#1 Oakland Realtor • $1 Billion in Career Sales
David Higgins
Oakland’s Premier Luxury Real Estate Expert
As the East Bay’s top-producing real estate agent for over two decades, David Higgins delivers exceptional results through strategic design, world-class marketing, and unparalleled local expertise across Oakland including Crocker Highlands, Glenview, Rockridge/Upper Rockridge, Montclair, and Piedmont, amongst other fine neighborhoods.
Proven Track Record
$1B+ Career Sales Volume
900+ Successful Transactions
33% Average Over-List Sale Price vs. 6% performance differential
26+ Years of East Bay Expertise
Client Reviews
Google 4.9 stars (54 reviews)
Zillow 5.0 stars (168 reviews)
Yelp 4.9 stars (65 reviews)
Credentials
- Verified MLS data as Oakland’s #1 realtor, without aggregated team sales.
- Top East Bay real estate agent
- Award-winning realtor
Extras
- In-house design services (unique differentiator)
- Community investment (school sponsorships, nonprofits)
Oakland’s Most Trusted Real Estate Leader
David Higgins isn’t just an Oakland realtor—he’s a market-defining force in East Bay real estate. As the founder of Cush Real Estate, David has spent over 26 years setting the standard for luxury home sales across the East Bay’s most prestigious neighborhoods. With more than $1 billion in career sales and 900+ successful transactions, David Higgins consistently achieves what other East Bay realtors cannot: homes selling for an average of 33% over list price compared to the 6% market average.
What distinguishes David Higgins among top real estate agents in the East Bay is his proprietary design-to-market system. Unlike other East Bay realtors who outsource staging or offer generic vendor referrals, David has built an integrated, in-house design services division that strategically transforms properties into best-in-class showcases. This signature approach—combining world-class design, cinematic marketing, and surgical pricing strategy—has made Cush Real Estate synonymous with record-breaking sales across Oakland, Piedmont, Rockridge, Crocker Highlands, and Montclair.
The Cush Advantage: Why David Higgins Delivers Exceptional Results
When you choose David Higgins as your East Bay realtor, you’re not hiring just one agent—you’re gaining access to a complete luxury real estate ecosystem refined over 26 years. Here’s what sets David apart from other top real estate agents in the East Bay:
Integrated Design Services
David’s proprietary in-house design team transforms homes into emotionally compelling, move-in-ready showcases that command premium prices. While other East Bay realtors offer staging, David Higgins provides strategic renovation guidance that consistently delivers 3-5x returns on investment. From targeted kitchen updates to complete aesthetic transformations, every design decision is data-driven and market-tested across Oakland’s luxury neighborhoods.
World-Class Marketing
David Higgins’ marketing philosophy centers on one principle: “We don’t do acceptable. We do exceptional.” Every listing receives cinematic videography, professional photography, 3D tours, and targeted digital campaigns across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok. Combined with strategic underpricing that maximizes algorithm-driven visibility, this approach generates the competitive bidding that drives David’s signature 33% over-list performance.
Unmatched Local Expertise
As an Oakland resident who has lived in and served the East Bay for over two decades, David Higgins possesses intimate knowledge of neighborhoods like Crocker Highlands, Piedmont, Rockridge, Upper Rockridge, Montclair, and Glenview. This deep local expertise allows him to identify the exact improvements and pricing strategies that maximize value in each micro-market—knowledge that generalist East Bay realtors simply cannot replicate.
Proven Track Record
With 900+ transactions and $1 billion in career sales, David Higgins has established himself as Oakland’s #1 realtor and one of the top real estate agents in the East Bay. His consistent record of achieving the highest price per square foot in competitive neighborhoods, combined with stellar client reviews (4.9 stars on Google with 54 reviews, 5.0 stars on Zillow with 168 reviews), demonstrates a level of excellence unmatched by other East Bay realtors.
Strategic Pricing Mastery
David understands that in the East Bay real estate market, strategic underpricing isn’t about leaving money on the table—it’s about maximizing visibility to generate multiple offers and competitive bidding. His surgical approach ensures homes are priced to capture maximum buyer attention while avoiding the algorithm invisibility that plagues overpriced listings. This expertise is why even in challenging markets, David’s prepared homes consistently generate 3-8 competitive offers.
Community Investment
Beyond real estate transactions, David Higgins is deeply invested in Oakland’s vitality through local school sponsorships, nonprofit support, and neighborhood initiatives. As one of the few East Bay realtors who lives in the communities he serves, David views his role as a steward of neighborhood value—helping elevate not just individual properties but entire streets and districts for the benefit of all homeowners.
