The Essex of Marco Island is 59 condos in two five-story 1990 buildings at 801 and 861 South Collier Boulevard, across from the beach. Units sold at a $680,000 median in the 60 months to October 2026. Sell or buy with McGreevy and Comisar.
Home > Marco Island > The Essex
By Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, McGreevy and Comisar, Domain Realty Group. Updated October 2026.
The Essex of Marco Island is a 59-unit, two-building condominium at 801 and 861 South Collier Boulevard on the south end of Marco Island, Florida, across the road from the Gulf beach. It is the smallest and lowest of the condominiums on this stretch of South Collier: two five-story buildings from 1990, with two-bedroom and three-bedroom flats, a pool and tennis court between them and a covered carport for every unit. If you are deciding who should sell or buy here, our comparison of the best real estate agents in Marco Island shows how local agents stack up on the public record.
The Essex of Marco Island is a 1990 condominium of two five-story, 50-foot buildings on the east side of South Collier Boulevard, a short walk from the South Marco Beach access. The North building at 801 holds 29 units and the South building at 861 holds 30, for 59 in all on the state register and on the City of Marco Island parcel roll.
Everything on this page comes from public records and our own market data: the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) condominium register, the Florida Division of Corporations, the City of Marco Island’s GIS parcel and building layers and its permit and milestone records, the Collier County roll, the Southwest Florida MLS pulled on 2026-10-07, federal flood and storm records and Florida statute text. The Essex does not publish its own website or rules online, so where a building rule is not in a public record we say so and tell you how to get it.
The Essex sits on the inland, east side of South Collier Boulevard near the south end of the island’s beachfront road. The City’s building footprints place the North building at about latitude 25.91619, longitude -81.72613 and the South building at about 25.91491, -81.72624, while the beach towers across the road, such as the Marbelle Club, sit about 0.002 degrees of longitude farther west (City of Marco Island GIS). Its neighbours on the same side of the road are the Beach Club of Marco Island to the south, a four-story 1982 building on the City’s layer, and The Grandview’s pool to the north. Across the road stand the Marbelle Club at 840, the Sandpiper Tower at 850, Les Falls at 870 and the Sea Winds and Apollo towers farther south.
| Item | The Essex of Marco Island | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Addresses | 801 S Collier Blvd (North), 861 S Collier Blvd (South), Marco Island, FL 34145 | City of Marco Island GIS; DBPR |
| State register name | ESSEX OF MARCO ISLAND CONDO, THE, project PR1S021123 | DBPR condominium extract |
| Units | 59: 29 North, 30 South | DBPR; City GIS parcel layer |
| Declaration recorded | 1990-12-27 (DBPR date) | DBPR condominium extract |
| Year built | 1990 (both buildings, City building layer); roll years 1990 North, 1991 South | City of Marco Island GIS |
| Height | Two buildings of 5 floors, 50 feet | City of Marco Island GIS |
| Unit sizes on the City roll | 974, 997, 1,186 and 2,160 square feet | City of Marco Island GIS |
| Association | The Essex of Marco Island Condominium, Inc., document N29415, filed 1988-11-23, active | Florida Division of Corporations |
| Registered agent | Resort Management, 815 Bald Eagle Dr #201, Marco Island | Florida Division of Corporations |
| Zoning | RT, Residential Tourist | City of Marco Island GIS zoning layer |
| FEMA flood zone | AE, base flood elevation 9 ft NAVD88, panel 12021C0836J, effective 2024-02-08 | FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer |
| Milestone inspection | Phase 1 reports accepted 2024-11-07 (801) and 2024-11-14 (861) | City of Marco Island permit and milestone records |
The Essex is one condominium with one association, not two. The state register lists one project, PR1S021123, covering “801-861 S COLLIER BLVD.” with 59 units, and the City’s parcel layer files all 59 unit parcels under the legal name “ESSEX OF MARCO ISLAND, THE CONDOMINIUM” on a single master parcel (DBPR condominium extract; City of Marco Island GIS). Unit numbers carry the building letter: N101 to N505 in the North building at 801, and S101 to S506 in the South building at 861. The City’s own milestone and permit records name them the North building at 801 South Collier and the South building at 861 South Collier.
This page covers The Essex of Marco Island on South Collier Boulevard. It is not Essex House of Naples, a separate 18-unit 1967 condominium at 530 to 550 Fourth Avenue South in Naples that appears on the same state register (DBPR condominium extract), and it is not Sussex on the Bay, a different Marco Island condominium.
If you’re searching for the best realtor for The Essex in Marco Island, Florida, whether you’re ready to sell your Essex home or buy your next one, McGreevy and Comisar is the team that delivers. Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar lead the #5 real estate team in Florida (RealTrends 2026). We lead Domain Realty Group, the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida since 2012, Top 1% Nationally since 2008, with over $2.5 billion sold as a team and $900 million in personal sales between Jesse and Marc.
Recent Essex track record (60 months to 2026-10-07, Southwest Florida MLS): 15 Essex resales total in the market · highest-priced Essex sold: $905,000 · median sale-to-final-list ratio: 96.0 percent. In the last 12 months we tracked all three Essex closings, and we tracked every one of the 15 Essex closings in the 60-month window unit by unit; the full list is on this page.
Honors and recognition:
Selling your Essex home? Get a free home valuation at mcgreevyandcomisar.com/home-valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.
Buying a home in The Essex? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 for a personalized buyer consultation, or start a buyer consultation with our team.
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The Essex suits a buyer who wants a Marco Island condo a short walk from the beach at a price well below the beachfront towers across the road, in a quiet five-story building with a covered parking space. It does not suit a buyer who wants a Gulf view from the living room on every floor, more than about 1,200 square feet in most units, or a high-rise with staff on site.
The record describes the buyer by what the buildings offer. Every Essex closing in the last 60 months was filed as “Mid Rise (4-7)” on the Southwest Florida MLS, every one was a two-bedroom or three-bedroom flat of 974 to 1,186 square feet, and only 5 of the 59 units carry a homestead exemption on the City’s 2026 parcel layer, all of them in the North building (City of Marco Island GIS). That makes The Essex overwhelmingly a second-home building: most owners are here for the season and the beach, and most closings change one part-time owner for another.
What The Essex gives you is a short walk to South Marco Beach, a pool and tennis court, a carport and storage room, and a 60-month median sale of $680,000 (Southwest Florida MLS, to 2026-10-07). What you give up is the beachfront itself and the high floor: the buildings stand across South Collier Boulevard from the sand and top out at five floors, so most units look over the road and the beach towers rather than straight onto the Gulf. The Census Bureau’s 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey puts the median value of an owner-occupied home in the City of Marco Island at $896,300 (U.S. Census QuickFacts, Marco Island city), so a typical Essex unit costs about three quarters of what the typical island home does.
We have been Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, and we read a building like this one record at a time. We tracked every Essex closing on the Southwest Florida MLS for the five years to 2026-10-07, 15 closings in all, and read them against the qualified recorded sales in the Collier County roll data and the City’s permit and milestone file. Three things stood out. First, the floor plan sets the price band: the 974 square foot two-bedrooms trade in a narrow range, and the corner three-bedrooms sell for more. Second, prices rose sharply into 2022 and have eased since, and two units that sold twice in the window show it. Third, the association’s capital record is unusually clean for a 1990 building: new roofs, impact glass and a milestone report that found nothing to repair.
In the 60 months to 2026-10-07, 15 Essex units closed on the Southwest Florida MLS at a median of $680,000, from $575,000 to $905,000, with $10,139,200 in total volume and a median of about $647 per square foot. The median sale closed at 96.0 percent of its final list price after 23 days on the market. The shorter windows hold fewer than ten sales.
Data updated: October 2026.
