Bay Head and Mantoloking Market Update - February 2026
Edwin (Ed) O’Malley
As a life-long, year-round resident of the Bay Head and Mantoloking area, Ed combines his outstanding local knowledge and connections with his more th...
As a life-long, year-round resident of the Bay Head and Mantoloking area, Ed combines his outstanding local knowledge and connections with his more th...
Bay Head & Mantoloking, NJ Real Estate Market Update (January 2026): Inventory, Sales, Prices & Trends
Published: • Market Month:
This January 2026 market update summarizes residential real estate activity for Bay Head (BAY) and Mantoloking (MAK) using Market Summary data . Because both towns are small, high-value coastal markets, monthly numbers can shift noticeably with just a few transactions. As always, if you have any questions, please let us know!
January 2026 Quick Snapshot (Bay Head vs. Mantoloking)
| Metric (Residential) | Bay Head (Jan 2026) | Mantoloking (Jan 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listings | 4 | 5 |
| New Listings | 1 | 6 |
| Pending Listings | 0 | 1 |
| Sold Listings | 2 | 0 |
| Absorption Rate (Months of Supply) | 2.00 | 3.75 |
| Avg List Price (Active) | $8,225,000 | $14,569,600 |
| Median List Price (Active) | $8,200,000 | $16,999,000 |
| Avg Sale Price (Sold) | $5,379,500 | N/A (no sales) |
| Avg Days on Market (Sold) | 38.5 | N/A (no sales) |
| Sale-to-List Price Ratio (Sold) | 94.7% | N/A (no sales) |
How to read “Absorption Rate” here: This report uses absorption as months of supply (lower = tighter market, higher = more inventory relative to sales pace).
Bay Head, NJ Market Update — January 2026
The headline: Inventory tightened and the market posted two high-priced closings.
Bay Head ended January 2026 with 4 active listings and 2 closed sales, alongside a 2.00-month absorption rate—generally consistent with a tight, low-supply environment.
Bay Head Key Metrics (January 2026)
- Active listings: 4
- New listings: 1
- Pending listings: 0
- Closed sales: 2
- Absorption rate: 2.00 months
- Average list price (active): $8,225,000
- Median list price (active): $8,200,000
- Average sale price: $5,379,500
- Median sale price: $5,379,500
- Sale-to-list price ratio: 94.7% (about 5.3% below list, on average)
- Average days on market (DOM): 38.5 days
- Active list volume: $32,900,000
- Sold sale volume: $10,759,000
Bay Head Month-over-Month (vs. December 2025)
Compared with December 2025, Bay Head showed a smaller, tighter active inventory base and faster-moving sales.
- Active listings: 7 → 4 (down 43%)
- Sold listings: 3 → 2 (down 33%)
- Absorption rate: 3.50 → 2.00 (tighter supply)
- Avg DOM: 115.7 → 38.5 (faster pace for the homes that sold)
- Sale-to-list ratio: 90.1% → 94.7% (less discounting on January closings)
Bay Head Year-over-Year (January 2026 vs. January 2025)
- Active listings: 4 vs. 4 (flat)
- New listings: 1 vs. 1 (flat)
- Pending listings: 0 vs. 1 (lower)
- Sold listings: 2 vs. 0 (higher; January 2025 had no closings)
- Avg list price (active): $8,225,000 vs. $5,747,499.75 (up ~43%)
- Median list price (active): $8,200,000 vs. $6,497,500 (up ~26%)
Important context: With 0 sales in January 2025, year-over-year comparisons for sale price and days on market aren’t meaningful for that month.
What it means in Bay Head
- For sellers: With only 4 active listings and 2.00 months of supply, well-prepared homes can still command attention. The 94.7% sale-to-list ratio suggests buyers negotiated, but not nearly as heavily as in some prior months.
- For buyers: Limited inventory means choice is constrained. However, a sale-to-list ratio under 100% indicates room for negotiation—especially if a home has been on the market longer than the month’s average.
