05/29/2026
The question I’m hearing most from Bay Area sellers right now isn’t about price.
It’s about timing.
“Should I list now or wait until fall?”
Here’s how I answer it.
If you’re selling below $2M in the East Bay, the answer is now. Buyer competition is real, inventory is manageable, and well-priced homes are moving in under three weeks.
If you’re selling above $3M, the answer is more nuanced. The buyer pool at that level is directly tied to equity markets and tech compensation cycles. Right now, chip stocks are surging. Nvidia, Broadcom, and Taiwan Semiconductor are all up significantly since March. That means RSUs and options are worth more today than they were 90 days ago.
When tech professionals feel wealthy, they buy homes. When their stock drops 20%, they pause.
The window where your buyer pool feels flush enough to make a $3M-$5M decision is right now. Not because the market is perfect. Because the stock market is giving your buyers confidence.
I don’t know how long that lasts. Neither does anyone else. But I know that the sellers who are closing right now are the ones who listed while the window was open.