Concentrated equity liquidity from AI companies is reshaping local cost structures and worker location choices, which matters to data scientists weighing total-compensation and relocation tradeoffs. Reported facts: According to Redfin and reporting by the BBC, the San Francisco median sale price reached a record high of $1.76m as of May 2026. Real estate brokerage Compass, cited by The Guardian and the San Francisco Chronicle, reported median prices above $2m in March and that 144 homes sold for at least $1m over asking in the first half of 2026. The Guardian cites the Wall Street Journal reporting that more than 600 OpenAI employees cashed out roughly $6.6bn in a recent tender process. Local agents quoted across outlets say sellers are accepting equity in companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic as payment, and Redfin economist Daryl Fairweather described prices as "just astronomical," per the BBC.
Why AI Infrastructure must evolve for Agent Experience — Akshat Bubna, Modal CTO