The short answer: the biggest overbid in the East Bay so far in 2026 was a home on Milvia Street in Berkeley. It was listed at $1,995,000 and sold for $4,225,000, which is $2,230,000 over the asking price. I pulled every closed sale from the MLS for January 1 through October 2, 2026 and ranked them by how many dollars buyers paid over list. All ten homes on the list went at least $1.6 million over asking.
Below is the full countdown, what the ten sales had in common, and what it means if you’re buying or selling in the East Bay.
The East Bay’s 10 biggest overbids of 2026
| Rank | Street and city | List price | Sold price | Over list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milvia St, Berkeley | $1,995,000 | $4,225,000 | +$2,230,000 |
| 2 | S Peardale Dr, Lafayette | $7,495,000 | $9,600,108 | +$2,105,108 |
| 3 | Mountain Ave, Piedmont | $5,500,000 | $7,500,000 | +$2,000,000 |
| 4 | Mendocino Ave, Berkeley | $2,975,000 | $4,800,000 | +$1,825,000 |
| 5 | Caperton Ave, Piedmont | $2,495,000 | $4,200,000 | +$1,705,000 |
| 6 | Sycamore Rd, Orinda | $5,800,000 | $7,500,000 | +$1,700,000 |
| 7 | Milvia St, Berkeley | $1,895,000 | $3,570,000 | +$1,675,000 |
| 8 | Oak Grove Ave, Oakland | $1,895,000 | $3,518,000 | +$1,623,000 |
| 9 (tie) | Cragmont Ave, Berkeley | $1,498,000 | $3,103,000 | +$1,605,000 |
| 9 (tie) | Forest Ave, Berkeley | $1,895,000 | $3,500,000 | +$1,605,000 |
Source: MLS closed residential sales in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, January 1 to October 2, 2026, ranked by sold price minus last list price.
#9 to #7: the countdown starts at $1.6 million
The bottom of this list would be the top of most lists. Two Berkeley homes tied for ninth, each selling $1,605,000 over asking: one on Cragmont Avenue and one on Forest Avenue. An Oak Grove Avenue home in Oakland came in eighth at $1,623,000 over, and a second Milvia Street home in Berkeley took seventh at $1,675,000 over.
#6 to #4: closing in on $2 million
Sycamore Road in Orinda sold $1,700,000 over its $5.8 million list price. Caperton Avenue in Piedmont went $1,705,000 over. And on Mendocino Avenue in Berkeley, a home listed at $2,975,000 sold for $4,800,000, or $1,825,000 over asking.
#3 and #2: the $2 million club
Two sales cleared $2 million over list. Mountain Avenue in Piedmont was listed at $5,500,000 and sold for $7,500,000. South Peardale Drive in Lafayette was listed at $7,495,000 and sold for $9,600,108, which is $2,105,108 over asking.
#1: Milvia Street, Berkeley, $2,230,000 over
The top spot went to a Milvia Street home in Berkeley. It was listed at $1,995,000 and sold for $4,225,000 after six days on the market. That’s 112% over the list price. In other words, the buyer paid more than double the asking price.
What the 10 biggest overbids had in common
- They sold fast. All ten sold in 14 days on market or less. Big overbids come from a short, crowded offer window, not from a listing that sits.
- Berkeley led the list. Five of the ten are in Berkeley. Piedmont, Lafayette, Orinda and Oakland make up the rest.
- The total adds up. Across the ten sales, buyers paid about $18.1 million more than the combined asking prices.
A home that sells for double its list price wasn’t really worth the list price. In most of these sales the asking price was set to draw as many buyers as possible, and the offers set the real value.
So what does it mean for you?
If you’re selling
The list price is a strategy, not a prediction. Pricing below value to draw a crowd works in some neighborhoods and price ranges and backfires in others. The right call depends on how buyers in your specific area have behaved over the last 60 to 90 days.
If you’re buying
Ignore the list price and look at what similar homes have actually sold for, then build your offer from there. A home listed at $1,995,000 on a street where comparable homes close above $4 million is not a $1,995,000 home.
For everyone
Keep it in perspective. These are the ten most dramatic results out of thousands of East Bay sales this year, not what a typical home does. Most homes sell much closer to their list price.
Frequently asked questions
What was the biggest overbid in the East Bay in 2026?
Through October 2, 2026, the biggest overbid in dollars was a Milvia Street home in Berkeley. It was listed at $1,995,000 and sold for $4,225,000, or $2,230,000 over asking.
How much over asking are East Bay homes selling for?
It depends heavily on the neighborhood, price range and how the home was priced. The ten sales in this post are the extremes, each at least $1.6 million over list. A typical sale lands much closer to the asking price, so the best guide for any one home is what comparable homes nearby sold for in the last few months.
Why do some homes sell so far over the list price?
Usually because the list price was set low on purpose to bring in as many buyers as possible during a short offer window. When several buyers compete, the offers, not the list price, set the final value.
Want your real number?
If you’re thinking about buying or selling in the East Bay, I can show you what homes like yours have actually sold for and how they were priced to get there. Call or text me at 510.853.8008, email ken@youreastbayhome.com, or send me a message. You can also join my monthly newsletter.
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Kenneth Er, DRE #01942269, The Er Group | Compass. Based on information from the MLS for closed residential sales in Alameda and Contra Costa counties from January 1 through October 2, 2026, ranked against last list price. Obvious data-entry errors were excluded. Sales shown were not necessarily listed or sold by The Er Group or Compass. Some photos are illustrative. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.