#nyc-real-estate

#nyc-real-estate

Buying a home in New York City has rarely been described as "relaxed," but 2026 is quietly shaping up to be one of the most buyer-friendly years in recent memory-at least in the right neighborhoods. According to a new analysis from StreetEasy using listing data from December 2025 , rising inventory and falling asking prices are finally giving buyers something they haven't had in years: options. The real estate platform's annual list of the 10 best NYC neighborhoods for buyers highlights areas where the balance of power is shifting from sellers to people ready to move.

But horrible décor is no longer something many buyers know how to shrug off - or are willing to, now that luxury pricing's come to even the lowest-end apartments. In most parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, where $1 million gets you a one-, maybe a two-bedroom, and often one with an awkward layout or unfortunate view, staging has gone from a rare practice deployed mainly at new developments and super-high-end homes to something even many rental brokers consider de rigueur.

For under a million dollars, one can find all sorts of housing configurations: park- and subway-adjacent studios, one-bedrooms hidden in carriage houses or former shoe factories, and even the occasional true two-bedroom. We're combing the market for particularly spacious, nicely renovated, or otherwise worth-a-look apartments at various six-digit price points. This week, a one-bedroom in Williamsburg with strong Marfa vibes and a top-floor corner unit right off Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights.

New York City continues to draw buyers, whether it's for a chic loft in SoHo or a classic townhouse on the Upper East Side. In July 2025, the median sale price rose to $900,000, up 4.7% year-over-year, while the median days on market fell to 52. Some home features in New York that have been trending up include a fireplace, having a great view, an in-unit washer and dryer, storage, and a roof deck.

According to Theiss' research, the Brooklyn-to-Staten Island migration came from just four neighborhoods - Sunset Park, Bensonhurst, Borough Park and Bay Ridge - and was most likely fueled by a disparity in real estate prices. Redfin's data showed that Brooklyn's median home sale price hovered at $850,000 in the first five months of 2025, while the average Staten Island home fetched approximately $712,000 during the same span.