SEPTEMBER MARKET INSIGHT
The Fall Market Arrived. And the Story Is Changing.
Every month, we try to look beyond the headlines and ask, What are these numbers really telling us?
September gave us our first meaningful look at the fall real estate market, and the numbers are telling a particularly interesting story.
After an extraordinary spring selling season, the market is beginning to settle into a different rhythm. After an extraordinary spring selling season, the market is beginning to settle into a different rhythm. Fewer homes are closing. Buyers are taking a little more time. And the intense competition we experienced earlier in the year is becoming less consistent.
But here's what's interesting: Prices remain significantly higher than they were a year ago, even as the number of transactions slows.
Maplewood and South Orange are also beginning to tell two different stories. In Maplewood, sales volume continues to trail 2025 while prices remain dramatically higher. In South Orange, more homes have sold this year than last, but September brought a noticeable slowdown in pricing and a welcome increase in available inventory.
These are exactly the kinds of shifts worth paying attention to.
Maplewood: Fewer Sales, But Prices Remain Remarkably Strong
September was a quieter month in Maplewood, with the market continuing to transition away from the spring and summer selling season.
The average sales price was $1,156,504, down from August's $1,238,636. Homes sold for an average of 110.09% of list price and spent 19 days on the market.
During September:
17 homes sold
18 homes went under contract
27 homes were actively available for sale
That last number is particularly important.
After months of exceptionally limited inventory, Maplewood ended September with 27 active listings, compared with just 19 in August.
That's a meaningful increase in choices for buyers, even though inventory remains relatively tight.
And while homes are no longer routinely commanding the enormous premiums we saw in the spring, an average sale at 110% of asking is still a very strong result.
The year-to-date numbers tell an even bigger story.
Compared with the same period in 2025:
Average sales prices are up 21.57%
The number of homes sold is down 8.90%
The average sale-to-list price ratio is 115.94%
Average days on market are down approximately 5.85%
And while homes are no longer routinely commanding the enormous premiums we saw in the spring, an average sale at 110% of asking is still a very strong result.
Meanwhile, the year-to-date average sales price has climbed to $1,245,325, compared with $1,024,361 in 2025.
Think about that for a moment.
Nearly 9% fewer homes have sold, yet the average sales price is more than 21% higher.
That's an extraordinary illustration of just how much demand has outpaced available inventory throughout 2026.
But September also reminds us that markets don't move in a straight line. The average monthly sales price has declined from its spring and early summer highs, and buyers are becoming more selective about where they're willing to stretch.
South Orange: More Inventory and a Noticeable Shift in Pricing
South Orange's September numbers may be even more interesting.
The average sales price was $1,066,900, compared with $1,149,294 in August. Homes sold for an average of 107.67% of list price and spent 19 days on the market.
September saw:
10 homes sold
20 homes go under contract
26 homes actively available for sale
The most significant change was inventory.
South Orange ended August with just 12 active listings. By the end of September, that number had climbed to 26.
That's more than double the number of homes available just one month earlier.
For buyers who spent the spring competing against multiple offers with very few options, that is a meaningful change.
The average sale-to-list price ratio also fell from 115.15% in August to 107.67% in September.
Homes are still selling above asking on average, but the premiums are becoming less dramatic.
And yet, when we look at the full year, South Orange remains remarkably strong.
Compared with 2025:
Average sales prices are up 11.50%
The number of homes sold is up 10.83%
Under-contract activity is up 15.24%
The average sale-to-list price ratio is 113.63%
Through September, 133 homes have sold in South Orange, compared with 120 at this point last year.
The year-to-date average sales price is now $1,157,081, compared with $1,037,764 in 2025.
Unlike Maplewood, where sales volume has declined, South Orange has managed to produce both more transactions and higher prices this year.
But September suggests the balance between buyers and sellers may finally be shifting, at least a little.
With more inventory available and smaller premiums over asking, buyers may be finding opportunities that simply didn't exist a few months ago.
What the September Numbers Really Told Us
The market is not necessarily weakening. It's becoming more balanced and more selective.
There is an important difference.
During the height of the spring market, buyers often felt they had to make an immediate decision, waive contingencies, and offer significantly above asking just to have a chance.
Now, some buyers have more choices and a little more time to think.
But we need to keep this in perspective.
Homes in Maplewood still sold for an average of 110% of asking in September. In South Orange, that figure was nearly 108%.
Those are still strong seller-market numbers.
What has changed is the consistency of the competition.
A well-prepared, thoughtfully priced home can still generate significant interest. But buyers are increasingly willing to pass on homes that don't meet their expectations, particularly when more options are available.
And that brings us back to the lesson we've been sharing all year.
Preparation matters. Pricing matters. Presentation matters. And understanding the market you're actually selling in matters.
The strategy that worked in April may not be the strategy that works in October.
Our Perspective: Care • Serve • Give
At Pollock Properties Group, we believe market reports should do more than share statistics. They should help people make confident decisions.
Our Care • Serve • Give philosophy shapes every conversation we have with our clients. We care by helping people understand what the numbers actually mean. We serve by bringing strategy, preparation, negotiation, and hyper-local expertise to every transaction. And we give by investing back into the communities that make Maplewood, South Orange, and the surrounding towns such extraordinary places to call home.
Because buying or selling a home has never been just about the market.
It's about people. It's about families beginning a new chapter. It's about helping people, all people, arrive home.
Looking Ahead: Opportunity in the Fall Market
As we move into October and the final quarter of 2026, we're watching two things especially closely.
Will inventory continue to grow? And how will buyers respond?
It's about people. It's about families beginning a new chapter. It's about helping people, all people, arrive home.
For sellers, fall can still be an excellent time to sell. There are buyers who need to move, buyers who have been searching for months, and buyers who may have more flexibility now than they did during the spring.
But this is not the season to assume that demand alone will carry a listing.
The homes that stand out will be the ones that are thoughtfully prepared, strategically priced, and beautifully presented.
For buyers, the fall market may offer something that was in very short supply earlier this year: options.
More inventory and less intense competition can create opportunities for thoughtful negotiation and better decision-making.
And for homeowners thinking about selling in 2027, now is the perfect time to begin planning.
For sellers, fall can still be an excellent time to sell. There are buyers who need to move, buyers who have been searching for months, and buyers who may have more flexibility now than they did during the spring.
The sellers who achieve exceptional results in the spring are often the ones who started preparing months before their homes ever reached the market.
As we head toward the end of the year, we'll continue watching these shifts closely and sharing what we're seeing.
Because the goal isn't simply to know what the market did last month.
It's to understand what those numbers mean for the decisions you'll make next.
Curious about your town?
While these reports focus on Maplewood and South Orange, we prepare the same thoughtful market analysis for communities throughout Northern New Jersey. Whether you're interested in West Orange, Millburn, Livingston, Montclair, Cranford, Westfield, or another nearby town, we'd be happy to share what the market is doing and what it means for your home.
Just reach out.
Source: Garden State Multiple Listing Service, September 2026 market reports for Maplewood and South Orange. Monthly figures and year-to-date comparisons reflect the supplied reports. Sales-price averages can be influenced by the mix of homes sold in any given month.
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