Destin Lowery has spent more than 25 years selling Destin and Florida’s Emerald Coast. A Florida State University graduate, HGTV House Hunters alumna, and founder of the Southeast Luxury Agents Team, she brings unmatched local depth, market instincts, and a passion for connecting clients with properties that transform their lives.
Is the luxury market in your area actually cooling off this summer, or is that just a perception? What do your active deals tell you right now?
I would not characterize the Emerald Coast luxury market as cooling this summer. In fact, our team is experiencing an increase in activity as we move through the region’s peak season.
We currently have seven closings scheduled for June, with two already completed, and our active listings continue to attract multiple showings. That level of engagement reflects sustained interest from qualified luxury buyers and reinforces what we are seeing firsthand: demand remains strong for exceptional properties in the right locations.
For the Southeast Luxury Agents Team, there is no indication of a meaningful slowdown. Our priority at this stage is securing additional high-quality listings to meet the continued demand from buyers seeking luxury residences, second homes, and investment opportunities along Florida’s Emerald Coast.
What kind of luxury home is genuinely hard to find right now in your market — and why is supply so tight on that specific type?
One of the most difficult properties to secure right now is a well-positioned luxury home with a strong short-term rental history and proven return on investment. During the Emerald Coast’s peak tourism season, many owners are generating exceptional rental revenue, making them less inclined to sell while their properties are performing at their highest level.
For these sellers, the decision is largely driven by ROI. When a luxury coastal property is producing substantial seasonal income, owners often choose to retain the asset rather than interrupt a profitable revenue cycle. This keeps many of the market’s strongest investment properties off-market and significantly reduces available inventory.
As a result, turnkey luxury homes that combine lifestyle appeal, prime location, and measurable income potential are especially scarce. For today’s buyers, acquiring one of these properties requires strategic timing, strong local relationships, and the ability to evaluate not only the residence itself, but also its long-term wealth-building and ROI potential.
What’s one thing today’s luxury buyer is refusing to compromise on — and one thing they’re surprisingly willing to let go of?
Today’s luxury buyers are increasingly unwilling to compromise on inspection items that may affect insurability, long-term ownership costs, or the overall integrity of the property. With insurance carriers placing greater scrutiny on the age and condition of roofs, impact-rated windows, HVAC systems, and water heaters, buyers want greater certainty that these essential components will not create complications after closing.
What buyers are surprisingly willing to let go of is the expectation that every improvement must be completed before the transaction closes. Rather than requiring sellers to interrupt a profitable rental season to coordinate repairs or renovations, we are seeing buyers accept closing-cost credits or financial concessions that allow them to complete the work on their own timeline during the off-season.
This structure can benefit both parties: sellers are able to preserve their peak-season rental income, while buyers receive the financial flexibility to update the property according to their own vision without sacrificing the property’s immediate income-producing potential.
With summer travel in full swing, are you seeing more serious buyers entering the vacation and second-home market — or is that a segment that’s quietly pulling back?
With summer travel in full swing, we are seeing a clear increase in serious buyers entering the vacation- and second-home market along Florida’s Emerald Coast. These buyers are highly strategic. They are not simply purchasing a beach residence; they are acquiring an asset that can deliver personal enjoyment, long-term appreciation, and a strong return on investment through short-term rental income.
One of the Emerald Coast’s greatest advantages is its accessibility. Many of our buyers are driving in from key markets throughout the Southeast, which gives the Florida Panhandle a distinct edge over destinations that require extensive air travel. Owners can enjoy spontaneous weekends, extended holidays, or quick coastal escapes while still benefiting from the property’s income-producing potential when they are not in residence.
That combination of accessibility, lifestyle, and investment performance is driving demand. Today’s luxury buyer views an Emerald Coast property as more than a second home — it is a strategic lifestyle investment capable of generating revenue, preserving wealth, and creating lasting value for generations.
Halfway through 2026 — is luxury real estate still the wealth preservation play it was a year ago, or are your clients starting to think about it differently?
