The question everyone is asking

“How’s the market?”

It’s the #1 question I get - and has been since I started in real estate almost a decade ago.

And my answer is always the same: It depends.

Because it really does.

A first-time buyer trying to crack into the market is living a totally different reality than a luxury buyer in the $5M+ range.

A seller with a home that needs work is playing a completely different game than one with a turnkey, staged-to-the-nines property.

Cash investors, leveraged buyers, upsizers, downsizers: it’s all different.

And that’s before we even get into how varied local markets can be. San Clemente isn’t Laguna Beach. Forster Ranch isn’t North Beach.

But here’s what I can say generally:

• 📉 Inventory is higher than we’ve seen since the early days of the pandemic  - 81% more than this time last year, in fact.

• 📉 Demand is lower than it’s been in over two decades.

• 📈 Interest rates are still hovering around 7%—still below the 40-year average, but high enough to slow things down.

• 🕰️ The market is sluggish. Not frozen, not falling—but definitely moving slower than most of us are used to.

So if you’re asking me how the market is to make small talk, I’ll happily unload some stats or trends. (Spoiler alert: there are still some great opportunities out there.)

But if you’re asking because you’re thinking about buying or selling?

Then I’ve got a different answer for you.

Because your experience in this market depends entirely on what position you’re playing, AND how you approach the game.

We’re not in the white-hot 2021 market anymore. And we’re not in the post-2008 slump, either.

This isn’t a time to wing it.

In this market, buyers and sellers alike need to be sharp. Informed. Strategic. There’s  little margin for error, and cutting corners just won’t cut it.

Sometimes, the best move is to stay put and make the most of what you’ve got. Other times, the best move is… well, to actually move.

If you’re not sure which one applies to you, give me a call. I’ll walk you through what I’m seeing and help you game-plan what’s next.