Selling Laguna Beach luxury real estate successfully requires more than just putting a sign in the yard. Here in one of Orange County’s most coveted coastal housing markets, with a median home price around $3 million as of 2025, even small missteps can cost sellers hundreds of thousands of dollars and leave their properties languishing on the market.
In our work with both Laguna Beach home sellers and buyers, we commonly see three mistakes that derail otherwise promising sales. The good news is each one is completely avoidable when you know what to look for and you work with experienced Orange County luxury real estate agents who understand the nuances of this unique market.
Let’s dive into these costly errors and the proven strategies to sidestep them entirely.
Mistake 1: Setting the Wrong Price
When selling in Laguna Beach, the listing price is your property’s first impression and strongest marketing tool. In our high-stakes market, where homebuyers often rely on analysis of comparable sales and market trends, an inflated price may signal desperation or detachment from reality.
What happens when you overprice? First, qualified buyers may skip your listing entirely. Your property sits on the market longer. Eventually, you may be forced to reduce the price to below what you could have achieved with correct initial pricing. Properties that linger on the market for extended periods frequently attract lowball offers.
In the current market, there is more active listing inventory and homes are taking longer to sell than in previous years. As of 2025, Laguna Beach is seeing a more balanced market with leverage shifting toward buyers. With more options available for buyers and more competition among sellers, it’s even more important to price well from the start.
How to Price Your Laguna Beach Home Correctly
Smart pricing starts with a comprehensive comparative market analysis (CMA) that considers recent sales of similar properties in your specific area. Not all Orange County luxury properties are created equal—a block’s distance from the water or shift in elevation can impact value by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
When it’s time to sell your home in Laguna Beach, work with a local specialist like the Stavros Group who understands these nuances. We factor in your home’s unique features, recent market trends, and buyer psychology.
Dive deeper in our post – The Art and Science of a Listing Price – Stavros Group
Selling Laguna Beach real estate commands luxury home prices.
Mistake 2: Property Presentation That Doesn’t Match Your Price Point
You can sell a fixer-upper for less, or you can command luxury prices for a turnkey property—but you can’t sell a poorly presented home for premium prices.
In Laguna Beach’s luxury real estate market, where buyers expect properties to reflect a certain lifestyle, presentation is critical.
The disconnect happens when sellers price their home at luxury levels but haven’t invested in the presentation to match. Buyers in this price range have discerning taste and multiple options. If your property doesn’t meet their expectations when they walk through the door, they’ll simply move on to the next listing.
High-ROI Improvements That Make a Difference
Working with sellers in Laguna Beach, we recommend improvements that deliver maximum impact without over-investing. Fresh paint, professional landscaping, updated lighting fixtures, and minor repairs can help to create an immediate impression of quality. In Laguna Beach and neighborhing markets like Newport Beach and Corona del Mar, buyers particularly value outdoor spaces that embrace the year-round mild climate.
On the other hand, we typically do not recommend major renovations like new kitchens or pools. These expensive projects often don’t recoup their costs when selling. Instead, invest in essentials: HVAC tune-ups, foundation checks, window resealing, and making sure all systems function flawlessly, etc.
Staging also plays a big role in property presentation. Professional staging can transform your Laguna Beach home, making it feel more luxurious, spacious, and appealing to potential buyers. We work with top local stagers who know how to highlight architectural details, custom designs, and high-end finishes that luxury properties often feature.
Learn more – The Art of Home Staging in Laguna Beach: Maximizing Your Property’s Market Value – Stavros Group
Luxury homebuyers respond to well-presented properties.
Mistake 3: Inadequate Marketing and Limited Professional Networks
Like a tree falling in the forest… if a luxury home is listed but no qualified buyers see it, can you achieve great results? In today’s “attention economy”, selling Laguna Beach luxury real estate requires capturing both the eyes and the hearts of buyers, whether they’re local Orange County residents or international purchasers from Hong Kong, London, or Dubai.
Many Laguna Beach sellers make the mistake of working with less-experienced or part-time agents who rely on basic MLS listings and a few photos. But luxury homebuyers expect sophisticated marketing that matches the caliber of property they’re considering. They want professional photography, drone footage, virtual tours, and marketing materials that showcase not just the home, but the entire lifestyle.
Modern Marketing That Reaches the Right Buyers
Effective luxury real estate marketing goes beyond listing photos. It includes high-quality visuals with thoughtful staging, video or virtual tours for out-of-area buyers, and targeted campaigns that reach the right buyer pools. The most successful Laguna Beach luxury realtors invest in additional marketing like drone footage showcasing ocean views, twilight photography that captures the magic of Pacific sunsets, and marketing materials that sell the dream of California coastal living.
The network effect matters: Top Laguna Beach agents also maintain relationships with other luxury specialists, private client groups, and international referral networks. We know which buyers are actively searching in different price ranges and can often connect sellers with qualified purchasers before properties even hit the public market.
Your agent’s ability to market to out-of-area buyers is particularly crucial, as many luxury purchasers relocate to coastal Orange County communities from other regions or countries. Our top Laguna Beach real estate agents create marketing materials that highlight proximity to beaches, cultural attractions like the Laguna Art Museum, and outdoor activities while addressing practical relocation concerns.
Professional network access: Our team also belongs to luxury real estate referral networks and maintains relationships with buyer specialists in major markets around the globe. We recently launched Elliman International with tools for buyers and agents seeking the world’s finest properties. This network effect can expose your property to qualified buyers who might never see a standard MLS listing.
Sell in Laguna Beach with the best luxury real estate team.
Ready to Sell Your Laguna Beach Home the Right Way?
Avoiding these three critical mistakes can mean the difference between a successful sale and a property that lingers on the market for months.
Ready to discuss your home sale strategy? Contact us today to learn how our proven approach can help you achieve the results you deserve. We’d love to help.
