Vacation homes are a big factor in Poconos real estate. According to MLS statistics, in the year leading up to the 2026 Poconos STR Conference, over 4,000 homes were sold in the Poconos and just under 1,500 were in areas designated as eligible for a short-term rental license. Approximately 6,500 active short-term rentals operate in the Poconos and most are described as vacation rentals. In an analysis of 16 of the zip codes with significant vacation home ownership, there were 76,000 homes and 30% of them were owned by out-of-state residents. What happens in the vacation home and vacation rental market drives the overall Pocono Real Estate market.
At the 2026 Poconos STR Conference, a session called “The State of the Pocono Vacation Home Real Estate Market” addressed the current trends in home prices, home values and provided input on current real estate conditions in the popular vacation destination. The session was moderated by PA State Representative Tara Probst and had as panelists, three of the top producing vacation rental agents in the market:
Mark Shay, of Pocono Vacation Home Sales at Keller-Williams, Xander Weidenbaum Broker-Owner of Redstone Run Realty and Michael Klein of EXP’s Savvy STR Agents.
The session provided the current state of the real estate market in the Poconos, specifically focusing on homes that can operate as a STR. Discussion touched on the optimal home size for STR, common amenities in the Poconos market and potential improvements to make a vacation rental more competitive. The discussion also identified traps to look out for, like appraisal gaps, septic system size and community restrictions that prohibit fences, pools, etc.
Key discussion points were:
1) Business valuation versus real estate appraisal value
2) Real Estate market trends in areas that allow STR
3) Rental trends tied to home size, location and amenities
4) Potential risks in the search for a new STR
The discussion was lively and informative and the three agents agreed on many things, but also shared differing experiences. Representative Probst asked challenging questions of the panelists during one of the conference’s most attended breakout sessions.
See the recording here:
Snapshot of Pocono Real Estate:
