The Fall Market Starts Now: What San Mateo County Sellers Should Be Doing

School is back in session, summer vacations are winding down, and around the Peninsula, that usually means one other thing: the fall real estate market is right around the corner.

This year, I think that transition is particularly important.

The summer market across San Mateo County didn't bring the supply of single-family homes many buyers were hoping for. When good homes did come to market, we continued to see fast sales and increasingly aggressive overbids. Condos have been a different story, with sales remaining softer across much of the Peninsula, but for single-family homes, there simply haven't been enough quality listings to satisfy demand.

That leaves us heading into fall with something important already in place: pent-up demand.

A Market Ready for More Inventory

One recent example came from my listing at 908 Corona Drive in Pacifica. We sold the home in just 11 days for $1,550,000, or $1,490 per square foot, setting a new price-per-square-foot record for the area.

Every home and neighborhood is different, but results like this tell us something about the buyers who are out there. When a great single-family home is prepared well, priced strategically, and marketed effectively, buyers are ready to compete for it.

That's why homeowners considering a fall sale shouldn't necessarily wait until fall to get started.

The best thing you can do right now is talk with an agent and figure out what, if anything, your home needs before going to market. Maybe that's painting, landscaping, repairs, staging, or simply developing the right pricing and launch strategy. Getting those decisions out of the way now can make the actual selling process considerably easier when you're ready to move.

Preparing Now Doesn't Mean Paying for Everything Now

For my clients, I also have access to Ascend through Christie's Sereno, which can make that preparation easier.

Eligible sellers can access up to $50,000 for listing-related expenses and defer repayment until their home closes. There's a simple application with no impact to your credit to apply or access funds, and financing is available for as low as 0.75% per month (8.99% APR), plus a $499 one-time fee, with nothing due until closing.

It's another tool we can use to look at a home, determine which improvements are actually worth making, and create a plan designed around getting the strongest possible result.

Fall Will Be Here Before You Know It

If summer taught us anything, it's that there are still plenty of buyers waiting for the right single-family home in San Mateo County. The question heading into fall is how much new inventory will finally arrive to meet them.

If selling this fall is even on your radar, now is the time to get your ducks in a row. Reach out and let's look at your home, talk through your options, and build the strategy now so that when you're ready to hit the market, the hard part is already behind you.

Let's get you ready for a successful fall market.
Email me at kevin@pickettrealestategroup.com or call 415.283.7919.

San Mateo County Rolling 3-Month Data

Below, our data is based on averages for single-family homes in San Mateo County over the most recent 90-day period. This snapshot provides insight into pricing trends, buyer activity, and overall market momentum across the Peninsula.