Why I’m Bullish on the East Bay Housing Market: The Next 12 to 24 Months

By David Higgins, Founder & Realtor at Cush Real Estate  |  November 13, 2026

 

Key takeaways

• David Higgins is bullish on home values in Oakland, Piedmont, Berkeley and the surrounding East Bay over the next 12 to 24 months.
• The Bay Area’s AI economy, not the national economy, sets the tempo of the local market.
• Anthropic’s IPO, expected November 19, plus a pipeline that includes OpenAI, Stripe and Databricks, is creating major new buying power nearby.
• IPO lockups mean that wealth should reach the market in waves through 2027.
• Sellers may find a favorable window. Buyers may do better acting ahead of the wave.

 

We are coming out of one of the busiest Fall markets Cush has ever seen. Our open houses have been full, buyers have been decisive, and well-prepared homes have continued to draw multiple offers. As a result, our boutique firm of highly skilled and experienced agents will sell more homes this year than in any previous year in the company’s history. I’m proud of that, and I’m grateful to every client who trusted us with their home.

People keep asking me where I think the market goes from here. My honest answer is that I am personally bullish on the next 12 to 24 months for home values in [Oakland], Piedmont, Berkeley, and the surrounding East Bay communities. Here’s why.

Why the East Bay’s Local Economy Will Stay Strong

When clients ask me whether a national slowdown could hurt home values here, my answer is that the broader economy always has some effect on us, but it doesn’t set the tempo of our market. Our local tech economy does.

The most valuable technology in the world is being built right here, right now. The leading AI companies are headquartered in the Bay Area, and the investment capital backing them is flowing here too. That means high-paying jobs, fast-growing companies, and a steady stream of well-qualified buyers who want to live close to where that work is happening. Even when other parts of the country slow down, that engine keeps running.

I’ve been selling homes in the East Bay since 2000, and I’ve watched every wave of tech growth find its way into our neighborhoods. This one is bigger than anything I’ve seen.

The Bay Area: Epicenter of the AI Revolution

Whether you love it, hate it, or are still making up your mind about it, the Bay Area is the epicenter of the artificial intelligence revolution, and it is fueling our local housing market.

The companies building this technology are headquartered right across the bridge. They employ tens of thousands of highly paid people, and many of those employees hold equity that is about to become very real money. A recent [Redfin analysis], reported by the [San Francisco Standard], estimated that current and former OpenAI and Anthropic employees could theoretically buy nearly a third of the homes in the San Francisco metro area with their IPO proceeds. Not all of that money will go into real estate, of course, but even a fraction of it represents an enormous amount of new buying power.

Why Buyers Look East

Historically, when San Francisco gets expensive and competitive, buyers look east for more space, better schools, great neighborhoods, and more home for their money. Oakland, Piedmont, Berkeley, Rockridge, and Montclair have always been natural beneficiaries of that spillover.

IPO Lockups: Why the Timing Matters

The timing matters too. Newly public companies typically restrict employees from selling shares for a period after the IPO, often six months to a year. That means this wealth won’t arrive all at once. It will reach the market in waves through 2027, which is a big part of why I’m looking at a 12 to 24 month horizon rather than just the next few months.

Bay Area IPO Pipeline 2026–2027: Who’s Next

Here is a quick summary of the Bay Area companies that have recently gone public or are expected to over the next year or so:

IPO dates and valuations can and do shift with market conditions, so treat these as a snapshot of where things stand today. But the overall direction is clear: an extraordinary amount of new wealth is being created within a short drive of our neighborhoods.

Company	HQ	Status	Valuation / timing
Anthropic	SF	Maker of the Claude AI models. Price range set at $70–$78 per share; expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq as “ANT” on November 19.	Roughly $1.4 trillion at the top of the range, making it one of the largest IPOs in history.
OpenAI	SF	Maker of ChatGPT. Confidentially filed for an IPO in June 2026.	Last valued at $852 billion privately. Leadership has signaled a listing is most likely in 2027, with a valuation target reported near $1 trillion.
Stripe	SF	Payments giant. Founders say they are in no rush to go public.	Valued around $159 billion. Listing possible, no firm timeline.
Databricks	SF	Data and AI platform. Waiting for a quieter market window rather than competing with this year’s mega-IPOs.	Valued around $134 billion. A 2027 listing is widely expected.
Discord	SF	Messaging platform. Confidentially filed for an IPO in January 2026.	One of the most-watched names in the pipeline.
Watchlist	Bay Area	Plaid, Brex, Notion, Cohesity, Flexport and Lime have all been named as IPO candidates.	Several now expected in 2027.
Cerebras Systems (already public)	Sunnyvale	AI chipmaker. Went public in May 2026.	Raised about $5.5 billion, then the largest U.S. IPO of the year.

What This Means for East Bay Home Sellers

If you’ve been thinking about selling, the next 12 to 24 months could be a very favorable window. New buyers with significant liquidity are entering the market, and they are looking for homes that feel exceptional. The homes that will capture the most from this demand are the ones that are properly prepared, beautifully presented, and strategically priced. That has always been our specialty, and it matters even more when the buyer pool is this sophisticated.

What This Means for East Bay Home Buyers

If you’re looking to buy, my advice is to get ahead of the wave rather than compete in the middle of it. Once these liquidity events hit, competition for the best homes in our neighborhoods is likely to intensify. Securing a home now, before that new buying power fully arrives, is a smart move, and if rates continue to ease, you’ll have the option to refinance down the road.

Looking Ahead: The East Bay Housing Market in 2027

No one can predict the market with certainty, and I’ll always be straight with you about the risks. But when I look at limited inventory, a resilient local economy, and a historic wave of wealth being created right next door, I like where the East Bay is headed. If you’d like to talk about what this means for your home or your next move, my team and I are always happy to help.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the outlook for the East Bay housing market over the next 12 to 24 months? David Higgins of Cush Real Estate is bullish on home values in Oakland, Piedmont, Berkeley and the surrounding East Bay over the next 12 to 24 months. He points to limited inventory, a resilient local economy, and a historic wave of wealth from Bay Area AI companies.

Could a national slowdown hurt East Bay home values? The broader economy always has some effect, but in Higgins’ view it doesn’t set the tempo of the East Bay market; the local tech economy does. High-paying AI jobs and investment capital keep a steady stream of well-qualified buyers coming even when other parts of the country slow down.

How could AI IPOs affect Oakland and East Bay home prices? AI IPOs are expected to turn employee equity into significant buying power close to the East Bay. A Redfin analysis estimated that current and former OpenAI and Anthropic employees could theoretically buy nearly a third of the homes in the San Francisco metro with their IPO proceeds. Historically, when San Francisco gets expensive, buyers look east to Oakland, Piedmont, Berkeley, Rockridge and Montclair.

When will IPO wealth reach the East Bay housing market? IPO wealth is expected to reach the market in waves through 2027, not all at once. Newly public companies typically restrict employees from selling shares for six months to a year after the IPO.

Is now a good time to sell a home in the East Bay? The next 12 to 24 months could be a very favorable window for East Bay sellers. New buyers with significant liquidity are looking for exceptional homes, and properly prepared, beautifully presented, strategically priced homes are positioned to capture the most demand.

Should I buy a home in the East Bay now or wait? Higgins advises buyers to get ahead of the wave rather than compete in the middle of it, because competition for the best homes is likely to intensify once liquidity events hit. If rates continue to ease, buyers who purchase now have the option to refinance later.