Florida Realtors’ Board of Directors voted Aug. 23, 2026 to formally endorse Amendment 3, the November ballot measure that would sharply increase the state’s homestead exemption and lower the assessment cap on non-homestead property, according to a statement from Florida Realtors. The vote came as the association wrapped up its Governance Meetings following its 2026 Convention & Trade Expo.
“Florida Realtors supports Amendment 3 because it offers voters an opportunity to provide meaningful property tax relief while strengthening Florida’s commitment to attainable homeownership,” the association said. “Florida Realtors encourages Floridians to learn more about it, and to vote Yes on Amendment 3 this November.”
What Amendment 3 Would Actually Change
The endorsement is the latest turn in a measure RealtyWire has tracked through a contentious ballot-language fight this summer. As RealtyWire previously reported, a Leon County circuit judge ordered the amendment’s original title and summary rewritten in early August after ruling the language β including phrases like “save” and “protecting small businesses” β was biased in the measure’s favor. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier subsequently released revised ballot language, retitling it “Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homesteaded Property Assessments.”
Under the amendment, the non-school homestead exemption would rise to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then adjust annually for inflation starting in 2029, according to a ballot-language summary published by the Florida Policy Institute. Florida residents who establish permanent residency before Jan. 1, 2027 would qualify for the increased exemption immediately; those who move to the state afterward would need to maintain residency for five years before receiving the full benefit. Separately, the amendment would lower the annual assessment growth cap on non-homesteaded properties β including rental homes, second homes and commercial property β from 10% to 5% for non-school levies.
The changes apply only to non-school property tax levies; school district taxes are unaffected. Florida’s Revenue Estimating Conference has projected the amendment would reduce local government revenue by roughly $12 billion on a recurring basis, a figure that does not account for a separate, broader proposal to eliminate non-school homestead property taxes entirely. Like all Florida constitutional amendments, Amendment 3 needs at least 60% voter approval to take effect.
The ballot fight has been unusually contentious for a Florida tax amendment. Plaintiffs including former state Sen. Jeff Brandes and former state Rep. Al Lawson, along with separate suits from former mayors Michael Davey and Philip Stoddard, argued the original “Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes” title was designed to mislead voters rather than neutrally describe the measure. The rewritten language now before voters strips the promotional framing in favor of a more technical description of the exemption increase and assessment-cap change.
What It Means
Florida Realtors’ endorsement puts one of the state’s largest trade associations squarely behind a measure that public-safety groups, including the Florida Sheriffs Association and firefighter unions, have warned could strain local government budgets that rely heavily on property tax revenue. The association frames the amendment as relief for homeowners in a state where affordability has become a central concern for buyers and current residents alike; opponents have focused on the ballot-language fight and the scale of the projected revenue loss. With the amendment now cleared for the Nov. 3 ballot after the court-ordered rewrite, the coming weeks are likely to bring a more visible campaign push from both supporters and critics ahead of the vote.
