Long Beach Island Market Recap - August 2026

August Market Recap

Long Beach Island's real estate market picked up steam in August, with new listings increasing to 49 from July’s 28, sales activity climbing for a third straight month, and prices steadily rising. At the same time, a large portion of our current inventory is overpriced with expected price reductions come fall. Here's a full breakdown of what happened on the Island last month.

New Listings Increase to 49

August brought 49 new listings to the LBI market, a sharp increase from July's 28. Pent up demand for homes in desirable areas played a major role in bringing sellers off the sidelines, and a handful of properties priced below the $1M mark generated a notable amount of buyer interest and helped fuel the month's activity.

Year to Date Prices

The year to date median sale price on LBI now stands at $2,147,500, with the average sale price at $2,522,000. LBI's historically low inventory remains a key driver behind this year's price growth. New construction is also playing a bigger role than in past years, currently accounting for roughly 30% to 35% of all sales on the Island, which is helping push overall price figures higher.

Sales Activity

August closed with 24 sales, in-line with the past few months. That's up from 21 in July and down from 27 in June. These sales represent deals that were signed back in June and July. The market clearly came alive in August, therefore we expect to see closings pick up further in September and October as those contracts make their way to the settlement table.

Sale to List Price Ratio

The sale to list price ratio came in at 96.4% for August, essentially in line with the trailing 12 month range of 96.3% to 98.8%. Sellers continue to see strong offers relative to asking price, a sign that buyer demand remains healthy across the Island.

Notable Sales of the Month

The top sale in August was a $4,400,000 lagoonfront property in Loveladies Harbor. Built in 2019, the home features 100 feet of water frontage. On the other end of the spectrum, the least expensive sale was a 50x125 vacant lot in Barnegat Light, which sold for $1,225,000.