In 2025, Bay Area real estate markets started the year seeing strong buyer demand, but had the wind taken out of their sails by the political/economic uncertainty that soared in early spring. Then, in mid- late summer, stock markets rebounded to hit new highs, and interest rates began a sustained decline, initiating a shift in the psychology of buyers and sellers that is still developing.

Generally speaking, this summer's market saw no large shifts in market dynamics beyond typical seasonal changes, and due to the Al boom, San Francisco remains one of the strongest markets in the Bay Area. The focus now is on the fall selling season, which runs from early September to early November before listing and sales activity begins to plunge for the mid- winter holidays.

Over the past couple years, the Al boom has most dramatically affected the housing markets in Silicon Valley, with their established players like Nvidia. San Francisco, though home to major Al firms like OpenAl and Anthropic, has been affected, but much more modestly - but that is now rapidly changing. The Al industry is exploding in the city, with dozens of new startups making San Francisco their home...

Across most of the Bay Area, the severe economic volatility which prevailed in Q2 - and the absence of a meaningful decline in mortgage interest rates - generally caused a significant year-over-year weakening in the spring selling season, usually the most dynamic of the year.

Ongoing volatility in political/economic conditions - particularly the plunge in stock markets in April, which affected May home sales - took some of the wind out of the spring real estate market, usually the most dynamic of the year. Uncertainty regarding the economy and the possible implications for personal financial circumstances understandably made a proportion of buyers and sellers hesitant about moving forward.