The 60-month window is the first of the 12, 24, 36 and 60-month windows that holds ten or more Essex closings, so it leads; the shorter windows follow for trend. None of the 15 was a sale entered after closing, so every one counts in the days-on-market and sale-to-list figures.
| Measure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Closed sales | 15 | 60 months to 2026-10-07 |
| Median sale price | $680,000 | 15 sales |
| Lowest and highest sale | $575,000 to $905,000 | 15 sales |
| Total sold volume | $10,139,200 | 15 sales |
| Median price per square foot | about $647 | 15 sales, MLS living area |
| Median days on market | 23 | 15 sales |
| Median sale to final list price | 96.0 percent | 15 sales |
| Closed | Unit | Plan (MLS) | Sq ft (MLS) | Sale price | $ per sq ft | Days on market | Sale to final list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-06 | 861 S206 | 3 bed, 2 bath | 1,186 | $778,000 | $656 | 267 | 93.2% |
| 2026-03-03 | 861 S105 | 2 bed, 2 bath | 974 | $575,000 | $590 | 19 | 96.0% |
| 2026-02-27 | 801 N305 | 2 bed, 2 bath | 974 | $575,000 | $590 | 361 | 96.6% |
| 2025-07-11 | 801 N502 | 2 bed, 2 bath | 974 | $615,000 | $631 | 13 | 96.9% |
| 2024-10-22 | 861 S305 | 2 bed, 2 bath | 974 | $700,000 | $719 | 391 | 97.4% |
| 2024-05-14 | 801 N102 | 2 bed, 2 bath | 974 | $610,000 | $626 | 81 | 94.3% |
| 2024-05-13 | 861 S101 | 2 bed, 2 bath | 997 | $680,000 | $682 | 40 | 94.1% |
| 2023-03-02 | 861 S206 | 3 bed, 2 bath | 1,186 | $905,000 | $763 | 56 | 95.4% |
| 2022-11-17 | 861 S205 | 2 bed, 2 bath | 974 | $700,000 | $719 | 5 | 97.9% |
| 2022-07-14 | 801 N301 | 3 bed, 2 bath | 1,186 | $700,000 | $590 | 23 | 95.9% |
| 2022-06-15 | 801 N306 | 3 bed, 2 bath | 1,186 | $700,000 | $590 | 8 | 96.0% |
| 2022-06-06 | 801 N103 | 2 bed, 2 bath | 974 | $679,000 | $697 | 1 | 100.0% |
| 2022-04-29 | 861 S202 | 2 bed, 2 bath | 974 | $629,700 | $647 | 2 | 100.0% |
| 2022-04-28 | 861 S305 | 2 bed, 2 bath | 974 | $702,500 | $721 | 2 | 100.4% |
| 2022-03-25 | 861 S303 | 2 bed, 2 bath | 974 | $590,000 | $606 | 38 | 94.4% |
Source: Southwest Florida MLS, closed sales at 801 and 861 South Collier Boulevard, matched to the building by street address and pulled 2026-10-07. Price per square foot divides the sale price by the living area the listing agent entered.
| Window to 2026-10-07 | Closings | Median sale | Range | Median $ per sq ft | Median days on market | Median sale to final list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months | 3 | $575,000 | $575,000 to $778,000 | $590 | 267 | 96.0% |
| 24 months | 5 | $615,000 | $575,000 to $778,000 | $631 | 267 | 96.6% |
| 36 months | 7 | $615,000 | $575,000 to $778,000 | $631 | 81 | 96.0% |
| 60 months | 15 | $680,000 | $575,000 to $905,000 | $647 | 23 | 96.0% |
Every window shorter than 60 months holds fewer than ten sales, so read its median as the median of those few sales, not as a market price. The 12-month figure is the median of three sales, two of them at the same $575,000.
The Collier County roll data, dated 2026-08-29 with recorded sales through 2026-08-24, holds 13 qualified Essex sales in the 60 months to that date, at a median of $680,000, from $575,000 to $905,000. A qualified sale is a deed the county treats as an arm’s-length market transfer. Every one of the 13 matches an MLS closing by date and price. The MLS has two closings the county file does not list as qualified: the June 2022 sale of N103 at $679,000 and the August 2026 sale of S206 at $778,000, which is close to the end of the county extract. The county roll data counts 187 qualified Essex sales on record; we use it only to confirm the MLS, never as an all-history price.
The Essex, a two-building condominium on South Collier Boulevard in Marco Island, trades only a few units a year, so one comparable sale can move the number. If you own here, call Jesse at (239) 898-6072 or start with a free home valuation. If you are buying, call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or book a buyer consultation.
Two Essex units sold twice in the 60-month window, which shows the market’s direction better than any median. South building unit S305, a 974 square foot two-bedroom, sold for $702,500 in April 2022 and for $700,000 in October 2024, essentially flat. Unit S206, a 1,186 square foot three-bedroom, sold for $905,000 in March 2023 and for $778,000 in August 2026, $127,000 or 14.0 percent lower, after 267 days on the market. Two more units that sold in 2022 were back on the market on 2026-10-07: N103, sold for $679,000 in June 2022 and listed at $620,000, and S202, sold for $629,700 in April 2022 and listed at $699,000.
Sale-to-list here compares the closing price with the final asking price, after any reductions. A 96.0 percent median means the typical Essex seller accepted about 4 percent below the last asking price. Three of the 15 sales closed at or above the final asking price, all of them in the spring of 2022; since 2023 every Essex sale has closed between 93.2 and 97.4 percent of its final list price.
Essex prices roughly doubled from the late 2010s to 2022 and have drifted lower since. Qualified county sales ran at a median of $323,000 to $387,500 a year from 2015 to 2020, rose to $470,000 in 2021 and $700,000 in 2022, and the three MLS closings in 2026 were at $575,000 and $778,000.
Data updated: October 2026.
| Year | Qualified county sales | County median | MLS closings (from 2021-10-07) | MLS median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3 | $323,000 | ||
| 2016 | 3 | $349,000 | ||
| 2017 | 5 | $360,000 | ||
| 2018 | 3 | $377,500 | ||
| 2019 | 3 | $350,000 | ||
| 2020 | 7 | $387,500 | ||
| 2021 | 4 | $470,000 | ||
| 2022 | 6 | $700,000 | 7 | $700,000 |
| 2023 | 1 | $905,000 | 1 | $905,000 |
| 2024 | 3 | $680,000 | 3 | $680,000 |
| 2025 | 1 | $615,000 | 1 | $615,000 |
| 2026 | 2 (to 2026-08-24) | $575,000 | 3 (to 2026-10-07) | $575,000 |
Sources: Collier County roll data dated 2026-08-29, qualified recorded sales; Southwest Florida MLS pulled 2026-10-07. A year with one to three sales is a list of those sales, not a market price, and the 2023 figure is a single three-bedroom sale.
The yearly record tells the same story as the repeat sales. The Essex’s two-bedrooms changed hands in the mid $300,000s before 2021, cleared $700,000 in 2022, and have settled between $575,000 and $700,000 since. Sellers who bought before 2021 still hold large gains; buyers since 2022 are pricing a building whose fee has risen from about $8,232 a year on the 2022 listings to $11,040 on the 2026 listings (listing-entered figures, below).
On 2026-10-07 three Essex units were listed for sale on the Southwest Florida MLS, all two-bedroom, two-bath flats, asking $599,000, $620,000 and $699,000, a median ask of $620,000. None was pending. At the 60-month pace of 15 sales, that is about 12 months of supply.
Data updated: October 2026.
| Unit | Status | Plan (MLS) | Sq ft (MLS) | List price | $ per sq ft | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 861 S404 | Active | 2 bed, 2 bath | 1,002 | $599,000 | $598 | 6 |
| 801 N103 | Active | 2 bed, 2 bath | 974 | $620,000 | $637 | 22 |
| 861 S202 | Active | 2 bed, 2 bath | 974 | $699,000 | $718 | 7 |
Source: Southwest Florida MLS, active, pending and pending with contingency listings at 801 and 861 South Collier Boulevard on 2026-10-07. S404 is entered at 1,002 square feet; the City roll carries the South building’s 04 units at 974.
Fifteen sales in 60 months is a pace of 0.25 sales a month; three listings divided by 0.25 is 12 months of supply. The last 12 months give the same answer, three sales against three listings. Twelve months is a buyer-leaning number, which fits the two 2026 closings that spent 267 and 361 days on the market.
The three listings ask a median of $620,000 for two-bedrooms; the ten 974 square foot two-bedroom sales in the 60-month window closed at a median of $622,350, and the two in 2026 closed at $575,000 each. The S202 ask of $699,000 is above every two-bedroom sale since November 2022. A seller pricing a two-bedroom today is pricing against the 2026 closings, not the 2022 peak.
Selling at The Essex? Start with a free home valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072. Buying at The Essex? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or book a buyer consultation.
The Essex has four plan sizes on the City roll: 39 two-bedroom units of 974 square feet, 14 three-bedroom corner units of 1,186 square feet, five 997 square foot units at the south end of the South building and one 2,160 square foot unit on the North building’s top floor. Each floor carries six units, numbered 01 to 06, except the North fifth floor, which has five.
| Size (adjusted area) | Units | Where | Plan (MLS closings) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 974 sq ft | 39 | Interior stacks of both buildings | 2 bed, 2 bath |
| 1,186 sq ft | 14 | Corner units: the 01 and 06 stacks of the North building, the 06 stack of the South | 3 bed, 2 bath |
| 997 sq ft | 5 | South building, S101 to S501 | 2 bed, 2 bath |
| 2,160 sq ft | 1 | North building, N505 | Not sold in the window |
Source: City of Marco Island GIS parcel layer, adjusted living area by unit, read 2026-10-22; plan from Southwest Florida MLS closings. The North fifth floor has units N501 to N505 only, so N505 appears to be a combined or penthouse unit; its layout is not on the public record.
| Plan | Sales | Median | Range | Median $ per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 974 sq ft, 2 bed, 2 bath | 10 | $622,350 | $575,000 to $702,500 | $639 |
| 997 sq ft, 2 bed, 2 bath | 1 | $680,000 | one sale | $682 |
| 1,186 sq ft, 3 bed, 2 bath | 4 | $739,000 | $700,000 to $905,000 | $623 |
Source: Southwest Florida MLS, 60 months to 2026-10-07. The four three-bedroom sales are few; their median is the median of those four.
