How much negotiating room does 77 days create for an LA retail unit?

[yuki_hope]

I have to make the offer-or-wait call before committing further time to this Los Angeles retail unit. Comparable asking prices run from $1,148,000 to $1,722,000, and listings average roughly 77 days, but delay could produce more leverage or simply cost me a suitable property.

My first concern is whether that average includes units that were withdrawn and relisted. I also want to separate weak seller demand from delays caused by condition, financing or uncertain service charges. Would you reconstruct the full listing and reduction history first, then match completed sales back to their earlier asking prices? Examples would be most useful if the neighbourhood, vacancy status and physical condition are genuinely similar.

 

[oren_keys]

The withdrawn listings are the detail that would change my view more than the 77-day average. A unit can appear relatively fresh after being relisted even though the seller has already tested the market for much longer.

It is reasonable to hope that time has created leverage, but I would first reconstruct the full listing sequence and note the seller’s response to weak interest. Then compare the building condition and service-charge position. A poor physical or financial setup is much harder to undo than missing one more advertised reduction.

 

[SimpleWall]

Adding withdrawn and relisted units should improve the time-on-market comparison, but it raises another question: are all of these properties drawing from the same pool of buyers? In Los Angeles, a short distance can change foot traffic, surrounding uses and the appeal of a retail location.

I would make the offer decision using only units in a defensible local area, then divide those by vacancy status and condition. If that leaves too few examples, widen the dates before widening the geography. The location cannot be corrected later, whereas some internal condition problems can at least be priced and repaired.

 

[DaanGale]

I wouldn’t assume the seller has become flexible merely because the listing reached 77 days. Financing can lengthen a commercial deal, and some sellers may prefer to wait rather than cut. The useful signal is whether the asking price changed after weak interest, especially if several reductions happened close together.

 

[PrimeReed]

Build a small table rather than relying on the headline average: original ask, current ask, reduction dates, days active, withdrawn or relisted status, service charges, condition and eventual sale price. Even a short list should reveal whether discounts are happening at closing or being advertised before an offer arrives.

 

[SimpleWall]

That table also needs new-listing volume. If fresh alternatives keep appearing while older units remain available, the buyer has more room to be selective. If few comparable units are coming on, 77 days may say more about property-specific problems than the wider Los Angeles market.

 

[SimpleWall]

One more distinction on withdrawn stock: don’t count every withdrawal as evidence that the seller would accept less. Some may simply be unavailable. I’d keep them in a separate column and only treat them as negotiating context when the same unit returns with a changed price or terms.

 

[coffeeAndSignal]

Condition can overwhelm the days-on-market figure. A cheaper unit needing substantial work may offer less real value than a better-maintained one at a firmer price. Before choosing an offer level, list the visible work and unresolved service-charge items, then compare the total exposure rather than price alone.

 

[sam.archer]

Buyer financing matters too. A lower financed offer may not be as attractive to a seller as a stronger offer with fewer timing uncertainties. That doesn’t mean paying more; it means separating price leverage from the terms of the offer. The exact effect will depend on the parties and the deal.

 

[nia_sage]

Seller motivation is the missing piece. Through the listing side, ask whether timing, certainty or headline price matters most, and whether previous offers failed over price, financing or property issues. You may not get a complete answer, but the response can help decide between waiting for a cut and submitting a structured offer now.

 

[yuki_hope]

The replies have convinced me that my 77-day figure is too broad to set an offer by itself. I’m going to split the examples by tighter neighbourhood boundaries, condition and financing, then record withdrawals and reduction dates separately. I’ll also compare service charges before treating two similarly priced units as true alternatives. If the completed sales still show a gap from asking, I’ll negotiate now rather than wait blindly for another public cut.

 

[anika_vale]

That sounds sensible. When you receive completed examples, use the closing date rather than the date they first appeared, because market conditions may have shifted during a long listing period. I’d give the greatest weight to the most recent genuinely comparable sales, then use the 77 days and the seller’s price-cut pattern as supporting evidence.