Sell My House in Beverly Hills: Price, Costs and ULA

Key takeaway

To sell a Beverly Hills luxury home well, price it against two things: what recent sales closed at (Redfin's September 2026 Beverly Hills sales averaged 95.1% of list price) and, if the house is in the City of Los Angeles, the Measure ULA thresholds. On an $11 million Bel Air sale, dropping the price to $10.89 million leaves the seller about $60,000 more after city and county transfer taxes. Then choose open or private marketing under the 2025 MLS rules, and budget for commission and any FIRPTA withholding.

Who this guide is for

You own a home worth $5 million or more in Beverly Hills or a nearby enclave and are deciding how to price it, how to market it and what the sale will cost.

Sell my house in Beverly Hills: set the price against the tax line first

Comparable sales are the usual starting point. In the hills above Sunset it should start with a map, because the same ZIP code holds two cities with different transfer taxes. About 61% of 90210's land is in the City of Los Angeles, and every sale there pays the city's transfer tax and, above set thresholds, Measure ULA.

Why the ULA threshold sets the price in Los Angeles

For sales closing after June 30, 2026, the combined City of Los Angeles rate is 0.45% up to $5.4 million, 4.45% above that, and 5.95% at $10.9 million or more. The rate applies to the whole price, not just the part above the line. A sale at $10.9 million pays about $164,000 more in city tax than a sale at $10.89 million. UCLA's Lewis Center found ULA cut in half the likelihood that a property sells above the $5 million threshold, which tells you buyers and sellers are already pricing around it.

Why Beverly Hills sellers price differently

The City of Beverly Hills is a separate city, so ULA doesn't apply there. The County Recorder lists it as a standard-rate city, where the county's documentary transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000. A Beverly Hills seller can price on comps alone. A Bel Air or Beverly Crest seller can't. The Measure ULA calculator shows your number at any price, and the thresholds change each July with inflation.

What price can I get if I sell my house in Beverly Hills now?

City-wide figures describe the middle of the market, and a luxury house rarely sits at the median. Use them for direction, then price from sales that match your lot and your side of the city line.

What Redfin's September 2026 figures say

Redfin's median sale price for Beverly Hills was $4,029,331 in September 2026, across 73 sales. Homes took a median of 77 days to sell and closed at 95.1% of list price on average, with 6.9 months of supply. On a $10 million ask, that average gap is about $490,000. Price closer to where you expect to close, and you'll spend fewer of those 77 days waiting.

What the top tier looked like in late 2025

The Elliman Report put Greater Los Angeles's luxury single-family tier, the top 10% of sales, at a $9,490,000 entry point in the fourth quarter of 2025, with a median of $14,250,000 and 86 days on market. Days on market in that tier rose 53.6% from a year earlier. The top end takes longer to sell, so plan for it.

How to read your own comps

Ask your agent for every sale within a mile in the last 12 months, sorted by lot size and city. Strike any that sit on the other side of the city line unless you adjust them for ULA. A flat lot and a hillside lot of the same size rarely trade alike, because the code lets you build differently on each. The Beverly Hills housing market data breaks the figures down by area.

How do I prepare an estate before I sell my house?

A buyer at this price may send architects and engineers before an offer. Give them answers up front and you shorten the inspection period.

Paperwork buyers will ask for

Permits and final sign-offs for every addition, basement and pool.
Any soils, geotechnical or drainage reports you hold.
The current property tax bill, which shows the tax rate area.
Insurance history, including whether the policy is with the FAIR Plan.

Fire zone and brush clearance

North of Sunset and in Bel Air, Holmby Hills and Beverly Crest, sample points sit in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Inside the City of Beverly Hills, the Beverly Hills Fire Department inspects every property in that zone for brush clearance on or after April 1 each year. A clean, recent inspection helps a buyer who's trying to get insured. Our guide to insurance in fire zones explains why that matters to them.

Show what the lot allows

If the house is below its cap, say so with numbers. In the Hillside Area, a site of 15,000 square feet or less may build 40% of the level pad plus 10% of the slope. In Trousdale Estates the cap is 1,500 square feet plus 40% of the site area, under a 14-foot height limit. A one-page zoning summary turns room to build into a figure a buyer can price.

Should I sell my house off-market or on the open market?

Private marketing keeps photos and price off public sites. It also keeps the house away from buyers you don't know about, which is the trade you're making.

