Seven multifamily properties located within close proximity to each other recently sold in Irvington in Essex County.

The Kislak Co. Inc. announced the sale of the 190 units Sept. 5. The 184 residential apartments, along with six retail spaces, are located at:

• 26-28 Chester Ave. — 11 units and three retail spaces
• 38-40 Chester Ave. — 21 units
• 979-983 Clinton Ave. — 31 units
• 51-57 Linden Ave. — 29 units
• 780-786 Lyons Ave. — 22 units and three retail spaces
• 494 Stuyvesant Ave. — 37 units
• 2-10 Wagner Place — 33 units

Executive Vice President Joni Sweetwood marketed the portfolio on an exclusive basis for the seller, an unnamed publicly traded Canadian company, along with procuring the purchaser, a longtime client of the firm. According to Kislak, Sweetwood has handled “many other sales” for the buyer. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The residential units feature a mix of studio and one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units. Kislak said in its announcement that many have undergone some sort of renovation. Across the portfolio, other highlights include: new boilers and hot water heaters, many replaced pipes and rises, and security cameras with key fob entry.

Commenting on the sale, Sweetwood cited the portfolio’s well-maintained status as well as its position “in a strong northern New Jersey rental market with easy access to New York City. These factors and the potential upside in rents appealed to the purchaser.”

In July, the national average asking rent was up by $2 over the month prior to $1,729, according to Yardi Matrix. The monthly report found that growth continues to be led by metro areas in the Northeast and Midwest, including New Jersey where rents were up 5.4% year over year. High occupancy — the figure was 97.2% in the Garden State — and low completions were cited as a factor in the region. Further reflecting regional constraints for occupancy options, the Garden State also had the highest renewal rate, the report found — 80.5% in May versus the national rate of 59.4%.

“The sale is a testament to the continued strength of the market for multifamily properties in northern New Jersey, and although there were many complexities in the transaction, we knew we could get it closed together,” said Sweetwood — one of Kislak’s “all-time leading salespeople” with a career investment sales total of more than $1.3 billion.

As of the 2020 U.S. census, Irvington’s population was growing — hitting more than 61,000 and reflecting growth of 13.4% from the 2010 census, Kislak said. The municipality is bordered by Maplewood, Newark, Hillside and Union.

The sale comes on the heels of another from Kislak in Elizabeth, where a collection of multifamily units traded for upward of $4 million.