Yesterday, I hosted a Broker’s Tour at our charming Lafayette listing, and one conversation kept coming up. Agent after agent asked me the same thing: how do you get buyers off the fence?
The real estate coach in me wanted to shout the answer from the rooftops. Look closely at the hyperlocal data. Watch what is happening in the Bay Area markets around us. And most of all, have real conversations with your buyers so they understand the market we are about to step into, with Anthropic and others preparing to go public.
After more than 20 years of studying this market, I see it plainly. But clarity only matters if our clients share it. So I want to ask you directly, as our buyers: is it clear to you?
Over the years we’ve noticed that most buyers fall into a few familiar patterns. See if one sounds like you.
The Researcher has read every listing, run every number, and could teach a class on Lamorinda school boundaries. The knowledge is impressive. The risk is that the research never quite ends.
The Perfectionist has a list, and the list is long. The right house needs the right street, the right light, the right yard, and ideally a kitchen that was redone last year in exactly the right finishes.
The Rate Watcher is waiting for one more dip before making a move, checking mortgage news the way some people check the weather.
The Decisive One walks in, feels it, and writes the offer that afternoon.
We love all of them. But in this market, the Decisive One tends to end up with the keys.
Why Now Matters
We are not ones to sound the alarm. But with several major IPOs and liquidity events expected over the next few months, we believe the window for buyers is narrowing. The longer you wait, the less your money is likely to buy.
We are already seeing this play out above $4 million. Newly liquid buyers from San Francisco and the Peninsula are competing for a limited number of homes, and many are prepared to pay cash, close quickly, and skip contingencies. For buyers with financing, that is humbling competition.
Based on what we see every day across Lamorinda, we expect a domino effect. As that wave of buyers arrives, pressure at the top will ripple down into every price range. It is why we have been encouraging our clients to buy rather than wait. For buyers who are ready, acting before that shift is the strongest position to be in.
We often tell our clients that you can change your loan, but you can’t change the house. Rates can be refinanced down the road. A home on the right street, with the right feel, cannot be recreated once someone else owns it.
If you recognized yourself as the Researcher, the Perfectionist, or the Rate Watcher, consider this your gentle nudge. In this market, being ready matters more than overthinking: financing in place, priorities clear, and the confidence to move when the right home appears.
That readiness is where we come in. It is our job to make sure the picture is clear to you, and we take that seriously. If you would like to walk through the local numbers, talk about what we are seeing in neighboring markets, or simply think out loud about your timing, we would love that conversation. Our current buyers can also find coming-soon and off-market homes on our proprietary client website, The Green Vine, before they reach the open market.
How can we help?
