September 2026 Long Beach Housing Market Update

The Long Beach housing market continues to show impressive price resilience even as buyers have become more selective. August’s numbers point to a market that is neither the frenzy of a few years ago nor a market where sellers have lost control. Instead, we’re seeing a more strategic environment where pricing, preparation, and property condition matter considerably more.

Realtor.com’s August 2026 citywide data puts the median sold price at $895,000, up approximately 8.5% from a year ago. Redfin’s rolling three-month data ending in August comes in remarkably close at $899,405, up 5.8% year over year.

August 2026 Long Beach Market Snapshot

Here are some of the numbers that stand out:

• Median sold price: $895,000
• Year-over-year median sold price: +8.5%
• Redfin 3-month median sale price: $899,405
• Median days on market: 43 days on Redfin’s closed-sale measure
• Sale-to-list price: 99.8%
• Homes selling above asking: 38.8%
• Closed sales: 700 during Redfin’s three-month period ending in August, up 5.0% year over year
• Active listings: 1,137 citywide according to Realtor.com

Those statistics tell an interesting story: prices are strong, but buyers aren’t blindly chasing every listing. Nearly four out of ten homes sold above asking, yet approximately 30% of listings experienced a price reduction. That difference largely comes down to how accurately a home is positioned when it first reaches the market.

What Does This Mean for Long Beach Home Sellers?

For sellers, the headline is encouraging: Long Beach home values continue to hold up extremely well.

But this is not a market where simply putting a home on the MLS at an ambitious price guarantees a strong result.

Today’s buyers have access to more information, are carefully comparing properties, and are sensitive to both price and condition. Homes that are properly prepared, marketed and priced can still generate multiple offers. Redfin reports that nearly 39% of recent Long Beach sales closed above list price, while particularly desirable homes can still move substantially faster than the broader market.

The opposite is also true. Starting too high can cost valuable momentum during the first few weeks on the market. With roughly 30% of listings experiencing a price reduction, sellers should pay close attention to what buyers are actually paying rather than simply looking at what neighboring sellers are asking.

For anyone considering selling this fall, the most important question isn’t simply, “What is my home worth?” It’s “What pricing and marketing strategy will create the strongest buyer response?”

What Does This Mean for Long Beach Home Buyers?

Buyers have more breathing room than they did during the most competitive years of the market, but Long Beach is hardly a bargain market.

Redfin continues to classify Long Beach as somewhat competitive, with homes selling at approximately 99.8% of asking price and the strongest properties still attracting multiple offers.

The opportunity for buyers is often found in the properties that have been overlooked: homes that have been on the market longer, experienced a price reduction, need cosmetic improvements, or were initially priced too aggressively.

That creates two very different markets at the same time.

A beautifully prepared home in a desirable Long Beach neighborhood may still require an aggressive offer. A home that has been sitting for several weeks may give a buyer considerably more negotiating leverage.

Knowing which situation you’re walking into is increasingly important.

One City — Many Different Housing Markets

Long Beach’s citywide median is useful, but it never tells the entire story.

A Downtown condo, California Heights Spanish-style home, Naples waterfront property, Los Altos house and North Long Beach starter home can behave like completely different markets.

For example, August Redfin data showed a roughly $490,000 median sale price in Downtown Long Beach, while the median in Lakewood Village was approximately $1.29 million.

That’s why neighborhood-level comparable sales matter much more than a citywide headline when determining what an individual property is worth.

What We’re Watching This Fall

Three things will be especially important as we move through September and into the final months of 2026: mortgage rates, inventory, and buyer confidence.

Long Beach currently has more choices available to buyers than it did during the extreme inventory shortages of the pandemic-era market, but supply is still limited enough to support prices in many neighborhoods. Realtor.com reported 1,137 active Long Beach listings in August, while its median sold price remained $895,000.

If affordability improves, even modestly, additional buyer demand could quickly put more pressure on the best-priced homes.

For sellers, that means there is still opportunity.

For buyers, it means waiting for the entire market to suddenly become inexpensive may not be the strategy it appears to be.

Thinking About Buying or Selling in Long Beach?

Real estate decisions are personal, and citywide averages are only the starting point.

If you're considering selling, we can look specifically at your neighborhood, recent comparable sales, current competition and what buyers are responding to right now.

If you're considering buying, we can help identify where opportunities exist and where competition is strongest before you write an offer.

The right strategy starts with understanding the market you’re actually in — not just the headlines.