Port Royal is Florida’s next spot for wealthy buyers

Port Royal, a secluded corner of Naples, Florida, is fast becoming one of the country’s most exclusive neighborhoods to live — where pastel-toned mansions line man-made peninsulas and sales are setting records on par with Palm Beach and Malibu.

In February, a bayfront property with new construction traded for $85 million, the highest sum ever paid for a non-beachfront house in Collier County. Businessman and philanthropist David Hoffmann was the buyer.

That same month, a three-parcel compound on 15 acres sold off-market for a stratospheric $225 million, securing the most expensive residential deal in Florida history and second place nationally. The seller is tied to the billionaire DeGroote family of Canada, but the buyer still remains unknown.

Those transactions cemented Port Royal’s status as one of the few enclaves capable of producing nine-figure sales, according to Mansion Global. 

The neighborhood traces its origins to the 1950s, when advertising executive-turned-developer John Glenn Sample envisioned a luxury waterfront community carved out of swampland. 

“When Sample first laid eyes on the swamplands, he saw potential. Others saw mangroves and mosquitoes,” Maggie Ives, a global real estate adviser at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, told Mansion Global. 

What he built, she added, was more than a neighborhood. 

“He was creating a statement, a sanctuary for those who shared his drive to do what others thought impossible.”

Today, Port Royal counts roughly 500 to 600 custom homes, many in British West Indies or Island Colonial styles. 

The setting, with manicured grounds and native palms, “is like a private friendly botanical retreat,” Ives said. 

Properties typically include private boat docks, resort pools, outdoor pavilions and wine cellars, among other amenities.

The median sale price stood at a cool $16.4 million in June. 

Ives said that waterfront residences often range from $10 million to $30 million, while the larger estates can reach $50 million or more. 

According to Compass agent Joe Belz, “The sweet spot for new builds is $20 million to $45 million.”

Prices have accelerated sharply in recent years. 

“Unique lots and homesites will yield a higher demand and price,” Lauren Brooker, a principal of Brooker McMurray Group at Compass, told Mansion Global. She noted that beachfront parcels continue to command premium pricing.

Ives said she expects Port Royal values to climb at least 4% to 5% annually through 2026, with gains potentially as high as 6% to 7%. 

The scheduled reopening of the Port Royal Club in 2026 could drive an additional 5% to 10% boost between late 2025 and mid-2026.

Although fewer than 40 properties are usually for sale at one time, supply has loosened slightly. 

Ives said that “many listings have seen price adjustments, particularly those above $25 million or without gulf access,” and that average marketing time now runs about six months. Even so, the overall trajectory remains upward.

Over the past five years, values in Port Royal have climbed about 60%. Belz attributed the surge to limited supply and growing international interest.

“Constraints on buildable waterfront property, favorable tax advantages [there is no state income tax for individuals in the Sunshine State] and high global interest support long-term growth,” he said.