On price, yes; on price per square foot, no. The four corner three-bedroom sales had a median of $739,000, $116,650 above the 974 square foot two-bedroom median of $622,350, for 212 more square feet. Per square foot the corners sold for less, a median of about $623 against $639, which is the usual pattern when a larger plan in the same building adds a bedroom rather than a view.
The record is too thin to say. The 974 square foot two-bedroom sales ran from $575,000 to $702,500, but the top of that range came from second and third-floor units in 2022 and the bottom from third-floor and first-floor units in 2026, so the sale date explains more of the spread than the floor does. On a five-story building across the road from the beach, a higher floor adds view over the beach towers; ask for the exact view from the unit before you price it.
The Essex of Marco Island was organized in 1988 and declared a condominium in 1990. The association, The Essex of Marco Island Condominium, Inc., was filed with the state on 1988-11-23, and the state condominium register records the declaration on 1990-12-27. A Florida corporation named Essex Corporation of Marco, filed two days before the association, is the likely developer.
DBPR’s condominium register lists “ESSEX OF MARCO ISLAND CONDO, THE” as project PR1S021123, file 63906, in Collier County, at “801-861 S COLLIER BLVD., MARCO ISLAND,” with 59 units, a recorded date of 1990-12-27 and status Approved and Recorded (DBPR condominium extract). The managing entity on the register is “ESSEX OF MARCO ISLAND CONDO INC” at 2685 Horseshoe Drive South in Naples. The Recorded Date is the date the state holds for the declaration; the Official Records book and page are on the declaration itself, in the Collier County Clerk’s records (Collier County Clerk, records search).
The Florida Division of Corporations lists The Essex of Marco Island Condominium, Inc. as a Florida not-for-profit corporation, document N29415, filed 1988-11-23, status active, with annual reports on file every year from 1995 through 2026 (Florida Division of Corporations, entity search). Its principal address is 801 South Collier Boulevard and its registered agent is Resort Management at 815 Bald Eagle Drive, Suite 201, on Marco Island, appointed in April 2025. A separate profit corporation, Essex Corporation of Marco, document K46587, was filed on 1988-11-21 and voluntarily dissolved on 1995-12-28. The name and the two-day gap point to it as the developer entity; the declaration’s signature page would confirm it.
The Essex has no on-site office on the public record. The state register’s managing-entity address and the elevator registry’s owner address, 2685 Horseshoe Drive South, Suite 215, Naples, are the Naples office of Resort Management, the firm the Sunbiz record names as registered agent, and Resort Management’s Marco Island office at 815 Bald Eagle Drive is the association’s mailing address (DBPR elevator registry extract; Florida Division of Corporations). A buyer requests the resale documents and the estoppel certificate through the manager.
All 59 Essex unit parcels and the site sit in the City of Marco Island’s RT, Residential Tourist, zoning district, with no planned unit development overlay (City of Marco Island GIS zoning layer; Marco Island Land Development Code, RT district). RT is the island’s tourist-accommodation district along South Collier, so zoning allows the use; whether a given owner may rent, and for how long, is decided by the condominium’s own declaration and rules.
The Essex is two concrete five-story buildings with stucco facades, flat concrete roof decks under a modified bitumen roof, pitched wood-truss mansards, one hydraulic elevator each and two concrete stairs, according to the 2024 milestone inspection form and the state elevator registry. Each floor opens onto exterior walkways, and the ocean-facing side carries concrete balconies.
The Phase 1 milestone inspection form filed with the City for 801 South Collier describes an R-2 residential building of concrete, construction type V-A, about 59,000 square feet in total and about 11,800 square feet in footprint, five stories, less than one mile from the coast. It rates alignment, settlement and deflection “Good,” records no distress, cracks, surface deterioration or rebar corrosion, and rates the ocean-facing concrete balconies, the two concrete stairs with aluminum handrails, the ADA ramp, the aluminum guardrails, the flat concrete roof deck with its modified bitumen covering, the wood-truss mansards and the painted stucco facade in good condition (City of Marco Island Civic Access permit and milestone records).
The milestone form records the windows as a mix of original aluminum units and newer impact-rated units, and states that windows and exterior doors are the association’s responsibility to maintain and replace. The City record shows both buildings’ windows and doors replaced “size for size” with impact-rated units in 2013 under permits WD-13-2498 (North) and WD-13-2497 (South), $219,000 each in declared value, finaled 2013-09-25.
Each building has one hydraulic passenger elevator, 2,500 pounds, serving five landings, installed in 1990 by Taylor Elevator Corp of Naples. The state elevator registry shows certificates of operation valid to 2027-08-01, a last passed inspection on 2026-05-06, and maintenance contracts with Taylor Elevator Corp for the North building and Otis Elevator Company for the South (DBPR elevator registry extract). The state’s 2024 to 2026 elevator permit lists show no modernization permit for either car, so the original 1990 hydraulic units appear to be in service; ask the association when it expects to modernize them, because elevator work is one of the larger items a reserve study covers.
The City record shows a fire backflow replacement, FIR1-24-03906, $21,977, finaled 2025-10-28, and a permit to replace the fire pumps and controllers, FIR1-25-05778, $46,000, issued 2025-10-17 and still active on the City record in October 2026. Two 2020 permits to remove ten fire hoses per building expired.
The Essex has a pool and a tennis court in a shared pool house area between the two buildings, a covered carport with a storage room for every unit, assigned parking lots and one elevator per building. It has no on-site office, no fitness room or clubhouse on the public record and no beach boardwalk of its own: the beach is across South Collier Boulevard.
The City’s building layer shows a “Pool / Tennis” structure between the North and South buildings, and the pool house itself is on the City permit record, re-roofed in 2016 and again in 2021 (ROOF-21-02493, $75,000, aluminum roof over the old metal one) (City of Marco Island GIS; City of Marco Island Civic Access). Pool hours, heating and guest rules are in the association’s rules, which are not published online.
Permit 074146 installed 59 carports with storage sheds on new concrete in 2007 and 2008, $574,000 in declared value, one for each unit. After Hurricane Irma, permit CARP-18-06831 repaired damaged carport and storage-room walls, soffits, panels and lighting, $186,000, finaled 2019-01-24 (the permit does not name the storm; the July 2018 timing follows Irma). A legacy variance on the City file, V-07-03, “7’ Sideyard Var.,” dates from the carport project.
The parking lots, driveways and accessible routes were rebuilt in 2020 under SITE-20-04840, $100,000, finaled 2020-11-20, with a culvert replacement and brick-paver driveway aprons at the south entrance under PW-20-02779, finaled 2021-01-12.
We found no City permit or record for a fitness room, clubhouse, social room, gate or guard house, dock or beach boardwalk at The Essex. If any of those matters to you, ask the manager what the association provides and what owners may use.
The Essex does not publish its budget, so the best public evidence of its fee is what listing agents entered on the MLS: $855 to $920 a month on the three 2026 closings, $10,260 to $11,040 a year, and $877 to $887 a month or $2,760 a quarter on the three listings of 2026-10-07. The association’s adopted budget and the estoppel certificate are the binding figures.
Data updated: October 2026.
| Period | Listings with a fee entered | Condo fee as entered | Total annual recurring fees as entered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 closings | 7 | $513 to $687 a month, or $2,060 a quarter | $6,156 to $8,244 |
| 2023 closing | 1 | $686 a month | $8,232 |
| 2024 closings | 3 | $805 to $855 a month | $9,660 to $10,260 |
| 2025 closing | 1 | $887 a month | $10,644 |
| 2026 closings | 3 | $855 to $920 a month | $10,260 to $11,040 |
| Listings on 2026-10-07 | 3 | $877 to $887 a month, or $2,760 a quarter | $10,524 to $11,040 |
Source: Southwest Florida MLS fee fields, as entered by listing agents, for the 15 closings and three listings above. These are not the association’s budget: one 2022 entry of $513 a month sits far below the rest and is likely an old or partial figure. Listing agents also entered a $100 application fee on most listings, $150 on two 2026 listings, and one $100 transfer fee in 2022.
