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New Home Insights Podcast

New Home Insights Podcast

Lakewood Ranch: Long Game Master Plan Strategy | Sunshine State Edition

Oct 16, 2026 · 47 min · 13 segments

The New Home Insights Podcast On the Road: Sunshine State Edition continues at Lakewood Ranch, the second stop on our tour of Florida’s best master plans. Dean Wehrli sits down with Rex Jensen…

The New Home Insights Podcast On the Road: Sunshine State Edition continues at Lakewood Ranch, the second stop on our tour of Florida’s best master plans. Dean Wehrli sits down with Rex Jensen, President and CEO of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, and Laura Cole, Senior Vice President of Lakewood Ranch, to trace how a family-owned ranch and shell mine became a city of 80,000 residents and the region’s economic engine. They cover long-term financing matched to absorption, the Stewardship District, village-by-village builder curation, workforce housing alongside multimillion-dollar homes, nearly half the land set aside as open space, and why patient capital and execution keep Lakewood Ranch among the nation’s best-selling master plans.

The New Home Insights Podcast On the Road: Sunshine State Edition continues at Lakewood Ranch, the second stop on our tour of Florida’s best master plans. Dean Wehrli sits down with Rex Jensen…

Speakers: Rex JensenGuestDean WehrliHostLaura ColeGuest

Top entities: Lakewood Ranch×40 Rex E. Jensen×16 Florida×11 Sarasota×8 Manatee County

Lakewood Ranch by the Numbers4:04 – 6:20

Dean WehrliHost

4:04

And it, it's...

Dean WehrliHost

4:05

But, and, and it's not like-

Rex JensenGuest

4:06

Yeah.

Dean WehrliHost

4:06

Lakewood Ranch is huge scope.

Rex JensenGuest

4:09

Mm.

Dean WehrliHost

4:09

But as we were touring today, you notice very quickly that it doesn't feel crowded.

Dean WehrliHost

4:12

It doesn't feel congested or anything like that, even though a lot of folks live here.

Dean WehrliHost

4:16

So tell us about how many units are maybe here now.

Dean WehrliHost

4:19

How many residential units? How much commercial? Just kind of the big picture, I guess, stats about Lakewood Ranch.

Rex JensenGuest

4:24

Well, jump in, uh, Laura-

L

Laura ColeGuest

4:25

Mm-hmm

Rex JensenGuest

4:25

... because I probably won't get some of this right-

Dean WehrliHost

4:27

[laughs]

Rex JensenGuest

4:27

... because I don't think in these terms.

Dean WehrliHost

4:29

Okay.

Rex JensenGuest

4:29

But we have 80,000 people who live here today.

Dean WehrliHost

4:32

Right now.

Rex JensenGuest

4:32

Humans.

Dean WehrliHost

4:33

Yeah.

Rex JensenGuest

4:33

And then you've got cocker spaniels and-

Dean WehrliHost

4:35

Yes.

Dean WehrliHost

4:36

[laughs]

Rex JensenGuest

4:36

... other accoutrements to that.

Rex JensenGuest

4:38

Uh, when you drive through Lakewood Ranch, you don't s- get the sense that 80,000 people live on the other side of the berm.

Rex JensenGuest

4:47

Uh, it, I think it's been planned in a, a, a way that accommodates that very well.

