August was supposed to be quiet. It was anything but.

I found myself in multiple bidding wars for both buyers and sellers over the past few weeks. Competition like that is starting to erode the buyer’s market advantage. Well-priced homes are drawing multiple offers again, and the negotiability we all grew used to is narrowing.

The data backs up what I saw on the ground. Olshan Realty counted 24 contracts at $4 million and above in the last week of August, nine more than the week before, with $189.3 million in deal volume, nearly $78 million ahead of the same week last year. So far this year 218 properties at $10 million and up have traded, ahead of last year’s 202. Even the new pied-a-terre tax has not slowed the high end.

My expectation is that we are heading into a busy fall with upward pressure on prices, especially as the rental market continues to break new records and pushes more renters to run the buy math. August closings already show days on market improving in both boroughs. If a purchase is on your mind, getting organized now, before the post-Labor Day wave fully lands, is the move.

Sellers seem to agree: every home in this week’s Top Ten was listed within the past two weeks. The run goes from a cast-iron SoHo penthouse at $33M to a Chelsea loft with 12-foot ceilings under $1M. Seven are in Manhattan and three in Brooklyn. If one pulls at you, reply and we’ll set up a private tour.