The association’s budget, not a listing, says what the fee covers. In a Florida condominium the common expenses include the master insurance policy, maintenance of the common elements, reserves and any services the declaration makes common, and the milestone form records that windows and exterior doors are the association’s to maintain and replace. Whether cable, internet, water, sewer or trash are included at The Essex is in the budget; ask for it with the resale documents under Fla. Stat. 718.503.
At the 2026 listing-entered fee of $11,040 a year and the 60-month median sale of $680,000, the fee is about 1.6 percent of the price each year ($11,040 divided by $680,000 is 1.62 percent). That is a building-cost signal, not a figure to compare across buildings without their budgets.
The Essex’s public record shows a building that has spent on its envelope: new roofs in 2021, impact windows and doors in 2013, carports in 2007 and 2008 and site work in 2020, about $2 million in declared permit value across those projects. No special assessment and no reserve figure is published; the budget, the minutes and the estoppel certificate show them.
Data updated: October 2026.
In 2021 the association re-roofed both buildings, removing the TPO membrane and installing modified bitumen, under ROOF-21-02491 (“BLDG A”) and ROOF-21-02492 (“BLDG B”), $400,000 each, finaled 2021-10-21 and 2021-10-22, with the pool house roof under ROOF-21-02493 at $75,000, all by Bonner Roofing LLC for “THE ESSEX COA” (City of Marco Island Civic Access). That is $875,000 in declared value in one year ($400,000 plus $400,000 plus $75,000). The previous re-roof, permit 062923, was a $228,230 single-ply membrane in 2006. A roof finished in 2021 should be well inside its service life when a buyer closes in 2026; the reserve schedule gives the association’s own estimate.
| Project | Permit | Declared value | Finaled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roofs, both buildings | ROOF-21-02491, ROOF-21-02492 | $800,000 | 2021-10 |
| Pool house roof | ROOF-21-02493 | $75,000 | 2021-10-26 |
| Impact windows and doors, both buildings | WD-13-2498, WD-13-2497 | $438,000 | 2013-09-25 |
| 59 carports with storage rooms | 074146 | $574,000 | 2008 |
| Carport and storage-room repairs | CARP-18-06831 | $186,000 | 2019-01-24 |
| Parking, driveways and accessibility | SITE-20-04840 | $100,000 | 2020-11-20 |
| Fire backflow | FIR1-24-03906 | $21,977 | 2025-10-28 |
| Fire pumps and controllers | FIR1-25-05778 | $46,000 | Active, October 2026 |
Source: City of Marco Island Civic Access permit records for 801 and 861 South Collier Boulevard, read 2026-10-22. Declared value is the permit’s stated job value, not the contract price. The listed projects total $2,240,977 in declared value.
The City file shows three concrete restoration permits: balcony concrete restoration at 861 in 2007 ($20,000); COMM-12-2782, an engineering permit to “repair deteriorated concrete” at both buildings, engineered by TRC Worldwide Engineering and finaled 2015-04-21; and COMM-15-6446, balcony slab edges and walkways, $10,000, which expired without a final inspection. Ask the manager whether the 2015 scope was completed under another permit; the 2024 milestone report found no concrete distress at the building it covered.
The public record does not say. Projects of this size are paid from reserves, a special assessment, a loan or a mix, and the association’s minutes and financial statements record which. Florida law requires the estoppel certificate to state any special assessment adopted and unpaid, and the seller’s disclosure package to include the budget and the latest structural integrity reserve study (Fla. Stat. 718.116; Fla. Stat. 718.503).
Owning at The Essex costs more than the condo fee: property tax at the 2025 Marco Island millage, an HO-6 unit-owner policy, an application fee at purchase, an estoppel fee at sale and a share of any special assessment. Each layer below is sourced, and the worked example shows the arithmetic.
A standard Marco Island parcel carried 8.9535 mills of confirmed ad valorem levies for tax year 2025: Collier County 3.2449, Collier County Public Schools 4.2490, South Florida Water Management District with the Big Cypress Basin 0.1926, and the City of Marco Island 1.2670 (Florida Department of Revenue, Table 1, Collier 2025-26; City of Marco Island FY2026 adopted budget). The Collier Mosquito Control District levy is extra and its 2025 rate was not confirmed. At 8.9535 mills, every $100,000 of taxable value carries $895.35 a year. A buyer’s assessment resets to just value the year after purchase; a homestead owner can claim the exemptions in Fla. Stat. 196.031 and the Save Our Homes cap in Fla. Stat. 193.155, and a non-homestead unit’s non-school assessment is capped at 10 percent a year under Fla. Stat. 193.1554.
Listing agents entered a $100 application fee on most Essex listings and $150 on two in 2026; the association’s approval process and its current fees are in the declaration and the resale package. Florida law limits the fee an association may charge to approve a transfer or a lease, and treats a married couple or a parent and dependent child as one applicant (Fla. Stat. 718.112); the resale package states the current amount.
An estoppel certificate is the association’s statement of what a unit owes. Florida law requires the association to issue it within 10 business days of a request, makes it effective for 30 days when delivered by hand or electronically, and caps the fee at $299 when nothing is delinquent, plus $119 for delivery within three business days and up to $179 more when an account is delinquent, with the caps adjusted for inflation every five years (Fla. Stat. 718.116). The same statute makes a buyer jointly and severally liable with the previous owner for unpaid assessments, which is why the estoppel is read before closing.
Florida charges documentary stamp tax on a deed at 70 cents per $100 of consideration (Fla. Stat. 201.02), so a $680,000 Essex sale carries $4,760 of deed stamps, customarily paid by the seller. A financed buyer pays 35 cents per $100 on the note (Fla. Stat. 201.08) and the 2-mill nonrecurring intangible tax on the mortgage (Fla. Stat. 199.133); on a $500,000 loan that is $1,750 and $1,000. In Collier County the buyer customarily pays for the owner’s title insurance policy and selects the title agent, the reverse of neighbouring Lee County, per a Naples real estate law firm (Goodwin Law) and a Florida title and law firm’s county table (Barnes Walker). The signed contract controls on every sale: the standard Florida contract has a box that decides who pays and who chooses.
For a non-homestead unit with a $600,000 taxable value and the 2026 listing-entered fee of $11,040 a year: the fee is $920 a month ($11,040 divided by 12); property tax at 8.9535 mills is $5,372.10 a year, or $447.68 a month; together that is $1,367.68 a month before the HO-6 policy, any flood policy, electricity, the mosquito control levy and any special assessment. Insurance premiums vary by carrier, coverage and unit and are not estimated here.
The Essex does not publish its declaration or rules online, so the building’s specific rules on renovations, parking, vehicles, contractors and conduct are not on the public record. They are in the recorded Declaration of Condominium and the board’s rules, which a seller must deliver to a buyer under Florida law, and a buyer has seven business days after receiving them to cancel.
Three building practices are visible on the City record. Unit renovations at The Essex are permitted through City of Marco Island Building Services: the City file holds several hundred owner permits and inspections for kitchens, baths, air-conditioning, water heaters and shutters. The City has issued stop-work orders at individual units over the years for work without or beyond a permit (SWO-699 in 2008, WWP-13-3492 in 2013, WWP-15-4512 in 2015 and SWO-21-04228 in 2021), and five closed code cases at 801 date from 2005 to 2008; no code case was open when we read the file (City of Marco Island Civic Access). The 59 carports were built as one per unit, and the association’s own vehicle and parking rules govern their use.
Florida law requires a resale seller to give the buyer the declaration, articles, bylaws, rules, the annual budget and financial statement, the milestone inspection summary, the latest structural integrity reserve study or a statement that none exists, and the frequently asked questions document, and gives the buyer 7 days, excluding weekends and legal holidays, to cancel after receiving them (Fla. Stat. 718.503). The recorded declaration and any amendments are also in the Collier County Clerk’s Official Records (Collier County Clerk, records search). Ask specifically for the renovation and contractor rules, the vehicle rules, any approval requirement for a sale and the current fines policy.
The Essex’s minimum lease term, the number of leases allowed each year and its approval process are set by its declaration and rules, which are not published online; we did not find them on any public record. The City of Marco Island has no rental registration program, and the RT zoning district allows tourist accommodation, so the association’s documents are what decide.
The building’s ownership pattern suggests renting is common: only 5 of the 59 units carry a homestead exemption on the City’s 2026 parcel layer. The zoning is RT, Residential Tourist, the island’s district for tourist accommodation along South Collier (City of Marco Island GIS). Neither fact tells you the rule. Some Marco Island condominiums require 30 days or a month; some allow weekly rentals; some cap the number of leases a year. Read the Essex declaration and rules before you plan on rental income, and confirm the rule in writing with the manager.
