May has arrived, and I am savoring the past few days of waking up to sunshine streaming through the windows. It is a good time to pause and take stock of where we are in the market.
Berkeley continues to favor sellers, particularly for larger homes with three or more bedrooms, where competition remains strong. Oakland tells a more layered story. As a city nearly three and a half times the size of Berkeley, Oakland is composed of dozens of distinct micro-markets, each with its own rhythm and dynamics.
Last week, I joined KTVU to weigh in on a headline that caught a lot of attention: that the Oakland market is down 11%. That number is real, but it is not the whole picture. What is pulling the citywide average down is the condo market, which is struggling in ways that detached single-family homes simply are not. Single-family homes in Oakland are actually down just 3% citywide (this is an average so reach out about your neighborhood), and that is still an improvement over where the market stood in 2024. Click here to watch the full segment.
For Oakland sellers, this environment makes pricing more consequential than ever. Most buyers are conditioned to stop their search 10 to 20% below their maximum budget, which means a home priced too high gets filtered out before the right buyers ever have a chance to see it. I always provide my seller clients with a strategic price range based on what, in my experience, will yield the strongest outcome but the final decision rests with the seller. That choice can work for them or against them.
The good news is the inner East Bay is beautiful, and people still want to plant roots, own property, and be a part of our community.
If you are thinking about buying or selling, I would love to connect. Every situation and every property is unique, and I am always happy to sit down and talk through your personal goals.
This Sunday, I have two homes open: 3554 Jordan Road and 3001 Jordan Road, both open 2-4 pm. Come by!
