2021 is now in the rearview mirror, but it will not soon be forgotten. It was the best local real estate market ever recorded in Malibu!
It was a year of records for our team, Malibu, and real estate markets across the country. Let’s dive into what happened last year and our outlook for 2022.
The Mark & Grether Group’s 2021 Year in Review
We are thrilled to have had our best year yet closing over $184 million in real estate transactions! This includes:
- 40 single-family homes, condominiums, income properties, land lots, and burnout lots sold
- 39 seasonal and long term leases ranging from $3,200/month to $200,000/month
- 97+ sellers, buyers, landlords, and tenants represented.
The transaction volume is not our only metric for our team’s success. We are proud members of the Malibu community and look forward to being your trusted, local real experts in 2022.
Malibu Market Overview
To demonstrate the second-year-running of unprecedented demand we saw, we pulled numbers from 2020 and compared them to 2021. It paints a clear picture:
- In the 90265 zip code, the total volume of single-family homes sold in 2020 was $1.68 billion (nearly double 2019). In 2021, it nearly doubled for a second time! $2.857 billion in single-family homes were sold last year.
- In 2020, there were 257 single-family homes sold in Malibu, a 96% increase in transaction volume from 2019. 2021 saw an all-time record of single-family homes sold: 360! (The previous record was 353). This includes off-market sales which account for some of the largest transitions.
- California’s highest recorded sale took place in 2021 for $177 million in an off-market deal. The property was a 7-acre estate stretching from Pacific Coast Hwy to the sand at Paradise Cove.
Single-family homes sales broke all sorts of records, as we will elaborate on below. Meanwhile, land and condominiums also saw a very healthy increase in closed sales. Mobile homes and leases both exceeded their performance from 2020.
Malibu is full of completely different communities, beaches, and enclaves all offering something unique. Let’s get into the specifics of each property type.
Single-Family Home Sales
For two years running now, our sales have almost doubled. The average sale price for 2021 was $8 million, though this is heavily skewed by certain mega sales. Still, there were 22 sales at over $20 million, and 83 homes sold above $10 million. On the flip side, there was just one sale under $1 million located in the Malibu Bowl neighborhood of Corral Canyon. Here is the breakdown for the beach and landside from 2020 (including off-market sales):
Malibu Beach
- Total sales: 97
- Average sold price: $15.5 million
- Average days on market: 80
- Total volume sold in 2021: $1.53 billion
Malibu Landside
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Total sales: 263
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Average sold price: $5 million
- Average days on market: 76 days
- Total volume sold in 2021: $1.32 billion

Best Performing Neighborhoods
Broad Beach has continued its recent meteoric rise that began in 2020. In recent years, the area has held incredible value compared to similar communities such as Malibu Road and Carbon Beach. Last year, the average sale price was $11,940,000. The 10 traceable sales of 2021 average at an incredible $17.6 million. Inventory remains very low on the beach with buyers circling the few properties that have been listed.
Meanwhile on Malibu’s landside, 2021’s star was the idyllic neighborhood of Malibu Park. Since the Woolsey fire in 2018, Malibu Park has been rebuilding and burnout lots have been steadily trading. Now, we are seeing a new wave of inventory in the freshly rejuvenated neighborhood. In 2020, the 16 public transactions in Malibu Park averaged a closing price of $5.142M. In 2021, that was up by almost $1 million! There were 22 public sales averages $5.99M.

Condominium Sales
Malibu’s condominium market has become incredibly competitive in the past two years with low inventory, steadily rising prices, and multiple offers. Here are the specific numbers on and off of the beach for 2021:
Malibu Beach
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Total sales: 15 | 20 in 2020
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Average days on market: 74 | 108 in 2020
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Average list price: $2,740,400 | $1,977,175 in 2020
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Average sold price: $2,564,048 | $1,755,273 in 2020
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Average sold price per square foot: $1,764.75 | $1,448.54 in 2020
Malibu Landside
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Total sales: 68 | 61 in 2020
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Average days on market: 51 | 57 in 2020
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Average list price: $1,029,520 | $1,186,242 in 2020
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Average sold price: $1,006,425 | $1,128,923 in 2020
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Average sold price per square foot: $771.77 | $821.10 in 2020

Manufactured Homes
The communities of Paradise Cove and Point Dume Club have become some of Malibu’s hottest commodities in recent years. Inventory is at record lows while prices continue to rise across the board. Here is a market recap for 2021:
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Total sales: 24 | 36 in 2020
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Average days on market: 42 | 50 in 2020
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Average list price: $1,544,792 | $1,330,639 in 2020
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Average sold price: $1,518,792 | $1,217,458 in 2020
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Average sold price per square foot: $1,046.02 | $778.67 in 2020
Inventory in both parks is very low and demand remains high, as evidenced by rising prices and a huge leap in PPSF.

Land Lots & Burnouts
Unlike the housing market, the market for land in Malibu has remained steady. Prices stayed fairly level with burnouts achieving top dollar while most raw land will spend several months on the market before finding a buyer. Our local LCP in Malibu and the City/County Planning Departments keep the barrier to entry significant enough to turn away those who do not have the experience or determination to develop a parcel. Here are the numbers for 2021.
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Total sales: 78 | 74 in 2020
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Average days on market: 116 | 78 in 2020
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Average list price: $1,458,203 | $1,559,668 in 2020
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Average sold price: $1,273,517 | $1,307,875 in 2020

Leases
Finally, the leases. Malibu’s lease market for both year-round and the Summer months has been incredibly strong ever since Covid entered our lives, and 2021 was no exception. That said, inventory is significantly down with many homes now occupied and fewer homeowners are listing their beach homes for sky-high summer prices. Here are the numbers for 2021:
Malibu Beach
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Total leases: 106 | 150 in 2020
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Average days on market: 89 | 56 in 2020
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Average list price: $34,873/mo | $96,349/mo in 2020
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Average leased price: $32,817/mo | $35,996/mo in 2020
Malibu Landside
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Total leases: 234 | 255 in 2020
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Average days on market: 57 | 48 in 2020
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Average list price: $13,628/mo | $10,590/mo in 2020
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Average leased price: $13,310/mo | $11,163/mo in 2020

2022 Market Predictions
Here is The Mark & Grether Group’s forecast for Malibu Real estate in 2022:
- With inventory levels down 30% and pricing remaining strong, the seller’s market will continue here in Malibu. Inventory that is aggressively overpriced will not be as well-received, however, properties priced at or slightly above market value will continue to move quickly, often with multiple offers.
- Underpriced properties in well-performing markets will continue to go far over ask with very low days on market.
- Spring and Summer will bring a newly invigorated wave of buyers and inventory will remain equally, or more, competitive.
- For buyers to have good options and avoid bidding wars when possible, they will need to be plugged in with local agents who have an insight into off-market as well as coming soon properties.
- As more inventory becomes available, Seller’s will need to work with the right agents who will present and market their property most effectively to bring as many offers and the best price possible.
The Mark & Grether Group is proud to be Malibu’s #1 boutique real estate team by volume sold for two years running! With $1.2 billion in career sales and over $184 million sold and leased in 2021, we are looking forward to another year of the best real estate market we have ever seen locally. It is our honor to be a trusted, local resource in Malibu working with sellers, buyers, landlords, and tenants at all price points.
If you are considering making a move, now is the time. For a no-obligation consultation and property analysis, please get in touch with our team!
The Mark & Grether Group | Tony Mark & Russell Grether | 310.230.5771 | russellandtony@compass.com