Santa Monica Monthly – September 2026

Different Price Points, Different Paces

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August’s Westside condo market showed that a higher price didn’t necessarily mean a longer wait to sell. Condos under $1.5M accounted for nearly three-quarters of reported closings across Santa Monica, Venice, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Marina del Rey and West LA, but higher-priced properties often recorded shorter selling timelines.

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Santa Monica led in both available inventory and completed sales, with 30 closings and average selling times of roughly a month across both price ranges. It also accounted for more than half of reported sales at $1.5M and above, making it the strongest concentration of higher-priced condo activity in this report.

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The contrast between price ranges was more pronounced in Brentwood and Marina del Rey. Closings at $1.5M and above averaged 25 days on market in both neighborhoods, while those below that threshold took roughly twice as long. Those higher-priced averages represent just four sales in Brentwood and two in Marina del Rey, however, so they offer a snapshot rather than proof of a broader trend.

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Venice recorded the shortest selling times, although just four condos closed. Pacific Palisades sat at the other end of the spectrum, with its three closings averaging roughly three to four months across the two price ranges. Meanwhile, West LA’s under-$1.5M segment averaged approximately $835,000, close to Brentwood’s $832,000.

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For buyers and sellers, these differences make the neighborhood and price range more useful benchmarks than a single Westside-wide average. The amount of choice, typical sale price and time needed to sell varied considerably depending on where buyers were looking.

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Food Obsession of the Month

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Chicken Frito Pie

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This easy Tex-Mex-inspired dish is a great way to turn simple pantry staples and leftover chicken into a satisfying weeknight meal. It combines a hearty chicken mixture with fire-roasted chilies and tomatoes, then tops everything with crunchy Fritos for a fun take on classic comfort food. Inspired by traditional Frito pie, this version is quick to assemble and delivers plenty of savory flavor with minimal effort.

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Source: Delish