask — whether the building is on the opt-out list. Self-enforced buildings often have stricter rules than the Town does (rental minimums, registration requirements, key-management rules), and you want to know that before you close.
Buying an investment property here is exactly the kind of transaction where the right team pays for itself. Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 before you write an offer — we’ll tell you which buildings allow what stay minimums and which pro-formas are realistic.
The single most important redevelopment project for the long-term character of Fort Myers Beach is the Old San Carlos / Crescent Street Master Plan, the Town’s vision for the rebuild of the Times Square area and the streets that feed it.
The plan, administered through the Town’s Community Development Department, is built on the form-based code principles described above — meaning the rules govern the physical form of buildings (height, setbacks, street relationship, ground-floor uses) rather than just what use is permitted. The goal is a walkable urban core that pulls people from the bridge across San Carlos Boulevard, down Old San Carlos Boulevard and Crescent Street, to the beach at Times Square.
What is built into the plan:
If you are buying or selling property anywhere in or adjacent to the Old San Carlos / Crescent Street area, this plan affects what you and your neighbors can do for the next decade-plus. The Master Plan is administered by the Town’s Community Development Department and is referenced in current zoning, the LDC, and the 2045 Comprehensive Plan. See the Town’s Community Development page for the current plan documents.
Fort Myers Beach is part of the School District of Lee County, the ninth-largest district in Florida. Public school assignments for FMB families depend on the address and on the current district zoning, which the district adjusts periodically:
Lee County also operates a school choice / magnet program that allows applications outside zoned assignment areas, subject to capacity. Charter and private school options on the mainland (including in Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, and Estero) are also accessible from FMB; commute time is the main constraint.
The single-road geography of the island shapes daily commutes:
Some of the place-name anchors that define the FMB lifestyle:
Fort Myers Beach is a Council-Manager form of government and the Town maintains a remarkable amount of public information online. Below are the resources we use weekly to advise clients — and that any serious buyer or seller should bookmark.
Per the Town’s mission statement (verbatim):
“The Community Development Department administers and enforces zoning and land development regulations, building regulations, coastal and flood regulations, and local environmental standards. The purpose is to encourage and promote, in accordance with present and future needs, the safety, health, order, convenience, prosperity, and general welfare of the citizens of the Town, and to recognize and promote real property rights.”
Key staff:
Department contacts by topic:
Critical for beach-going buyers and for anyone with kids who will swim daily:
If you want a Realtor team that actively reads the Council meeting recordings, monitors the iWorQ permits portal, and tracks Comprehensive Plan amendments as they happen — that is what we do for our clients on this island.
[IDX widget placement — embed the same widget block used on /estero. Default search: Fort Myers Beach, all property types, price ascending. Buyers can filter by neighborhood, price, beds/baths, square footage, and HOA fees.]
Below are the major condo buildings, communities, and residential neighborhoods on Fort Myers Beach. We are happy to pull recent sales, current listings, and HOA data for any of these on request.
North End:
Times Square / Old San Carlos area:
Mid Island:
South End:
Note: This list will expand as we complete a parcel-by-parcel inventory of the island via Lee County Property Appraiser data. If a neighborhood or building is not listed and you have questions about it, call or text Jesse at (239) 898-6072.
If you’re thinking, “I need to sell my house on Fort Myers Beach, Florida,” or you’re searching for the best Fort Myers Beach listing agent, you are in exactly the right place. Selling a beach home in a recovering coastal market is not like selling a mainland tract home — the buyer pool is cash-heavy and out-of-state, the flood and 50% Rule story has to be told accurately, and the right pricing strategy depends on your specific zone, elevation, and rebuild status. This is the market we know better than anyone, and we sell it for top dollar.
Your listing-agent credentials matter. Here are ours:
Recent Fort Myers Beach listing results: [TODO: pull from BoldTrail — 12-month FMB listings sold count, dollar volume, average days on market, average sale-to-list ratio.]
