The share of all‑cash home purchases in Manhattan Beach hit 45% last year, continuing a five‑year climb, according to new analysis from local real estate blog MB Confidential.

The trend marks a sharp rise from 2020, when just 22% of sales were reported as all‑cash in the MLS. Each year since has seen the share increase, with recent annual figures ranging from the mid‑30s to last year’s high of 45%.

“We get asked all the time whether sellers here see many cash buyers,” said Dave Fratello, broker/owner of Edge Real Estate Agency and author of MB Confidential. “The answer is absolutely yes – more and more.”

Fratello reviewed nine years' worth of MLS data, sorting every Manhattan Beach sale from 2017-2025 by the buyer’s reported financing type. While the data isn’t perfect – some agents leave fields blank – the year‑to‑year comparisons are consistent enough to show a clear pattern: cash has become a dominant force in the local market.

The analysis also suggests that the ultra-low‑rate era of 2020-21 temporarily pushed some well‑capitalized buyers toward financing, but the broader trend since then has been unmistakable. Cash buyers have become more common, more competitive and more visible in the market.

Still, Fratello cautions against assuming that financed buyers can’t win. 

“Cash buyers get attention, but they don’t always get the house,” he said. “Sellers look at the whole package, and we’ve seen financed offers beat cash recently.”

So far in 2026, the share of cash purchases sits at 33% through March 10 – based on just 49 closings, making it too early to draw conclusions about the year ahead.

For charts, historical context, and a deeper look at how the data was compiled, read the full analysis on MB Confidential.