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Quitting to Win

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by Dave Fratello

324 18th Street, Manhattan Beach,

There's a big new sale on one of the walkstreets east of Highland.

324 18th (4br/5ba, 4215 sqft.) just sold for a cool $10.000M. 

That's pricier than every walkstreet home sold during last year's "surge" soon after the tragic LA County wildfires (some hit the 9s) and is the highest-ever price for a walkstreet home east of Highland on a standard-sized lot. 

324 18th beats out two sales on the adjacent 17th St. walkstreet (no slouch, that block):

  • a 2022 sale at 333 17th (4br/6ba, 4599 sqft., $9.500M), and
  • a 2019 sale at 329 17th (4br/7ba, 5350 sqft. on a lot-and-a-half, $9.750M).

The home itself is an ultra-modern, confident, bold 2021 build. In an appreciation of both the location and the home, we wrote in March:

[T]hese few blocks (17th-20th) contain some of the quietest walkstreets with some of the best views you can get near town. Someone knew that and build a 5-star-hotel-level residence to match up with the prime location." 

The listing was at $9.700M, and ran just 3 weeks. 

Oh, you're thinking the home sold in 3 weeks? 

Not so fast. 

They quit after 3 weeks. Seems the seller was no longer game to hand over the keys. 

You know how they say "absence makes the heart grow fonder?" How sometimes, you want the thing you can't have?

There is this phenomenon that happens with listings sometimes: As soon as it goes off the MLS, the buyers show up. 

What do you mean it's not for sale anymore? I loved it online. I was just about to visit and make an offer!

If the seller really doesn't want to sell anymore, the buyer is going to have to sweeten the deal. 

In this case, it looks like the sweetener was about $300,000. Good for a nice brunch. In Monaco.

We've had something like this happen more than once with listings that quit the market for the season, expecting to re-list later. We even had one listing fetch 3 offers after shutting down.

Obviously, it's not a marketing strategy to try the MLS, then quit.

What's most likely to happen once you cancel off the MLS is not a sale, but rather an absolute barrage of phone calls and messages to the seller from hustling new real estate agents and boiler rooms (and, we suppose, AI these days). These mostly useless solicitations make some sellers wish they'd stayed on the market forever.

Still, there is a whole philosophy out there about how "letting go," not trying so hard, allowing things to flow – instead of trying to control everything – actually brings better results in life, in business.

Sometimes you have to quit to win. 

No guarantees, but it's nice when it works out.

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Listings presented above are supplied via the MLS and are brokered by a variety of agents and firms, not Dave Fratello or Edge Real Estate Agency, unless so stated with the listing. Images and links to properties above lead to a full MLS display of information, including home details, lot size, all photos, and listing broker and agent information and contact information.

Based on information from California Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. as of June 12th, 2026 at 1:32pm PDT. This information is for your personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties you may be interested in purchasing. Display of MLS data is usually deemed reliable but is NOT guaranteed accurate by the MLS. Buyers are responsible for verifying the accuracy of all information and should investigate the data themselves or retain appropriate professionals. Information from sources other than the Listing Agent may have been included in the MLS data. Unless otherwise specified in writing, Broker/Agent has not and will not verify any information obtained from other sources. The Broker/Agent providing the information contained herein may or may not have been the Listing and/or Selling Agent.