Manhattan is anticipated to release 768 new developer units across 20 new construction projects in the fourth quarter of 2026. This represents the largest quarterly launch since 2014, according to a study by Brown Harris Stevens Development Marketing (BHSDM) provided exclusively to Commercial Observer. Developer units refer to condominiums sold directly by the developer.
Robin Schneiderman, Managing Director at BHSDM, commented: “The market has experienced supply shortages in terms of new unit inventory for several years. Over the last few years, a certain amount of pent-up demand has accumulated relating to the sale of developed land across Manhattan.” Traditionally, it can take one to two years for a developer to acquire land, plan the building, commence construction, and finally bring it to market, Schneiderman explained. “What we are finally seeing now is some of these planned projects coming to market to, in my opinion, alleviate the supply shortages.”
BHSDM's data analysis refers to the number of new units entering Manhattan's condominium market over the last five years, according to Schneiderman. The total number of units projected for Manhattan in 2026 is approximately 1,100. Currently, there are around 3,123 units in Manhattan. “Interestingly, 768 of these units will be launched in the autumn,” he noted. This is the total number of units; however, it does not mean that 768 flats will suddenly become available simultaneously, as each project will progressively release units as part of its sales and marketing process.
“The bigger story, however, is that we have about 20 new buildings in our current pipeline that will begin sales. Twenty buildings with 768 new units is significantly more than in any other fourth quarter – the autumn market – we have seen for a long time,” Schneiderman explained. By way of comparison: In the fourth quarter of 2023, only 41 developer units were delivered, and in 2024, there were only 90 new units. In 2025, according to BHSDM data, 264 units were delivered, with the five-year average being around 263 units.
When comparing inventories across different boroughs, Manhattan's Upper East Side had “some banner years,” Schneiderman said. The Upper East Side has approximately 119 units for sale, and a further 166 units are expected to come to market this autumn. Schneiderman attributed the slow return to increased inventory directly to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a “large inventory build-up, and then the market for new products slowed down in terms of the sale of development sites and the capital available to finance these projects.”
- —Projected release of 768 developer units in Q4 2026.
- —This is the largest quarterly launch since 2014.
- —The Upper East Side borough showed particular activity.
“Now that the market has shown several success stories over the last 12 months – I could name five or six projects that have now sold out and only came to market less than 12 months ago – investors or the capital markets feel comfortable again investing in these projects as they see the absorption rates and the demand in the market,” he concluded.
