sell · san francisco
Selling a home in San Francisco
In San Francisco, 59% of sales since January 2024 closed over asking, and houses went over far more often than condos: in the two years to October 27, 2026, 76% of house sales did, against 45% of condo and townhome sales. Here’s what the numbers say, what’s different about selling here, and the homes we’ve listed and sold closest to San Francisco.
san francisco by the numbers
What the San Francisco market says right now
San Francisco closed 5,002 house, condo and townhome sales in the last 12 months, 51% of them houses. Multi-unit buildings and other property types aren’t in these counts. In July–September 2026, 71% of its 1,182 sales closed over asking, against 50% a year earlier, and the median sale price was $1.55M, up 17%.
- median sale price$1.55Mlast 12 months, 5,002 sales; Silicon Valley $1.65M
- over asking59%of 12,759 sales since January 2024; median overbid $200K
- $2M–3M73%of 1,976 sales in that band since January 2024 closed over asking
- best closing monthMay62% over asking in 2022–2025, against 40% in January and December; May is busiest
Source: closed MLS sales, Boyenga Team analysis, October 2026. Recent 12 months = October 2025 to September 2026; over and under asking = January 2024 to September 2026; best month = all 2022–2025 sales pooled by closing month, because our MLS records cover San Francisco fully only from 2022. July–September 2026: our Q3 2026 market report.
what’s different here
What sellers in San Francisco should plan for
What we’d plan for on a San Francisco listing.
Bidding depends on the neighborhood
measured: 24 months
In the 24 months to October 27, 2026, counting all home types, among our San Francisco neighborhood guides with 10+ sales, the Outer & Central Sunset (25.5% over), Parkside (24.6%) and Miraloma Park & Sunnyside (16.2%) sold furthest over asking, by the typical sale, and 85% to 88% of their sales went over. Telegraph Hill & North Beach and Russian Hill sold at asking, by the typical sale, with fewer than half going over (houses alone, at asking too). A citywide figure won’t price your home, so we start from your neighborhood’s record and your kind of home.
Houses and condos are two markets
measured: houses vs. condos
Of San Francisco’s 5,002 house, condo and townhome sales in the last 12 months, 51% were single-family houses and the rest condos and townhomes (multi-unit buildings and other property types aren’t counted). In the two years to October 27, 2026, 76% of house sales closed over asking, against 45% of the 4,623 condo and townhome sales, and the median condo or townhome closed at its list price. The typical condo or townhome sold for $1.2M and the typical house for $1.74M, yet per square foot they were close: $1,036 against $1,049. By ZIP code, among ZIPs with 100+ condo and townhome sales, the share over asking ran from 73% of 276 in 94114 to 12% of 478 in 94105. Monthly HOA dues aren’t in the price, so buyers compare dues and what they cover, and we have the HOA documents ready from day one.
Less bidding under $1 million
measured: by price band
From January 2024 to September 2026, 34% of 3,362 San Francisco sales under $1 million closed over asking, against 73% of 1,976 between $2 million and $3 million. At $5 million and up, 44% of 383 did. So we price against recent sales in your price band and neighborhood, not the city figure.
Most houses predate 1940
assessor records
Of the 95,046 single-family houses on San Francisco’s 2025 assessment roll, the median was built in 1932 and has 1,510 sq ft on a 2,700 sq ft lot. 59% were built before 1940, 1% in 2000 or later, and 33% are recorded with two or more stories. Assessor records lag remodels, so living area and stories can miss recent additions; we gather the permits early, so buyers can see which additions and remodels were permitted.
Flood and fire maps
FEMA, CAL FIRE and city maps
No San Francisco house’s map point falls in a FEMA high-risk flood zone, and no house lot touches a CAL FIRE fire hazard severity zone. The city also keeps its own 100-year storm flood risk map, separate from FEMA’s, so we check it for your address before you list. Condos and multi-unit buildings aren’t in these house counts.
Transfer tax by price bracket
city rate table
San Francisco’s transfer tax applies one rate to the whole price, set by the bracket the price falls in. For a price of $1,000,000 or more but less than $5,000,000, it’s $3.75 for each $500 or portion thereof: $11,625 on a $1.55 million sale. Rates are from the city’s rate table as of October 31, 2026. Two measures on San Francisco’s November 3, 2026 ballot concern the transfer tax, so we confirm the rate in effect when you list. By local custom the seller pays the transfer tax, and the buyer pays the escrow fee and the owner’s title policy. Who pays is negotiable, and the purchase contract decides.
our sales
The homes we’ve listed and sold closest to San Francisco
Our San Francisco sales, including 2680 Green Street in Cow Hollow, aren’t in the MLS records we match our sales against, so this page doesn’t count them. Here are the homes we’ve listed and sold closest to San Francisco, in South San Francisco, San Bruno and San Mateo; the numbers above show how San Francisco homes have sold.
