The Los Angeles buyer market
Greater Los Angeles is a patchwork of separate cities and neighborhoods, each with its own buyers: Beverly Hills for estates and prestige, Santa Monica for coastal city living, Malibu for oceanfront homes, Pasadena for character homes and families. Buyers include entertainment and tech professionals, relocating families, international buyers and investors. Prices are high, so every serious buyer is contested by several agents.
What high-end LA buyers need to know
Help buyers understand costs that are specific to LA:
- Measure ULA: since April 2023 the City of Los Angeles adds a transfer tax on sales above roughly $5 million, with a higher rate above roughly $10 million (thresholds are adjusted each year). It applies to properties inside City of LA limits — not in separate cities such as Beverly Hills, Santa Monica or Malibu, which have their own rules.
- Wildfire risk and home insurance availability, especially in hillside and coastal areas.
- Property tax under Proposition 13: about 1% of the purchase price plus local assessments, reset on purchase.
Where to find LA buyers
Portal enquiries (Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin), open houses, relocation companies and entertainment-industry business managers are all strong sources, as are targeted ads for specific neighborhoods. To add active buyers quickly, our California Real Estate Buyer Leads file has 3,000+ buyers sourced this month across the state — including Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Malibu and Pasadena — each with target city, property type, estimated budget in USD and timeframe. Filter to your LA neighborhoods and call the "Immediate" buyers first.
Rules for contacting LA buyers
Scrub numbers against the National Do Not Call Registry and follow the TCPA for calls and texts. California requires your name and DRE licence number on first-point-of-contact marketing, personal data must be handled under the CCPA/CPRA, and since August 2024 NAR rules require a written buyer agreement before touring a home with a buyer.
