September South Bay Update: Torrance Values Up 2.2% but Buyers Hold More Cards as DOM Hits 42

The South Bay's fall market is giving buyers their best leverage window of the year. Scherb Homes Group's September 2026 market update puts Torrance's median days on market at 42, up from roughly 27 in June and July, with 34% of homes having taken a price reduction. Inventory stands at 178 active and coming-soon homes, with a median list price of $894K at $641 per square foot.

The pricing math shows a market that has normalized rather than collapsed. Torrance's one-year trend is +2.2%, a meaningful recovery from the negative year-over-year readings the city posted in early 2026 - but a far cry from the 8% to 9% annual appreciation Torrance was running in mid-2024. Sellers face real competition: inventory has risen substantially since January, and one in three listings has already reduced its asking price.

Redondo Beach has gone further down the same road. Longer market times plus more frequent reductions signal that the city has transitioned into what Scherb calls a more normalized market, where buyers get more choices, more time, and more negotiating room - especially on listings that have been sitting for several weeks.

For South Bay sellers, the takeaway is the same one the daily tape keeps repeating: price against what buyers can purchase today, not against the rapid-appreciation years. For buyers, rising selection is creating real negotiating opportunity without the broad-based price deterioration that would signal a downturn.

Source: Scherb Homes Group, South Bay Real Estate Market Update September 2026 - https://www.scherbhomes.com/news/south-bay-real-estate-market-update-september-2026

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