Mantoloking, NJ Market Update — January 2026
The headline: A surge of new listings hit the market, but no sales closed in January.
Mantoloking posted 6 new listings in January 2026, ending the month with 5 active listings, 1 pending listing, and 0 closed sales.
Mantoloking Key Metrics (January 2026)
- Active listings: 5
- New listings: 6
- Pending listings: 1
- Closed sales: 0
- Absorption rate: 3.75 months
- Average list price (active): $14,569,600
- Median list price (active): $16,999,000
- Average list price (new listings): $11,949,333.33
- Median list price (new listings): $12,749,500
- Pending list price (1 pending): $7,299,000
- Active list volume: $72,848,000
- New list volume: $71,696,000
- Sold sale volume: $0
Mantoloking Month-over-Month (vs. December 2025)
- Active listings: 4 → 5 (up 25%)
- New listings: 0 → 6 (fresh inventory returned)
- Sold listings: 4 → 0 (no January closings)
- Absorption rate: 4.00 → 3.75 (slightly tighter, reflecting the way this metric is calculated in the report)
Mantoloking Year-over-Year (January 2026 vs. January 2025)
- Active listings: 5 vs. 2 (up 150%)
- New listings: 6 vs. 0 (higher)
- Pending listings: 1 vs. 1 (flat)
- Sold listings: 0 vs. 0 (flat)
- Avg list price (active): $14,569,600 vs. $5,497,500 (up ~165%)
- Median list price (active): $16,999,000 vs. $5,497,500 (up ~209%)
Important context: With 0 sales in both January 2026 and January 2025, closed-sale pricing trends can’t be compared year-over-year for this specific month. The list-price metrics are still useful for understanding current seller expectations and inventory mix.
What it means in Mantoloking
- For sellers: The jump in new listings means buyers have more to compare, so presentation and pricing discipline matter—especially at the upper end of the market where selection can expand quickly.
- For buyers: Six new listings in a single month is notable for a small market. If February and March bring additional inventory and closings, buyers may gain leverage through choice—even if overall supply remains relatively limited.
Bay Head vs. Mantoloking: What Stood Out in January 2026
1) Inventory was tight in both towns—but pricing profiles differed
- Bay Head average active list price: $8.225M
- Mantoloking average active list price: $14.5696M
Mantoloking’s active pricing ran meaningfully higher, with a median active list price of $16.999M, reflecting a very luxury-heavy snapshot of available inventory in January.
2) Closings happened in Bay Head, while Mantoloking’s activity was more “front-end”
- Bay Head: 2 sales closed, 0 pending
- Mantoloking: 0 sales closed, 1 pending, 6 new listings
This contrast often happens when one market’s month is driven by closings already in the pipeline, while the other market is building the pipeline via new inventory and pendings.
3) Negotiation signals
- Bay Head sale-to-list ratio: 94.7% (buyers negotiated about 5.3% off list on average)
- Mantoloking: no sale-to-list ratio for January due to 0 closings
January 2026 FAQ
- How many homes sold in Bay Head, NJ in January 2026?
2 residential properties sold in Bay Head in January 2026.
- How many homes sold in Mantoloking, NJ in January 2026?
0 residential properties sold in Mantoloking in January 2026.
- What was the median list price in Bay Head in January 2026?
The median active list price in Bay Head was $8,200,000.
- What was the median list price in Mantoloking in January 2026?
The median active list price in Mantoloking was $16,999,000.
- What was the months of supply (absorption rate) in January 2026?
Bay Head: 2.00 months; Mantoloking: 3.75 months.
Bottom Line for January 2026
- Bay Head showed very limited inventory (4 actives) and two significant closings, with quicker marketing times and moderate negotiation versus list price.
- Mantoloking saw a wave of new inventory (6 new listings) and one pending, but no closings during the month—making January more about listings and early-stage activity than closed-sale outcomes.