Joy Behar, 83, has completed the sale of her historic Sag Harbor, New York, home for $5.65 million. According to Realtor, the deal officially closed on August 28, after the four-bedroom property was marked as “pending” on July 17, signalling that the transaction had entered its final stages.The final sale price is $5.3 million below the $10.95 million Behar initially sought when she first listed the property in November 2024. However, the longtime The View host still made $900,000 more than the $4.75 million she paid for the home in 2016.The sale also marks the end of an unusual pricing strategy that saw the asking price increase by more than $1 million just months before the eventual sale.
The property was once listed for nearly $11 million
The 1903 Sag Harbor property spans 4,500 square feet and features four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. (Photo: Saunders & Associates)
Behar and her listing agents, Ed Gaetjens and John Wines of Saunders & Associates, initially placed the home on the market for $10.95 million. The agents later acknowledged that the asking price was likely ambitious, and the property went through multiple reductions over the following months.By December 2025, the price had fallen to $5.95 million.Then, in March, Behar’s asking price suddenly increased by more than $1 million to $6.995 million. According to her agents, the move was not arbitrary but part of a carefully considered strategy designed to demonstrate the home’s potential to prospective buyers.“We had started much higher, at an aspirational price, then came down to a realistic number,” Wines said.
The Victorian property includes a chef’s kitchen, formal dining room, den, office and multiple fireplaces. (Photo: Saunders & Associates)
The decision to raise the price was also influenced by the sale of a nearby property for $11.25 million. Although that neighboring home had undergone significantly more modern upgrades, the transaction convinced Behar’s agents that there was strong demand for properties in the area.“The comp next door, that house went for a lot of money, a lot more than any of us thought it would go for,” Gaetjens explained.
Agents tried an unusual strategy to attract buyers
The Hamptons home also features a separate guesthouse with a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and loft space. (Photo: Saunders & Associates)
Rather than immediately renovating Behar’s property, the agents decided to show potential buyers what the home could become.Gaetjens and Wines worked with several architects to create renovation plans that would give the historic property a more contemporary feel. They also priced out the proposed upgrades and obtained the necessary planning permissions, essentially preparing the groundwork for a renovation without requiring Behar to undertake the construction herself.“A lot of people don’t have vision, they don’t see what the house could be,” Wines said. “What we’re trying to do is make it more palatable.”
Joy Behar bought the Hamptons property for $4.75 million in 2016 and sold it for $5.65 million. (Photo: Saunders & Associates)
The agents believed the strategy would help buyers understand the potential value of the property, particularly when compared with the recently sold neighboring home.“At $6.99 million, it’s still a steal because there’s so much room in there,” Wines said. “We have a legitimate comp next door that allows us to say, ‘Here’s what a turnkey house is worth.’”They also suggested that the property could ultimately be worth considerably more following a renovation.“If we were to move forward and actually do the renovations, the price wouldn’t be $6.99 million, it would be $12 million,” Wines said.The agents had previously indicated that if the home did not sell at the higher asking price, Behar could consider renovating it herself before returning it to the market at a price closer to $11.25 million.
A historic 1903 property with a pool and guesthouse
Joy Behar’s historic Hamptons home features a heated gunite pool and lush grounds offering complete privacy. (Photo: Saunders & Associates)
Built in 1903, Behar’s Hamptons property spans approximately 4,500 square feet and sits on a 0.63-acre corner lot in Sag Harbor. The four-bedroom home has 4.5 bathrooms and retains many of the characteristics that attracted Behar when she purchased it.The listing describes the property as a meticulously restored Victorian offering a main residence, a lofted studio and resort-like grounds featuring a heated gunite pool.Inside, the main house combines historic character with modern amenities. The chef’s kitchen features high-end appliances, dual dishwashers, a large pantry and a fireplace.The home also includes a formal dining room, living room, den and office. The primary bedroom has its own fireplace, an expansive walk-in closet and a spa-style bathroom. Another bedroom comes with an en suite bathroom, while two additional bedrooms share a bathroom.A separate guesthouse includes a living room with a fireplace, a full kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and loft space. The space could potentially be used as a guest accommodation or for rental purposes, depending on the buyer’s plans.Outside, lush trees provide privacy around the property, while a bluestone patio surrounds the pool area.
Joy Behar has long loved the Hamptons
Behar has previously spoken openly about her affection for the Hamptons. In a 2021 interview with Hedges, she recalled first visiting the area in the 1960s, when she rented a house in Hampton Bays with her sorority sisters.“I love the Hamptons. There is no better place. To me, it resembles Provence more than any other place I’ve been, and I like it more than Provence,” she said.Behar also recalled how she came to purchase the Sag Harbor property. She had initially been interested in a newer home next door but found it too expensive. She then asked a broker whether the owner of the neighboring property would consider selling.The owner was willing to sell only “at top dollar and as is,” according to Behar, who ultimately decided to take the property.It was the home’s history and original character that ultimately persuaded her.“This house is over 100 years old—I’m almost as old as this house! But it’s a beautiful house, it has bones, and it has history,” Behar said.After nearly two years on and off the market, the historic Hamptons home has now officially changed hands for $5.65 million.
