Manhattan's contract market, which ran ahead of last year for most of 2026, lost nearly all of its lead in September. The month ended with 569 condo, co-op, and condop contracts, down 23% from 742 in September 2025 and the second-weakest September in five years. Activity has slipped every month since a five-year high in June, and year-to-date contracts now stand at 7,777, just 0.2% ahead of the 7,762 signed through September 2025, down from a 2.7% lead a month earlier.
Condos led the decline, falling 29% year over year in September, from 344 to 245 contracts, which cut their year-to-date gain to 1.6%. Co-ops dropped 19% for the month and are now 2.9% behind last year's pace, while the much smaller condop segment remains a bright spot, up 34% year to date, from 236 to 316 contracts.