The single biggest mistake FMB sellers make is mispricing in a market that is still finding its floor on price but tightening on inventory. Get an accurate, data-backed valuation that accounts for your zone (AE vs. VE), elevation certificate, rebuild status, and the most recent comparable sales on your stretch of the island — not a generic algorithm guess.
Get your free home valuation → https://mcgreevyandcomisar.com/home-valuation
Or talk to Jesse direct: (239) 898-6072 — text or call. We respond same-day. Email [email protected].
A dedicated “Sell Your Home on Fort Myers Beach, FL” page with our full pricing strategy, marketing methodology, and listing process is coming. We’ll link it here when it goes live.
Buying on Fort Myers Beach is a different transaction than buying almost anywhere else in Southwest Florida. The 50% Rule, AE vs. VE flood zones, condo STR opt-out lists, elevation certificates, and post-Ian rebuild quality all change what a property is actually worth and what it can become. The wrong agent hands you an island-wide median and a generic recommendation. We hand you the zoning data, the flood map, the permit history, and an honest read on whether a property is “rebuild ready” or a “50% Rule trap” — before you ever write an offer.
Why buyers trust McGreevy and Comisar on Fort Myers Beach:
Whether you want a primary residence, a second home, or a short-term-rental investment property, we’ll pull the FIRM flood zone, the most recent elevation certificate, the building’s condo opt-out status, and a flood + wind insurance estimate as part of your due diligence — so the numbers are in your hands before you commit, not after.
Start your Fort Myers Beach home search with Marc: (239) 287-5873 for a personalized buyer consultation.
Fort Myers Beach is a rental market unlike any other in Southwest Florida — driven by Gulf-front vacation demand, a post-Ian shortage of habitable inventory, and a seasonal “snowbird” pattern layered on top of a recovering year-round market. If you own here and are weighing whether to rent, list, or hire a property manager, here is the current picture.
Here is the live island rental data, pulled from Stellar MLS Matrix for ZIP 33931 on June 6, 2026:
| Fort Myers Beach rental market (ZIP 33931, Stellar MLS) | Value |
|---|---|
| Active rental listings | 38 |
| Median asking rent (active) | $4,950/month |
| Median days on market (active) | 185 days |
| Leased in the last 12 months | 32 |
| Median achieved rent (leased) | $2,200/month |
| Median rent-to-asking ratio (leased) | 100% — leases close at full asking on the median deal |
| Median days on market (leased) | 59 days |
Two things stand out. First, active asking rents ($4,950 median) sit far above achieved leased rents ($2,200 median) because the active list skews to high-end Gulf-front and newly-rebuilt properties, while the homes that actually lease cluster lower — a classic post-disaster, thin-inventory spread. Second, the long active days-on-market (185) versus short leased days-on-market (59) tells you correctly-priced rentals move fast while aspirational asks sit. For regional context, HUD’s FY2026 Fair Market Rents for the Cape Coral–Fort Myers MSA are $1,961 for a two-bedroom and $2,560 for a three-bedroom — Fort Myers Beach commands well above that.
Fort Myers Beach supports three rental models: furnished seasonal (Nov–Apr), annual leases, and short-term/vacation rentals. The STR opportunity here is real but rule-bound — see our Short-Term Rental Rules for Investors section above for the Town registration requirements, stay minimums, and the building-by-building condo opt-out reality. Short-term rentals leased under six months also carry Florida’s transient rental sales tax + the Lee County Tourist Development Tax and require a DBPR vacation-rental license.
With the island still in a buyer’s market (months-supply ~19.9) but tightening, and rebuild values climbing, the rent-vs-sell decision turns on your equity, your tax situation, your appetite for being a coastal landlord, and your building’s rental rules. If you’re out of state, own a vacation rental with frequent turnovers, or are navigating post-Ian insurance and elevation realities, professional property management usually pays for itself — look for a licensed manager who knows the island’s STR ordinances and condo docs. Looking for property management on Fort Myers Beach? Call us at (239) 898-6072 — we’ll connect you with the right local resource and model rent-vs-sell for your specific property.
