Buyer profiles
Saved searches fall into four clear segments, each with its own priorities.
- Studios
The Solo Set
First-time buyers and pied-à-terre seekers after an efficient foothold in the city.
- 1 to 2 bedrooms
The Establishers
Couples and small families putting down roots in a first real home.
- 3+ bedrooms
The Rooted
Growing families seeking lasting space to settle in for the long haul.
- Townhouses
The Home Seekers
Buyers after a whole house of their own, placing a premium on space and outdoor privacy.
Most-requested amenities across all profiles: Elevator Doorman Pet-friendly Laundry Parking
Where they’re looking
Search demand clusters along Manhattan’s West Side and Village corridors, while Park Slope leads Brooklyn in nearly every size tier.
| Type | Manhattan | Brooklyn |
|---|---|---|
| Studios |
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| 1 to 2BR |
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| 3BR+ |
|
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| Townhouses |
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Where searches concentrate
Demand clusters sharply along Manhattan’s Central Park corridor, the Upper West and Upper East Sides and Lenox Hill, with a second, equally intense hotspot around Greenwich Village and the West Village. The busiest areas draw upward of 6,000 saved searches; density fades steadily moving south through Lower Manhattan and into Brooklyn.
Densest search corridors
- Upper West Side
- Upper East Side
- Lenox Hill
- Greenwich Village
- West Village
Secondary cluster: Chelsea, Flatiron and the East Village.
How much they’ll spend
Budgets climb steeply with size, from roughly $650k for studios to $5M for the largest homes, and Manhattan commands a consistent premium over Brooklyn at almost every tier. Versus 2025, most tiers nudged higher, led by larger homes, while studio budgets held or eased.
| Type | Manhattan | Brooklyn |
|---|---|---|
| Studios | $650k2025: $650k | $700k2025: $750k |
| 1 to 2BR | $1.6M2025: $1.5M | $1.3M2025: $1.2M |
| 3BR+ | $5M2025: $4.7M | $2.6M2025: $2.5M |
| Townhouses | $5M2025: $4.7M | $2.5M2025: $2.2M |
Search budgets vs. last year
- Manhattan median search$1.7M → $2M▲ +18% YoY
- Brooklyn median search$1.4M → $1.5M▲ +7% YoY
- Manhattan 3BR+ budget$4.7M → $5M▲ +6% YoY
- Manhattan studio budget$650k → $650kFlat YoY
Search budgets are rising at the top and easing at the bottom. The 18% overall jump in Manhattan reflects a shift toward larger-home searches, not just higher budgets within each tier.
Search trends vs. current inventory
Supply skews heavily toward 1 to 2BR homes, while the highest-budget seekers, 3BR+ and townhouse buyers, compete for the scarcest stock.
| Type | Median asking | In top-3 searched areas |
|---|---|---|
| Studios | $525k | 22% |
| 1 to 2BR | $1.325M | 18% |
| 3BR+ | $3.2M+ | 34% |
| Townhouses | $6M | 42% |
| Type | Median asking | In top-3 searched areas |
|---|---|---|
| Studios | $550k | 26% |
| 1 to 2BR | $910k | 24% |
| 3BR+ | $1.5M+ | 29% |
| Townhouses | $1.2M | 38% |
A look at popularity: search vs. sales
What will be the next hot spot? In both boroughs, the most-searched neighborhood this year differs from where the most homes actually sold in 2025, a signal of where demand may be heading next.
- ManhattanMost searched ’26West VillageTop sales ’25Lenox Hill
- BrooklynMost searched ’26Park SlopeTop sales ’25Williamsburg
Put demand data to work
The saved searches behind this report also power Buyer & Renter Interest Search, so listing agents can see matching demand for their own exclusives before and after they list.