Fashion Stylist to Luxury Real Estate: Sheila Clark on Florida's Market Shift

Written by:

Steve Marcinuk

Date:

06 Jun 2025

Share

Share via Facebook

Share via Linkedin

Share via X

Copy to clipboard

“Buyers now believe that $50,000 below asking is the new norm,” says Sheila Clark, REALTOR® and Certified Luxury Specialist with the Sheila Clark Team at LPT Realty, describing the dramatic shift in buyer behavior on Florida’s Treasure Coast.

Sheila’s journey from fashion stylist to real estate expert offers a unique lens on Florida’s rapidly changing market. After a 40-year career in New York’s fashion and set design industry, she brought her creative eye to real estate in 2018, just in time to witness the market’s wild ride from pre-pandemic balance through the buying frenzy of 2020-2022, and into today’s buyer-dominated landscape.

From Fashion Sets to Home Staging

“My husband and I can enter a house that others dismiss as undesirable, and we immediately recognize its potential. We visualize what it could become,” Sheila explains, describing how her design background translated perfectly to real estate.

This vision became her competitive advantage. In her early days as an agent, Sheila would completely transform homes before listing them, using homeowners’ existing furnishings.

“I would remove all their pictures, rearrange their furniture, and eliminate unnecessary items,” she recalls. “I can do this efficiently because of my years creating sets, so it comes naturally to me.”

The results often surprised even the homeowners. “Many clients have told me, ‘We didn’t need to move, we just needed you to declutter our house,'” she says. One client was so impressed she temporarily pulled her listing, explaining, “Don’t be upset. I will sell eventually, but it looks so nice that I need to enjoy it for a little while.”

Though her busy schedule now prevents her from personally staging every listing, Sheila maintains a staging company exclusively for her properties, ensuring her design expertise remains a cornerstone of her business.

The Treasure Coast: Florida’s Undiscovered Gem

Serving Florida’s Treasure Coast, primarily Martin and St. Lucie counties, extending from Jupiter to Vero Beach, Sheila specializes in single-family homes and has recently become certified as a luxury agent.

“The Treasure Coast remains somewhat undiscovered in Florida,” she notes. “Most people aren’t familiar with it unless they know a resident.” Yet Port St. Lucie, where she’s based, is “one of the fastest growing cities in Florida,” with significant construction activity.

Despite this growth, the market has undergone a dramatic transformation. “We currently have a six-month supply for buyers,” Sheila explains. “The market has transitioned from the height of a seller’s market in 2021 to what is now clearly a buyer’s market.”

The $50,000 Discount Expectation

Perhaps the most striking change is in buyer behavior. “Today’s buyers avoid properties needing improvements. They expect move-in ready homes. They’re reluctant to paint or make minor repairs. They no longer appreciate untapped potential.”

Even more remarkable is the shift in negotiation tactics. “Previously, offers might come in $10,000-$20,000 below asking price. Now, buyers routinely offer $50,000 below asking with minimal justification,” Sheila reveals. On a $500,000 property, that represents a 10% discount from the asking price.

She cites a recent example: “I have a property listed on a golf course with an exceptional swimming pool in one of the city’s premier neighborhoods. After reducing the price to $545,000, I received an offer of $490,000.”

Surprisingly, these aggressive negotiators aren’t primarily out-of-state buyers or investors—they’re locals looking to change their living situations, perhaps downsizing or escaping HOA restrictions.

Sellers Facing Reality

The seller side faces equally significant challenges. While many homeowners remain reluctant to exchange their 3% mortgages for today’s rates approaching 7%, other pressures are forcing sales.

“Many people who purchased homes in 2022 and 2023 now struggle with affordability.” Rising insurance costs and HOA fees in Florida have created unexpected financial burdens. “For various reasons, numerous recent buyers are now selling at a loss or barely breaking even, which comes as a shock to them.”

Financial necessity is driving much of the current market activity. “This year marked the first time I’ve seen so many moves motivated by financial necessity or career opportunities,” Sheila notes. “More people are relocating to central Florida seeking more affordable housing.”

Many sellers haven’t adjusted to the new reality. “They don’t realize that adopting a ‘no rush’ attitude ultimately works against them.” The consequences of overpricing can be severe: “In this market, properties not sold within 30-60 days face significant challenges. After 60 days, buyer perception changes dramatically. They assume something is wrong with the property and feel justified in submitting lowball offers.”

Her advice to sellers is direct: “Trust an experienced agent who has demonstrated your home’s value through comparable sales. Avoid overpricing. Extended market time only damages your position.”

The Condo Opportunity

Despite these challenges, Sheila sees significant opportunities for investors—particularly in the condo market, which has been especially impacted by the aftermath of the Surfside condo collapse in Miami.

“New milestone inspection requirements have increased costs substantially. Condos need larger reserves, while HOA fees have increased due to higher insurance premiums,” Sheila explains.

These factors have driven prices down dramatically. “I’ve recently sold two beautiful oceanfront condos at remarkably low prices,” she says. “For investors who can identify properties with reasonable HOA fees and healthy reserves, the current market offers excellent opportunities.”

She recently evaluated a “two-for-one” condo investment opportunity, a unit with both a 400-square-foot efficiency apartment and a 1,200-square-foot condo. “Our financial analysis was impressive. A $250,000 investment yielded a $2,000 monthly profit, representing an excellent return.”

For investors with cash or alternative financing, these price reductions present uncommon opportunities. “This environment strongly favors investors because prices have decreased significantly, and many investors aren’t affected by mortgage rates since they utilize cash or hard money lending.”

A Market in Transition

As Florida’s real estate market continues to evolve, Sheila sees buyers carefully monitoring both property prices and mortgage rates before making decisions.

“They’re tracking specific properties on Zillow,” Clark says. “They’re observing both declining home prices and mortgage rate trends before committing.”

For now, the Treasure Coast remains a region with significant investment potential, particularly for those who can recognize value where others see challenges, much like Sheila herself, who built her real estate career on identifying potential in overlooked properties.

“This area continues to offer substantial investment opportunities,” she concludes, highlighting the continued growth potential in this “undiscovered gem” of Florida real estate.