Your Mid-Year 2026 Market Update Plus the Mistakes That Cost Sellers the Most
Northeast Monmouth County · January to June 2026 vs. 2025
Happy Summer! During the first six months of 2026, we are still seeing a strong seller’s market here in northeast Monmouth County. The average sale price is up 2% over the same period last year and homes are selling for 101% of list, even as the number of closed sales slipped on tight inventory.
Here’s a fuller look at where things stand across thirteen towns. In the first half of the year, 821 homes sold. That’s down about 7% from a year ago, but homes under contract at mid-year were actually up 2%, and active inventory was down only about 1%. The drop in closings has more to do with a shortage of listings than with buyers losing interest.
How each town landed
A few towns stood out.
Asbury Park led on price, up 20% to about $966K on 29% higher sales volume due to the abundance of new construction there. Highlands drew the most demand at the entry level, with sales up 23%. Long Branch was the busiest shore market, with sales up 29%, though prices there were flat and homes sold at just 94% of list, giving buyers some room to negotiate. Rumson stayed the luxury anchor at nearly $2.86M, while Fair Haven and Little Silver were the strongest sellers’ markets, both at 107% of list. A couple of small shore markets cooled. Sea Bright’s average fell 47% and Atlantic Highlands 16%, but each had only a handful of sales, so I wouldn’t read too much into those swings.
And yet, even in a market like this, a few avoidable missteps quietly cost sellers thousands. Below I break down the mistakes I see most often and exactly how to avoid every one of them before your home hits the market.
The Most Common Mistakes Sellers Make
1. OVERPRICING
I recently listed a home at $849,000. At this price I was concerned, because the house sat on a very busy road, that we wouldn’t get the reaction from the market we wanted. After several weeks of no offers, we dropped the price down to $799,000. As a result we had multiple offers and will close over asking, with great terms, not far from the original price.
A lot of sellers have their Zillow Zestimate stuck in their head and treat it like fact. Zillow is simply an algorithm and one of many data points. Zillow has never been inside your house. It doesn’t know your ceiling heights, how the rooms flow, or if your back yard is great for entertaining. Only a professional who has knowledge of how your home compares to recent comparable homes can tell you something real and concrete.
People don’t realize the homes that sell for the most are often the ones that started the lowest. A good price brings in buyers, buyers bring competition, and competition is what gets you over asking. Price too high and you risk scaring people off.
Here’s how I think about it: the asking price is really just a marketing number. It’s the bait that gets people in the door, not a promise of what the house will sell for. Pricing lower brings in more offers, some will not be contenders, but the serious buyers don’t know that. All they see is a crowd. That pressure is what pushes them to come in with their highest and best offer, which is exactly where you want them. And it’s not only about the final price. The competition also gets you cleaner terms, the closing date you want, and fewer contingencies, which can matter as much as the money.
2. NOT BOTHERING TO PREP THE HOUSE
This one is huge, and it changes both how fast you sell and how much you get. Is taking this step a big pain in the ass? Sometimes. Is it worth doing? 100%! You will get WAY more than you invest if you make strategic improvements such as painting, moving furniture, accessorizing, decluttering, etc. This is where your agent’s expertise comes into play and listening to them becomes important. Don’t skip this if you want to maximize value!
Case in point… I took over a listing that had failed to sell with another agent. We re-priced, re-landscaped, painted, staged, and pulled a pool table out of a room and brought in furniture so it actually looked like a living room again. With an investment of around $25K, the house sold for $315,000 over asking, after going nowhere prior.
Most buyers do not have an imagination. They need to walk in and see something they can fall in love with. I stage every property because all homes, even the nicest ones, can use at least a little tweaking.
3. PICKING AN AGENT FOR THE WRONG REASONS
This one happens before you even list, and it sets up half of the others.
Some sellers will interview a few agents and choose whoever promised the highest price or the lowest commission. Both are the wrong reasons. You get what you pay for, and the agent who throws out the biggest number is usually just buying the listing. Then you’re right back to overpricing.
And watch the commission. If an agent is quick to cut their own fee, ask yourself If that's because they don’t have anything else to offer you. A good agent knows their worth and won’t drop it just to win you, because they know they’ll get you more in the end. If they won’t hold firm on their own price, how hard will they fight for yours when the time comes? Hire the best agent, not the cheapest one. Look at their reviews and ask friends and family for recommendations.
4. NOT TRUSTING YOUR AGENT
This one applies to both buyers and sellers. You hired an expert for a reason. The mistake is deciding halfway through that you know better, or digging in and refusing to hear another view.
This shows up most in negotiations. People think the goal is to be as aggressive as possible. It isn’t. It’s about knowing when to push and when to ease off. You want a win-win, not a fight. The buyer is moving into your home and your neighborhood, and handing it to someone you can’t stand leaves a bad taste. Keeping it respectful makes the whole thing go smoother.
Don’t get lost in the minutia or dig in on principle over little things and lose the big picture, which is selling your home.
5. COUNTERING MULTIPLE OFFERS
When a seller receives multiple offers that are lower than they hoped, they often want to counter everyone at their desired price because naming a number feels safe and it locks in what they want. Most often, I’ll push for highest and best instead. Almost every time, the price they would have countered at is lower than when buyers are faced with the unknown and need to come in with their best. Naming a number puts a ceiling on the price. Highest and best lets buyers stretch, and they usually stretch higher than you’d have asked for.
6. TAKING IT PERSONALLY
This is the hard one, because it is personal and it’s human nature.
Selling is emotional. People feel like they’re the ones being judged, not the house. When I suggest changes, like decluttering, depersonalizing, or fixing the decor, it can feel like I’m criticizing how they lived. I’m not. It’s about making the space feel bigger and open enough that a stranger can picture their own life in it.
And moving is just hard. Even when you want to go, letting go of a home that meant something takes a toll. Just don’t let it run the decisions in front of you.
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In Conclusion, If I could tell a seller one thing before they list, it’s this: pick an agent you trust, then listen to them. Take their advice, do what they say. Get that part right and most of the rest will take care of itself
For more detailed market information, click on the image below
Market data: MLS year-over-year residential comparison, 1/1–6/30/2026 vs. 2025, all property types combined, across 13 Monmouth County towns (Asbury Park, Atlantic Highlands, Fair Haven, Highlands, Little Silver, Long Branch, Middletown, Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Red Bank, Rumson, Sea Bright, and Shrewsbury Borough). Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. © 2026 MLS and FBS
