WHAT DANNY IS SAYING
A: Summer is when the Bay Area housing market takes a breather. Maybe San Francisco missed the memo?
The city’s market is unchanged. Since last summer, the median sale price for single family homes is up 43%. Let that sink in. Last summer, just one home sold for $1 million or more over asking. This summer? 72.
We can talk about Oakland and Berkeley, but quite frankly, all eyes are on the city right now. How will San Francisco appreciate in 2026? And what about surrounding markets?
After a notably soft 2024 and 2025, Oakland showed meaningful signs of recovery, up 7% from last summer. But the picture is wildly uneven. Homes in Rockridge can sell quickly with multiple offers, while condos in Uptown may struggle to find a buyer. Few markets are as sensitive to location.
With its prized schools and charming, walkable neighborhoods, Berkeley is well positioned to absorb eastbound migration. Single-family prices surged 25% compared with last summer. Impressive, but not San Francisco-level. Buyers continue to pay a significant premium for turnkey homes and preferred neighborhoods.
Mind you, all of this with mortgage rates still stubbornly high? Fall is lining up to be spicy.
-Danny Yadegar, City Real Estate,
510-909-8330,
[email protected]
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
A: Compared with the summer of 2025, the Bay Area residential market in the summer of 2026 has remained relatively stable overall, although certain areas have clearly outperformed.
However, San Francisco’s single-family home market has seen a remarkable resurgence, with buyer demand and competitive bidding significantly stronger than a year ago. In the districts where I have finger on the pulse — the Sunset, Richmond, and Noe Valley — we have seen a notable shift since June 2026, with intense competition, multiple offers and, in some cases, properties selling for as much as $1 million over the asking price. Condos are also selling better than last summer, although they generally remain in the market longer and are not experiencing the same level of competition.
In the luxury market, the summer of 2026 has also brought some extraordinary sales, including the $70 million Hillsborough estate represented by Jenn Gilson.
I recently completed a Millbrae transaction with Jen representing the seller, where my buyer purchased a multimillion-dollar home below the asking price. That transaction shows how much market conditions can vary from one Bay Area community to another, and why local market knowledge matters when buying or selling a home.
-Nicholas Johnson, Coldwell Banker Realty
A: For the past five years, San Francisco has been in a market slump. While the rest of the nation experienced something of a boom, San Francisco had homeowners wondering whether they could ever sell their properties for anything close to 2019 values. This spring this year, and that’s the real headline. San Francisco rents and home purchases both shot to new highs, and, “We’re back, baby!”
However, things in San Francisco’s fringe neighborhoods and outside the city were cooler. Interest rates, the job market, and the local economy remained about the same between last summer and this summer, but the entry-to-mid market did not move as fast. Inventory is sitting despite values increasing, condos and townhomes are sitting even longer. What is moving are luxury properties — turnkey, higher-end homes in desired neighborhoods. These continue to sell, and quickly.
Bay Area real estate ebbs and flows. I continue to believe in the local market’s steadiness and the value of holding real estate. While we do not expect properties to appreciate as quickly in the next few years, the data show no slowdown in appreciation.
-Wallace Chane, Metis Real Estate
