People ask me all the time: "How's the market?"

It's the wrong question, or at least an incomplete one. There is no single Westside market. Venice, Santa Monica, Mar Vista, and Culver City are all within a few miles of each other, but the numbers on each tell a completely different story right now.

And it goes deeper than that. Each of these markets has sub-markets within it, neighborhoods where the price per square foot, the lot sizes, the buyer profile, and the days on market can be dramatically different from one street to the next. Venice's canals and East of Lincoln are not the same market. North of Montana and Ocean Park are not the same Santa Monica. I'll be covering each of those in detail in dedicated posts.

For now, we're staying at the city level, the macro view across all four markets. Think of this as the 30,000-foot read before we get into the ground-level detail.

Here's where each market actually stands as of March 2026. I pull this data weekly from Chartwell Escrow, so these are real numbers, not generalizations.

Culver City: The One Market That's Actually Hot

Median List Price: $1,550,000 Median Days on Market: 35 days Price Cuts: 16% Relist Rate: 12% Market: Strong Seller's Market

Culver City is the outlier right now. Homes are moving in 35 days at the median, inventory is tight at 25 active listings, and it's the only market on this list that unambiguously says "seller's market" by every measure that counts.

If you're a buyer looking at Culver City, you need to be ready. Offers with buyer-friendly terms like extended timelines are getting pushed to the back of the line in multiple offer situations. If you're a seller, the data supports confident pricing right now.

Mar Vista (90066): Stable, But Sellers Shouldn't Get Comfortable

Median List Price: $2,385,000 Median Days on Market: 42 days Price Cuts: 18% Relist Rate: 22% Market: Slight Seller's Advantage

Mar Vista is holding steady. Prices have plateaued, homes are moving at a reasonable 42-day median, and on paper it still favors sellers.

But 22% of listings have relisted, meaning nearly one in four sellers had to pull and relaunch. That's a signal. Buyers in this market have more negotiating room than the headline numbers suggest, particularly on properties that have been sitting or repriced.

The $1.9M–$2.5M range is the most active segment here. Below $1.5M, you're in a more competitive window with faster movement.

Venice: Prices Rising, But Buyers Have More Leverage Than the Headlines Say

Median List Price: $3,095,000 Median Days on Market: 63 days Price Cuts: 17% Relist Rate: 18% Market: Leaning Buyer's Market

Venice is interesting. Prices look to be trending up, however that is due to a couple of high-priced sales that skew the market. The reality on the ground is that days on market are stretching out to 164, 17% of listings have taken price cuts, and Venice is leaning heavily into buyer's market territory.

But here's what the zip code data doesn't show you: Venice is not one market. It's several.

The Venice Canals, the pedestrian-only streets, the footbridges, the homes with direct canal frontage, trade at a significant premium and move on their own timeline. Buyers there are buying something specific and rare, and they know it. Inventory is almost never plentiful. When a canal home is priced right, it moves.

East of Lincoln is a mixed bag. The larger lots are commanding a premium from developers, with some truly extraordinary homes being built and sold, taking advantage of the extra land those lots provide. The standard-sized lots, however, are trading at a clear discount to comparable lots west of Lincoln. It's still Venice, but the market treats it differently, and pricing accordingly is everything.

The $2.5M–$4M range is moving with median days on market around 35–42 days across Venice. The entry-level range around $1.65M, which tends to be the East of Lincoln and transitional zones, is sitting much longer, with some properties well past 125 days on market. The top end above $5M is also slow, averaging 80+ days.

For buyers: if you're in the $2.5M–$4M window and moving decisively, you're in decent shape. If you're looking at the entry-level Venice range or upper luxury tier, you have real negotiating leverage right now.

For sellers: Venice is not 2022. Overpricing is costly here. Properties that aren't priced correctly from the start are contributing to that 18% relist rate and the long days on market. Knowing which sub-market you're actually in, and pricing accordingly, is everything.

Santa Monica: A Flat Market Walking the Line

Median List Price: $4,582,000 Median Days on Market: 56 days Price Cuts: 24% Relist Rate: 24% Market: Flat, Balancing Buyer and Seller Territory

This is the most nuanced market on the Westside right now, and I want to give it an honest read.

Look at the full picture: 24% of listings have taken price cuts. 24% have relisted. The Chartwell data says prices are on "a slightly negative trend" and that pricing "has been weak in recent weeks." Santa Monica overall is experiencing a flat market, balancing the line between buyer and seller territory.

That said, within Santa Monica the sub-market differences are significant.

North of Montana is deep in seller's market territory. Larger lots, mature trees, some of the best residential streets in LA. It's the kind of neighborhood where people move and stay for decades. Post-Palisades fire, North of Montana saw an uptick in demand as displaced buyers and sellers looked east for comparable quality, and that momentum has continued. It commands a premium and it holds value.

Ocean Park, also known as South Santa Monica, is a different story. Funkier energy, a granola and wheatgrass kind of vibe, and Venice's slightly more mature cousin. Smaller lots, more character, closer to the beach, and buyers here tend to lean more creative and lifestyle-oriented. It has more in common with Abbot Kinney than Montana Avenue, and the price points reflect that.

The entry-level Santa Monica segment (around $2M, 2 bed/2 bath) is moving in 35 days regardless of neighborhood. The middle market ($3.5M–$5M) is sitting at 42–126 days in some segments. The upper tier above $13M is adding new listings faster than it's selling them.

If you're a serious buyer in Santa Monica, this is one of the better windows in recent memory to negotiate from a position of strength, particularly in the $3.5M–$5M range. Knowing which pocket of Santa Monica fits your lifestyle and your budget is the starting point for any real conversation.

What This Means If You're Thinking About Moving

The honest summary: Culver City is the only market right now where sellers hold most of the cards by every measure. Venice is leaning buyer's market. Santa Monica is flat. Mar Vista is holding but softer than the headline suggests.

This is why I look at multiple data points, not just a single headline number. A 24% price-cut rate and a 24% relist rate in the same market tells a very different story than any single statistic would. The full picture is what matters.

If you're trying to figure out whether now is the right time to buy or sell in any of these markets, let me know. I'm happy to put together a specific breakdown for your situation.

Talk soon, Solo

[email protected] | (310) 403-1800

Market data sourced from Chartwell Escrow weekly market reports, March 18, 2026. Single-family homes only.