Highlands County Commercial Real Estate
Sebring and Avon Park — a lake-rich interior market driven by retirees, the Sebring Raceway, and agricultural land. Barrett Henry, REMAX Collective.
Quick Answer: What is Highlands County commercial real estate about?
Highlands County is an inland Florida market anchored by Sebring (county seat) and Avon Park, with a commercial landscape driven by its large retirement and seasonal population, lake-oriented recreation, the Sebring International Raceway, and an agricultural economy. Healthcare-anchored retail, hospitality, and agricultural land are the primary commercial investment categories.
Highlands County Commercial Real Estate Market Overview
Highlands County occupies a distinctive position in central Florida's lake country. Surrounded by dozens of lakes — including access to Lake Istokpoga, one of Florida's largest — the county draws a substantial retirement and seasonal resident population that creates steady demand for healthcare services, retail, and hospitality. Sebring, the county seat, is the dominant commercial center; Avon Park provides a secondary commercial base to the north.
What makes Highlands County commercially interesting is the combination of a stable retirement demographic, a notable annual motorsport event that brings national visitors, and agricultural land at accessible price points compared to coastal Florida. Compare this to the larger commercial base in Polk County to the north, or the Gulf Coast markets of Sarasota and Charlotte County to the west, and you can see where Highlands fits: a quieter, more specialized market with specific niches that reward targeted investment.
Active Commercial Areas
Sebring — US-27 Corridor and Downtown
The county seat contains Highlands County's strongest concentration of retail, medical office, and service commercial. US-27 is the primary commercial spine. The downtown Sebring circle (a distinctive roundabout-centered historic downtown) has seen some independent retail and food-and-beverage activity alongside established service businesses.
Avon Park
Secondary commercial center along US-27 to the north. Retail and services for the northern part of the county and the Avon Park Air Force Range community.
Sebring International Raceway Zone
Hotels and hospitality properties near the raceway benefit from the Twelve Hours of Sebring event in March and year-round track activity. This is a specific niche within the county's commercial market.
Agricultural Land Throughout the County
Citrus groves (with the caveat of greening disease pressures), cattle pasture, and row crop land throughout the rural county. Lake-adjacent land commands premiums for residential and recreational uses.
Active Property Types
Healthcare & Medical Office
The retirement and aging population creates consistent demand for medical office, urgent care, specialist practices, and healthcare-anchored retail. This is the fastest-growing commercial category in Highlands County.
Retail & Service Commercial
Grocery-anchored centers, strip centers, and standalone buildings along US-27 in Sebring and Avon Park serving the resident base. Demand is stable and driven by local necessity rather than population growth.
Hospitality & Short-Term Rentals
Hotels, motels, and lodging properties benefit from the Sebring Raceway event calendar and lake-front recreation. Investors in this category need to understand the seasonal demand pattern.
Agricultural & Recreational Land
Cattle pasture, citrus, and lake-adjacent land. Agricultural land at lower per-acre costs than coastal Florida, with recreational and lake-front parcels commanding meaningful premiums.
Demand Drivers
Retirement and Aging Population
Highlands County has consistently attracted retirees and seasonal residents seeking Florida's climate at lower cost than coastal markets. This demographic is the strongest driver of commercial demand — healthcare services, pharmacy, grocery, and personal care retail all see sustained demand from an aging population. For investors evaluating medical office, compare Highlands County to what is happening in the broader Florida medical office market.
Sebring Raceway and Motorsport Tourism
The Twelve Hours of Sebring is one of the most storied endurance races in North American motorsport, held annually in March. It draws tens of thousands of spectators and participants to a county that has a small year-round population — generating significant hospitality, food-and-beverage, and service demand during the event window. Hospitality operators in Sebring benefit from this built-in annual traffic spike alongside their year-round base.
Lake-Oriented Recreation and Tourism
Highlands County's lakes — particularly Lake Istokpoga, one of Florida's top bass fishing destinations — generate recreation-driven commercial demand for outfitters, boat storage, lodging, and food-and-beverage. This is similar in character to the lake-driven demand in Glades County around Lake Okeechobee, though Highlands County has a more developed retail and service base supporting it.
