List price is the asking question. Sold price is the answer.
Anyone can list high. What tells you the real temperature of a market is what homes close at, how close to ask sellers actually get, and how fast. Here's the recent closed-sale picture across the four counties we track:
| County | Median sold | vs. a year ago | % of list received | Median days to sell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bergen | ~$800,000 | +4.6% | ~101.6% | ~68 days |
| Hudson | ~$695,000 | +3.4% | ~99.9% | ~84 days |
| Essex | ~$710,000 | +1.4% | ~105.2% | ~66 days |
| Passaic | ~$625,000 | +4.2% | ~103.7% | ~72 days |
The headline: most of the region is still a seller's market
Three of four counties are closing above asking on average, and the fourth (Hudson) is essentially at ask. Essex leads at ~105% of list — Montclair, South Orange, and Bloomfield continue to see real competition. Year-over-year sold prices are positive across the board, from a steady +1.4% in Essex to +4.6% in Bergen.
What it means for you
Sellers: Above-ask averages are real, but they're earned by accurate pricing + strong prep, not by listing high and hoping. The fastest, strongest sales are the move-in-ready homes priced at the comps.
Buyers: Plan to compete at or slightly above ask on the good listings. Your leverage is on homes that have sat past the county's median days-on-market — that's where price reductions and negotiation live.
Curious what your home would actually sell for — not just list for? Get a free valuation.
