The Short Answer
No. In Miami condominium sales above $5 million, selling furnished did not raise the price per square foot.
I compared furnished and unfurnished residences inside the same building, at the same size. That produced 396 matched pairs. The median difference was 0.6%. Restricting it to fully furnished residences only, 251 pairs, the median difference was 0.1%, and exactly half the pairs came in higher. That is not a premium. That is noise.
Furnished residences did not sell faster either, and they did not close at a better share of asking price.
Across the whole market, furnished sales look 10% more expensive per square foot. That number is real and it is misleading. I call it the Furnishings Illusion, and the next section explains where it comes from.
What the Raw Numbers Look Like
These are closed sales above $5 million in Miami-Dade from January 2024 to September 2026, sorted by the MLS furnishings field.
| Furnishings status | Closed sales | Median sold $/SF | Median sold price | Median interior SF | Median CDOM | Sold to list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furnished | 158 | $2,472 | $7,650,000 | 3,398 | 168 | 93.6% |
| Partially furnished | 33 | $2,286 | $7,900,000 | 3,625 | 118 | 90.9% |
| Unfurnished | 350 | $2,246 | $7,200,000 | 3,581 | 181 | 93.3% |
Read straight, that table says furnished sells for 10% more per square foot. Most agents would quote it, and some sellers would spend $400,000 on furniture because of it.
It does not survive a control for the building.
The Furnishings Illusion
Furnished residences are not distributed evenly across Miami. They concentrate in hotel-attached and resort-service beachfront buildings, where an owner buys a second home and a designer delivers it complete. Several of those buildings carry the highest price per square foot in the market, for reasons that have nothing to do with sofas.
The furnished share by building makes the pattern obvious.
| Building | Completed | Closings above $5M | Share sold furnished or partially furnished | Median sold $/SF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach | 2015 | 8 | 100% | $3,053 |
| Estates at Acqualina, North Tower | 2023 | 15 | 60% | $2,144 |
| Turnberry Ocean Club | 2020 | 20 | 55% | $1,869 |
| Mansions at Acqualina | 2015 | 11 | 55% | $1,502 |
| The Surf Club, North Tower | 2017 | 15 | 53% | $4,677 |
| Continuum South Beach, South Tower | 2002 | 28 | 43% | $3,663 |
| 57 Ocean | 2021 | 8 | 25% | $3,654 |
| Five Park Miami Beach | 2024 | 18 | 0% | $2,557 |
| Aston Martin Residences | 2024 | 10 | 0% | $1,634 |
| Mr. C Residences Coconut Grove | 2024 | 9 | 0% | $2,371 |
1 Hotel & Homes is the clearest case. Every one of its eight closings above $5 million was furnished, because the building’s rental program effectively requires it. At the other end, three buildings recorded zero furnished closings, and all three delivered in 2024. In a first-resale market the seller is often an investor handing over an empty residence.
Age is not the driver. Continuum’s south tower was completed in 2002 and 43% of its closings were furnished. The north tower of Estates at Acqualina was completed in 2023 and 60% were furnished. What the two have in common is a resort service model, not a delivery date.
So the market-wide comparison is not measuring furniture. It is measuring which buildings people furnish. The same mistake appears in view labels and in building age, which I covered in Miami’s Most Valuable Condo Views 2026 and New vs. Older Miami Luxury Condos.
The Furniture Test: Same Building, Same Size
The correct test holds the building constant, then holds size constant, and lets only the furnishings status change.
Step one, same building. 17 buildings had at least three furnished and three unfurnished closings above $5 million. The median difference across those 17 buildings was +3%, and furnished came in higher in 12 of them. Already much smaller than 10%.
Step two, same building and similar size. Comparing each furnished residence only with unfurnished residences in its own building within 15% of the same interior square footage produced 396 pairs.
| Test | Comparisons | Median difference in sold $/SF | Share where furnished was higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market-wide, no controls | 541 closings | +10% | Not applicable |
| Same building | 17 buildings | +3% | 12 of 17 |
| Same building, similar size | 396 pairs | +0.6% | 52% |
| Same building, similar size, fully furnished only | 251 pairs | +0.1% | 50% |
The premium disappears as the controls tighten. At the tightest control, half the furnished residences sold for more per square foot and half sold for less. That is the definition of no effect.
