You don't have to follow their `advice`, and most who want such plants would plant the ones they want anyhow and those who like native plants would be a plus point sales wise. So you may find the effort and expense would not yield much of a return and may be detrimental profit wise.

Saying that as I'm not aware of anybody who was put off a house sale as they didn't like the plants, though aware of many who would landscape/redo the garden to their taste irrespective of what's there and the only thing that may have merit would be a tree or bushes that would factor in some buyers, not the plants. Unless of course it's something like knotweed.

Did you consult with other agents?

Yes interviewed several. The thing about the Californian plants is that they are very low water users, but as a result the plants look patchy and so, to those with a European or Asian conception of what "plants" should look like, can appear a bit bedraggled. It's all about people imagining themselves in the house.

FWIW, adding some hardscaping (rocks, boulders, cement pavers) and vertical changes (dry creek, small hills with dirt from the dry creek) made my xeriscape look 100x more interesting. There's a sweat equity cost and hardscaping can get expensive quickly, but your payoff is likely a big increase in curb appeal.

xeriscape ... great word! In Australia local government in some areas are pushing 'rain gardens' and 'swales'. Some even pay out lump sum subsidies, to reduce sudden stormwater runoff.

Australia has some incredible shrubs and trees that are wonderful additions to a xeriscape. I've got a yard with mostly native southwest US plants & cacti but I sprinkled in a couple exotics from down under.

That is some solid advice, large stone's will shield and help reduce evaporation as well. Though way things are going, the whole housing market is getting put on pause, bit by bit and at least in the UK - mortgage lenders are withdrawing loan deals and now only doing mortgages with min 25% equity/deposit. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52106119

So it does seem like even if there isn't some housing crash/slide, the banks are ontrack to induce one.

Hence your advice, might well be a case of having the time and as you say the curb factor to get it thru.

Personally, I dunno if i'd look at a quick sale for lesser or hold out, certainly some interesting times we live in.

There are CA natives that don’t look bedraggled - manzanitas, ceanothus, ribes species, etc.