October gave Pleasanton something we haven't seen since spring: homes selling faster. After five straight months of climbing, average days on market fell to 30, and buyers paid full asking price on average. But look past the pace and the prices tell a softer story, and the gap between the upper and lower halves of our market got wider, not narrower.
October 2026 by the Numbers
Median sale price: $1,650,000, down 6.1% from $1,757,500 in October 2025
Homes sold: 35, down 20.5% from 44 a year ago
Average days on market: 30, down from 37 in September (27 in October 2025)
Sale-to-list price ratio: 100%, up from 98% a year ago
Active listings: 69 at month's end, identical to October 2025
Months of supply: 1.9, up from 1.5 a year ago
Average price per square foot (sold): $781, down 3.2% from $807 and the lowest in 13 months
Detached single-family homes, Pleasanton and Sunol. Source: Bay East Association of REALTORS® MLS.
The Story Behind the Numbers
The pace story finally turned. Days on market had risen every month since April: 14, 21, 23, 27, 36, 37. In October it dropped to 30, ending that five-month climb, and the sale-to-list ratio returned to 100% for the first time since June. One caution I repeat every month: days on market resets when a listing is withdrawn and relisted, so it measures time at the current price, not a home's full time for sale. Still, two measures improving together is a real signal that well-priced homes are moving.
Prices are where I'd hold the enthusiasm. The median rose from September's $1,590,000 to $1,650,000, but it's down 6.1% from a year ago. The average sale price fell 19.0% year-over-year to $1,759,766, and most of that is mix: the $3M+ segment recorded just one closing in October. The steadier yardstick, average price per square foot, came in at $781, the lowest figure in this 13-month data set and 3.2% below last October. My honest read: homes are selling at asking because asking prices have come down to meet buyers, not because buyers are bidding them up.
Supply explains the rest. There were 69 active listings at the end of October, exactly the same as a year ago, but 35 closings instead of 44, which is why months of supply sits at 1.9 versus 1.5. Pending sales came in at 25, down from 30 last October, so the pipeline heading into the holidays is lighter. And year-to-date, Pleasanton has recorded 352 sales, the lowest total of the five years in the Bay East report, now just below 2023's 357. By the classic measure (under three months of supply) this is still a seller's market. It's simply a quieter one than we've seen in years.
Where the Market Is Moving
Last month I wrote that Pleasanton had quietly split into two markets at about $1.7 million. October didn't close that gap. It widened it.
Below $1.7 million, the market is recovering ground. Homes under $1.7M account for 184 sales year-to-date versus 213 at this point in 2025, a decline of 13.6%, improved from a 16.0% gap through September. That's ahead of the same point in both 2023 (164) and 2024 (165). These homes made up 21 of October's 35 closings. The core $1.3–1.699M band remains the engine: 134 sales year-to-date, 38.1% of all 2026 activity (up from 37.2% last month), and 16 closings in October for the second straight month. It's ahead of 2023 (122) and 2024 (125). Just below it, the $1–1.299M band has 42 sales, its second-best showing of the past five years, behind only 2025's 48.
Above $1.7 million, the slowdown deepened. Those homes account for 168 sales year-to-date versus 235 last year, a 28.5% decline, worse than the 26.7% gap through September. It's also the lowest count of the past five years (2023 had 193). Homes above $1.7M now make up 47.7% of Pleasanton's sales, compared with 52.5% in 2025 and 62.4% in 2024.
The streak to watch: luxury. The $3M+ segment had a strong September, then recorded just one closing in October. It now stands at 36 sales year-to-date versus 56 last year. The gap to 2025's pace widened from 13 sales to 20, the fifth straight month it has grown, and $3M+ is now below 2023's 41, the lowest of the five years in the report. The $1.7–1.999M band (68 sales) is also at a five-year low.
One correction to my own storyline: the $2–2.999M band has 64 sales year-to-date, which has now edged past 2023's 62. So "every band above $1.7M is at a five-year low" is no longer quite true. It's a small difference, but it's the kind of detail I'd rather report than round off.