East Bay Neighborhoods We Serve
As Oakland’s premier luxury realtor and top East Bay real estate agent, David Higgins specializes in the region’s most desirable communities. Explore homes for sale in the East Bay’s finest neighborhoods:
Oakland
From historic Victorians to modern architectural gems, David Higgins knows Oakland real estate like no other East Bay realtor. Specializing in luxury homes across Oakland’s premier neighborhoods.
Crocker Highlands
One of Oakland’s most prestigious enclaves, featuring gracious estates and period architecture. David consistently achieves record-breaking prices in this sought-after neighborhood.
Piedmont
This exclusive East Bay community demands specialized expertise. David’s deep knowledge of Piedmont real estate ensures sellers achieve maximum value in this competitive luxury market.
Rockridge
Known for its walkable village charm and excellent schools, Rockridge attracts discerning buyers. David’s strategic approach consistently delivers exceptional results for Rockridge homeowners.
Upper Rockridge
Offering panoramic views and mid-century modern homes, Upper Rockridge requires nuanced market expertise that David has refined over decades of East Bay real estate leadership.
Montclair
This hillside neighborhood combines natural beauty with sophisticated living. David’s understanding of Montclair’s unique character helps sellers position properties for maximum appeal.
Glenview
Featuring classic California architecture and tree-lined streets, Glenview attracts families seeking quality and character. David’s local expertise ensures optimal marketing and pricing strategies.
Berkeley
From the Berkeley Hills to Elmwood, David extends his East Bay expertise to this vibrant university community, helping sellers achieve exceptional results in this distinctive market.
The David Higgins Process: From Listing to Record-Breaking Sale
What makes David Higgins the #1 Oakland realtor isn’t just results—it’s the proven, proprietary process that consistently delivers those results. Here’s how David maximizes value for every seller in the East Bay:
1
Strategic Consultation
David personally evaluates your property and neighborhood to identify the exact improvements that will generate maximum returns. Drawing on 900+ transactions, he knows precisely which updates drive premiums in Oakland’s luxury market and which don’t justify the investment.
2
Design Transformation
The in-house Cush Design team creates a customized renovation plan targeting your home’s ideal buyer profile. From strategic paint selections to complete kitchen renovations, every decision is guided by decades of data showing what sells in the East Bay’s premier neighborhoods.
3
Flawless Execution
David’s vetted contractor network executes the transformation on a precise timeline, with the design team coordinating every detail. The result: your home becomes a magazine-worthy showcase that photographs beautifully and generates immediate emotional response from buyers.
4
World-Class Marketing
Your listing receives the full Cush treatment: cinematic videography, professional photography, 3D tours, targeted social media campaigns, and David’s legendary open house events that consistently draw 100+ attendees and serious buyers from across the Bay Area.
5
Strategic Pricing
David employs surgical pricing strategy designed to maximize visibility in algorithm-driven search platforms while generating competitive bidding. This approach consistently results in multiple offers and sale prices averaging 33% over list.
6
Expert Negotiation
When offers arrive, David leverages 26 years of negotiation expertise to secure the strongest possible terms. His guidance through offer review, counteroffers, and contingency removal ensures you maximize not just price but overall transaction strength.
What Clients Say About Working with Oakland’s #1 Realtor
With 4.9 stars on Google (54 reviews), 5.0 stars on Zillow (168 reviews), and 4.9 stars on Yelp (65 reviews), David Higgins has earned his reputation as the East Bay’s most trusted real estate expert. Here’s what clients say:
“We had such a wonderful experience with Cush Real Estate. Not only David Higgins, who is wonderful, but the team with whom he surrounds himself. From designers to contractors to assistants to stagers, all of whom were incredibly responsive and very respectful of our input.”
Verified Client
Google Review
“The designers on David’s team were fabulous to work with and were super dedicated to making everything perfect. David’s strategic approach and market knowledge helped us achieve a sale price far beyond our expectations.”
Verified Client
Zillow Review
“David Higgins delivered results that exceeded every other East Bay realtor we interviewed. His design team transformed our home, and his marketing brought serious buyers. We sold for significantly over asking with multiple offers.”
Verified Client
Yelp Review
Why David Higgins is Oakland’s #1 Realtor and Top East Bay Real Estate Agent
When searching for homes for sale in the East Bay or evaluating East Bay realtors, discerning sellers consistently choose David Higgins for several compelling reasons:
Unmatched Results in East Bay Real Estate
Among top real estate agents in the East Bay, David Higgins stands alone in consistently achieving 33% over-list sale prices. This isn’t occasional success—it’s a proven formula refined over 900+ transactions across Oakland, Piedmont, Rockridge, and surrounding communities. When other East Bay realtors struggle to generate single offers, David’s prepared homes routinely attract 3-8 competitive bids, even in challenging markets.
