“Always demand seller concessions.” Bay Area data says: ask a local, not an algorithm.
National data shows record seller concessions. Bay Area data shows the opposite. Know which market you're actually buying in.
If you've been on real estate TikTok or following housing YouTube channels this summer, you've probably heard some version of this advice: "demand concessions — sellers are desperate." The national data behind that claim is real. The Bay Area data is not.
What the national number actually shows
A Redfin analysis of MLS data through May 2026, released June 22, 2026, found that 46.2% of home sales nationally included some form of seller concession — a record high. The metric covers closing cost credits, rate buydowns, price reductions, and other forms of seller assistance. Nationally, this reflects real affordability strain: sellers in slower markets are contributing more to close deals.
What Bay Area numbers actually show
In the San Francisco metro, only 14.9% of sales included a concession in May 2026, per the same Redfin analysis. In the San Jose metro, the figure was 5.9%. That's not a market where "always demand concessions" is a general-purpose strategy. It's a market where demanding concessions on a competitive listing is more likely to cost you the house than to save you money on closing costs.
46.2% nationally. 5.9% in San Jose. Same advice doesn't apply.
What this means for Solano County buyers
Solano County sits somewhere in the middle of that range — not a 5.9% San Jose market, not a 60%+ Sun Belt market. Whether a concession ask makes sense on a specific property depends on the city, the price point, and how long the home has been sitting. In Fairfield's slower-moving market or on a Vallejo property at 45-plus days on market, a concession ask may be completely reasonable. In a multiple-offer situation in Benicia or Concord, the same ask may pull your offer out of consideration entirely.
My read for clients: national real estate influencers giving blanket concession advice are describing someone else's market. The question is always what this specific house, in this specific city, is doing right now. That's a local conversation. Call me and I'll give you a straight read on what is and isn't on the table for the properties you're looking at.