The homebuying scene on the eastern shore of Long Island was a tale of two trends this past spring, according to research from local brokerages.
Long Island has two slivers of land that stretch into the Atlantic Ocean at its easternmost point. The area closest to Connecticut is the North Fork, with communities like Greenpoint, Orient and Southold. Directly south is the South Fork — the area that houses the Hamptons' high-priced coastal communities like Amagansett, Montauk and Water Mill. In the real estate industry, both forks are known collectively as the East End.
The North Fork saw its number of homes sold drop 5% and the median sales price jump 21% to $1.3 million during the second quarter of 2025, according to data that The Corcoran Group data released July 24. The South Fork experienced the opposite, with median prices falling 1% and the number of sales increasing 16%, said Corcoran, the numbers of which are based on their listings.
Sales in one small coastal community played a big role in why South Fork sales grew, said Ernie Cervi, Corcoran's regional senior vice president.
"Amagansett stood out with a remarkable 144% surge in sales, while East Hampton [Village] led in total closings and luxury activity," Cervi said in a statement. "On the North Fork, despite a modest dip in sales, rising prices and a 15% gain in dollar volume indicate that buyer demand remains strong."
Amagansett recorded 22 home sales in the second quarter, up from nine during the year prior, according to Corcoran. Amagansett's median home sale is $4 million, the brokerage said.
All told, the South Fork has experienced three straight quarters of annual sales growth — "a milestone not seen since 2021," Cervi noted.
Long Island sees bidding wars
Real estate agents working on the East End said prices are increasing there because demand for housing has grown just as much as it has in New York City. So far this year, the hottest buying spots have been in Sag Harbor, East Hampton village and the Water Mill hamlet — a section of the region locals call "Hamptons Middle."
The East End is also where some well-known celebrities — including Alec Baldwin, Jennifer Lopez and Gwyneth Paltrow — have purchased real estate.
Cervi's comments and Corcoran's data dovetail with what fellow brokerage Douglas Elliman said it has seen.
In its second-quarter report, Elliman said inventory of condominium units and single-family homes in the North Fork fell roughly 43% from 233 a year ago to 132. Median home sale prices in Wainscott — at $14.4 million — and in Water Mill, at $5.2 million, are leading the way for price growth in the Hamptons and the South Fork, according to Elliman's report.
"The number of sales over $5 million in the Hamptons was the second highest on record as sales continued to expand," Todd Bourgard, CEO of Elliman's Long Island arm, said in a statement. "Bidding wars, rising prices and low inventory defined the spring real estate market on Long Island."