The City of Marco Island has no enforceable vacation rental registration program: Resolution 23-54, adopted 2023-10-02, declared the 2022 rental registration ordinance null and void in October 2023 after state preemption under SB 250, and nothing has replaced it (City of Marco Island Resolution 23-54). Florida law bars local governments from prohibiting vacation rentals or regulating their duration or frequency under ordinances adopted after June 1, 2011 (Fla. Stat. 509.032). That preemption limits the City, not the association, which is why The Essex’s own rules govern. Rentals of six months or less also owe state sales tax and the Collier County tourist development tax collected by the Tax Collector (Collier County Tax Collector, tourist development tax).
Residents’ Beach at 130 South Collier Boulevard is run by the Marco Island Civic Association, and its passes go to owners of developed island property and to renters of one month or more; short-term renters have been barred since October 2020. The Essex is about 1.4 miles south of it in a straight line, and the public South Marco Beach access is much closer.
The Essex’s pet rule is not on the public record: its declaration and rules are not published online. A buyer with a pet should read the declaration’s pet section and the board’s rules, and get the manager’s confirmation in writing, before making an offer.
A request to keep an assistance animal as a reasonable accommodation for a disability is handled under the federal Fair Housing Act and Florida law, not under a pet rule, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development publishes the federal guidance on how housing providers assess those requests (HUD, assistance animals).
Nothing on the public record shows The Essex registered as housing for older persons, and its state register entry is an ordinary residential condominium. Whether the declaration carries any age or occupancy rule is in the declaration; ask before you buy.
The Essex sits in FEMA flood zone AE with a base flood elevation of 9 feet NAVD88 at all four points we tested, the two building footprints and the two street addresses, on FIRM panel 12021C0836J effective 2024-02-08, outside the Coastal Barrier Resources System and in Collier County storm surge evacuation zone A. The ground at the two street points is about 4.5 and 4.6 feet NAVD88.
Data updated: October 2026.
| Point tested | FEMA zone | Base flood elevation | FIRM panel and effective date |
|---|---|---|---|
| North building footprint (25.91619, -81.72613) | AE (coastal floodplain) | 9 ft NAVD88 | 12021C0836J, 2024-02-08 |
| South building footprint (25.91491, -81.72624) | AE (coastal floodplain) | 9 ft NAVD88 | 12021C0836J, 2024-02-08 |
| 801 S Collier Blvd street point | AE (coastal floodplain) | 9 ft NAVD88 | 12021C0836J, 2024-02-08 |
| 861 S Collier Blvd street point | AE (coastal floodplain) | 9 ft NAVD88 | 12021C0836J, 2024-02-08 |
Method: each point was tested against the FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer flood hazard zones and FIRM panel layers on 2026-10-28 (FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer; FEMA Flood Map Service Center). The footprint points are the centres of the City’s building footprints; the street points are U.S. Census Bureau geocodes (Census geocoder). This is a map reading, not a flood determination; each building’s Elevation Certificate gives the structure’s lowest floor.
At the street points the ground is about 4.5 feet NAVD88 at 861 and 4.6 feet at 801 on the USGS 3D Elevation Program, which puts the ground 4.4 to 4.5 feet below the 9-foot base flood elevation (9.0 minus 4.6 is 4.4; 9.0 minus 4.5 is 4.5) (USGS 3D Elevation Program). The Essex’s first-floor units and its carports, storage rooms, pool house and parking lots are the parts of the property closest to that line; the upper floors are not.
Florida’s Coastal Construction Control Line marks where the state regulates construction that could affect the beach and dune system. On the Department of Environmental Protection’s 1989 line for Collier County, the street points for 801 and 861 South Collier sit 129 and 117 meters from the nearest line segment, on its landward side (FDEP Coastal Construction Control Line program). With the road and the beach towers between it and the sand, The Essex’s own site work is a City matter.
Irma made its final U.S. landfall near Marco Island at 3:30 p.m. EDT as a category 3 hurricane; a spotter on the island measured a 936.9 millibar pressure and 97-knot sustained wind, and the Marco Island Police Department recorded a 113-knot gust. The USGS sensor at Tigertail Beach recorded a storm tide of 5.20 feet NAVD88, and the National Hurricane Center put inundation from Marco Island north to Fort Myers at 3 to 5 feet above ground (NHC Tropical Cyclone Report, Irma). At The Essex the $186,000 carport and storage-room repair permit of July 2018 is the association project on the City record that follows Irma.
Ian made landfall at Cayo Costa, far north of Marco, but the National Hurricane Center put maximum inundation at 4 to 6 feet above ground from Marco Island through Everglades City, with a surveyed high water mark of 4.71 feet above ground (6.99 feet NAVD88) on Marco Island and a storm tide of 7.38 feet NAVD88 at the Marco Island USGS sensor (NHC Tropical Cyclone Report, Ian). The National Weather Service Miami summary lists Marco Island damage at $256 million in its Collier County table (NWS Miami, Hurricane Ian summary). Across the 1,149 permit, inspection and case records at the two Essex addresses we found no association storm-repair permit filed after September 2022 for roofs, concrete, carports, windows or interior flood damage; the association permits since Ian are the milestone cases, the backflow and the fire pumps. That points to no permitted structural or envelope damage from Ian; ground-level flooding of parking or common areas repaired without a permit cannot be ruled out, so ask the association for its Ian history.
Hurricane Helene in September 2024 brought 2 to 4 feet of inundation above ground to areas including Marco Island, and Hurricane Milton in October 2024 brought 3 to 5 feet from Bonita Beach through Marco Island, per the National Hurricane Center (NHC report, Helene; NHC report, Milton). No Essex association permit on the City record names either storm.
The 2013 replacement of all windows and doors with impact-rated units, the concrete roof decks re-covered in 2021 and the milestone engineer’s 2024 report of no structural distress are the public evidence. The milestone form still records some original aluminum windows alongside the impact units, so ask which openings are protected and for the building’s wind mitigation form, the document an insurer relies on.
The Essex association insures the buildings under a master policy and passes the cost through the fee; each owner carries an HO-6 policy for the inside of the unit, improvements and liability. The association’s deductibles and carriers are not on the public record, so ask the manager for the current certificate of insurance and deductible schedule before you buy.
Florida requires a condominium unit owner’s policy to include at least $2,000 of loss assessment coverage (Fla. Stat. 627.714), and a hurricane deductible on a master policy is a common expense the association can assess to owners. If the Essex deductible is a percentage of insured value, a buyer can work out the per-unit share by dividing it among 59 units, and an HO-6 policy with higher loss assessment coverage is how an owner insures against it.
Florida’s insurer of last resort, Citizens Property Insurance, must require flood insurance on most personal residential policies, phased in by replacement cost, but the statute exempts “Policies that provide coverage under a condominium unit owners form,” so a Citizens HO-6 on an Essex unit does not trigger the requirement (Fla. Stat. 627.351). A lender may still require flood coverage on a unit in zone AE, and the association’s own building flood policy is separate from the owner’s.
FEMA’s FloodSmart site says premiums for most policyholders cannot rise more than 18 to 25 percent a year, adds an 18 percent Reserve Fund Assessment, a $25 or $250 HFIAA surcharge (primary residence or not) and a federal policy fee, and says a buyer “may be able to assume the prior owner’s current NFIP policy” (FEMA FloodSmart, premium costs; FEMA FloodSmart, flood zones). FEMA’s list of Community Rating System communities effective October 1, 2026 shows the City of Marco Island, community number 120426, at Class 5, a 25 percent premium discount for policies in the special flood hazard area, effective 2023-10-01 (FEMA CRS eligible communities, October 2026).
Florida requires insurers to offer actuarially reasonable discounts for wind-resistant features such as roof strength, roof-to-wall connections and opening protection (Fla. Stat. 627.0629), documented on the state’s uniform mitigation verification form (Fla. Stat. 627.711; Rule 69O-170.0155). In a condominium those features belong to the building, so the credits land on the master policy. The Essex’s 2013 impact glass is the kind of feature the form records.
Since October 1, 2024, a Florida seller of residential property must give the buyer a flood disclosure at or before contract, and the 2025 amendment added whether the seller knows of flood damage during ownership, has filed a flood claim, or has received flood assistance (Fla. Stat. 689.302). An Essex seller completes it for the unit.
Both Essex buildings are more than three habitable stories and reached 30 years old before July 1, 2022, so under Florida law each owed its initial milestone structural inspection by December 31, 2024 and a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) by December 31, 2025. The City accepted Phase 1 milestone reports for both buildings in November 2024, with no Phase 2 case on the record.
Data updated: October 2026.
