Wall Street Bonuses Fuel Hamptons Home Prices Surge

Median home prices in the Hamptons jump 33.6% as finance professionals splurge on luxury properties

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Wall Street's record-breaking bonus payouts in 2025, forecast to hit over $60 billion, have fueled a spending spree on luxury homes in the Hamptons. Realtors report that financiers make up over 50% of buyers in the area, helping push total sales volume to $6.2 billion - a 25.6% jump from the previous year. The median home price in the Hamptons surged 33.6% in 2025 as wealthy Wall Streeters snapped up oceanfront estates and weekend retreats.

Why it matters

The Hamptons real estate market is closely tied to the financial industry, with Wall Street bonuses historically driving demand for high-end properties in the area. This latest surge in home prices highlights the outsized influence of the finance sector on the local economy and housing market, pricing out essential workers like teachers and nurses who can no longer afford to live in the area.

The details

Brokers say that after a quiet summer, sales in posh areas like East Hampton, Southampton and Sag Harbor started to pick up in November as financiers learned of their record payouts. Average securities bonuses climbed to over $244,000 and total annual pay averaged $505,630 - nearly five times the city norm. This influx of cash has fueled a buying frenzy, with sales of $20 million-plus properties rocketing 59% to 27 deals in 2025. Meanwhile, less expensive homes priced at $1 million or less saw a 9% decline in sales as essential workers get priced out of the market.

  • Wall Street bonuses are forecast to hit a record high of over $60 billion in 2025, according to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
  • In the fourth quarter of 2025, the average Hamptons home sale price reached nearly $3.5 million.
  • Hamptons home sales started to pick up in November 2025 as financiers learned of their record bonuses.

The players

Thomas DiNapoli

New York State Comptroller and the Empire State's bean counter-in-chief.

Jonathan Miller

CEO of Miller Samuel, a real estate consultancy.

Judy Desiderio

A managing partner with William Raveis and a veteran Hamptons realtor with 40 years in the game.

Michael Brennan

A real estate agent with Douglas Elliman, noting that about half of his clients are in finance.

Gary Cooper

The co-founder of Hedgerow Exclusive Properties.

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What they’re saying

“Whenever bonuses are booming, they really take the jitney out east and invest in East End dirt.”

— Judy Desiderio, Managing partner, William Raveis (The Post)

“All of a sudden, towards the end of the year, people were getting their numbers for their bonuses. November, December, and January — those months have been very, very busy for us out here.”

— Michael Brennan, Real estate agent, Douglas Elliman (The Post)

“There is a larger share of high-end activity that is originating among principals and senior professionals in private equity and hedge funds. These buyers tend to be highly capitalized, opportunist and less tied to traditional bonus timing.”

— Gary Cooper, Co-founder, Hedgerow Exclusive Properties (The Post)

What’s next

Bonus payments are set to land by the end of March, with the Hamptons season set to kick off in late May for Memorial Day weekend, likely fueling further demand for luxury homes in the area.

The takeaway

The Hamptons real estate market's close ties to Wall Street mean that the finance industry's record bonus payouts have a direct and outsized impact on home prices and sales in the region. This latest surge highlights the growing wealth gap and the difficulty for essential workers to afford housing in the Hamptons, as the area becomes increasingly dominated by high-net-worth finance professionals.