I track these segments every month, and when a trend breaks, you'll read it here first, whichever direction it goes.
What This Means If You're Selling
October rewarded realistic pricing. Pleasanton sellers closed at 100% of list in about 30 days on average, but the price per square foot they closed at was the lowest in over a year. That's the lesson: price against what's actually closing, not against what's sitting on the market. Active listings averaged $811 per square foot in October while sold homes averaged $781.
If your home is likely to sell below $1.7 million, buyers are there in numbers that compare well with 2023 and 2024. If you own a home above $1.7 million, and especially above $3 million, you're competing for the smallest buyer pool of the past five years. That doesn't mean you can't sell; it means preparation and pricing carry more weight than they did. If you're thinking about spring, the homes that sell well in March are usually priced and prepped in January, so now is the right time for a planning conversation.
What This Means If You're Buying
A 100% sale-to-list ratio says well-priced homes still aren't selling at a discount, so don't expect lowball offers to land on the right house. Pleasanton buyers have leverage above $1.7 million, where sales are at a five-year low, and on listings that have already sat through a price change. The $1.3–1.7M range is still where you'll find the most competition.
If you're relocating from the South Bay — Fremont, Milpitas, San Jose, or Cupertino — this split is worth planning around. Stretching from the crowded $1.5M range into the $1.7–2M range could put you in the part of Pleasanton where sellers have the fewest buyers to choose from. And with only 25 pending sales in October, the holidays may bring fewer listings but also fewer competing buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the median home price in Pleasanton in October 2026?
The median sale price for detached single-family homes in Pleasanton was $1,650,000 in October 2026, according to Bay East Association of REALTORS® MLS data. That's up from $1,590,000 in September 2026 but down 6.1% from $1,757,500 in October 2025.
Is Pleasanton a buyer's or seller's market right now?
By classic measures, Pleasanton is still a seller's market, with 1.9 months of supply and homes selling at 100% of list price on average in October 2026. Conditions are softer than a year ago, when supply was 1.5 months, and above $1.7 million, year-to-date sales are at a five-year low, which gives buyers in that range more leverage.
How long are homes taking to sell in Pleasanton?
The average days on market was 30 in October 2026, down from 37 in September and up from 27 in October 2025. It was the first monthly decline since April 2026, ending a five-month rise. Because days on market resets when a listing is withdrawn and relisted, actual time-to-sell for repriced homes can be longer.
Are home prices in Pleasanton going up or down?
Prices are softer than a year ago. In October 2026 the median sale price was down 6.1% year-over-year, and the average price per square foot for sold homes was $781, down 3.2% from $807 and the lowest in the past 13 months. Well-priced homes are still selling at full asking price on average.
Which price segment is strongest in Pleasanton right now?
The $1.3–1.699M range is the strongest, with 134 sales year-to-date through October 2026, or 38.1% of all activity, and ahead of the same point in both 2023 and 2024. Homes above $1.7 million have 168 sales year-to-date, down 28.5% from 2025 and the lowest of the past five years; the $3M+ segment has 36 sales versus 56 last year.
Is now a good time to sell a home in Pleasanton?
It depends on price point. Below $1.7 million, buyer activity in 2026 is running ahead of 2023 and 2024, and homes are closing at about 100% of list in roughly 30 days on average. Above $1.7 million there are fewer buyers than in any of the past five years, so precise pricing and preparation matter most.
Twenty-one years in Pleasanton have taught me that the headline number is rarely the whole story. October is a good example: homes selling faster and at full price, in a month when price per square foot hit a 13-month low and the high end grew quieter. I break these numbers down every month, streaks and reversals both. If you're wondering what they mean for your home, here in Pleasanton or anywhere in the Tri-Valley, I'd love to talk it through.
Katie Moe | Connect California Homes | 925-216-9083 | katie@connectcahomes.com | DRE #01507863