The City record shows two Phase 1 milestone cases, both applied 2024-09-01 with Florida Engineering LLC as the design professional: MS1-24-05986 at 801 South Collier, with the status Phase 1 report accepted, finalized 2024-11-07, and MS1-24-05987 at 861 South Collier, with the same status, finalized 2024-11-14 (City of Marco Island Civic Access permit and milestone records). The South building’s project record, PR-000087-2024, still reads “NOTICE SENT,” a project-level status that was not rolled forward after the case’s report was accepted. Neither address has a Phase 2 case.
One report is public, attached to MS1-24-05986: a Florida Engineering milestone form for “801 South Collier Boulevard,” inspected on May 29, 2024 and digitally signed August 13, 2024. Its overall condition box is checked “No Repairs Required,” and it states: “There is no substantial structural deterioration observed in this building per FSS 553.899. As such the building is safe for continued occupancy,” and that “Milestone Inspection Phase 2 is NOT required.” It lists no recommended repairs and does not mention reserves. The second building’s report is not attached to its case on the public portal; ask the association for both reports, because the City’s case descriptions and the public file name do not make clear which building the public form covers.
We could not confirm The Essex’s structural integrity reserve study from a public record as of 2026-10-28: the association does not post its records online, and the state’s SIRS reporting viewer is an interactive dashboard (DBPR SIRS reporting). The seller must give a buyer the most recent SIRS or a statement that none has been completed, so ask for it, and for the reserve schedule and current reserve balances, before you sign.
Florida Statute 553.899 requires a milestone inspection of every condominium building three habitable stories or more by December 31 of the year it turns 30, and every 10 years after; a local enforcement agency may set 25 years for buildings near salt water, and buildings that reached the trigger before July 1, 2022 had until December 31, 2024. A phase one visual inspection comes first; phase two testing follows only if substantial structural deterioration is found (Fla. Stat. 553.899). By the City’s 1990 year built, both Essex buildings turned 30 in 2020, before July 1, 2022, so both fell under the December 31, 2024 deadline. Whether the City of Marco Island has adopted the 25-year local option is not confirmed on its public pages as of 2026-10-28. On Marco Island the City, not Collier County, holds the milestone reports and repair permits.
A residential condominium association must have a SIRS at least every 10 years for each building three habitable stories or higher, covering the roof, structure, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and painting, windows and exterior doors, and other items over $25,000; existing associations owed the first study by December 31, 2025, or by December 31, 2026 if done with a milestone inspection due by then (Fla. Stat. 718.112). For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, a unit-owner-controlled association required to have a SIRS may not vote to waive or reduce reserves for the SIRS items, and a special assessment, line of credit or loan to fund them needs a majority of the total voting interests.
Florida law entitles a resale buyer, at the seller’s expense, to the declaration, articles, bylaws and rules, the annual budget and financial statement, the milestone inspection summary, the most recent SIRS or a statement that none has been completed, and the frequently asked questions document (Fla. Stat. 718.503). An owner can inspect the association’s official records, which must be produced within 10 working days of a written request (Fla. Stat. 718.111). At The Essex ask specifically for both milestone reports, the SIRS and reserve schedule, the elevator modernization plan, the fire pump project’s cost and funding, the master policy deductibles, any special assessment adopted or proposed, and the last two years of board minutes.
Selling at The Essex? Start with a free home valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072. Buying at The Essex? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or book a buyer consultation.
The Essex is served by Collier County Public Schools. Marco Island has one district elementary school, Tommie Barfield Elementary, about 1.8 miles from The Essex in a straight line, and two charter schools, Marco Island Charter Middle and Marco Island Academy; the district’s attendance maps place the island in the Manatee Middle and Lely High zones.
| School | Address | Type | Florida grade, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tommie Barfield Elementary | 101 Kirkwood St, Marco Island | District | A |
| Marco Island Charter Middle | 1401 Trinidad Ave, Marco Island | Charter | A |
| Marco Island Academy | 2255 San Marco Rd, Marco Island | Charter high | A |
Addresses are from the Florida Department of Education school directory (FLDOE Collier directory); grades are from the Collier County Public Schools 2026 accountability brief (CCPS 2025-26 grades).
The district’s 2026-27 attendance boundary maps place Marco Island in the Manatee Middle School and Lely High School zones (CCPS attendance boundaries). That is a map reading at county scale; confirm the zone for 801 or 861 South Collier Boulevard with the district’s interactive zoning tool (CCPS zoning tool). The two charter schools enroll by application, not by zone.
The Essex is inside the City of Marco Island, so building permits, flood rules, sea turtle lighting, noise limits and code enforcement come from the City, not from Collier County. Its RT zoning allows tourist accommodation, and the City adopted its current flood damage prevention ordinance in 2024 alongside the FEMA map effective 2024-02-08.
A unit renovation that needs a permit goes through City of Marco Island Building Services, after any approval the association’s rules require. The City’s flood code treats work costing 50 percent of a structure’s market value, counted cumulatively over 12 months, as a substantial improvement that must meet current flood elevation rules (City of Marco Island floodplain documents); for a two-building condominium that threshold is measured on the building, so it bites on building-wide projects, not on a single kitchen.
The City’s sea turtle protection rules cover the beachfront during nesting season, May 1 to October 31: lighting visible from the beach must be long-wavelength, shielded and downward, and interior lights must be off after 9:00 p.m. or shaded (Marco Island Code, Chapter 54, Article V; Marco Island Code of Ordinances). The Essex stands across the road from the beach, behind the beach towers, so the rule touches it less than the towers, but upper-floor lights visible from the sand still count.
The City bars construction from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and on Sundays and holidays, bans fertilizer from June 1 to September 30, and enforces swale and beach-access parking limits under its code. The association’s own contractor hours, which are not published, may be narrower.
Marco Island voters approved a $23 million general obligation bond on 2026-08-18 by 2,259 votes to 2,258, certified on 2026-08-26, to replace the Caxambas and Goldenrod bridges, repair three others and repave streets, with repayment over up to 20 years (WGCU, 2026-08-26). Any debt-service millage will appear on future tax bills; the rate was not set as of 2026-10-07.
Daily life at The Essex is a walk across South Collier Boulevard to the beach, a covered carport at the door and a short drive north for groceries and urgent care. The South Marco Beach access is about 0.07 to 0.16 miles from the two buildings in a straight line, and there is no hospital emergency department on Marco Island.
The South Marco Beach access is at 930 South Collier Boulevard, with its public parking lot and restrooms a short walk away on Swallow Avenue (Gulfshore Life, South Marco Beach Access). On Census geocodes, 930 South Collier is about 0.07 miles from the South building and 0.16 miles from the North building in a straight line, so the walk is a matter of minutes. The City lists the South Marco Beach lot among its public beach accesses (City of Marco Island beach access; Collier County Marco Island beaches). Marco Island’s audible lightning warning system sounds one long siren for lightning in the area and three short sirens for all clear.
The beach across from The Essex is part of the Marco Island Beach Restoration Project, which the Florida Department of Environmental Protection records as completed in February 1991 with 1,260,000 cubic yards placed along 2.64 miles, followed by maintenance placements in 2006, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2020 (FDEP Strategic Beach Management Plan, Southwest Gulf Coast). Dogs are not allowed on Marco Island’s beaches, and turtle nests are marked from May 1 to October 31.
The nearest supermarkets are on North Collier Boulevard: Publix at Marco Town Center, 1089 North Collier Boulevard, open 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and about 2.7 miles from The Essex in a straight line (Publix store 622), and Winn-Dixie at 625 North Collier Boulevard, open 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (Winn-Dixie Marco Island). The Esplanade shops and marina at 760 North Collier are about 2.5 miles north. The Marco Island Farmers’ Market runs Wednesdays in season at Veterans Community Park.
NCH runs an urgent care center at 40 South Heathwood Drive on the island, about 1.6 miles from The Essex in a straight line, open 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily, with CT and X-ray (NCH Marco Island urgent care), and its directory lists no emergency department on Marco Island (NCH locations, Marco Island). The nearest hospital emergency department is Physicians Regional Medical Center on Collier Boulevard in Naples (Physicians Regional hospitals), an estimated 10.6 miles and 18 minutes from the Marco Island end of the Jolley Bridge at free-flow speed.
Estimated free-flow drive times from the Marco Island end of the Jolley Bridge, modeled on the public OSRM router: Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) about 47 miles and 63 minutes; Marco Island Executive Airport, a 5,000-foot general aviation field just north of the island with no scheduled airline service, about 4.5 miles (Collier County, Marco Island Executive Airport). Peak-season times run longer, and The Essex is at the far south end of Collier Boulevard from the bridge. Our Naples versus Marco Island comparison covers the mainland alternative, and our Collier County guide covers the rest of the county.
