What a Los Angeles agent helps you decide
Los Angeles is not one housing market. It is a city of about 3.86 million people (Census ACS 2020-2024) spread from the San Fernando Valley to San Pedro, with 95 ZIP codes in Zillow's data. In September 2026 Zillow's typical home value ran from $516,263 in downtown ZIP 90014 to $3,061,985 in 90077 (Bel Air) and $2,966,542 in 90049 (Brentwood). That is a sixfold spread inside one city.
Three decisions shape every purchase or sale here. The first is the part of the city: the Westside, the Valley, the Eastside and Northeast LA, or the downtown and Hollywood towers. The second is the kind of property. Only 36% of occupied homes in the city are owner-occupied, according to the Census Bureau, so many buyers are choosing between a condo, a small multi-unit building and a detached house. The third is the rule set that comes with the property, because the City of Los Angeles adds its own layers: rent stabilization on older rental units, a soft-story retrofit order on some apartment buildings, and a higher transfer tax than the rest of the county.
Buying a home in Los Angeles
Redfin counted 4,729 sales in the city in the three months to September 2026, 4.8% fewer than a year earlier, at a median of $1,032,508 and $623 per square foot. Homes took a median 56 days to sell and went for 99.2% of list price on average, and 30.1% sold above list. Supply was 5.4 months, which gives buyers more room than in most coastal suburbs. Zillow's typical value of $927,891 is lower than Redfin's median because it covers every home, not just those that sold. Do not compare one measure with the other.
Price the monthly cost of a Los Angeles home first
At Freddie Mac's 30-year average of 7.24% (week of October 29, 2026), 20% down on the $1,032,508 median is $206,502. Principal and interest on the $826,006 loan come to about $5,629 a month. Property tax in City of Los Angeles tax rate area 67 is 1.185825% for 2026-27, according to the Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller. After the $7,000 homeowners' exemption that is about $12,161 a year, or $1,013 a month. Your rate depends on your parcel's tax rate area. Insurance, HOA dues and any special assessments are extra.
Look up the parcel before you fall for the house
ZIMAS is the City's public parcel map. The Housing Department sends owners and renters there to check rent stabilization status: enter the address and open the Housing tab. Use the same report to ask about zoning and any historic preservation overlay zone (HPOZ). An HPOZ, such as the Gregory Ain Mar Vista Tract, adds design review for exterior changes, and a hillside or coastal designation changes what you can build. Ask your agent to pull the parcel report and the permit history from the Department of Building and Safety before you write an offer.
Check rent control on any building with a rental unit
The Los Angeles Housing Department says the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) generally covers rental units in properties built on or before October 1, 1978, including duplexes, condos rented out and two or more houses on one lot. About 624,000 units in 118,000 properties fall under it. A single-family home that is the only home on its parcel is not covered. If you plan to live in one unit of a duplex and rent the other, or to remove a tenant, read the RSO rules on allowable increases and relocation payments before you buy.
Ask about seismic retrofits on older apartment buildings
The City's soft-story program covers wood-frame buildings of two or more stories built under codes in force before January 1, 1978, with ground-floor parking or similar open space. Buildings with three or fewer units are exempt. An owner under an order has two years to submit plans, three and a half to get a permit and seven to finish the work, according to the Department of Building and Safety's owner guide. Ask for the order date and the certificate of compliance on any building of four or more units.
Inspect for age, hillsides and fire exposure
The median Los Angeles home was built in 1965 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Sewer laterals, older electrical panels, galvanized plumbing and unbolted raised foundations are routine findings. Hillside homes may need a geologist. Check the address for fire hazard severity zone and flood zone on the state's MyHazards tool, and read our California wildfire zones guide and homeowners insurance guide before you remove contingencies. The guide to buying a house in California covers the contract steps.
Selling a home in Los Angeles
Sellers face more competition than two years ago. Redfin counted 7,392 new listings in the three months to September 2026, up 2.2% on a year earlier, and 8,383 homes for sale. Only 22.7% of homes went under contract within two weeks. Across the Los Angeles metro, Zillow reports that 24.4% of listings had a price cut in September 2026.
Set the price from your own ZIP and property type
Citywide numbers hide large gaps. In ZIP 90066 (Mar Vista and Del Rey), Redfin's three-month median for a single-family house was $2,347,908 with 2.7 months of supply, while condos in the same ZIP sold for a median $879,974 and took 98 days. Ask for a range built from closed sales of your home type within a few blocks over the last 90 days, not from the citywide median.
Budget the Los Angeles city transfer tax
A sale inside the City of Los Angeles pays the county rate of $0.55 per $500 plus the City rate of $2.25 per $500, according to the County Registrar-Recorder. On the $1,032,508 median that is about $1,136 to the county and $4,649 to the City, $5,785 in all. From July 1, 2026, the City adds 4% of the full price on sales above $5,400,000 and below $10,900,000, and 5.5% at $10,900,000 or more. See the California transfer tax guide and the closing costs guide.
