Micro‑Market Mastery: MOI, DOM & $/SqFt

Cassandra Drumm

August 2025

Micro-Market Mastery: MOI, DOM & $/SqFt

Smartphone on a sunlit table with a neighborhood map and coffee—planning a micro-market search in Los Angeles. — Local life + plain-English market context beats a long report.

Clients don’t need a market lecture—they need three numbers they can repeat. MOI shows pace, DOM shows timing, and $/SqFt shows what buyers are actually paying. Put them together and you can explain why two streets a block apart trade differently—and what that means for price, prep, and timing. The example below uses Silver Lake vs. Echo Park (90026); swap in your ZIP and two nearby pockets and update monthly.

TL;DR

MOI shows pace (under 2 = fast; 2–4 = balanced; over 4 = slower).
DOM tells you how long good homes take to get accepted.
$/SqFt is what buyers actually pay—use it to compare close comps.

Quick example (90026 — swap for your area)

MOI (LA context): ~3.7 months (balanced).
DOM: Silver Lake ≈ 49 days; Echo Park ≈ 45 days.
$/SqFt: Silver Lake ≈ $848; Echo Park ≈ $944.

Show, don’t tell (visual)

MOI • DOM • $/SqFt for Silver Lake vs Echo Park (90026). Save or embed with credit to TheBrokerBase.

How to pull the numbers (fast)

Pick a ZIP and two nearby pockets (e.g., Silver Lake / Echo Park in 90026).
Grab median DOM and $/SqFt from a reliable public source; use county/metro MOI as context if neighborhood MOI isn’t published.
Update your chart monthly; keep the language plain and local.

Sample talk tracks

Buyers: “In Silver Lake, MOI is ~3.7 and DOM is 49. We’ll tour early and write clean. In Echo Park (DOM 45), we’ll anchor to recent $/SqFt and consider a modest seller credit if days creep past two weeks.”

Sellers: “Buyers compare to the last 10 nearby sales. Around $848–$944/sq ft in 90026, day-one presentation drives results.”

Embed this chart

<a href="https://thebrokerbase.com/blog/micro-market-los-angeles-90026?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=micro_market_90026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
  <img
    src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0693/4452/6527/files/MOI_DOM_Graph.png?v=1756144662"
    alt="Micro-Market Snapshot — 90026: MOI, DOM, and $/SqFt for Silver Lake vs Echo Park"
    width="1200" height="750">
</a>
<small>Source: TheBrokerBase — Micro-Market Snapshot (90026). Please link back when sharing.</small>

FAQ

What is MOI, exactly?
Estimated months to sell current actives at the recent sales pace. Under 2 = fast; 2–4 = balanced; over 4 = slower.

Does DOM include escrow time?
No. DOM stops when a contract is accepted; escrow timing is separate.

Why use $/SqFt if homes are unique?
It’s a sanity check. Compare similar size/condition in the same micro-pocket; use outliers to explain why a comp isn’t comparable.

Why not publish neighborhood MOI?
MOI at the micro level isn’t always published; a county/metro MOI benchmark keeps it honest without over-promising precision.

How often should I update?
Monthly is plenty. Keep a consistent ZIP and two pockets so readers see the trend.

Want a branded Market Snapshot (chart + copy) in your voice?
Let’s talk.

Editor’s note: For marketing education only—not legal advice. We align with C.A.R. forms and California DRE rules. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. Always follow your Broker of Record’s policies.

Cassandra Drumm