Bergen County Broker Says National Headlines About Urban Exodus Don't Match Local Market Reality

Written by:

Rudi Davis

Date:

05 Feb 2026

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Sergio Sciortino, a broker associate with Keller Williams Village Square Realty who has worked in Bergen County for over 25 years, says the buyer mix at open houses and in transactions has returned to pre-pandemic norms, despite continued media reports of ongoing urban migration. “I read those headlines too, and I saw all that, and people commented about it. I don’t see any of that, really,” Sciortino says. “I have zero chatter about it here.”

This gap between national narrative and local reality highlights how real estate markets often operate independently of broad media coverage. National trends do not always dictate local behavior, and what happens in one region or demographic may have little impact elsewhere.

The Pandemic Wave That Came and Went

Sciortino acknowledges that Bergen County experienced a surge of urban buyers at the height of the pandemic. “During COVID, we absolutely saw it. We’d have 100 people, 50 people at an open house, and the majority were from New York or urban areas, because they wanted to get out of their apartments,” he explains.

That wave was real and had an immediate impact. Home prices rose, bidding wars became common, and the buyer pool temporarily shifted toward people relocating from dense city environments. But Sciortino says this effect was short-lived.

“Now, the bulk here, when I’m doing an open house, there’s not a ton of people from urban areas or even the city. It’s more local, localized, like it was before COVID,” he reports. While the market remains active, the majority of buyers are once again people already familiar with Bergen County or interested for established reasons such as schools, commuting options, or family ties.

Why National Headlines Miss Local Market Dynamics

The gap between what Sciortino observes and what national outlets report on urban exodus highlights a recurring problem in real estate coverage. National media often rely on data that lags current conditions by months or focus on isolated trends that do not reflect conditions in specific markets. By the time a trend appears in national reporting, many local markets have already moved on.

Sciortino offers another example: foreclosure rates. “The national news, as I said earlier, they’re saying foreclosures are spiking in certain parts of the country, but most likely it’s in the southern states,” he notes. “But here we don’t see any inkling of that, you know, because the buyer demand is still tremendously high in the low to medium price points.”

Real estate, he explains, is defined by smaller geographic and demographic segments than national coverage suggests. “We have micro neighborhoods, even within zip codes,” Sciortino says. Conditions in one area may have little to do with those in another, even within the same county.

What’s Actually Driving The Market

If the market is no longer being fueled by urban migration, what’s keeping demand high? Sciortino points to lasting fundamentals: low inventory, steady local demand, and the area’s appeal based on schools, transportation, and quality of life.

“It’s a great place to live in the northwest, especially driven by schools, way of life. A lot of them are train towns that have trains to the city and are close to beaches,” he says. “We’re extremely close to the shore in the summertime.”

These factors sustain demand regardless of short-term migration trends. Inventory remains tight, in part because homeowners are staying put due to low mortgage rates, while traditional buyer groups continue to see value in the area’s schools and amenities.

The Implications for Market Analysis

Bergen County’s experience shows the importance of focusing on actual transaction patterns and buyer behavior instead of relying on national headlines. Media narratives can create expectations that do not align with local sales, leading to misaligned expectations and misinformed investors and buyers.

For real estate professionals, this means that direct local knowledge is more reliable than national trend stories. Sciortino’s observation that “we’re not seeing any of that” urban exodus in Bergen County carries more weight than stories about high-profile moves, because it reflects what buyers are actually doing.

Temporary Disruptions, Not Permanent Shifts

What has happened in Bergen County suggests that the pandemic caused a brief disruption in buyer sources rather than a lasting demographic shift. As remote work became widespread and city living felt risky, suburban markets such as Bergen County saw an influx of urban buyers. But as offices reopened and remote work became less universal, the buyer mix returned to its long-term pattern.

This cycle, temporary disruption followed by a return to historical norms, may be more common in real estate than is often acknowledged. Markets experience shocks that produce short-term changes in buyer behavior, but these changes usually fade when conditions stabilize. The main challenge is distinguishing between a short-lived trend and a real, long-term shift.

Sciortino’s experience suggests that the recent headlines about urban exodus are best viewed as a temporary effect. In Bergen County, the pre-pandemic market has essentially returned, with local buyers once again dominating transactions and urban transplants making up a smaller share of the buyer pool.

The Value of Local Insight

The Bergen County example underscores the need for market participants to look past national headlines and focus on local realities. While media coverage of urban flight may attract attention, it may not reflect the current drivers of demand in key suburban markets.

For buyers, sellers, and professionals in Bergen County, the fundamentals, low inventory, strong schools, and quality of life continue to shape the market. As temporary shocks fade, these core strengths remain the most reliable guide for understanding what’s happening on the ground.