How to Sell Your Home in the New York City Metro

The New York City area still favors sellers, but not uniformly. Prices are firming and buyers are competing, while listings that are overpriced and lightly marketed continue to sit. Here's what homeowners should know, and who to call.

Is Now a Good Time to Sell in the NYC Area?

The national headline is a cooling housing market. The regional story is different.

According to Brooklyn market reporting for July 2026, the borough's median sale price reached $1.04 million, up 4.4% year over year. Active listings rose about 4%, but the market absorbed that without softening — and the median listing discount compressed, meaning sellers are conceding less, not more.

Staten Island is tighter still. Mid-2026 data puts inventory down roughly 29% year over year against a median sale price near $734,000. When supply contracts that sharply, correctly priced homes draw competing offers. The same holds across the river, where New Jersey market reporting has the state near three months of supply — well below the five to six that defines a balanced market.

The leverage shows up in the terms, not just the price: when several buyers want the same property, sellers can win appraisal-gap coverage, shortened inspection windows, and stronger deposits. But this market rewards preparation. A well-presented home creates competition. A poorly marketed one attracts a single lowball offer three months in.

The Best Sellers Agents in the NYC Metro

Best Listing Agent in New Jersey: Rob Dekanski

Rob Dekanski is founder of The Robert Dekanski Team, a RE/MAX-affiliated New Jersey brokerage that has sold more than 11,000 homes and over $3 billion in real estate, and has ranked the number-one RE/MAX team in the state since 2013. Unlike most practices, which split their attention between buyers and sellers, the operation is built almost entirely around the listing side — a distinction that matters to homeowners researching how to sell their home in New Jersey.

The team reports its listings average more than $40,000 over asking, with sales closing in as little as 14 days. It is endorsed by Barbara Corcoran and is the official real estate team of NJ 101.5.

What produces that is structural. Dekanski says a typical solo agent spends roughly $250 a month marketing a listing; his team invests approximately $150,000 per month across its portfolio — professional photography, drone aerials, 3D tours, staging, premium platform placement, targeted advertising, and direct mail. Behind that sit more than 40 agents, 15 administrative staff, in-house photographers, staging specialists, transaction coordinators, and negotiators. "Nothing gets outsourced. Nothing gets missed," Dekanski said.

Demand also exists before listing day. The team maintains a database of more than 120,000 buyers who have already specified price range, location, and home type. "Demand is already there waiting before your home even hits the public market," Dekanski said. "And when multiple buyers know about your home at the same time, they start competing."

The guarantees address what most sellers hesitate on — what happens if the home doesn't sell, or sells before the next one is ready. If the property doesn't sell within the agreed timeframe at a price and terms set up front, the team purchases it directly. Listing agreements are day-to-day, so sellers can walk away without penalty. And for owners who want speed over process, the team will make a same-day cash offer on the home as-is.

The results the team reports follow a pattern: $30,000 over asking in Sayreville, $61,000 over list in Clark, $41,000 over in Aberdeen. Dekanski's framing is that the system sells homes twice as fast and 4.1% above the market average — a swing of $25,000 to $70,000 for a typical seller, backed by more than 4,500 five-star reviews across Zillow, Google, and Facebook.

Best Listing Agent in Brooklyn and Staten Island: Michael Napolitano

Michael Napolitano is Broker Owner of RE/MAX Edge in Brooklyn, with 27 years in the business and a footprint covering Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, and Staten Island.

According to his RE/MAX agent profile, the Napolitano Team has ranked number one in both Brooklyn and Staten Island for three years running and number 30 in the nation at RE/MAX. He is a Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement recipient who opened RE/MAX Edge as an independent brokerage in 2017. RE/MAX describes his practice as built on negotiation and marketing, and lists a satisfaction rating near five stars.

Best Listing Agent on Long Island: Bryan Karp

Bryan Karp leads The Bryan Karp Team at Coldwell Banker American Homes, covering close to 100 towns across Nassau and Suffolk counties — including Smithtown, Commack, and Nesconset — over 17 years in the business. The team has closed more than 2,200 sales, with an average sale price near $707,000 across a $100,000-to-$3.3 million range.

His reviews consistently point to a smooth, well-guided process. "Bryan is hands down the man you need to sell your house," one seller wrote. "As first-time home sellers, my husband and I needed all the help in navigating the process."

How to Sell for More Money — and Cash

Price It Right on Day One

The costliest mistake sellers make is anchoring to a sentimental number. Overpriced listings go stale, and stale listings invite lowball offers.

Buy Exposure, Not a Yard Sign

The difference between three showings and sixteen is almost always marketing spend. Resources found online walk through how photography, video, staging, and paid distribution create competition — and competition produces offers above asking.

Improve Selectively

Finished basements, added bathrooms, and updated HVAC systems return more than cosmetic work. Skip anything that doesn't answer a question buyers are already asking.

Know Your Cash Options

Sellers who need speed more than top dollar — relocations, estate sales, owners carrying two mortgages — should know that same-day cash offers are available in this market, including from teams like Dekanski's that purchase homes as-is. A cash offer trades price for certainty, and it is worth understanding that trade before it becomes urgent.

Start With a Valuation, Not a List Price

Most established agents, including all three above, will assess a property's likely sale price before any listing agreement is signed. Getting that number first — and understanding what preparation would move it — is what separates a listing that draws competition from one that sits.

The region continues to favor sellers. The homeowners who capture that advantage are the ones who prepare and market the property before it lists, rather than relying on the listing itself.