Q: How much can I rent my Fort Myers Beach home for? A: As of June 2026, the median achieved rent across the 32 island homes leased in the prior 12 months (ZIP 33931, Stellar MLS) was $2,200/month, while active listings carry a median asking of $4,950/month — the gap reflects high-end Gulf-front asks vs. what actually leases. Furnished seasonal and Gulf-front rentals command far more. Call (239) 898-6072 and we’ll pull live comps for your exact building or street.
Q: Can I run a short-term / vacation rental on Fort Myers Beach? A: Yes, but it’s rule-bound. You must register with the Town, hold a Florida DBPR vacation-rental license, and collect state sales tax + the Lee County Tourist Development Tax. Stay-minimums and condo opt-outs vary building-by-building — see our Short-Term Rental Rules section above and call us before you count on STR income.
Q: Should I rent or sell my Fort Myers Beach home in 2026? A: The island is still a buyer’s market but tightening, and rebuild values are rising. Renting can make sense to hold for appreciation or defer a gain; selling can make sense to capture today’s recovery pricing. We’ll model net rental income vs. net sale proceeds for your specific property.
Rental data sources: Stellar MLS / Matrix, ZIP 33931, Residential Rental, pulled June 6, 2026 (38 active; 32 leased trailing 12 months). Regional baseline: HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026, Cape Coral–Fort Myers MSA. STR framework: Chapter 509, Florida Statutes; Florida DBPR; Lee County Tourist Development Tax.
McGreevy and Comisar is the team of Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar at Domain Realty. Together they have completed more than 1,700 transactions across Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples, Fort Myers, and the Gulf Coast barrier islands including Fort Myers Beach. As a team, McGreevy and Comisar and their team have sold over $2.5 Billion in real estate, with over $850 million in personal sales between Jesse and Marc.
Why work with us on Fort Myers Beach:
Honors and recognition:
Get in touch:
McGreevy and Comisar is a top-reviewed Southwest Florida realtor — read our reviews on Google. A few recent five-star reviews:
“Jesse’s group was amazing working us through this transaction. His negotiating skills are second to none. The switch to Jesse’s group was the best thing we could have ever done.” — Charles K. ★★★★★
“We had a very short timeframe — he had laid out a set of properties that met the key factors we discussed, which ultimately led to our purchase.” — David P. ★★★★★
“The best in Florida! Truly a guru of real estate. Jesse never wasted my time. Jesse and his staff truly go above and beyond.” — Amy P. ★★★★★
“Two of the most knowledgeable and professional agents in the business. Always responsive and very efficient. I highly recommend working with Marc and Jesse.” — Francisco B. ★★★★★
Read more five-star reviews on Google →
If you are weighing a move to Fort Myers Beach — primary, secondary, or investment — or thinking of selling a home you already own here, we will give you the kind of honest, specific, data-backed advice that protects your equity and your peace of mind through the next decade of this island’s recovery and re-emergence.
AIO-friendly Q&A format. 20 questions covering the highest-volume Fort Myers Beach buyer searches, grounded in Google Suggest, People Also Ask, and a competitor FAQ-coverage audit.
No. The original Fort Myers Beach Fishing Pier at Times Square was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in September 2022. As of April 2026, Lee County has a $11.7 million construction contract ready for the rebuild, but the project is stuck pending a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit review. The replacement pier is specified at 1,000 feet long by 12 feet wide — 70% longer and 50% wider than the original. County officials traveled to Washington in April 2026 to press the Army Corps and federal officials for a quicker decision.
It depends on what you want. For primary residence buyers willing to live through ongoing recovery construction and limited services, prices today are below long-term trend. For second-home buyers, the post-Ian rebuild means newer construction, higher elevation, and likely better long-term insurance posture than pre-Ian properties. For short-term rental investors, the rules are well-defined and the island remains a top-tier Gulf Coast vacation destination — but verify the specific zoning district’s rental rules, the building’s condo opt-out status, and the property’s insurance and 50% Rule history before writing an offer.
