April 2026 Market Trends

April 2026 delivered a market of quiet corrections and surprising resilience. If March was about explosive urban demand, April is about recalibration, with prices cooling in many single-family segments while sales volume tells a more nuanced story.

The biggest headline is the widespread price retreat in single-family homes. Oakland fell 9% year-over-year, El Cerrito dropped 11%, Hercules declined 12%, and Pleasanton saw a 15% decrease. This isn't a crash & sold listings are actually up in most of these cities (Oakland +12%, El Cerrito +18%, Hercules +100%), but it signals that buyers are refusing to chase prices that overshot during the spring frenzy.

Condos and townhomes are the unexpected bright spot. Berkeley condos surged 28% to a $970,000 median, San Ramon condos jumped 36%, and Danville condos exploded 53% higher. After years of playing second fiddle to single-family homes, attached properties are finally getting their moment as buyers prioritize location and value over square footage.

Days on market are sending warning signals in some areas. Richmond condos sat for 37 days (up 281%), Walnut Creek condos took 15 days (up 25%), and Danville condos stretched to 36 days (up 157%). When homes linger, sellers lose leverage, and that's exactly what's happening in the condo segment outside the urban core.

Inventory remains the ultimate wild card. While 12-month supply is still down dramatically year-over-year in most cities (Hercules SF -65.6%, Pinole SF -50.5%), months of supply is creeping up. Berkeley single-family supply jumped 36.8% to 1.45 months, and Pleasanton condos exploded 419% to 4.88 months. More choices mean more power for buyers.

The takeaway? Pricing strategy has never been more critical. In Berkeley and San Ramon single-family, sellers still hold the cards. In Pleasanton condos and Walnut Creek townhomes, buyers have room to negotiate, and they're using it. The micro-market era isn't coming. It's already here.