Welcome back to another Housing Report for San Luis Obispo County!
Before we begin, we want to express our deepest appreciation for our partners, vendors, and escrow officers in helping us support our clients and deliver excellent results. Thank you!
-Joshua Farris
We move into the final stretch of the year with a balanced housing market here on the Central Coast, with opportunities for both buyers and sellers. Generally, we see a moderate pull-back for the transaction volume in the Fall, and this year is shaping up to be no exception. This gives both buyers and sellers chances to win, but it comes with trade-offs. For buyers, there’s typically less competition after the busy summer season, and sellers may be more motivated to negotiate before year-end. However, inventory often drops, meaning there may be fewer choices vs Springtime. For sellers, fall buyers tend to be serious and ready to close quickly, and cozy seasonal staging can make homes feel more inviting. The downside is fewer active buyers and shorter daylight hours for showings. Overall, fall offers a more balanced, less hectic market — perfect for motivated buyers and sellers who value timing and opportunity.
Let’s dive into the numbers for SLO County,
More Options for Buyers: Inventory Levels Gaining
Currently, we have about 850 active listings for the county, up 9% vs the same time last year. The available homes for purchase has steadily increased since the beginning of the year, which is a welcome change from year’s past. We expect this number to continue to steadily increase for the Fall of 2025 and into the 2026 selling season. We had a low of 654 homes on the market in January and a high in June with 887 homes for sale.
Paso Robles continues to have the most homes for sale, with 194 homes on the market currently.
Avila Beach has one of the most limited markets in SLO County, with only 9 current listings.
There were 246 new listings for September, which was a slight pull-back compared to last year’s 286. As previously mentioned, Q4 tends to have fewer new listings.
Months supply increased to 4, which indicates we are in a healthy and balanced market. We have seen a steady increase since Jan of 2022.. where we had our lowest number 1.1 months supply.
Median Price Across the County
We continued to see strong values for homes in the county. Paso Robles and Oceano lead the list for the most affordable cities. Pismo Beach, SLO, Arroyo Grande, Morro Bay all had median sales above 1 million dollars.
The median sales price for San Luis Obispo County was $869,000 in September, slightly down from $910,000 in August.
- San Luis Obispo City | $1,221,160 median sales price
- Atascadero City | $824,000 median sales price
- Paso Robles City | $700,000 median sales price
- Morro Bay | $1,190,000 median sales price
- Los Osos | $867,500 median sales price
- Pismo Beach | $1,717,500 median sales price
- Grover Beach | $835,000 median sales price
- Oceano | $722,000 median sales price
- Nipomo | $1,012,000 median sales price
- Arroyo Grande | $1,032,500 median sales price
Demand Cools Slightly, More Buyer Opportunities
Demand softened last month with 164 homes going under contract, down 22% vs September of 2024. August was a strong month with 238 pending sales, so we expected a slight reduction of pending sales in September. For buyers, this means you have a great opportunity to negotiate with sellers whose homes went unsold and have accumulated days on market. Fall tends to have fewer new listings, but greater opportunities to look at homes which have sat on the market and may be open to concessions.
Total closed volume for September was $518,691,856, up 28.0% vs the same month last year.
Generally speaking, homes sold in 22 days for an average of 96.5% of original list price, up from 97.3% in August.
Overall, normal numbers for the county for this time of the year.
Buyer Wants
With more options on the market, buyers are more particular with their criteria and desires in a home. We see many of our buyers wanting a strong indoor-outdoor connection, which includes decks, patios, gardens, sliding walls, and seamless transitions. A well curated yard, with an easy transition from the inside, helps homebuyers participate in enjoying the wonderful weather we have here on the Central Coast. If you are looking to make upgrades to your house prior to selling, make sure to include time and attention to the indoor-outdoor connection if at all possible.
If you need a great referral for landscape designers based locally here on the Central Coast, reach out.
Another trend we are seeing are flexible, adaptive interior spaces that can function as multipurpose areas. Rooms that adapt for work, school, fitness, guests, etc are more popular than ever. If you have an additional bedroom, consider reimagining it a flexible interior space vs a traditional bedroom.
Buying or Selling?
Like we mentioned, there are pros and cons to selling and buying in the Fall.
For Sellers Selling in the Fall
There are more Serious Buyers, Not Just Lookers: Unlike the spring and summer crowds, fall buyers are often highly motivated — relocating for work, finalizing before the holidays, or aiming to close by year-end for tax purposes. That means fewer showings, but higher-quality prospects.
Less Competition: Many sellers wait until spring, so listing in the fall can help your home stand out. A well-priced, well-presented property can capture strong attention in a less crowded marketplace.
Seasonal Appeal Matters: Fall staging — think warm lighting, cozy textures, and subtle seasonal decor — helps buyers emotionally connect with the home. Curb appeal also matters: keep landscaping tidy and highlight features like fireplaces or outdoor firepits that feel inviting this time of year.
Timing Is Key: Aim to list early in the season. Once the holidays approach, buyer activity slows considerably, and it can take longer to receive offers.
Expectations for Buyers in the Fall
More Negotiation Power: With fewer competing offers, buyers often find more room to negotiate on price, closing costs, or contingencies.
Reduced Inventory: The flip side is choice — many sellers who didn’t close over the summer have pulled listings, so there are fewer homes to compare. Being flexible on must-haves can help buyers find great value.
Motivated Sellers: Those still on the market are usually ready to make a deal before winter, especially if they’re relocating or carrying two mortgages.
Year-End Advantages: Closing before year’s end can mean property tax deductions and locking in ownership before potential price or rate adjustments in the new year.
Mid-October also brings a higher share of price reductions (about 5.5% of listings), and homes sit on the market roughly two weeks longer than in the busiest times of year. Sellers who haven’t found a buyer by then are often more open to seller concessions, repair credits, or helping with mortgage rate buydowns. - Finance.yahoo.com
Ready to make your home ownership dreams a reality this season?
Reach out, we are here to help you.
