St. Andrew, St. Ann, and St. Catherine drive demand
New data from the Realtors Association of Jamaica (RAJ) Multiple Listing Service (MLS) show that Jamaica’s real estate market remains buoyant, generating nearly J$100 billion in property sales in 2025 despite the economic fallout triggered by the impact of Hurricane Melissa.
The parishes of St. Andrew, St. Ann and St. Catherine accounted for the lion’s share of total property sales, which amounted to J$99.3 billion over the period.
The data show a market driven by a mix of urban demand and tourism-related investment, reinforcing real estate as a key pillar of Jamaica’s economic growth.
“What we are seeing is a dual-market dynamic,” said Roger Allen, Second Vice-President of the RAJ and Chair of the MLS Committee. “On one hand, we have high-volume urban markets, and on the other, high-value, tourism-driven parishes generating strong returns with fewer transactions.”
2025 Parish Performance Highlights
- St. Andrew: J$41.17B from 1,727 transactions (highest revenue and volume nationally).
- St. Ann: J$27.36B, fuelled by strong tourism-related demand.
- St. Catherine: J$11.71B from 700 transactions, reflecting major residential expansion.
- Westmoreland: J$6.86B from just 52 high-value transactions.
- St. Mary: J$3.40B, reflecting growing investor interest.
- Manchester: J$2.36B, supported by steady residential activity.
- St. Thomas: J$96.2M, the weakest-performing parish in 2025.
While most parishes closed fewer transactions compared to 2024, several generated higher revenues; a clear indication of rising property values in key markets. And while most parishes closed fewer transactions compared to 2024, several generated higher revenues — a clear indication of rising property values in key markets.
Parishes that saw higher revenues in 2025 versus 2024 despite fewer transactions included St. Catherine, Westmoreland, St. Ann and St. Mary.
St. Andrew, while leading nationally, recorded a slight decline in both transaction volume and total revenues when compared to 2024. “St. Andrew’s dominance is not surprising, but the scale of its lead is significant,” Allen noted. “The Corporate Area remains the engine of real estate activity. The bigger question is how we unlock sustained growth across other parishes.”
Infrastructure Driving Property Values
The MLS data reinforce the link between infrastructure expansion and property appreciation. “Highway expansion and urban development projects consistently increase land values and accelerate both residential and commercial growth,” Allen explained.
Areas benefiting from improved road networks, utilities, schools, hospitals and commercial expansion, including Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Catherine, St. James and sections of Clarendon, continue to attract strong buyer demand and investment activity.
Rentals Contribute J$772 Million
In addition to property sales, the rental market generated J$772 million between January and December 2025. St. Andrew, St. Catherine and St. Ann led rental revenues, while Westmoreland recorded the highest growth rate in the rental segment, underscoring increasing demand in resort and second-home markets.
MLS Data Supports National Housing Planning
The MLS data are compiled from transaction reports submitted by approximately 2,000 registered realtors islandwide. The figures do not include direct developer sales or private transactions outside the MLS system.
Allen emphasised the broader economic importance of the data: “Our MLS platform provides real-time visibility into pricing trends, buyer demand, inventory shortages and transaction patterns. This information is critical for identifying underserved housing markets, affordability gaps and infrastructure priorities.”
The data, Allen said, can be leveraged to guide national housing strategies and unlock growth in underrepresented parishes. “Our MLS data provides real-time visibility into pricing trends, buyer demand, inventory shortages, and transaction patterns. This helps policymakers identify underserved housing markets, affordability gaps, and infrastructure priorities. Reliable MLS data can support the National Housing Trust (NHT) planning, private development targeting, and better resource allocation for housing expansion in underrepresented parishes.”
Allen noted that the data underscores the need for more strategic, data-informed decision-making across the sector, particularly in relation to infrastructure, housing development, and investment planning.
“If we want a more balanced and resilient real estate market, we have to pay attention to what the data is telling us,” Allen said. “There is massive potential in emerging parishes but unlocking that potential will require coordinated action across both public and private sectors. The long-term result is a combination of faster sales and a more investable, bankable, and globally competitive Jamaican property market.”
Syndicated from Our Today · originally published .
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