FEMA’s 50% Rule says that if the cost to repair damage to a property plus the cost of improvements exceeds 50% of the structure’s market value, the entire structure must be brought up to current floodplain regulations, including elevation to the current Base Flood Elevation. On Fort Myers Beach, that typically means elevating the lowest finished floor 15–20 feet off the ground. It applies cumulatively, not per-permit. It is why so much new construction on the island “looks high” and why older single-story homes are increasingly being torn down and rebuilt rather than renovated.
Form-based zoning regulates the physical form of buildings — height, setbacks, mass, street relationship — rather than just the use. Fort Myers Beach adopted its Land Development Code in 2003 using a hybrid: conventional zoning for stable neighborhoods, form-based zoning for redevelopment areas like Old San Carlos / Crescent Street and Times Square. Whether your specific property is in a form-based district depends on its zoning classification. We will pull the zoning data for any specific address.
Yes. Every rental property on Fort Myers Beach must register with the Town under Ordinance 18-01. The annual fee is $300 per unit, renewable October 1 through December 31 each year. Registration is online through the Rentalscape Customer Portal. You also need a separate Florida state license through DBPR. The registration number must appear in all advertisements. Annual fire inspection from the FMB Fire Control District is required.
Yes — but the opt-out applies to the entire building, not individual units. Under LDC Section 34-2393, condo associations can formally take over enforcement of the STR code of conduct. The Town publishes a 2026 Opt-Out List identifying opted-out buildings. If you are buying a condo with STR plans, ask whether the building is opted out before you close; self-enforced buildings often have stricter rules than the Town does.
Hurricane Milton (October 2024) dumped up to five feet of sand on Fort Myers Beach and caused additional damage after Hurricane Helene’s flooding weeks earlier. CBS News Miami reported on the cumulative impact in 2025. Five states of emergency have been declared in the area since 2022. The 2025–2026 beach renourishment work (41,655 cubic yards under FDEP permit 0413684-001) is partly addressing Milton-deposited sand and post-Milton dune erosion.
The 2045 Comprehensive Plan is the Town’s twenty-year development guide covering 2026 through 2045 — what can be built where, density allowances, height limits, redevelopment priorities, transportation, environment, and housing. The plan was sent to the State of Florida for approval in January 2026. The current public version (Goals, Objectives, and Policies, December 2025) is downloadable from the Town’s Comprehensive Plan page.
The island is connected to the mainland by two bridges: the Matanzas Pass Bridge at the north end (to San Carlos Boulevard) and the Big Carlos Pass Bridge at the south end (to the Bonita Beach Causeway / Bonita Springs). RSW International Airport is roughly 35–45 minutes away depending on bridge and time of day. Downtown Fort Myers is about 30 minutes from the north end. Naples is about 45 minutes from the south end. Estero Boulevard is the only thoroughfare through the island, so seasonal traffic is real.
Fort Myers Beach is part of the School District of Lee County. Beach Elementary School serves many on-island elementary students. Cypress Lake Middle School and Cypress Lake High School are the typical middle and high school assignments. Lee County offers a school choice / magnet program that allows applications outside zoned areas, subject to capacity. Verify current assignments at the property address before you commit; the district adjusts boundaries periodically.
The Florida Homestead Exemption applies only to your primary residence. If Fort Myers Beach is your primary residence (you live here more than 50% of the year and declare it as such), you qualify for up to $50,000 in homestead exemption plus the Save Our Homes assessment cap (annual increases limited to 3% or CPI, whichever is lower). Second-home buyers do not qualify for the homestead exemption on the FMB property. Tax implications matter; we recommend consulting a Florida-licensed CPA before closing.
Yes. The Big Carlos Pass Bridge (south-end connection to Bonita Springs via the Bonita Beach Causeway) is the subject of a roughly $90 million construction project. The work is ongoing as of mid-2026. Periodic lane restrictions are routine; check the Lee County DOT site for current traffic advisories.