The Essex and the Marbelle Club face each other across South Collier Boulevard, about 600 feet apart, and they are the clearest choice on this stretch: a five-story 1990 building across the road at a 60-month median of $680,000, or a 17-story 1982 tower with its own boardwalk to the beach at a 60-month median of $1,900,000.
Data updated: October 2026.
| Yardstick | The Essex | Marbelle Club | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address | 801 and 861 S Collier Blvd | 840 S Collier Blvd | City GIS; DBPR |
| Side of South Collier | East, across the road from the beach | West, between the road and the beach | City GIS building footprints |
| Units | 59 | 98 (plus a manager’s unit) | DBPR; City roll; Marbelle declaration |
| Built | 1990 | 1982 | City GIS |
| Height | Two buildings, 5 floors | One tower, 17 stories | City GIS; Marbelle declaration |
| Unit sizes | 974 to 2,160 sq ft (most 974) | 1,937 to 2,325 sq ft | City roll; Marbelle declaration |
| Closings, 60 months to 2026-10-07 | 15 | 12 | Southwest Florida MLS |
| Median sale, 60 months | $680,000 | $1,900,000 | Southwest Florida MLS |
| Median $ per sq ft, 60 months | about $647 | about $834 | Southwest Florida MLS |
| Median days on market, 60 months | 23 | 33 | Southwest Florida MLS |
| Annual fee | $10,260 to $11,040 (listing-entered, 2026 closings) | $23,600 ($5,900 a quarter, association FAQ) | MLS; Marbelle Club FAQ |
| FEMA zone at the building | AE 9 ft | X at the tower footprint | FEMA NFHL |
| Phase 1 milestone report accepted | 2024-11-07 and 2024-11-14 | 2025-01-30 | City of Marco Island records |
| Published rules | None online | Declaration, rules, rental and pet policies posted | Association records |
| If you want | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The lowest price for a walk-to-the-beach condo on South Collier | The Essex | A 60-month median of $680,000 against $1,900,000 |
| A unit on the beach side of the road with its own boardwalk | Marbelle Club | The tower stands between South Collier and the sand |
| Large rooms and big terraces | Marbelle Club | 1,937 to 2,325 square feet, terraces of 352 to 772 square feet in the declaration |
| A low-rise building with a carport and storage room per unit | The Essex | Five floors and 59 carports with storage rooms |
| The lowest carrying cost | The Essex | About $11,040 a year against $23,600 |
| A staffed on-site office, fitness room and guest suites | Marbelle Club | All published by the association |
| Published rules before you make an offer | Marbelle Club | Its declaration, rental and pet rules are online |
| A footprint outside the FEMA special flood hazard area | Marbelle Club | Zone X at the tower footprint; The Essex is AE 9 |
Selling at The Essex? Start with a free home valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072. Buying at The Essex? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or book a buyer consultation.
Three more condominiums frame The Essex’s choice. Marco Courtyard Towers, about half a mile south and east on Swallow Avenue, is four seven and eight-story buildings of 2000 and 2001 with association docks on the canal side, 49 units, and 10 closings in the 24 months to 2026-10-07 at a median of $1,182,500. The Chalet of San Marco, about 0.6 miles north at 520 South Collier, is a 90-unit 1981 tower on the beach side of the road with 13 closings in 60 months at a median of $1,500,000. The Sands of Marco, about 1.4 miles north at 129 to 145 South Collier across the road from Residents’ Beach, is the closest in kind: a 1990 complex of 128 identical 1,082 square foot two-bedrooms, with 10 closings in 60 months at a median of $536,000.
Two older condominiums on North Collier Boulevard make the same across-the-road trade: Island Manor, a 1973 complex of two-story garden buildings at 87 North Collier on the inland side of the road, and Seabreeze, a 1969 complex on North Collier that sits a row back from the beachfront towers. Both are lower and older than The Essex and sit near the north end of the beach rather than the south.
The Essex’s case is price, a walkable beach and a building in good structural order; its case against is the road between it and the sand, small units in most stacks, a fee that has risen by about a third since 2022 and rules that are not published. Both lists come from the records on this page.
Selling at The Essex? Start with a free home valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072. Buying at The Essex? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or book a buyer consultation.
If you’re searching for an Essex listing agent, or thinking, ‘I need someone to sell my Essex home…’, McGreevy and Comisar are the team to call. The Essex recorded 15 closings in the 60 months to 2026-10-07 at a median of $680,000, and the median sale closed at 96.0 percent of its final asking price in 23 days.
In the last 60 months we tracked 15 Essex resales on the Southwest Florida MLS: $10,139,200 in total volume, a median sale of $680,000, a median of 23 days on market and a median sale-to-final-list ratio of 96.0 percent. None was entered after closing. In the 12 months to 2026-10-07 there were three closings, two at $575,000 and one at $778,000.
Selling here is a plan-and-timing exercise. A buyer compares your unit with the same plan in the other building, so a 974 square foot two-bedroom is priced against the 2026 sales at $575,000 and the three listings at $599,000 to $699,000, not against the 2022 peak, and a corner three-bedroom is priced against the $778,000 sale of August 2026. Three Essex specifics shape a sale. First, the building’s record is a selling point: the accepted milestone reports, the 2021 roofs and the 2013 impact glass answer the questions buyers and lenders ask first, so have the reports and the estoppel ready early. Second, because the association does not publish its rules, the buyer’s rental and pet questions are answered only by the documents you deliver; get the declaration, rules and budget in hand before you list. Third, the view sells: units with an open line over the beach towers deserve a different price from those looking at the road, so show the view in the listing. That unit-by-unit pricing is how we have stayed Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.
Start with our free online valuation at mcgreevyandcomisar.com/home-valuation, and we will build your number from the Essex sales of your plan, in your building, not the median. Or talk to Jesse direct: (239) 898-6072, text or call. Buyers can reach Marc at (239) 287-5873 or book a buyer consultation.
The median Essex sale in the 60 months to 2026-10-07 took 23 days on the market, across 15 sales, with a range from 1 day to 391 days (Southwest Florida MLS). The pace has slowed: the three 2026 sales took 19, 267 and 361 days.
Close to it. The median Essex sale closed at 96.0 percent of its final list price in the 60 months to 2026-10-07, from 93.2 to 100.4 percent (Southwest Florida MLS).
In Collier County the buyer customarily pays for the owner’s title insurance policy and chooses the closing agent, and the seller customarily pays the documentary stamp tax on the deed; the signed contract controls on every sale.
Florida law requires the seller to provide the declaration, articles, bylaws and rules, the annual budget and financial statement, the milestone inspection summary, the latest structural integrity reserve study or a statement that none exists, and the frequently asked questions document (Fla. Stat. 718.503). At The Essex, add both buildings’ milestone reports and the last year of board minutes.
It can. The City record shows the fire pump replacement permit active in October 2026. If the association has assessed owners for it, the estoppel certificate shows what is owed, and the purchase contract decides who pays an assessment levied before closing.
Selectively. Two-bedroom sales ran from $575,000 to $702,500 in the 60-month window, so condition and timing both move the price. Any permitted work goes through the association’s approval process and City of Marco Island Building Services, and a buyer will ask to see the permits.
Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar are top-reviewed Essex realtors on Marco Island. Every quote below is a genuine five-star Google review, quoted exactly as clients wrote it on our Google Business Profile. Read the five-star reviews on Google.
★★★★★ “Marc was everything we needed for our house-hunting journey in Southwest Florida. He was incredibly communicative…” Verified Google review
★★★★★ “After working with Jesse and his team at Domain, my wife and I would never use another realtor for any buying or selling here in Florida! We used Jesse to represent us on purchasing a property in Naples, and he worked our deal like it was for him! 100% satisfied and couldn’t recommend more.” Verified Google review
Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar are McGreevy and Comisar, and they lead Domain Realty Group, the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida since 2012 and the #5 real estate team in Florida (RealTrends 2026). They have been Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 and have sold over $900 million in personal production between them. Jesse and Marc bring over 45 years of combined direct real estate experience to every Essex sale.
McGreevy and Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, a full-service Southwest Florida real estate team. Learn more about our team at DomainRealtyGroup.com, and more about how we work on the McGreevy and Comisar about page. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Selling an Essex condo? Free valuation at mcgreevyandcomisar.com/home-valuation, or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072. Buying at The Essex? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or start a buyer consultation with our team. For the rest of the island, see our Marco Island area guide.
The questions below come from the search terms people use for The Essex and for Marco Island condominiums near the beach, rewritten as plain questions. Every answer comes from the records cited on this page.
The Essex of Marco Island is a 59-unit condominium of two five-story buildings at 801 and 861 South Collier Boulevard, built in 1990 on the east side of the road across from the beach, governed by one association, The Essex of Marco Island Condominium, Inc.
