Michelle Larsen

09/09/2026

Enjoying a gorgeous evening at the Central Park Conservancy Garden Party with lovely Ilana Gomez-Wolfson

09/04/2026

08/31/2026

Manhattan Luxury Market Update | August 24–30 🗽

Manhattan’s luxury market closed out August with a strong rebound.

24 contracts asking $4M+ were signed last week — a jump of 9 contracts from the previous week, with condos once again leading the market.

📊 By the numbers:
• 12 condos
• 7 co-ops
• 5 townhouses

But the bigger story is happening at the very top of the market.

💎 218 Manhattan properties asking $10M+ have gone into contract so far this year, compared with 202 during the same period in 2025 — signaling continued strength among trophy buyers.

🏆 #1 Contract | Central Park Tower

📍 217 West 57th Street, Residence 68E
Asking: $20.5M

Perched high above Billionaires’ Row, this residence offers:

✨ 3,128 SF
✨ 3 bedrooms | 3.5 bathrooms
✨ Nearly 11-foot ceilings
✨ A dramatic 29’ × 28’ great room
🌳 Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Central Park
🏙️ More than 50,000 SF of building amenities

At 1,550 feet, Central Park Tower offers a distinctly modern interpretation of New York luxury.

🥈 #2 Contract | 988 Fifth Avenue

Asking: $18.5M

Just across from The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Central Park, this renovated prewar residence represents a very different kind of Manhattan prestige:

✨ 3,550 SF
✨ 5 bedrooms | 4.5 bathrooms
🔥 Fireplace
🍽️ Formal dining room
🌳 Central Park + Met views
🏛️ Classic Fifth Avenue architecture

📈 The Takeaway

After a quieter stretch in August, luxury contract activity jumped 60% week-over-week — and the trophy segment continues to outperform last year.

Perhaps most interestingly, the week’s two biggest deals represent two completely different visions of Manhattan luxury: soaring glass-and-steel living above Billionaires’ Row versus the timeless elegance of a prewar Fifth Avenue residence.

Source: Olshan Report

Which would you choose: modern luxury 68 floors above Manhattan 🏙️ or classic Fifth Avenue elegance overlooking Central Park? 🌳

Tell us below 👇 and follow for weekly insights into Manhattan’s luxury real estate market.

08/25/2026

Manhattan Luxury Market Update | August 17–23 🗽

The summer slowdown is here—but Manhattan’s luxury market is following a familiar seasonal pattern.

15 contracts asking $4M+ were signed last week, down three from the previous week. While activity softened, the 10-year average for this same week in August is just 17 contracts, putting the current market remarkably close to historical norms.

📊 By the numbers:
• 8 condos
• 4 co-ops
• 3 townhouses

And this week, a classic Upper East Side townhouse took the top spot.

🏆 No. 1 Contract | 111 East 81st Street

Asking: $13.995M

Just off Park Avenue, this four-story townhouse offers 5,266 SF of quintessential Manhattan living:

✨ 5 bedrooms | 4.5 bathrooms
✨ Soaring 11–12 ft. ceilings
✨ Private elevator
🌿 Garden + rooftop terraces

The residence originally came to market at $15M before finding a buyer at its latest $13.995M asking price.

🥈 No. 2 Contract | 36 Bleecker Street, Residence 5A

Asking: $11.5M

Downtown at The Schumacher, a former printing plant transformed into a boutique condominium:

✨ 3,280 SF
✨ 4 bedrooms | 4.5 bathrooms
✨ Dramatic 12-ft. barrel-vaulted ceilings
✨ 34’ × 23’ great room
✨ Wide-plank oak floors
🌿 Landscaped courtyard

📈 The Takeaway

August may be one of Manhattan real estate’s quieter periods, but seasonality matters: 15 luxury contracts versus a 10-year average of 17 suggests a market that is slowing largely in line with its traditional summer rhythm.

And with this week’s two biggest contracts spanning an Upper East Side townhouse and a historic NoHo conversion, buyers continue to prize distinctive properties across very different corners of Manhattan.

Source: Olshan Report

Which would you choose: an Upper East Side townhouse 🌿 or a dramatic downtown loft 🏙️?

Tell us below 👇 and follow for weekly insights into Manhattan’s luxury real estate market.