What the 2025 MLS rules allow

NAR kept its Clear Cooperation Policy: once a listing is marketed publicly, it must go into the MLS within one business day. Its 2025 policy added two exempt options. An office exclusive stays off the MLS feed and out of public marketing but is still filed with the MLS. A delayed-marketing listing holds back IDX and syndication for the period the local MLS allows. Both need your signed disclosure. CRMLS also lets a seller opt out of all internet display while the listing stays visible to MLS members.

When private marketing makes sense

Choose it when privacy matters more than the last dollar, or when you want to test a price before going public. Choose the open market when you need the widest pool of buyers. Our guide to pocket listings covers the history, and buyers looking for homes like yours can register through a private off-market search.

What does it cost to sell my house in Beverly Hills or Bel Air?

Here are the main costs on a $10 million sale. Who pays the transfer taxes is set by your contract, so check that clause with escrow before you price.

Cost	City of Beverly Hills	City of Los Angeles (Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Beverly Crest)
County documentary transfer tax ($1.10 per $1,000)	$11,000	$11,000
City transfer tax and Measure ULA (4.45% combined)	None	$445,000
Listing commission	Negotiable, set in the listing agreement	Negotiable, set in the listing agreement
FIRPTA withholding (foreign sellers only)	15% of the price, or $1,500,000	15% of the price, or $1,500,000
California withholding (unless exempt)	3 1/3% of the price, or an alternative calculation	3 1/3% of the price, or an alternative calculation

Commission after the 2024 settlement

Since August 17, 2024, offers of buyer-agent compensation can't appear on an MLS, and buyers sign their own agreement with their agent. Your listing commission is still a number you negotiate. Ask your agent to put in writing what it covers and whether you'll be asked to contribute to the buyer's side.

If you're a foreign seller

The buyer must generally withhold 15% of the gross price when a foreign person sells, and every sale above $1 million is at that rate. You can apply on Form 8288-B to reduce it. Start that early, and read the FIRPTA guide for sellers abroad. Moving within California at 55 or older? Prop 19 may let you carry your tax base, covered on the property tax page.

Worked example: an $11 million sale in Bel Air

Run this one yourself on the calculator, then try your own price. The rates are the City of Los Angeles rates for sales closing after June 30, 2026, plus the county's $1.10 per $1,000.

Sale price	City rate	City tax	County tax	Price less transfer taxes
$11,000,000	5.95%	$654,500	$12,100	$10,333,400
$10,890,000	4.45%	$484,605	$11,979	$10,393,416

The lower price leaves about $60,000 more, if the contract puts the transfer taxes on the seller. The same house across the line in Beverly Hills would pay only the county tax at either price. That's why a Bel Air seller should bring the tax table to the pricing meeting. Put it to any agent you interview, including the one profiled on our featured agent page. Tax points here are general, so confirm your figures with a CPA and your escrow officer.

Sell my house in Beverly Hills FAQs

How long does it take to sell a house in Beverly Hills?

Redfin's September 2026 figures show a median of 77 days on market for Beverly Hills, across 73 sales. At the top end it's often longer: the Elliman Report put Greater Los Angeles's top 10% of single-family sales at 86 days in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 53.6% from a year earlier.

Does Measure ULA apply if I sell my house in Beverly Hills?

Not inside the City of Beverly Hills. ULA applies only to property conveyed in the City of Los Angeles, which includes Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Beverly Crest and Beverly Park and about 61% of 90210's land. For sales closing after June 30, 2026, the city rate is 4.45% above $5.4 million and 5.95% at $10.9 million or more.

Who pays the transfer tax when I sell in Los Angeles?

The tax is charged on the deed, and your purchase contract decides which party pays it. Read that clause with your escrow officer before you set a price, because on a City of Los Angeles sale above $10.9 million the combined city rate is 5.95% of the whole price.

What commission do Beverly Hills sellers pay?

There's no set rate. The listing commission is negotiated and written into your listing agreement. Since August 17, 2024, offers of buyer-agent compensation can't be posted on an MLS, and buyers sign their own agreements with their agents. Ask your agent to state in writing what the fee covers.

Can I sell my Beverly Hills home without listing it publicly?

Yes. Under NAR's 2025 policy you can choose an office exclusive, which stays off the MLS feed and public sites, or a delayed-marketing listing. Both need your signed disclosure. Once you market the home publicly, Clear Cooperation requires it in the MLS within one business day.

What tax is withheld if a foreign owner sells?

Under FIRPTA, the buyer generally withholds 15% of the gross sale price when the seller is a foreign person, and that rate applies to every sale above $1 million. California may also require withholding of 3 1/3% of the price unless an exemption applies. A withholding certificate can reduce the federal amount.

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