Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Company Contact:

Michael J. Fitzpatrick

Chief Financial Officer

OceanFirst Financial Corp.

Tel: (732)240-4500, ext. 7506

email: Mfitzpatrick@oceanfirst.com

OCEANFIRST FINANCIAL CORP.

ANNOUNCES 2019 STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM

RED BANK, NEW JERSEY, December 18, 2019—OceanFirst Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:OCFC) (the “Company”), the holding company for OceanFirst Bank, today announced the authorization of the Board of Directors of the 2019 Stock Repurchase Program to repurchase approximately 5% of the Company’s outstanding common stock up to an additional 2,500,000 shares. This amount is in addition to the remaining 167,996 shares available under the existing 2017 Repurchase Program.

The Company believes the repurchase of shares remains a good long-term investment opportunity due to the current market prices of the common stock; general market and economic conditions affecting the Company, the Bank and the banking industry in general; and the other alternatives available for investment by the Company.

OceanFirst Financial Corp.’s press releases are available at http://www.oceanfirst.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

In addition to historical information, this news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which are based on certain assumptions and describe future plans, strategies and expectations of the Company. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by use of the words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “will,” “should,” “may,” “view,” “opportunity,” “potential,” or similar expressions or expressions of confidence. The Company’s ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Factors which could have a material adverse effect on the operations of the Company and its subsidiaries include, but are not

limited to: changes in interest rates, general economic conditions, levels of unemployment in the Bank’s lending area, real estate market values in the Bank’s lending area, future natural disasters and increases to flood insurance premiums, the level of prepayments on loans and mortgage-backed securities, legislative/regulatory changes, monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the quality or composition of the loan or investment portfolios, demand for loan products, deposit flows, competition, demand for financial services in the Company’s market area and accounting principles and guidelines. These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and subsequent securities filings and should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to publicly release the result of any revisions which may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

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