Marin County Real Estate Market Report
December 2019

Front door decorated for holidays

Happy Holidays!
The Above Photo is My Friends’ Beautiful Front Door in Nashville

Another year comes to a close but there’s time for one more market report before we celebrate the holidays. I would like to take a moment at the top of the report to thank you all for your support this year — it was one of my best ever — and to wish you a very happy holiday season. 

In November we saw median pricing that was flat to last year, while inventories were down about 32% vs. the same month in 2018. We ended the month with 340 active listings in MLS compared to 398 in November of 2018. I would classify the market as very strong.

In my business, this has been one of the busiest fall seasons I can ever remember, and it has barely slowed down as we reach the first week of December. I helped my client secure and close on a great view condo on De Silva Island in Mill Valley this week.  As I write this, I have other clients that just went into escrow on a beautiful estate in Ross.

Thomas in the News

I was recently quoted in a couple of articles in the San Francisco Chronicle. In the first one “Good News for Bay Area Homebuyers: Your Time is Now” I made the point that this can be a great time of year to buy a home. Why? While there’s less inventory, there’s also less competition from other buyers and sellers tend to be very motivated to sell. The school calendar removes many buyers from the market right now — and those that do not have to worry about that are at a distinct advantage this time of year.

The second article was headlined “$85M Marin County Compound for Sale May Shatter Local Records” and is about 36 Glenwood Avenue in Ross, which if it sells anywhere near the asking price will be the most expensive home ever sold in Marin County. 440 Golden Gate Avenue in Belvedere holds the current record, having sold for $47,500,000 in August 2015.

Now is the Time to Plan for the Spring Market

Do you think we real estate agents go into hibernation as the winter rains begin to fall? Not this year! I am already actively working with a number of clients to line up staging and preparation to sell their homes in after the new year and into the spring. I also have several listing presentations in the coming week. It is always a good idea to get a head start on strategizing when and how to best present your home for sale before everyone gets booked up.  . 

My buyers have saved searches on my website and are monitoring the market to educate themselves on what they like. I am already actively working with clients on preparing their homes for launch next year. If you are considering a move next year, let’s talk soon about the best strategy.

Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty Expands Further Into Silicon Valley

Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty (“GGSIR”) announced it will acquire the assets of Peninsula-based real estate brokerage Today Sotheby’s International Realty. The announcement marks another growth moment for GGSIR, the San Francisco Bay Area’s premier brokerage and its further expansion in Silicon Valley and the Peninsula. The offices and agents are the latest additions to GGSIR’s unified network serving Wine Country, Marin County, the East Bay, San Francisco and now deeper within the Peninsula and Silicon Valley. GGSIR will add the offices of Burlingame, Redwood City and San Carlos, and over 80 agents, to its existing Silicon Valley offices in Woodside, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Los Altos and Los Gatos.

Let’s Talk About the Marin Real Estate Market!

These monthly Marin County real estate market reports are a great place to start to learn more about the market. Let’s continue the conversation — I am always happy to discuss the market, and the best way to approach it whether you are a buyer or a seller.

To those who read this report each month, thank you for all your support of my business. I couldn’t do it without you. Call or text me at 415-847-5584 anytime. 

Marin Real Estate Market Stats: Third Quarter 2019

Marin county home prices by town chart
Marin County home prices chart showing 5 year trend

Marin County Real Estate Market Report
September 2019 Dashboards

Marin County Real Estate Dashboard:
Home Prices vs. Same Month Last Year


For sale prices increased by 34.4%


Average sold prices increased by 2.4%


The median sold price was flat


The average price per square foot sold increased by 0.5%

All information courtesy of and copyright by BAREIS MLS and TrendGraphix.
Dashboard compiled by Thomas Henthorne, all rights reserved.

Marin County Real Estate Dashboard:
Inventory Compared to Same Month Last Year


Number of homes for sale decreased by 14.6% 


Number of homes sold increased by 6.4%


Months of inventory decreased by 18.8%


The average days on market increased by 14%

All information courtesy of and copyright by BAREIS MLS and TrendGraphix.
Dashboard compiled by Thomas Henthorne, all rights reserved.

Marin County Real Estate Market Report Charts

(click any slide to enlarge & launch slideshow)

“For Sale” vs. Sold Home Prices vs. Median Home Prices

Home prices chart

Marin Home Prices List Price vs. Sold

Average days on market chart

Marin County Months of Inventory Based on Closed Sales

Marin real estate market report

Average Price Per Square Foot

Average Price Per Square Foot Chart

Marin County Number of Homes on the Market

Homes inventory chart

What This Update Means For You

SELLERS: The sellers’ market of years past is quickly fading away, being replaced by a market that is much more balanced. Buyers are well-educated and the majority in Marin County are working with very experienced and savvy agents who know values and comparative sales (“comps”). Overpricing in a flattening to declining market can be a fatal mistake, causing your property to become stale and languish on the market. Now, more than ever, an experienced agent armed with the latest market facts and trends is critical. REMEMBER THE THREE P’S: PRICE, PRESENTATION, AND PRICE.

BUYERS: For home buyers, the market is improving as more inventory comes online. However, an increasing percentage of homes never appear on MLS as they are sold “off-market” as pocket listings or top agent referrals. Work with a well-connected agent and be prepared to move quickly. Chances are you are looking for the same things most other buyers are also seeking (see my list below.) Set up property alerts on my website so you can immediately see new homes on the market, and make sure you are pre-qualified so you present a compelling offer. (You may wish to read my article Buying a Home in Marin County for more tips and advice.) One other tip: Ask your agent to run aged inventory reports in and above your price range. Sometimes there are some real gems that the market has overlooked due to pricing or other factors. Sellers may not have caught up with the changing dynamics of the market now — and it may take more negotiation than in the past to strike a deal.

If you are a buyer looking only at online portals such as Redfin or Zillow, and not working with a well-connected agent, you’re not seeing all of the homes available in Marin County.

What Are Buyers Looking For Right Now?

In speaking with buyers, they want it all right now, with the following at the top of their lists:

  • Great schools
  • Single-level
  • Easy commute
  • Walk to restaurants and shops
  • Views
  • Quiet streets
  • Remodeled homes in move-in condition

Smart buyers, which is almost all of them, realize they cannot have all of those attributes and buying a home in a market like Marin County is a series of tradeoffs. For example, they may choose to give up walking to restaurants to be in the hills with a view of the bay. In any event, we are seeing buyers that are more tech-savvy than ever and who have done their homework, reading market reports such as this one and spending a lot of time online looking at homes.

I hope you have found my Marin County Real Estate Market Report informative. Please feel free to add your comments, questions or suggestions in the comments section below. If I may be of any assistance in helping you attain your real estate goals, please call or text me at 415-847-5584 and I will be in touch right away.

Would you like to see this data for your town only?

I am also excited to announce that my website now has new real estate market reports by town with more coming soon. Please check these out:

Belvedere Real Estate Market Report

Corte Madera Real Estate Market Report

Fairfax Real Estate Market Report

Kentfield Real Estate Market Report

Larkspur Real Estate Market Report

Mill Valley Real Estate Market Report

Novato Real Estate Market Report

San Anselmo Real Estate Market Report

San Rafael Real Estate Market Report

Tiburon Real Estate Market Report

These are all accessible from the “Market Reports” menu item here on my website at any time.

What do YOU think? What would you like to see in this report going forward? Please leave your comments in the section below.

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