sold Oct 2018 · south san francisco
$1.02M
601 Walnut Avenue · Sign Hill & Parkway
4 bd · 2 ba · 1,530 sq ft
Listed by the Boyenga Team at Compass
sold Apr 2023 · san bruno
$1.25M
2280 Evergreen Drive · Rollingwood & Monte Verde
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,140 sq ft
Listed by the Boyenga Team at Compass
sold Apr 2022 · san mateo
$1.73M
1701 Peck Avenue · Shoreview & Parkside
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,150 sq ft
Listed by the Boyenga Team at Compass
sold Oct 2018 · san mateo
$1.53M
815 9th Avenue · Downtown & Central
2 bd · 2 ba · 1,423 sq ft
Listed by the Boyenga Team at Compass
sold Jun 2020 · san mateo
$1.30M
1619 Echo Avenue · Shoreview & Parkside
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,584 sq ft
Listed by the Boyenga Team at Compass
sold Mar 2026 · san mateo
$2.30M
637 Vanessa Drive · Sunnybrae & 19th Avenue Park
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,400 sq ft
Listed by the Boyenga Team at Compass
our plan
How we’d sell your San Francisco home
The same Property Nerd plan we run on every listing, tuned to San Francisco.
Price against the right sales
We start with the closest recent sales in your neighborhood and of your kind of house, then read the competition that week. In San Francisco that means pricing to your neighborhood’s record and your kind of home: houses and condos sell very differently here.
Prepare what buyers notice
Paint, light, landscaping and staging, budgeted in the Prep Lab, with Compass Concierge to front eligible costs. On an older house, permits for past additions and remodels, gathered up front, answer what buyers will ask about the square footage.
Disclose early
Inspections and disclosures ready before launch, so buyers make offers on facts. In San Francisco that includes the city’s own 100-year storm flood risk map for your address and, for a condo, the HOA documents and dues.
Launch on purpose
A private or Coming Soon start if it fits, then the full launch; the Launch Lab shows the plan. May closings sold over asking most often in 2022–2025, so a spring sale is planned in winter.
Negotiate and close
We compare offers on price, terms and certainty, then run escrow to closing.
The San Francisco data series
our own analysis
More from the series
by price and place
Seller tools
plan your numbers
Looking for an agent rather than a plan? Meet Eric & Janelle Boyenga · San Francisco neighborhood guides
questions
Questions San Francisco sellers ask us
How often do San Francisco homes sell over asking?
From January 2024 to September 2026, 59% of 12,759 San Francisco sales closed above the final list price, with a median overbid of $200K. 29% closed below it, with a median discount of $45K. In the $2M–3M band, 73% of 1,976 sales closed over asking. Across Silicon Valley, 60% closed over asking. Houses went over far more often than condos and townhomes: 76% against 45% in the two years to October 27, 2026.
When is the best time to sell in San Francisco?
Our MLS records cover San Francisco fully only from 2022, so we pooled all 2022–2025 sales by closing month. May closings sold over asking most often (62%), and January and December closings least often (40% each). May is also the busiest month, with about 10% of a typical year’s closings. A May closing typically means an accepted offer in April, with the listing before that.
How do San Francisco condos and townhomes sell?
In the two years to October 27, 2026, 4,623 condos and townhomes sold in San Francisco: 4,546 condos and 77 townhomes. The typical one sold for $1.2M, against $1.74M for a typical house. 45% closed over the final list price, against 76% of houses, and the median sale closed at the list price. Monthly HOA dues aren’t in the price, so buyers compare dues and what they cover.
Is my San Francisco house in a flood or fire zone?
Among the 95,046 houses on the 2025 assessment roll, no house’s map point falls in a FEMA high-risk flood zone, and no house lot touches a CAL FIRE fire hazard severity zone. San Francisco also keeps its own 100-year storm flood risk map, which isn’t part of that count, so we check it for your address. Condos and multi-unit buildings aren’t in the house count.
How old are San Francisco houses?
The median single-family house on San Francisco’s 2025 assessment roll was built in 1932 and has 1,510 sq ft on a 2,700 sq ft lot. 59% were built before 1940, 1% in 2000 or later, and 33% are recorded with two or more stories. Assessor records lag remodels, so check permits for any addition.
How much is San Francisco’s transfer tax?
San Francisco applies the rate for the price bracket to the whole price, for each $500 or portion thereof. By the city’s rate table as of October 31, 2026: $2.50 when the price is more than $100 but less than or equal to $250,000; $3.40 when it is more than $250,000 but less than $1,000,000; $3.75 at $1,000,000 or more but less than $5,000,000; $11.25 at $5,000,000 or more but less than $10,000,000; $27.50 at $10,000,000 or more but less than $25,000,000; and $30.00 at $25,000,000 or more. That’s $11,625 on a $1.55 million sale. Two measures on San Francisco’s November 3, 2026 ballot concern the transfer tax, so we confirm the rate in effect when you list. By local custom the seller pays it, and the buyer pays the escrow fee and the owner’s title policy. Who pays is negotiable, and the purchase contract decides.
What do you charge to sell a San Francisco home?
Commissions are negotiable. We offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
talk to a property nerd
Thinking about selling in San Francisco?
We’ll pull the closest sales to your house, walk through prep and timing, and tell you what we’d do. No pressure and no obligation.
eric boyenga dre 01254725 · janelle boyenga dre 01254724 · compass · equal housing opportunity
Thinking about selling in San Francisco? Send us a note.
Eric & Janelle Boyenga
Realtors DRE01254724 / 01254725
Realtors DRE01254724 / 01254725