Malibu

Overview

Malibu incorporated as a city on March 28, 1991 and stretches about 21 miles along the Pacific coast, with 10,654 residents at the 2020 Census. Its named beaches and enclaves, including Carbon Beach, Broad Beach, Point Dume, Zuma and the gated Malibu Colony, function as separate markets with their own buyers. Malibu is one of the focus areas listed on Yasmine Benmaiza’s Carolwood profile.

The January 2025 Palisades Fire destroyed almost all of the beachfront homes in the east of the city. As a result, Malibu now trades three kinds of property at once: intact homes, beach and bluff lots, and rebuilds.

The market in 2026

In the second quarter of 2026, Sotheby’s International Realty reported a median of $4.85 million, up 22 percent year over year, and an average of $7.73 million. 41 homes closed against 239 active listings, an inventory level that gives buyers more choice than in the Westside estate areas, and homes averaged 65 days on market. 46.3 percent of sales closed above $5 million.

For Buyers

What Is Hard to Find

Sandy, swimmable beach frontage with a standing, insurable house is scarce, and so is a large, level, gated bluff parcel with ocean views. In the burned eastern areas, buyers also look for lots with a clear rebuild path through coastal permitting.

Notable Streets

Malibu is usually shopped by beach or enclave rather than by street. Carbon Beach and Broad Beach are oceanfront strips along Pacific Coast Highway; Point Dume is a headland with bluff and beach estates; Malibu Colony is a gated community of homes on small lots. Recent trades include 28719 Grayfox Street, which sold for $80 million in 2025, and the Paradise Cove blufftop estate of former Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley.

Lot Sizes

Lot sizes span narrow beach parcels, especially in Malibu Colony, to multi acre bluff and canyon estates. The O’Malley property at Paradise Cove covered about 2.27 acres. On the beach, frontage and the usable building envelope under coastal rules matter more than total square footage.

Architecture

Malibu ranges from classic beach cottages and Mediterranean villas to contemporary glass and concrete homes designed around the view. The O’Malley house was a Mediterranean design by Marc Appleton; its buyers have announced plans to replace it with a modern home. Rebuilds after 2025 are being designed for fire and coastal resilience.

Price Ranges

The Q2 2026 median was $4.85 million and the average $7.73 million. At the top, Redfin listed 28719 Grayfox Street at $80 million among the ten most expensive US home sales of 2025, and Paradise Cove traded for a reported $55 million in July 2026 after first being offered at $85 million in 2024.

Current Opportunities

With inventory near 239 active listings in Q2 2026, Malibu offers more public choice than most Westside markets, but the strongest beach and bluff properties often move privately. See our off-market collection. Buyers also comparing the city side of the Westside can view 634 Moreno Avenue in Brentwood.

Off Market Access

Many Malibu owners are public figures and prefer not to advertise a sale. Yasmine works within Carolwood Estates, whose pocket listing portal The Real Deal reported in May 2025 held more than $1 billion in private inventory. Tell us the beach, frontage and timing you want and we will search private inventory and approach owners directly. Start on the off-market page.

For Sellers

What Buyers Want

Malibu buyers want privacy, direct beach access or an unobstructed ocean view, a gated entry, and a home that can be insured. Post fire, they also want proof of fire hardening and, on the beach, clarity on seawalls, septic systems and coastal permits.

What Makes One Property Outperform Another

Sandy frontage, beach quality and orientation separate beach homes. On the bluffs and Point Dume, acreage, gate, privacy and view corridors drive value. Across Malibu, documentation counts: permitted improvements, coastal approvals and insurance history all shorten a buyer’s diligence and support price.

Recent Notable Sales

28719 Grayfox Street sold for $80 million in 2025, placing seventh on Redfin’s list of the ten most expensive US home sales that year. In July 2026, Peter O’Malley’s 2.27 acre Paradise Cove estate sold for a reported $55 million to a joint venture planning a rebuild; it had first been offered at $85 million.

Pricing Considerations

Paradise Cove shows how far an original ask can move: $85 million in 2024, $74.5 million later, $55 million at close. With 239 active listings and 65 average days on market in Q2 2026, Malibu buyers have time and alternatives, so a first price that reflects the current market tends to outperform a high ask followed by reductions.

Common Seller Mistakes

Testing an aspirational price in public and accumulating reductions. Listing without coastal and permit documentation in hand. Treating a burned beach lot like a finished house. Underestimating how much privacy matters to the buyers who can afford Malibu. Sellers also lose leverage when they cannot answer early questions about septic capacity, seawall condition or the status of a coastal development permit, because those issues can delay a closing by months.

Private Sale Opportunities

A private sale lets a Malibu owner reach qualified buyers without public exposure, test the price and decide whether to list at all. It also protects the privacy of owners who are well known. Read more on our sell off-market page.