The Only East Bay Realtor with Integrated Design Services
What truly distinguishes David Higgins from other East Bay realtors is Cush Real Estate’s proprietary design division. While competitors outsource staging or provide generic contractor lists, David’s in-house team of experienced designers works in seamless coordination with vetted contractors from day one. This integrated approach allows strategic transformation that consistently generates $150,000-$200,000 in additional sale proceeds from $50,000 renovation investments—ROI that generic East Bay real estate approaches cannot match.
Deep Oakland and East Bay Market Knowledge
Unlike East Bay realtors who dabble across multiple regions, David Higgins has devoted 26 years exclusively to mastering Oakland and East Bay real estate. He lives in Oakland, raises his family here, and has personally completed hundreds of transactions in neighborhoods like Crocker Highlands, Piedmont, Rockridge, Upper Rockridge, Montclair, and Glenview. This depth of local expertise allows surgical precision in pricing strategy, renovation recommendations, and buyer targeting that generalist top real estate agents in the East Bay simply cannot replicate.
Marketing That Actually Drives Premium Offers
When evaluating East Bay realtors, sellers often find that marketing promises exceed delivery. David Higgins’ approach is different: every listing receives cinematic videography, professional photography, 3D virtual tours, and strategic digital campaigns across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok. Combined with David’s legendary open house events (regularly drawing 100+ attendees) and his network of 16,000+ Bay Area real estate professionals, this marketing engine generates the visibility and competitive energy that drives record-breaking sales across the East Bay.
Homes For Sale in the East Bay: Current Market Expertise
David Higgins maintains real-time expertise on homes for sale in the East Bay, tracking inventory levels, buyer preferences, and pricing dynamics across Oakland’s micro-markets. In today’s algorithm-driven search environment, where buyers filter homes for sale in the East Bay by price ceiling, David’s strategic underpricing approach ensures maximum visibility while generating the competitive bidding that drives premium results. This nuanced understanding of how modern buyers search for East Bay real estate separates top performers like David from average East Bay realtors.
A Team That Operates as Top Real Estate Agents in the East Bay
When you work with David Higgins, you gain access to an entire ecosystem of specialists: seasoned designers who understand luxury aesthetics, dedicated marketing professionals creating world-class content, buyer’s agents trained in David’s negotiation approach, and administrative support ensuring flawless execution. This team structure allows David to maintain the personal attention clients expect from Oakland’s #1 realtor while delivering the comprehensive service that other top real estate agents in the East Bay struggle to provide individually.
East Bay Real Estate Market Leadership
David Higgins’ influence extends beyond individual transactions. As Oakland’s #1 realtor, he has helped shape market standards across the East Bay through his design-forward approach and commitment to excellence. When David sells a home for record-breaking prices in neighborhoods like Crocker Highlands or Montclair, he elevates comparable values for every homeowner on that street. This rising-tide effect demonstrates why David views his role as more than just another East Bay realtor—he’s a steward of neighborhood value and community vitality.
Specialized Expertise Across East Bay Neighborhoods
Whether you’re exploring homes for sale in the East Bay’s tree-lined streets of Rockridge, the prestigious estates of Piedmont, the historic charm of Crocker Highlands, or the hillside elegance of Montclair, David Higgins brings neighborhood-specific expertise that generalist East Bay realtors cannot match. His 26 years of focused experience in these micro-markets means he understands the unique buyer demographics, design preferences, and pricing nuances that determine success in each community.
The Cush Real Estate Difference
What began as David Higgins’ solo practice has evolved into Cush Real Estate, a boutique luxury firm that sets the benchmark for East Bay real estate excellence. While maintaining the personalized service clients expect from top real estate agents in the East Bay, Cush provides infrastructure that solo East Bay realtors cannot: a dedicated design division, professional marketing team, administrative support, and a network of trusted specialists. This combination of boutique attention and institutional capability is why discerning sellers choose David Higgins when only exceptional results will suffice.
Ready to Experience the David Higgins Difference?
Whether you’re exploring homes for sale in the East Bay or preparing to sell your Oakland luxury property, David Higgins delivers the strategic expertise, design excellence, and marketing power that consistently achieves record-breaking results. Contact Oakland’s #1 realtor today.
Call David Higgins at 510 698 2678 | Schedule Consultation
© 2026 David Higgins | Cush Real Estate. All rights reserved.
David Higgins is Oakland’s premier luxury realtor and top East Bay real estate agent, specializing in homes for sale in the East Bay including Crocker Highlands, Glenview, Montclair, Rockeridge/Upper Rockridge, Piedmont, and other fine neighborhoods.