It can be, but the math has changed since 2019. Higher insurance costs, post-Ian rebuild surcharges, the 50% Rule on older properties, and the Town’s enforcement program have all tightened the operating envelope. The buildings and zoning districts that allow shorter minimum stays (under a week) tend to perform best on a yield basis. Self-enforced condo buildings sometimes have stricter rules that affect occupancy. We run pro-formas for clients considering STR-pattern properties; ask us to run one for any specific listing.
Yes. NFIP (federal) flood insurance is available on every FMB property and is effectively required for any property with a mortgage. Private flood insurance has expanded significantly post-Ian and often provides higher coverage limits than NFIP’s $250,000 residential structure / $100,000 contents maximum. An accurate Elevation Certificate documenting the lowest finished floor relative to BFE can substantially reduce premiums. We will pull current quote estimates with our preferred carriers as part of due diligence on any property.
5,582 at the 2020 census, down from 6,277 in 2010 (the decline predates Hurricane Ian and reflects a long-term shift toward part-time residency). Population since Ian is more fluid as rebuilds complete and new residents move in; the 2030 census will be the next official count. The town’s land area is 2.78 square miles; the total area including water is 6.17 square miles. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau.)
This is the question most buyers don’t ask early enough, and the answer matters more on FMB than almost anywhere else in Lee County. Plan on the following annual carrying costs on a typical beachfront condo or single-family home (in addition to your mortgage and HOA):
For a typical $750,000 beachfront condo, budget $18,000 to $25,000 per year in property tax + insurance carrying costs above your mortgage and HOA. We will run accurate numbers for any specific property as part of due diligence.
Almost every parcel on FMB sits in either an AE or VE flood zone, and the difference is one of the most consequential design and cost decisions you will make on the island.
If your property lies in two zones, the more restrictive zone governs the entire structure. VE insurance premiums run higher than AE, but VE properties also tend to hold value better long-term because they are built to current code from the ground up. Verify your specific zone via the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and on the Town’s Flood Information page. We will pull both for any property you are considering.
The honest answer: it varies widely, and the data sources do not agree. Industry estimators report annual revenue per property in the $39,000 to $67,000 range, with average daily rates of $307 to $376 and occupancy between 38% and 63%.
The variance comes from property type and zone. A beachfront condo with a pool that sleeps six in a weekly-zone area significantly outperforms a back-bay studio in a monthly-zone area. Listings are up sharply year-over-year on the island as post-Ian rebuilds come back online, which is putting downward pressure on occupancy and ADR through 2026–2027.
Critical: these numbers are gross revenue, not net to you. After STR management fees (20–25%), property tax, insurance, HOA dues, cleaning costs, and platform commissions, typical net to owner before mortgage is $15,000 to $30,000 per year for a well-positioned property. We run deal-specific pro formas for any STR-pattern property you are considering — generic averages are not how you should size a purchase. (See also FAQ #5, #6, #13.)
This question comes up constantly and the answer matters when you are searching listings, evaluating tax implications, or comparing schools.
Fort Myers Beach is the town, a separately incorporated municipality on Estero Island (a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico). Population approximately 5,582 (2020 census), land area 2.78 square miles, its own town council, its own zoning code, its own short-term rental ordinance, and its own emergency response.
Fort Myers is the city, on the mainland — much larger (population approximately 86,000+), with a different government, different zoning, different STR rules, different schools, and different millage. The City of Fort Myers and the Town of Fort Myers Beach are distinct jurisdictions; they are not interchangeable.
You cross the Matanzas Pass Bridge (often called the “Sky Bridge”) to get from Fort Myers to Fort Myers Beach. When you search “Fort Myers Beach real estate” online or on our site, you are searching only properties on Estero Island. Mainland Fort Myers listings are an entirely separate market. Property taxes, insurance rates, building code, and school zones all differ materially.