Agricultural Land Investment
Citrus and cattle land in Highlands County represents an accessible entry point for agricultural land investors who want central Florida exposure at lower per-acre costs than coastal or Tampa Bay corridor markets. Greening disease has changed the citrus calculus significantly — buyers should conduct thorough due diligence on any grove properties. Pastoral land for cattle is generally more straightforward to underwrite.
How Barrett Henry Works Highlands County
Barrett approaches Highlands County with 23+ years of Florida commercial real estate experience as a Broker Associate at REMAX Collective. He evaluates healthcare-anchored retail, hospitality properties, and agricultural land with honest market assessment and statewide pricing context. His value is connecting buyers, sellers, and operators with the right opportunities — not inflating expectations in a market where depth is limited.
- Healthcare and Medical Office:Evaluating and marketing medical office and healthcare retail assets aligned with Highlands County's aging demographic demand through his investment sales services.
- Hospitality and Lake-Front Properties: Understanding the seasonal demand patterns and operator requirements for hotel and lodging assets near the raceway and on Highlands County lakes.
- Agricultural and Recreational Land: Connecting buyers and sellers in the cattle, citrus, and lake-adjacent land market through relationship-driven introductions.
Barrett works across all of Florida's commercial real estate markets. Contact him at (813) 733-7907 or through the contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions: Highlands County Commercial Real Estate
What drives commercial real estate demand in Highlands County?
Highlands County's commercial demand stems from several distinct sources: a large and growing retirement and seasonal resident population that drives healthcare, retail, and service demand; the annual Twelve Hours of Sebring motorsport event that generates hospitality and food-and-beverage activity; agricultural operations (citrus, cattle, row crops) in the rural parts of the county; and the lake-oriented recreation economy around Lake Istokpoga, Lake Okeechobee access, and the many smaller lakes throughout the county.
What property types are most active in Highlands County?
Healthcare and medical office is the fastest-growing category, driven by the county's aging demographic. Retail and service commercial in Sebring and Avon Park serves a steady residential base. Hospitality properties — hotels, lodges, and short-term rentals — see demand from the Sebring Raceway event calendar and lake-front tourism. Agricultural land (citrus, cattle) remains a significant transaction category in the rural parts of the county.
Is the Sebring Raceway a meaningful commercial opportunity?
The Sebring International Raceway hosts the Twelve Hours of Sebring, one of the oldest and most prestigious sports car endurance races in North America, held annually in March. The event draws significant visitor traffic to Highlands County, generating short-term hospitality and food-and-beverage demand. Operators within the hospitality and tourism sector should factor this seasonal peak into their business planning. The raceway itself also generates year-round track rental and motorsport event activity beyond the annual main event.
How does Highlands County compare to Polk County for commercial investment?
Polk County is significantly more commercially developed — Lakeland, Winter Haven, and the I-4 corridor provide a deeper market with more investor activity, higher transaction volume, and a broader range of commercial property types. Highlands County has a smaller market with tighter inventory, less competition for acquisitions, and a demographic profile (older, retirement-oriented) that suits healthcare, service retail, and hospitality investors specifically. Cap rates in Highlands County have historically been somewhat higher than Polk County given the smaller market and lower liquidity.
How does Barrett Henry serve Highlands County commercial clients?
Barrett works Highlands County as part of his statewide Florida commercial practice. As a Broker Associate at REMAX Collective with 23+ years of experience, he helps investors evaluate healthcare-anchored retail, hospitality properties, and agricultural land in Highlands County. He also represents tenants and landlords in the Sebring and Avon Park commercial markets. His value is honest market assessment, statewide pricing context, and qualified buyer and tenant introductions.
Talk to Barrett About Highlands County
Whether you are evaluating medical office, a hospitality property near the Sebring Raceway, or agricultural land in Highlands County, Barrett provides honest market assessment and professional execution. Fill out the form and he will follow up directly.
Last updated: August 2026
Ready to Talk Commercial Real Estate in Highlands County?
Barrett Henry brings statewide Florida context and market expertise to healthcare-anchored retail, hospitality, and agricultural land opportunities in Highlands County.