Two buildings ran against the pattern in both directions and are worth naming. At Oceana Bal Harbour, 10201 Collins, furnished closings ran 35% above unfurnished, but the furnished residences were also 43% larger, so size is doing that work. At Turnberry Ocean Club, furnished closings ran 8% below unfurnished. In a market with a real furniture premium, that does not happen.
Does Furnished Sell Faster?
This is the claim I expected to survive. It did not.
Across the whole market, furnished residences took a median of 160 days on market and unfurnished took 181. Inside the same building, furnished closings ran a median of 14 days faster. Both of those look like support for turnkey.
Then hold size constant. Across 325 size-matched pairs in the same building, the furnished residence took a median of 23 days longer, and only 47% of furnished residences sold faster than their unfurnished comparable. The effect reverses, which means there is no reliable effect to measure.
Negotiation is the same story. Furnished residences closed at a median of 93.4% of list price and unfurnished at 93.3%. In both groups, 29% of sales closed 10% or more below list. Furniture did not protect a single point of price.
What the MLS Field Cannot See
Before a seller concludes that furniture is worthless, here is what this data does not capture.
- Quality is not recorded. A $1.5 million interior by a named designer and a builder-grade package both appear in the MLS as “Furnished.” If quality drives a premium, this field cannot detect it.
- Furniture is often sold separately. At this level, a furniture package is frequently transferred by a separate bill of sale outside the recorded purchase price. That value would never appear in sold price per square foot.
- Renovation is a different variable. In older buildings, the furnished residence is often the renovated one. The test above cannot separate new furniture from a new kitchen.
- Developer-furnished new towers are a category of their own. Several pre-construction buildings now include a designer package in the purchase price, so there is no unfurnished comparable to measure against.
- Staging is not furnishing. Staging a vacant residence for photography is a marketing cost, and this analysis says nothing about it.
What the data does say is narrower and still useful: at the closing table, the MLS furnishings designation by itself carries no measurable price or speed advantage above $5 million.
Then Why Do Sellers Keep Hearing Otherwise?
Because two other patterns look like a furniture premium.
First, the building mix explained above. Second, vintage. Split the closings by when the building was completed and the numbers look dramatic.
| Building completed | Furnished closings | Furnished $/SF | Unfurnished closings | Unfurnished $/SF | Apparent premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before 2010 | 62 | $2,589 | 105 | $2,053 | +26% |
| 2010 to 2018 | 75 | $2,867 | 107 | $2,437 | +18% |
| 2019 or later | 52 | $2,109 | 112 | $2,274 | -7% |
In older buildings the furnished residences look 18% to 26% stronger. In buildings delivered since 2019 they look 7% weaker. Neither column holds the building constant, so both are mix effects, not furniture effects. In an older building, the residence that comes furnished is usually the one that was recently redone. In a new building, the furnished residence is usually an investor exit.
That is why the same-building, same-size test matters. It is the only version of this comparison that answers the question a seller actually asked.
What This Means for Sellers
Do not buy furniture to raise your sale price. There is no evidence in 541 closings above $5 million that it works. A $300,000 package bought for resale purposes is a $300,000 cost with no measurable return in price per square foot.
Do price the furniture separately if a buyer wants it. A bill of sale keeps the furniture value out of your price per square foot, which protects the comparable you are setting for your own building.
Do use furnishings as a tiebreaker, not as a price argument. If two residences are otherwise equal, turnkey may win the buyer. It will not win a higher number.
Spend the money on what the data does reward. In this dataset, position, floor, view corridor and residence scarcity move price. I measured each of those in the Irreplaceability Premium, the views analysis and the penthouse same-building test.
What This Means for Buyers
Do not pay a premium for the furniture. If a seller asks 10% more per square foot than comparable residences in the building because the residence is furnished, the market has not supported that since at least January 2024.
