It’s time for the NYC monthly sales market update! Here’s a look at some key numbers for May 2026 in Manhattan and Brooklyn. 

To view the full NYC sales market monthly update for May 2026, click here. And to view stats for the previous month, click here. 

Manhattan

This was a surprisingly solid performance by the Manhattan sales market. After a kind of lackluster start to the spring sales season, it seems like the timing of peak activity may have shifted. So the sales season ended on a positive note. Sales were up quite a bit compared to 2025, and they were also up month over month. 

Sales activity was not evenly spread, however. There was very segmented market behavior with some property types and areas performing quite well while others were stagnant. So sellers who are planning to list sometime soon should take note – it’s crucial to be tuned into the precise market dynamics of your property type and neighborhood. And buyers need to have a similar kind of awareness. You don’t want to miss out on opportunities but you also don’t want to overplay your hand. 

Price per square foot was down in the borough on both an annual basis as well as a monthly basis. But this isn’t necessarily a sign of market weakness. Instead, there were more sales at lower price points compared to the previous month and previous year. 

Listings inventory tightened a bit and only went up slightly compared to April. So this is a sign that buyers might be losing just a little bit of their leverage in the market. But again this is not necessarily the case across the board. 

Brooklyn

Brooklyn likewise saw a solid performance, with signed contracts also up on an annual and monthly basis. But the borough saw smaller year over year growth and stronger month over month growth compared to Manhattan. 

The average price per square foot skyrocketed compared to last year thanks to a number of high end sales in areas like Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights during the month. But it did take a little bit of a tumble compared to the prior month. 

And there was some good news for buyers when it came to inventory. Listing levels increased on both an annual and monthly basis. The market is still well below where it typically is, compared to 10 year averages. And these increases were not evenly distributed. But the higher inventory is still an overall welcome development. 

What’s Next for the Market

If the sales market did, in fact, shift to a bit later compared to past years, then we may end up seeing some strong sales activity for the month of June. While I expect that we’ll see a typical seasonal slowdown, so fewer sales compared to May, I think we’re likely to see some annual gains when it comes to signed contracts. Also, more and more leases are coming up for renewal and there may be more buyers who decide to pull the trigger and get into buying. But we’ll see how it all plays out. 

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