This is where realistic pricing and negotiation decisions start to get clearer
If you are looking at asking prices and wondering whether they reflect reality, I would compare them to actual closings before drawing conclusions. In Monterey Park, CA, active listings centered at $877,500 last month, while the typical sold price was $792,500.
That difference does not mean sellers are out of line across the board. Monterey Park, CA still leaned seller-friendly with 2.5 months of supply and closings at 99.7% of asking, but it does tell me buyers and sellers alike need to distinguish between list ambition and where deals are actually getting done.
I would also note how this affects decision-making at different stages. Pending homes over the last three months carried a middle price point of $791,500, which sits much closer to the closed range than to the broader active range, and that is a strong clue about where the market has been finding agreement.
Use active listings to understand competition, not to ignore the closed range. If you are buying, negotiate from the closing evidence. If you are selling, price with enough discipline to stay inside the market's approval zone. In Monterey Park, CA, I would make that distinction early.