Prepare the disclosures a Los Angeles buyer will ask for
Expect questions on unpermitted additions and garage conversions, retrofit status, rent control status if there is a tenant, and any HPOZ or homeowners association approvals. California's standard disclosure forms apply to every sale; the seller disclosure guide lists them. If the home is in a trust or estate, the probate real estate guide explains the extra steps.
Decide on timing and how to sell
With Redfin's 5.4 months of supply citywide, a well-priced house in a tight ZIP can still sell in weeks, but an overpriced condo can sit for a quarter. If you need to sell before you buy, ask about a rent-back. For a quick sale with no repairs, compare a listing with a cash offer using our guide to selling as-is.
Los Angeles areas at a glance
Values below are Zillow's typical home value for September 2026 for the Zillow neighborhood named, with the one-year change. The Los Angeles neighborhoods guide and the ZIP code guide go further.
Beverlywood
A 1940 tract of 1,354 homes on the Westside, run by a homes association that reviews exterior changes. Zillow's typical value was $2,313,915, up 4.6%. See our Beverlywood guide.
Mar Vista
A Westside neighborhood along Venice Boulevard, in ZIP 90066, that includes the 1948 Gregory Ain Mar Vista Tract. Zillow's typical value was $1,849,421, up 4.8%. See our Mar Vista guide.
Westchester
The neighborhood north of LAX, home to Loyola Marymount University, with mostly modest houses on small lots in ZIP 90045. Zillow's typical value was $1,449,811, up 1.8%. See our Westchester guide.
Brentwood and Cheviot Hills
Two of the highest-priced areas in the city. Brentwood's typical value was $2,828,959 (up 5.6%) and Cheviot Hills' $2,435,279 (up 5.9%). Both sit in ZIPs where Zillow's typical value tops $1.8 million: 90049 for Brentwood and 90064 for Cheviot Hills.
Venice and Playa Vista
Venice was $1,833,693 (up 2.6%) and Playa Vista $1,330,681 (up 0.7%). In Playa Vista's ZIP 90094, condos made up 27 of the 37 sales in Redfin's three months to September 2026, at a median of $1,134,966.
San Fernando Valley neighborhoods
The Valley offers more detached houses per dollar. Studio City was $1,543,648 (up 3.2%), Encino $1,400,532 (down 0.1%), Sherman Oaks $1,316,850 (up 2.4%), Woodland Hills $1,176,551 (down 0.5%), Northridge $1,047,611 (down 0.1%) and North Hollywood $839,245 (down 0.1%).
Silver Lake, Eagle Rock and Highland Park
Eastside and Northeast LA neighborhoods with a wide spread of prices. Silver Lake was $1,420,506 (down 0.2%), Eagle Rock $1,256,027 (up 2.0%) and Highland Park $1,014,863 (down 0.3%).
Downtown and Hollywood
Mostly condos and lofts. Downtown's typical value was $548,965, down 5.0% in a year, and Hollywood's $869,664, down 1.9%. These were among the weakest areas in Zillow's data over the year, so check HOA reserves and recent sales in the same building.
Property checks that matter in Los Angeles
Fire zones and insurance in Los Angeles hillsides
Many hillside streets in the city carry wildfire exposure, and insurance is now a deciding cost. Zillow's typical value in ZIP 90272 (Pacific Palisades) was $2,850,079 in September 2026, down 6.7% in a year, the largest drop among the city's higher-priced ZIPs. Get an insurance quote before you remove contingencies, and read the California FAIR Plan guide if standard carriers decline.
Flood and earthquake checks
Look up the address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Ask whether a raised-foundation house has been bolted and braced, and price earthquake cover with the earthquake insurance guide.
HOA dues, Mello-Roos and special assessments
Condo and townhouse buyers should read the HOA budget, reserve study and minutes. Newer planned communities may carry special taxes; see the Mello-Roos guide and the HOA laws guide. Prop 13 and the Los Angeles County property tax guide explain how your tax bill is set after purchase, including supplemental bills.
How to choose a real estate agent in Los Angeles
No list can tell you who the single best agent is for your home. A good fit depends on the area, the property type and how you like to work. Interview at least two agents and ask the same questions of each.
Questions to ask a Los Angeles agent
- How many homes like mine, in my ZIP, have you sold or bought in the last 12 months? Ask for addresses.
- Will you personally handle showings, offers and escrow, or will a team member?
- Have you handled rent-stabilized property, HPOZ review or a soft-story building, if mine has one?
- What is your DRE license number? Check it on the Department of Real Estate's public lookup.
How agent pay works after the 2024 changes
Since August 17, 2024, buyers working with a Realtor sign a written buyer agreement that states the agent's services and pay. The National Association of Realtors says compensation is negotiable and not set by law. Sellers can still offer to pay toward the buyer's agent, but it is a term to negotiate. Our California real estate commission guide explains the options. If you want a starting point, see our featured local agent for Los Angeles.