Prices might be dropping in much of the country, but that’s far from the case in the ultimate playground for the rich and famous—the Hamptons.
Located on Long Island’s eastern shore, this group of seaside New York communities remains popular with the wealthy set and is poised to see another record-breaking summer of luxury sales.
Median home prices hit an all-time high in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 33.6% year over year, and that’s with several feet of snow on the ground, according to the newest Douglas Elliman/Miller Samuel report on the Hamptons.
“It’s been a blizzard out here, but exciting things are happening,” Kyle Rosko of Douglas Elliman-Bridgehampton tells Realtor.com®.
“The Hamptons is the place where people want to be in the summertime as a hub they share with their friends and family. They may visit Europe, but they really want to have a home here.”
While the buying season kicks into high gear in summer, Rosko—who lives in Sag Harbor and summers in Montauk—is already fielding lots of interest in various properties, including a newly built $26.2 million Amagansett Lanes generational compound.
The median single-family/condo matrix home in the Hamptons is $2.34 million, according to the report. That’s up 17% in one quarter and 19% just from the beginning of the year.
The hottest spots
But all Hamptons towns aren’t created equal. While Amagansett’s median home price is up an astonishing 89.1% year over year, the village of Quogue/Quiogue is up a relatively paltry 8.4%.
Following Amagansett is Westhampton Beach/Dunes, Westhampton, East Quogue, Hampton Bays, Bridgehampton, Southampton, Sag Harbor, East Hampton, and Quogue.
Single-family-home sales well outpace condos, with the former taking 96.4% of the market. Of that, most sales (53%) are priced between $1 million and $5 million, while 29.6% of buyers manage to find something for under $1 million.
Homes with price tags over $5 million saw an increase, 17.4% of sales for the fourth quarter 2025 versus 16.6% for the same quarter last year.
The Hamptons is so pricey that luxury sales—or the top 10%—has an entry threshold of $7.3 million (versus $1.3 million nationally), according to the report.
Luxury sales hit a peak in the fourth quarter of December 2020, then slowed considerably, then began picking up in the second quarter of 2024 and have remained hot ever since.
“Between mortgage rates tripling and a lot of instability in the markets, a lot of people stepped away from the [real estate] market for a long time,” says Rosko.
But those who stepped aside kept looking, he explains. And now, with rates coming down, they’re ready to take the plunge.
Rosko says that while high-net-worth buyers often purchase with cash, many will leverage a lower-point business loan against their assets, so they wait until rates are lower across the board.
The mortgage interest rate for an average 30-year fixed home loan is 6.11% for the week ending Feb. 5, according to Freddie Mac. Rates averaged 6.89% during the same period in 2025.
And then there’s Wall Street. A bull year means more buying, and the S&P index was up approximately 15% in 2025. “Bonuses play a big factor,” he says. “[They] make people feel more comfortable going into these secondary housing markets.”
What buyers want
“Above $10 million, people really want something special,” Rosko says. “Something done to an extraordinary level. You need the house to be just right.”
His Amagansett Lanes generational compound listing is the perfect example. Developed by the owners of the iconic Lowell Hotel, three residential properties stretch over 13,000 square feet with 11 bedrooms and 10 full baths.
“Properties combining this size, design, and setting are exceptionally rare, making this a singular opportunity to own a true Hamptons legacy, a private enclave that seamlessly marries timeless elegance, modern comfort, and the quintessential luxurious lifestyle,” crows the listing.
“You have to visit and feel it to really understand how incredible that property is,” says Rosko.
“It’s one of the most thoughtful and incredibly designed homes I’ve ever been inside. I’m excited for whomever gets to make it their own.”
Though the property has sat for 84 days, Rosko says that’s standard for a property of that magnitude—and that it “absolutely” will sell by summer.
He says, “It needs to be a family who has more family or friends who come to visit,” given the size of the sprawling compound.
At this price, buyers aren’t looking for a project, says the agent, unless the property is in a “super rare” location. He tells of a pending Montauk home that will require years of work for the buyers, however, the special location—elevated and with panoramic views of the ocean—sealed the deal.
“It’s like you’re sitting on your own plane,” he says. “You don’t really get elevation like that anywhere else. When the home is done, it will be pure magic.”
As for the hottest neighborhoods, Rosko names Amagansett Lanes, Sag Harbor Village, Bridgehampton, and Sagaponak, all with convenience and walkability, and very limited inventory.
“These places are year-round magic through every season,” he says. “They are the core hot spots.”
“There is something magic about the Hamptons that can’t be replicated.”
Amagansett
Median price: $7,275,000
Percentage increase: 89.1%
Westhampton Beach/Dunes
Median price: $2,300,000
Percentage increase: 87.8%
Westhampton
Median price: $1,817,500
Percentage increase: 56.7%
East Quogue
Median price: $1,522,500
Percentage increase: 31.3%
Hampton Bays
Median price: $1,074,500
Percentage increase: 26.4%
Bridgehampton
Median price: $6,990,000
Percentage increase: 26.1%
Southampton
Median price: $2,650,000
Percentage increase: 24.7%
Sag Harbor
Median price: $3,175,000
Percentage increase: 20.4%
East Hampton
Median price: $2,350,000
Percentage increase: 17.5%
Quogue
Median price: $2,655,000
Percentage increase: 8.4%