2025 started hot, then tariffs hit. The stock market swung, seller confidence dropped, and negotiability jumped from 7% to over 10%. But that opened a window. Deals started happening. Buyers saw other buyers buying. The momentum that had been building since the 2024 Presidential election took hold and never let up. By Q4, this was not a market correcting. It was a market that repriced, and that repricing is sticking.

The Hamptons single-family median hit $2,350,000 in Q4, up 30.6% year over year. Average sale price climbed to $3.83 million. Inventory dropped 14.2% to just 1,010 listings. In the luxury tier, the median reached $11.4 million with an entry threshold of $7.375 million. There is less to buy, more people want it, and what trades is trading at record numbers. Take a look at the full Compass Q4 2025 Market Report HERE.

What is driving this is not just the market. It is a lifestyle shift. I had dinner recently at Bobby Van's in Bridgehampton with three Hamptons dads who came out during COVID, went back to the city, and then came back for good. They are here year-round now. This is not a statement about New York being weaker or stronger. It is simply that the Hamptons has become a place New Yorkers frequent all the time, all seasons. When buyers rationalize that kind of use, they spend differently. That is what is pushing pricing.

New construction continues to feed this market, and without it inventory would be an even bigger problem. But rising land costs are pushing developers into pioneering locations. My view: there is still runway, especially above $10 million. If you are a buyer looking for new construction, reach out. We have inventory in the private market before it ever hits a portal. 

This is where our approach makes the difference. In 2025, the Breitenbach Advisory Team took on $31 million worth of listings that had previously sat with other agents. We redeployed them using our 3-phase marketing system, which controls exposure, builds demand, and creates urgency before a property ever hits the active market. Every one sold within three months of going active. The market rewards execution, not just exposure. View our sales HERE.

2026 is shaping up to be a year where preparation beats reaction. Rates are down, demand is building, and inventory is still tight. The one watch item is the rental market, which has started slow and faces a test with the US Open this summer. On the sales side, spring will bring more competition for sellers. We are already working with clients on Q1 and Q2 strategies. If you want to be part of that conversation, reach out.