Ask what is actually included, in writing. “Furnished” in the MLS covers everything from a complete designer interior to a bed and a dining table. Get an inventory before the price discussion.
Value it as a convenience, and price it as used furniture. A turnkey residence saves months of work and often a six-figure design budget. That is worth something to you. It is not worth a higher price per square foot in a resale market.
Check whether the furnished unit is also the renovated unit. In older buildings it usually is, and the renovation is the part that holds value.
For current inventory, including turnkey residences, see Miami Penthouses & Estates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do furnished condos sell for more in Miami?
Not above $5 million. Comparing furnished with unfurnished residences in the same building at a similar size, across 396 matched pairs, the median difference in sold price per square foot was 0.6%. For fully furnished residences only, 251 pairs, it was 0.1%, with half the pairs higher and half lower.
Why do furnished Miami condos appear to sell for 10% more per square foot?
Because of which buildings furnish. Furnished sales concentrate in hotel-attached and resort-service beachfront buildings such as 1 Hotel & Homes, The Surf Club, Acqualina and Continuum, several of which carry the market’s highest price per square foot for reasons of position and pedigree. Three buildings in the data recorded zero furnished closings above $5 million, including Five Park with 18, and all three delivered in 2024.
Should I sell my Miami condo furnished?
Offer it if you already own the furniture and do not want to move it, and price the furniture separately by bill of sale. Do not buy furniture in order to sell. In this data it produced no measurable gain in price or in time on market.
Do furnished condos sell faster?
The evidence does not support it. Furnished residences took a median of 160 days on market against 181 for unfurnished, but once compared with residences of similar size in the same building, the furnished residence took a median of 23 days longer, and only 47% sold faster than their comparable.
Does furnished help a seller hold their asking price?
No. Furnished residences closed at a median of 93.4% of list price and unfurnished at 93.3%. In both groups, 29% of sales closed 10% or more below list.
Should a buyer pay extra for a turnkey Miami condo?
Treat it as convenience rather than value. A turnkey residence can save months of work and a large design budget, which is worth money to a buyer with a deadline. The resale market has not paid a premium for it.
Buying or Selling a Furnished Miami Condominium?
What a residence is worth cannot be reduced to the furnishings box in the MLS. It depends on the building, the line and floor, the view corridor, the condition of the kitchen and baths, how many comparable residences are for sale in the building right now, and how the furniture is structured in the contract.
If you’re evaluating a residence at The Surf Club, Continuum, Acqualina, Turnberry Ocean Club, Oceana Bal Harbour, Five Park or any Miami luxury tower, contact Ashton Coleman for a property-specific comparison using recent closed sales and current competing inventory.
Explore current listings on Miami Penthouses & Estates.
📞 305.978.7704
📧 AColeman@onesothebysrealty.com
About the Market Data
This analysis uses a Southeast Florida MLS (SEFMLS) export of Miami-Dade condominium closings above $5 million from January 1, 2024 to September 17, 2026. After removing one duplicate transaction it contains 564 closed sales. 546 report a sold price per square foot, and 541 of those also carry a furnishings designation, which is the working sample.
“Furnished” in the tests means the MLS field reads Furnished or Partially Furnished, except where the text specifies fully furnished only. The field is a designation entered by the listing agent. It records no information about the quality, age or value of the furniture.
The same-building test uses buildings with at least three closings on each side. The size-matched test compares each furnished residence only with unfurnished residences in the same building within 15% of the same interior square footage, which produces multiple comparisons for some residences. Buildings were matched by street address, so towers with separate addresses are treated separately.
Price per square foot counts interior space only. Sold-to-list uses the list price on the closed record, which may be a reduced price rather than the original asking price. Days on market is cumulative days on market as reported in the MLS, which resets in some relisting situations. Active listings in this export do not carry a furnishings designation, so this analysis covers closed sales only. MLS information is believed accurate but is not guaranteed.
Disclaimer
Information is provided for informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice. Real estate statistics, listings and sales information should be independently verified. Nothing contained herein constitutes legal, tax, financial or investment advice. Buyers and sellers should consult appropriate professional advisors before making real estate decisions.
