The short answer
The Cerritos housing market right now is not falling apart and not overheated. In Christine’s experience, it is a market where pricing and preparation decide how a sale goes, and that is her read, not a prediction.
More homes came on the market this summer than a year ago, and homes still went under contract quickly. Cerritos single-family homes averaged 17 days active in MLS in Q3 2026, down from 25 a year earlier (CRMLS, pulled October 3, 2026).
Christine Almarines is a top real estate agent in Buena Park and Cerritos helping homeowners sell in Orange County and Los Angeles County. If you are wondering what this fall means for your own home, the numbers below are a good place to start.
The numbers in this article cover single-family detached homes in Cerritos from CRMLS, January 2025 through September 2026. Los Angeles County homes are listed on more than one MLS, so these figures cover only the Cerritos homes listed in CRMLS. What Christine sees on the ground and her views on pricing and preparation reflect her experience, are not a finding from the data, and are not a prediction.
How fast is the Cerritos housing market right now?
Fast, and a little faster than last year. Cerritos homes sold faster in Q3 2026 than in Q3 2025, and more of them sold.
There were 59 closed sales from July through September, up from 50 a year earlier. The average sale price was $1,221,457, up 0.9% from $1,211,063. That describes the past year, and nobody can promise where prices go from here.
How did Cerritos change from spring to fall?
Sellers received a little less of their original price. Homes received 101.7% of their original price on average in Q2 2026 and 99.7% in Q3 2026.
Single-family detached homes in Cerritos, from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS), pulled October 3, 2026.
| Measure | Q2 2026 | Q3 2026 | Q3 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average sale price | $1,300,152 | $1,221,457 | $1,211,063 |
| Percent of original price received | 101.7% | 99.7% | 100.6% |
Single-family detached homes in Cerritos, from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS), pulled October 3, 2026.
| Measure | Q3 2026 | Q3 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Average days active in MLS | 17 | 25 |
| New listings | 76 | 54 |
| Closed sales | 59 | 50 |
How to read it:
- Days active is the time a home was listed before an accepted offer. It is not the length of escrow.
- Percent of original price includes price cuts. A figure under 100% reflects negotiation and price reductions together.
- These are averages across many homes, not the price or timeline of any one home.
- With 59 sales in the quarter, days on market and percent of original price are steadier signals than the average price.
For comparison, the broader CRMLS region averaged 39 days active, so Cerritos moved more than twice as fast.
What do more listings mean for a seller in Cerritos?
More listings mean buyers have more homes to compare, so your home is competing for attention. In Cerritos, new listings rose 41%, from 54 to 76, while closed sales rose 18%.
Cerritos is one place where the data backs up the idea that buyers have more choices than last year. Buyers also shop the neighboring cities, from Artesia, Norwalk, Lakewood, and Bellflower to La Mirada and Buena Park. In Christine’s experience, a buyer touring your home this fall has often seen several others that same weekend.
In Christine’s experience, that is where your home has to earn the offer. It does not mean the market turned. It means the homes that stand out side by side tend to get the attention first.
What does a Cerritos home that is priced right and shown well look like?
In Christine’s experience, it is a home priced from recent sales nearby and ready before the first buyer walks in. Here is how she thinks about each part.
Pricing
- Start from recent comparable sales on and around your street, not from what you hope to get.
- Look at what has actually closed, not only what is listed.
- Be ready to talk about the number with clear reasons behind it.
Preparation
- The home is clean, repaired, and ready before it is shown.
- Photos and the first showing tell the same story.
- Small fixes are handled up front so they do not become talking points in a negotiation.
In Christine’s experience, homes priced from wishful thinking tend to sit and end up with price cuts. CRMLS does not record why a home sat, so take that as her read from the ground, not a number from the data.
Why can the average sale price drop from spring to fall without the market falling apart?
Because an average moves with the mix of homes that happen to sell. The Q3 2026 average of $1,221,457 was 6.1% below the Q2 average of $1,300,152, and still 0.9% above Q3 2025.
The monthly averages drifted down through the quarter:
- July: $1,269,579 across 20 sales
- August: $1,240,284 across 19 sales
- September: $1,155,450 across 20 sales
With about 20 sales a month, a few larger or smaller homes can shift the average on their own. Days active stayed between 16 and 18 each month. This is a picture of what closed, not a prediction.
Year to date, the picture is steady. The January through September 2026 average was $1,256,515 across 149 sales, up about 2.8% from $1,222,607 across 140 sales in 2025.
What would the numbers look like for my own street?
They can look different from the city average, and that is why Christine looks at them street by street. A citywide average mixes every size, age, and condition of home together.
Your own street has its own recent sales, its own competing listings, and its own buyers. That is the number that matters when you are deciding when and how to sell.
Want the real numbers for your Cerritos street?
Christine Almarines and CA Real Estate Group can walk through what recent sales near you mean for your plans.
Christine will pull the numbers for your street this week.
Send her a message and tell her your street. She will take it from there.
FAQ
What is the Cerritos housing market doing right now?
The Cerritos housing market right now is moving at a steady pace. Single-family homes averaged 17 days active in MLS in Q3 2026, and new listings rose to 76 from 54 a year earlier, based on CRMLS data from January 2025 through September 2026.
Are there more homes for sale in Cerritos than last year?
More homes came on the market. New listings in Q3 2026 were 76, up 41% from 54 in Q3 2025, according to CRMLS.
Are Cerritos sellers getting their asking price?
On average, sellers received 99.7% of their original price in Q3 2026, compared with 101.7% in Q2 2026 and 100.6% in Q3 2025. That figure includes price cuts and negotiation together.
Did Cerritos home prices go down this fall?
The Q3 2026 average sale price of $1,221,457 was 6.1% below Q2 2026 and 0.9% above Q3 2025. With 59 sales, the mix of homes that sold moves the average, so it is not a forecast.
How do I get the numbers for my own street?
Christine pulls recent comparable sales for your street and walks you through them. You can also request the complimentary market evaluation to get started.
Who can help me sell my home in Cerritos?
Christine Almarines of CA Real Estate Group, licensed since 2004, helps Cerritos homeowners sell. Book a consultation or get your complimentary market evaluation.
Related reading
- Pricing your Cerritos home
- Cerritos community page
- Cerritos Real Estate blog category
- Complimentary Market Evaluation
Source: All market data is from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. InfoSparks © 2026 ShowingTime Plus, LLC. Single-family detached, Cerritos, monthly data January 2025 through September 2026, as of October 3, 2026. Quarterly and year-to-date figures calculated from monthly data.
If you’re thinking about selling and want to know how your home should be positioned in today’s market, I’d be happy to help.