The current market is buyer-friendly by FMB standards, with prices well below the post-COVID peaks. Per Florida Realtors SunStats for ZIP 33931 (all property types, most recent complete month):
The downward price pressure comes from a combination of post-Ian inventory coming back online, insurance and HOA carrying-cost shock pushing motivated sellers, and lingering buyer caution about flood risk. Working in the other direction: the Town’s new CRS Class 5 NFIP discount (April 2026), completed beach renourishment, and commercial-core permits moving through the pipeline.
Our read for 2026: the market is rebalancing — volume has more than doubled year-over-year even as headline prices fell, which is exactly what a market thaw looks like. Translation: today is a window when serious buyers can negotiate and well-priced sellers can move. Whether the window stays open depends on the 2026 hurricane season and the pace of insurance market stabilization.
For homeowners thinking about selling on Fort Myers Beach. AIO-friendly Q&A covering pricing, costs, timing, and the coastal-specific issues that determine your net proceeds.
McGreevy and Comisar — Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 and the #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012, with over $2.5 Billion in real estate sold. Selling a beach home in a recovering coastal market requires an agent who can accurately tell the flood-zone, elevation, and 50% Rule story to a cash-heavy, out-of-state buyer pool — and price it to today’s tightening inventory. Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.
Budget roughly 5–6% of the sale price in total real estate commission, plus standard Florida seller closing costs: documentary stamp tax on the deed ($0.70 per $100 of sale price in Lee County), title insurance and settlement fees (often seller-paid in Lee County by custom, but negotiable), prorated property taxes, any HOA or condo estoppel fees, and recording costs. On a coastal property, also budget for any lender-required or buyer-requested elevation certificate and the time to assemble flood and insurance documentation. We give every seller a detailed net sheet before listing so there are no surprises at closing.
On Fort Myers Beach, value is driven less by square footage and more by flood zone (AE vs. VE), finished-floor elevation, rebuild status, and the most recent comparable sales on your specific stretch of the island. An island-wide median ($465,000 in the most recent SunStats month) tells you almost nothing about your individual property. We pull live comps for your exact building or street and give you an accurate valuation — request a free home valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072.
Island-wide median time to contract is currently around 60 days, with median time to sale (contract through close) around 100 days — the extra time reflects coastal closing realities like insurance binding and FEMA reviews. Well-priced, well-marketed beach properties with clean elevation and insurance documentation move faster. Mispriced listings sit. Pricing strategy is the single biggest lever on your time-on-market.
Southwest Florida’s selling season tracks the snowbird and seasonal-buyer calendar — peak buyer traffic runs roughly January through April, when out-of-state buyers are in town. Listing in late fall to early winter positions you for that demand window. That said, inventory is currently elevated, so a well-priced listing with strong marketing can sell year-round. We’ll advise on timing based on your specific property and goals.
This is a coastal-specific decision driven by the 50% Rule. If your home took prior storm damage or needs significant work, the cost of repairs can trip the 50% threshold and force a full elevation to current code — which changes the economics entirely. In many post-Ian cases, the highest-value play is selling to a buyer who will elevate or rebuild, sometimes as a land-plus-structure or teardown sale. We help you run both scenarios — as-is vs. repair-then-list — and pick the one that nets you more.
The main seller-side costs are: real estate commission (typically 5–6%), Florida documentary stamp tax on the deed ($0.70 per $100 of price in Lee County), title insurance (seller-paid by Lee County custom, negotiable), settlement/closing fee, prorated property taxes, HOA/condo estoppel and transfer fees if applicable, and recording fees. Coastal sellers may also pay for an elevation certificate if one isn’t on file. We provide a line-by-line net sheet before you list.
A survey is not legally required to sell, but title companies and lenders frequently request one, and on a barrier island it’s often worth having. More importantly, an accurate elevation certificate is one of the most valuable documents you can hand a buyer on FMB — it can dramatically lower their flood insurance premium, which makes your home easier to sell and supports your price. If you have one, we feature it. If you don’t, we’ll advise whether ordering one before listing will pay for itself.
