Employment growth, household formation, and in-migration support Orlando’s positive long-term housing outlook. Employment diversification, including strength in the hospitality, aerospace, defense, healthcare, and technology sectors, also provides a foundation for future growth in the nation’s seventh-largest, new-home market.
The near-term picture is more mixed for Orlando. Zonda’s Orlando Dealmakers event will highlight the forces supporting Orlando’s future growth while examining the housing and economic trends that have emerged in 2026.
In September, Orlando saw a joint investment from the Space Force and the University of Central Florida. The partnership will establish the U.S. Space Force’s innovation arm’s East Coast campus in Central Florida, strengthening the region’s aerospace and defense employment sectors.
Construction also began in September on Orlando’s mixed-use RoseArts District, projected to include more than 5,500 residences.
Despite those green shoots, economic conditions in Orlando remain mixed. Hotel performance has been uneven for the popular tourism destination, while slowing job growth and an unemployment rate reaching 4.6% in August point to a cooling labor market. Business conditions have also declined, with the latest quarterly assessment from the Orlando Economic Partnership finding that rising costs are now a top concern for firms. These pressures could weigh on hiring and investment decisions for businesses.
On the housing front, affordability challenges could continue to put pressure on future demand despite the continued investment across the region. Observed new-home starts and closings have both declined on a year-over-year basis, while the median new-home price remains nearly $50,000 above the median existing-home price in Orlando.
At the Orlando Dealmakers event, Zonda advisory experts Susan Heffron, Ali Wolf, Nicollette Chapman, and Tim Sullivan will provide a national and regional perspective. Leaders from Park Square Homes, Toll Brothers, DRB Group, Hartizen Homes, and Tavistock Development Co. will share insights from on the ground in Orlando.
The Orlando Dealmakers event will take place on October 29 at The Alford Inn in Winter Park. Register here.