Lakewood RanchCityCensus-designated place in Florida
98%40 mentions
Rex E. JensenPerson
93%16 mentions
FloridaAdministrative AreaUS state
89%11 mentions
SarasotaCityCity in Florida
85%8 mentions
Manatee CountyAdministrative AreaUS county in Florida
80%1 mention
United StatesCountryCountry in North America
76%2 mentions
realtor.comEntityWebsite
72%1 mention
Sarasota CountyAdministrative AreaCounty in Florida
67%2 mentions
Sarasota Polo ClubEntity
63%1 mention
Fraggle RockTV SeriesComedy series
59%1 mention
Homeowner associationEntityOrganization type
54%2 mentions
The DoozersTV SeriesAnimated series
50%1 mention
The Out-of-Door AcademyEntityCollege-preparatory school on Siesta Key, Florida
46%3 mentions
Ruth's Chris Steak HouseRestaurantSteak house company
41%2 mentions
Homes.comCompanyReal estate company
37%1 mention
Siesta KeyPlaceCity in Florida
33%1 mention
BradentonCityCity in Florida
28%1 mention
The GraduateMovie1967 film
24%1 mention
Uber TechnologyCompanyTransport company
20%1 mention
ChicagoCityCity in Illinois
15%1 mention
BostonCityCity in Massachusetts
9%1 mention
MarylandAdministrative AreaUS state
9%1 mention
University of FloridaCollege or UniversityLand-grant university in Gainesville, Florida
2%1 mention

Large-Scale Community DevelopmentReal Estate > Master-Planned Communities
Lakewood RanchReal Estate > Master-Planned Communities > Large-Scale Community Development
Florida master-planned city-like developmentReal Estate > Master-Planned Communities > Large-Scale Community Development > Lakewood Ranch
Development StrategyBusiness > Real Estate Development
Land-use diversification and phased absorptionBusiness > Real Estate Development > Development Strategy
Lakewood Ranch residential-commercial growth modelBusiness > Real Estate Development > Development Strategy > Land-use diversification and phased absorption
Infrastructure FinancingFinance > Real Estate Finance
Long-term capital aligned with housing absorptionFinance > Real Estate Finance > Infrastructure Financing
Special Assessment DistrictsGovernment > Local Governance
Stewardship DistrictsGovernment > Local Governance > Special Assessment Districts
Conservation PlanningEnvironment > Sustainable Development
Real Estate FinanceFinance
Real Estate DevelopmentBusiness
Master-Planned CommunitiesReal Estate
Local GovernanceGovernment
Sustainable DevelopmentEnvironment
Environment
Government
Business
Finance
Real Estate

Lakewood Ranch by the Numbers4:04 – 6:20

Dean WehrliHost

4:04

And it, it's...

Dean WehrliHost

4:05

But, and, and it's not like-

Rex JensenGuest

4:06

Yeah.

Dean WehrliHost

4:06

Lakewood Ranch is huge scope.

Rex JensenGuest

4:09

Mm.

Dean WehrliHost

4:09

But as we were touring today, you notice very quickly that it doesn't feel crowded.

Dean WehrliHost

4:12

It doesn't feel congested or anything like that, even though a lot of folks live here.

Dean WehrliHost

4:16

So tell us about how many units are maybe here now.

Dean WehrliHost

4:19

How many residential units? How much commercial? Just kind of the big picture, I guess, stats about Lakewood Ranch.

Rex JensenGuest

4:24

Well, jump in, uh, Laura-

L

Laura ColeGuest

4:25

Mm-hmm

Rex JensenGuest

4:25

... because I probably won't get some of this right-

Dean WehrliHost

4:27

[laughs]

Rex JensenGuest

4:27

... because I don't think in these terms.

Dean WehrliHost

4:29

Okay.

Rex JensenGuest

4:29

But we have 80,000 people who live here today.

Dean WehrliHost

4:32

Right now.

Rex JensenGuest

4:32

Humans.

Dean WehrliHost

4:33

Yeah.

Rex JensenGuest

4:33

And then you've got cocker spaniels and-

Dean WehrliHost

4:35

Yes.

Dean WehrliHost

4:36

[laughs]

Rex JensenGuest

4:36

... other accoutrements to that.

Rex JensenGuest

4:38

Uh, when you drive through Lakewood Ranch, you don't s- get the sense that 80,000 people live on the other side of the berm.

Rex JensenGuest

4:47

Uh, it, I think it's been planned in a, a, a way that accommodates that very well.

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