No. The Essex stands on the east side of South Collier Boulevard, across the road from the beach and the beachfront towers. The South Marco Beach access at 930 South Collier is about 0.07 to 0.16 miles from the two buildings in a straight line.
In the 60 months to 2026-10-07, 15 Essex units sold on the Southwest Florida MLS at a median of $680,000, from $575,000 to $905,000. The three listings on 2026-10-07 asked $599,000 to $699,000.
Listing agents entered $855 to $920 a month on the 2026 closings, $10,260 to $11,040 a year, and $877 to $887 a month or $2,760 a quarter on the October 2026 listings. The association’s budget and the estoppel certificate are the binding figures.
59: 29 in the North building at 801 South Collier and 30 in the South building at 861, per the state condominium register and the City parcel roll.
On the City roll, 39 units are 974 square feet, 14 corner units are 1,186 square feet, five are 997 square feet and one is 2,160 square feet.
The 974 and 997 square foot units sold as two-bedroom, two-bath flats and the 1,186 square foot corner units as three-bedroom, two-bath flats, on the MLS closings of the last 60 months.
Five. Both buildings are five floors and 50 feet tall on the City’s building layer, and each elevator serves five landings.
1990, on the City’s building layer for both buildings; the parcel roll carries 1990 for the North building and 1991 for the South, and the state register records the declaration on 1990-12-27.
The pet rule is in The Essex’s declaration and rules, which are not published online. Read them and get the manager’s written confirmation before you buy.
The rental rules, including the minimum lease and the number of leases a year, are in the declaration and rules, not on the public record. The City has no rental registration program, and the RT zoning allows tourist accommodation.
Yes. The City accepted Phase 1 milestone reports for 801 on 2024-11-07 and for 861 on 2024-11-14, with no Phase 2 case for either building.
None is on the public record. The estoppel certificate states any special assessment adopted and unpaid, and the board minutes show any proposed.
FEMA zone AE with a 9-foot base flood elevation, NAVD88, at both building footprints and both street addresses, on FIRM panel 12021C0836J effective 2024-02-08.
Yes. The Florida statewide evacuation layer places both street points in Collier County storm surge evacuation zone A; confirm on Collier County’s “Know Your Zone” tool.
Yes. The association built 59 carports with storage rooms, one per unit, in 2007 and 2008.
A pool and tennis court in the pool house area between the buildings, a carport and storage room per unit, parking lots and one elevator per building. No fitness room, clubhouse or gate appears on the public record.
Resort Management is the registered agent, and its Marco Island and Naples offices are the association’s addresses on the state records.
Nothing on the public record shows it registered as housing for older persons. Any age or occupancy rule is in the declaration.
Collier County Public Schools: Tommie Barfield Elementary on the island, with the district’s maps placing Marco Island in the Manatee Middle and Lely High zones. Marco Island Charter Middle and Marco Island Academy enroll by application.
Lenders review the condominium as well as the buyer, and the questions they ask turn on the budget, reserves, insurance and the milestone and SIRS status. Get the association’s lender questionnaire early; the accepted 2024 milestone reports help.
In Collier County the buyer customarily pays for the owner’s title insurance policy and chooses the closing agent; the signed contract controls.
These are the questions Essex owners ask before they list, answered from the Southwest Florida MLS, the Collier County record and Florida law. Market figures are for the 60 months to 2026-10-07 unless stated.
It depends on the plan, the floor, the view and the condition. The 60-month median is $680,000; the 974 square foot two-bedrooms sold at a median of $622,350 and the corner three-bedrooms at $739,000, and the 2026 sales were $575,000 and $778,000. A valuation built on your plan’s sales is the honest number.
15 closings at a median of $680,000, from $575,000 to $905,000, with $10,139,200 in total volume (Southwest Florida MLS, to 2026-10-07).
Three closings: $575,000 on 2026-02-27 and 2026-03-03, and $778,000 on 2026-08-06.
Three on 2026-10-07, all two-bedroom, two-bath units, asking $599,000, $620,000 and $699,000, with none pending.
The 60-month median is 23 days on market, but the three 2026 sales took 19, 267 and 361 days. Price against the 2026 sales and expect a longer market time than in 2022.
The median sale closed at 96.0 percent of the final list price. Since 2023 every sale closed between 93.2 and 97.4 percent.
Not on the record. The two buildings are the same height and age with the same plans, and the plan and the sale date explain the price differences in the 60-month list.
About $116,650 more at the median, $739,000 against $622,350, for 212 more square feet; per square foot the corner units sold for slightly less.
Choose a listing agent who prices from the Essex sales of your plan, markets the building’s milestone and capital record, and has the association documents ready on day one. McGreevy and Comisar have been Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 and lead the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida since 2012; call Jesse at (239) 898-6072.
The county marks some deeds as not qualified for its sales study, and it records deeds after closing. Two MLS closings, N103 in June 2022 and S206 in August 2026, are not in the county’s qualified list as of its 2026-08-24 extract.
Any approval requirement is in the declaration. Florida law limits the application fee an association may charge and treats a married couple as one applicant (Fla. Stat. 718.112); the resale package states the current rule.
Florida caps the estoppel fee at $299 when nothing is delinquent, plus $119 for delivery within three business days and up to $179 more for a delinquent account (Fla. Stat. 718.116); the manager quotes the current fee.
Ten business days from the request, and the certificate is effective for 30 days when delivered by hand or electronically (Fla. Stat. 718.116).
In Collier County the seller customarily pays the deed stamps, 70 cents per $100 of price, which is $4,760 on a $680,000 sale; the contract controls.
In Collier County the buyer customarily pays for the owner’s title policy and chooses the closing agent, the reverse of Lee County; the signed contract controls.
Seven days, excluding weekends and legal holidays, after the buyer receives the documents Fla. Stat. 718.503 requires.
Yes. Since October 1, 2024, a Florida seller of residential property gives a flood disclosure at or before contract (Fla. Stat. 689.302).
It should help. The City accepted Phase 1 reports for both buildings in November 2024 with no Phase 2 case, and the public report found no substantial structural deterioration and required no repairs.
A buyer will ask for it, and the seller must provide the most recent SIRS or a statement that none has been completed. Get it from the manager before you list; it shows the reserve schedule a buyer’s lender will read.
The purchase contract decides. The estoppel certificate shows what is owed on the unit, and Florida law makes a buyer jointly liable with the seller for unpaid assessments, so settle it in the contract.
Usually, subject to the lease and the association’s rules. The buyer takes the unit subject to the lease unless the contract says otherwise; give the buyer the lease and the association’s lease approval.
It can narrow the buyer pool if the rule is strict. Because the rule is not published online, deliver it early so pet owners learn the answer before they make an offer.
Often, but the record is thin. Show the actual view in the listing and price against the same plan’s sales.
The 60-month record does not show a clean floor premium; sale date explains more of the two-bedroom spread than floor does. A higher floor can still earn more for the view.
The buyer’s assessment resets to market value the year after purchase. At the 2025 Marco Island rate of 8.9535 mills, a $600,000 taxable value carries $5,372.10 a year before the mosquito control levy.
You can market the unit to investors, but the rental rule is in the declaration and rules, so give buyers the rule in writing. The RT zoning and the City’s lack of a rental registration program do not override the association.
That is a personal decision, but the record shows prices off their 2022 peak, about 12 months of supply and longer market times in 2026. Price to the current sales if you list now.
$905,000 for South building unit S206, a 1,186 square foot three-bedroom, on 2023-03-02.
$575,000, twice in 2026: North building unit N305 on 2026-02-27 and South building unit S105 on 2026-03-03, both 974 square foot two-bedrooms.
Use our online valuation at mcgreevyandcomisar.com/home-valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072; we price from the Essex sales of your plan.
Fix what a buyer’s inspector will write up and what photographs badly; leave large remodels unless the unit is far behind its neighbours. Any permitted work needs the association’s approval and a City permit.
Some facts a buyer or seller would want are not in any public record we could reach for this page, checked through 2026-10-28. Each is listed with the route to get it.
These public documents can be read or downloaded directly from the agencies that publish them.
Every source below was used on this page. Market figures come from the Southwest Florida MLS, pulled 2026-10-07, and the Collier County roll data dated 2026-08-29.
Market data from Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 2026. McGreevy and Comisar, Best Realtor for The Essex. Brokered by Domain Realty. Jesse McGreevy, FL Lic. SL3101296 · Marc Comisar, FL Lic. BK3060671.
Thinking about buying or selling in Southwest Florida? Tell us what you are trying to do and we will tell you honestly what it will take. McGreevy and Comisar, Domain Realty Group.
