In the wake of Covid-19, economic uncertainty rippled across the country. Yet, for the Miami real estate market, growth barely slowed; and in August of this year, home prices were up 30 percent over last year. Big cities in general saw increased demand for oceanfront properties, as an ocean breeze blowing fresh air into your home seemed a safer way of living around people. As office buildings sat empty across the country, those that could now work from home were spending much more time doing exactly that and when being home was all you could do, it became even more important to make your home as livable as possible.
According to preeminent east coast realtor Burton Wilkins, the market truly shifted during this time, and clients of his were among those that wanted to upgrade their living space now that office spaces were going defunct. Wilkins is a luxury real estate agent at ONE Sotheby’s International Realty selling in Miami and at Goldcoast Sotheby’s International Realty where he works with his father and sister selling properties in Ocean City, New Jersey.
Wilkins has seen incredible success in both markets and especially in New Jersey. Just in the last few months, for instance, Wilkins has closed a number of incredible single-family homes on the Atlantic coast of New Jersey. In his hometown of Ocean City, 2021 Wesley Avenue, a regal seven bedroom unit located right on the water, sold for a whopping $7.5 million. Regarding this sale, Wilkins said “I am extremely proud of my team for representing this sale, which was the highest sale of a single family home ever in Ocean City, New Jersey.”
Shortly after, in nearby Stone City, New Jersey, Wilkins sold 100 105th Street, again an oceanfront home, for just shy of $6.5 million. 7605 Pleasure Avenue in Sea Isle City is another seven bedroom unit of Wilkins’s properties that just sold late last month. This was also a new record; Wilkins described it as “the highest single family sale in the history of Sea Isle City.”
Wilkins, clearly having no intention of slowing down, is also representing two slightly smaller oceanfront properties in Ocean City, located at 1924 Wesley Avenue and at 912 Stenton Place. There is no doubt these will go quickly. In the push toward better housing, it seems the oceanside is king.