Halfway through 2026, I believe luxury real estate is emerging as an even stronger wealth-preservation strategy than it was in 2025. Clients are not moving away from real estate; they are becoming more intentional about the assets they acquire and increasingly focused on properties that offer a combination of lifestyle value, long-term appreciation, income potential, and portfolio diversification.
We are seeing renewed buyer confidence as the economic outlook, employment market, and financial markets show positive momentum. Strength in the stock market can also create greater liquidity, giving affluent buyers the confidence to reposition gains into tangible assets with enduring value.
Today’s luxury client is thinking beyond simply owning an exceptional residence. They are evaluating how a property can preserve capital, generate a return on investment, provide personal enjoyment, and contribute to a multigenerational wealth strategy. In that respect, luxury real estate remains one of the most compelling wealth-preservation plays available — particularly in highly desirable, supply-constrained coastal markets such as Florida’s Emerald Coast.
If a luxury seller listed their home today versus waiting until September, what’s the honest difference in outcome they should expect?
For a luxury seller on the Emerald Coast, listing today offers a distinct advantage: immediate exposure during one of the most active periods for travel, tourism, and second-home buying. We are seeing increased momentum not only along the coast, but throughout the Southeast, including our Georgia markets. Stronger employment conditions and renewed consumer confidence are helping qualified buyers make decisions with greater conviction.
Summer also allows sellers to showcase the lifestyle at its absolute best. Buyers are visiting the region, experiencing the beaches and communities firsthand, and often arriving with a greater sense of urgency. That creates opportunities for stronger showing activity, more emotional connection to the property, and potentially greater negotiating leverage.
Waiting until September may mean entering the market after peak travel has slowed and some buyers have shifted their attention back to work, school, and year-end financial planning. The right property can certainly sell in any season, but sellers who list now have the opportunity to capitalize on today’s elevated visibility, buyer confidence, and vacation-driven demand rather than assuming those same conditions will be available in the fall.
Has the definition of a “good deal” in your luxury market shifted in the past six months — and what does one actually look like today?
The definition of a “good deal” has absolutely shifted over the past six months. During the winter, buyers often had greater leverage to negotiate more aggressively on price and terms. Today, many luxury property owners are generating strong returns during the peak rental season, which has reduced their motivation to discount.
As a result, a good deal is no longer defined solely by purchasing below asking price. In the current market, it may mean securing a highly desirable property with proven rental performance, favorable financing or closing-cost concessions, valuable furnishings, or the ability to preserve immediate income after closing.
For today’s luxury buyer, the strongest opportunity is a property that offers the right combination of location, lifestyle, long-term appreciation, and measurable return on investment. In a market where high-performing owners are not under pressure to sell, gaining access to the right asset at fair market value can be the deal.
Share one deal or moment from the past month that tells us something true about where luxury real estate is heading — something the numbers alone wouldn’t show.
One transaction that speaks volumes about the direction of the luxury market is a property we have scheduled to close on June 12 in Kelly Plantation, one of the Emerald Coast’s premier luxury communities. The home, which previously sold in June 2020 for $1,150,000, was recently listed at $1,599,000 and is closing very near its asking price.
What makes this transaction significant is not simply the sale price — it is the buyer’s willingness to move forward decisively on a well-positioned property in an established luxury community. Today’s affluent buyers are highly informed, but they are also prepared to pay for quality, location, privacy, and long-term value when the right opportunity becomes available.
This deal reflects what we are seeing beyond the statistics: confidence is returning, pricing is strengthening, and exceptional properties are continuing to command serious attention. Luxury real estate across the Emerald Coast and the broader Southeast is not standing still — it is gaining momentum.
Destin Lowery has spent more than 25 years as the Emerald Coast’s most trusted luxury real estate connection — and if this conversation is any indication, she is just getting started. Whether you are ready to buy, sell, invest, or simply explore what is possible along one of Florida’s most sought-after coastlines, Destin and the Southeast Luxury Agents Team are ready to go the extra mile.
For more information, please contact Destin Lowery at destinsellsdestinfla@gmail.com or 850 225 5009
Destin Lowery is the exclusive agents representing the Destin, FL, real estate market as members of the Haute Residence Real Estate Network. View all of their listings here.
