How long does it take to sell a house in Los Angeles?
Last updated August 19, 2026
Figures as of August 19, 2026, recalculated weekly from closed sales.
About five weeks to get into contract, then another month or so to close. The number your agent quotes you is only the first half of that, and the gap between the two is where most sellers get caught planning a move.
The number everyone quotes, city by city
Days on market means one thing: how long from the sign going up until the home goes into contract. Here is what that actually was over the last 12 months, from recorded closings.
| City | Days to contract | Sold for, vs asking | Closed at or above asking | Months of inventory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glendale | 15 | 100.0% | 60.3% | 3.4 |
| Burbank | 18 | 100.0% | 55.2% | 2.5 |
| Northridge | 19 | 100.0% | 54.3% | 2.7 |
| Pasadena | 19 | 100.0% | 60.0% | 3.2 |
| Culver City | 20 | 100.0% | 55.7% | 3.4 |
| Woodland Hills | 23 | 98.9% | 42.7% | 4.0 |
| Sherman Oaks | 25 | 98.7% | 39.7% | 4.7 |
| Venice | 27 | 97.7% | 35.2% | 5.3 |
| Tarzana | 28 | 98.2% | 38.2% | 4.7 |
| Studio City | 30 | 98.3% | 36.1% | 4.8 |
| Encino | 31 | 97.8% | 33.6% | 5.8 |
| Thousand Oaks | 32 | 99.0% | 42.9% | 3.6 |
| Westlake Village | 35 | 98.0% | 31.9% | 3.5 |
| Calabasas | 36 | 97.6% | 25.5% | 4.9 |
| Simi Valley | 36 | 99.6% | 48.8% | 3.1 |
| Beverly Hills | 38 | 95.9% | 25.9% | 8.9 |
| Agoura Hills | 41 | 98.2% | 37.4% | 5.2 |
| Malibu | 70 | 94.0% | 15.9% | 20.0 |
Source: closed residential sales reported to the California Regional Multiple Listing Service, 12 months ending August 2026. Hidden Hills is not listed. It recorded 15 sales in the period, too few for a median to mean anything. We publish these for 59 cities and 22 Los Angeles zip codes, recalculated weekly.
Then add escrow, which nobody counts
Going into contract is not selling. In California, escrow runs roughly 30 to 45 days after that, and it is when the real work happens: the buyer's inspections, the appraisal, the loan underwriting, and the repair negotiation that follows the inspection report.
So the honest arithmetic for a Calabasas house looks like this. Two to four weeks of preparation before you list. Then 36 days to contract. Then about 35 days of escrow. Call it 10 to 12 weeks from the day you decide to sell until the day the money lands. In Glendale the same arithmetic lands closer to eight weeks. In Malibu it is closer to five months.
If you are timing this against a purchase, a lease ending, or a school year, that is the number to plan around. Not the 36.
What the other columns tell you
Days on market on its own can mislead. Read it next to the two columns beside it.
Sold for, vs asking. Every city on that table sits between 97.6% and 99%. Nowhere in this market are sellers routinely giving up 10%. Homes that sell, sell close to where they asked.
Closed at or above asking. This is the one that separates the cities, and it tracks price tier almost perfectly. In Glendale and Pasadena, six in ten homes closed at or above asking. In Calabasas, one in four. In Malibu, fewer than one in six. Higher price bands hold fewer buyers, and fewer buyers means less competition, which shows up as a longer clock and a softer result rather than as an outright discount.
Months of inventory. How long it would take to sell everything currently listed at the recent pace. Burbank sits at 2.5 months. Malibu sits at 20. That single column explains most of the spread in the first one.
What these numbers do not tell you
Two things to know before you build a plan on the table above.
First, median means half of homes took longer. Half of Calabasas sellers waited more than 36 days, and some waited far more. A median is the middle of the pack, not a promise.
Second, and this one is rarely said out loud: days on market only counts homes that sold. A listing that expired without selling never produces a days-on-market figure at all, so it never enters the median. The real average wait, counting the people whose homes did not sell, is longer than any published number. That is not a reason to distrust the data. It is a reason to price the first time as though you only get one launch, because functionally you do.
What actually moves your clock
Four things decide whether you land near the median or well past it.
Price. The only one fully in your control, and the biggest by a distance. An overpriced house does not sell slowly. It sits, goes stale, and then sells for less than it would have at the right number on day one. Read what waiting actually costs if you are weighing that.
Condition. Buyers price a dated kitchen at the cost of replacing it plus the hassle of living through it. The equity boost planner shows which fixes are worth doing before you list and which are not.
Your price band. The higher you go, the thinner the buyer pool. Hidden Hills had 15 sales in a year. A market that thin runs on a different clock entirely.
Preparation. The first ten days on market draw the most attention a listing will ever get. Photography, pricing and launch timing all have to be finished before that window opens, not during it.
If you want the number for your own address, along with a realistic timeline for your price band, we will put it together and send it over. No cost, and no obligation to list with anybody.
How long does it take to sell a house in Calabasas?
In the 12 months ending August 2026, the median Calabasas home went into contract 36 days after listing. Escrow then usually runs another 30 to 45 days, so from sign in the yard to money in your account is closer to nine or ten weeks. Median also means half of homes took longer than 36 days.
Which Conejo Valley city sells the fastest?
Glendale was quickest of the cities we track over the last 12 months, at a median of 15 days to contract. Burbank ran 18, Northridge and Pasadena 19, Woodland Hills 23. At the other end, Malibu took 70 days and Beverly Hills 38.
Does days on market include escrow?
No, and this is where most people get surprised. Days on market counts the time from listing until the home goes into contract. Escrow is a separate 30 to 45 days after that, and in California it is when the inspections, the appraisal and the loan actually happen.
What makes a house sit longer than the median?
Price above what the comparable closings support is the usual reason, and it is the only one fully in your control. Condition, a difficult lot, a very high price band with few buyers, and listing without real preparation all extend the clock too.
Summary points
- Median days to contract runs from 15 in Glendale to 70 in Malibu. Most of Los Angeles sits between 20 and 40.
- Days on market ends at contract. Escrow is another 30 to 45 days after that, and nobody quotes you the second half.
- Plan on 10 to 12 weeks from deciding to sell until the money lands. Two to four weeks of prep, then the market, then escrow.
- Days on market only counts homes that sold. Listings that expired never enter the median, so the real average wait is longer than any published number.
- The clock is set by price, condition and how thin your price band is. Inventory explains most of the spread between cities.