It’s not just the tech world doubling down on artificial intelligence. In an astounding move, the US real estate ecosystem appears to be betting on advanced tech as well. A house in San Francisco, which is over a hundred years old, was put up for sale at $2,995,000. The opening statement of the listing for the newly refurbished three-bedroom home in Duboce Triangle has sparked frenzy on the internet.

“Anthropic or OpenAI stock will be considered as payments.”

The listing for the 2,495-sq-ft house built in 1907 went up on the real estate marketplace Zillow in late May 2026. Its offer of accepting stock in two of the most valuable AI companies in the world marks one of the first documented instances in the American city where a real estate transaction has entirely abandoned the traditional modes of payment.

According to Realtor.com, sellers generally receive funds through one of two methods: a wire transfer or a cashier’s check. However, this not-so-common decision has now turned your stock portfolio into a house key.

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‘Anthropic or OpenAI stock in payment’ listing already swamped with offers

Less than 24 hours after the offer went live on Zillow, listing agent Rachel Swann told Business Insider that her “phone has been blowing up” with offers from potential buyers. She even went on to describe the $2.9 million San Francisco home’s seller as a local “high-end luxury developer” and a big believer in both Anthropic (co-founded by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei) and the Sam Altman-led OpenAI.

Divulging the rationale behind the unconventional real estate listing, the agent told Business Insider that the seller was inspired to go through with it after catching numerous OpenAI and Anthropic employees and investors at open houses. They claim to have “nowhere to live” amid a tight housing supply, additionally attributing the concerns to their wealth being locked up in illiquid stock.

“It’s a perfect storm,” Swann said. “You wouldn’t believe how many people I see come through who say, ‘We can’t touch our stock quite yet, but we would love to buy something.'”

Inside the viral ‘Anthropic or OpenAI stock’ house listing

As detailed on Zillow, the house in question is nestled “in the heart of Duboce Triangle, on tree lined Noe – a San Francisco SLOW Street.” The three-bedroom home is a luxurious two level top floor residence that recently underwent an extensive two-year multi-million dollar transformation. The opulent renovation has helped the place “reimagine” its “interiors while embracing all of the heritage of it’s 1907 San Francisco architecture and period detailing.”

Setting a new bar in luxury residence in the city, the house boasts “three elegant bedrooms, featuring custom soft paint palettes (that) frame the living spaces alongside two zen baths.” Other amenities include an oversized garage with storage and 2-car parking, 10-foot ceilings, custom cabinetry, remote-controlled solar skylights, and a deep soaking tub.

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The rare restored 1907 residence also offers new plumbing, electrical, HVAC (Including A/C), roof, steel moment frame/beam structural upgrades, and exterior hardscaping as a “huge bonus.” Moreover, it promises boutique shopping, parks, cafes, artisanal coffee shops, craft cocktail bars, world-class restaurants, museums, farmers markets, gyms, entertainment, and transit surrounding the abode in all directions just as you step out the door.

The San Francisco house deal is a lot like tech banker Storm Duncan offering his $4.8 million Marin County estate in exchange for Anthropic shares last month. The listing has since been removed for unspecified reasons.

OpenAI vs Anthropic

Even if unintentionally, the San Francisco house offer is expected to boost OpenAI and Anthropic’s brand images ahead of potential IPOs later this year. Both currently privately held companies are aiming to be listed on public stock exchanges soon, along with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, as front-runners in a competitive AI-driven worldview.

Just earlier this week, Anthropic surpassed OpenAI to become the most valuable AI company in Silicon Valley. This major success followed as the Dario Amodei-led giant announced a $65 billion Series H financing round at a $965 billion valuation ahead of a much-anticipated public listing that could arrive as early as October 2026.

Thanks to the company’s popular AI assistant Claude Code, Anthropic’s revenue soared to greater heights, hitting a $47 billion run rate, increasing from $30 billion earlier this year and $10 billion in annual revenue last year.

OpenAI, on the other hand, was valued at $852 billion in late March after closing a historic $122 billion funding round. ChatGPT-maker’s IPO is expected to be the second-largest in history, as the company is eyeing a $60 billion target, according to Reuters. Although its exact date is unknown, the IPO could arrive in the fourth quarter of 2026 or early 2027.

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