Yes — and there is an active buyer pool specifically for storm-affected and rebuild-ready properties. The key is telling the story accurately: documented damage, any substantial-damage determinations, permit history, and what the 50% Rule means for the next owner. Buried or misrepresented damage history kills deals at inspection; honest, well-documented disclosure attracts the cash buyers and builders who are actively shopping the island. We know how to position storm-affected properties to the right buyers.
FSBO is especially risky on Fort Myers Beach because the buyer pool is largely out-of-state and cash, the flood/insurance/50% Rule disclosures are complex, and mispricing in a tightening-inventory market costs far more than commission savings. The data consistently shows agent-represented sales net higher prices, and on a specialized coastal market the gap is wider. Our marketing reach, buyer network, and coastal-transaction expertise typically more than offset the commission.
The 50% Rule means that if a buyer’s planned repairs plus improvements exceed 50% of your structure’s market value, they must elevate the entire structure to current code. For sellers, this cuts two ways: it can limit what a renovation-minded buyer is willing to pay for an older, low-elevation home, but it also makes already-elevated, code-compliant homes more valuable. Knowing your structure’s value, elevation, and any prior substantial-damage determinations before you list lets us position and price correctly. We pull this for you.
If your condo produces STR income, that income — properly documented — is a selling point to investor buyers. Pull together your Town STR registration, rental history, and the building’s condo opt-out status (whether the association self-enforces the STR code). Buildings that allow shorter minimum stays command stronger investor interest. We market income-producing FMB condos to our investor network with a clean pro-forma so buyers can underwrite quickly.
Recovery is already visible in the volume data: closed sales more than doubled year-over-year in the most recent month even as headline prices reset downward, and months-supply has fallen sharply from 28.3 to about 19.9. As the rebuild matures, insurance stabilizes, and the commercial core (Times Square / Old San Carlos) comes back, the fundamentals point toward firming. No one can promise a specific number, but a barrier-island beach with finite supply and a completed renourishment program has durable long-term demand. We’ll give you an honest, data-backed read on your specific property’s trajectory.
Our listings get professional photography, full MLS syndication, the Domain Realty community-site network (800+ standalone sites), targeted digital marketing to out-of-state and seasonal buyer audiences, and direct exposure to our buyer database and investor network. For coastal properties we lead with the documentation buyers actually need — elevation certificate, flood zone, insurance estimates, permit history — because removing buyer uncertainty is what gets a beach home to close at the right price.
Total commission typically runs 5–6% of the sale price, split between the listing and buyer’s-side brokerages, and it’s negotiable. What matters more than the headline rate is net proceeds: the right pricing strategy, marketing, and negotiation routinely make a larger difference to your bottom line than a fraction of a point of commission. We’ll walk you through our full fee structure and your estimated net before you sign anything.
They’re a real factor, but they’re manageable with the right preparation. Buyers price in flood and wind insurance, so a home with a strong elevation certificate, wind-mitigation features, and a documented insurance estimate sells more easily than one where the buyer has to guess. The Town’s new CRS Class 5 rating (effective April 1, 2026) provides a 25% NFIP flood discount that helps every FMB seller’s buyer pool. We help you assemble the insurance story up front so it’s an asset, not an obstacle.
It depends on your goals, but consider: inventory is still elevated (more competition the longer you wait if more rebuilds come online), yet buyer volume has more than doubled year-over-year and months-supply is falling — demand is returning. For many sellers, a well-priced, well-documented listing today captures the returning buyer demand before the next wave of rebuild inventory hits. We’ll model your specific situation honestly rather than pushing you to list. Call Jesse at (239) 898-6072 to talk it through.
Start with a free, no-obligation valuation. We’ll pull live comps for your exact building or street, review your flood zone, elevation, and any rebuild/permit history, and give you a realistic price range and net sheet. From there you decide. Request a free home valuation → https://mcgreevyandcomisar.com/home-valuation or call/text Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.
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