Best Real Estate Agents in Contra Costa County (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Contra Costa County runs from the bay-front cities of Richmond and El Cerrito through Lamorinda and Walnut Creek to the San Ramon Valley and the newer east county suburbs of Antioch and Brentwood. Rules and costs change across those lines: two cities add their own transfer tax, an urban limit line restricts where urban development can go, and hillside areas carry fire zone disclosures.
This guide is published by Diamond Real Estate Group, one of the brokerages listed. Our broker is listed first; other agents are in alphabetical order. The order is not a ranking, and inclusion is not an endorsement.
How we chose the agents in this guide
Every agent below met three tests in October 2026:
- Current California license. We opened each agent’s record on the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) public lookup and confirmed the name, license type (Salesperson or Broker) and a status of "Licensed."
- A named brokerage. We list the brokerage the agent markets under and note the responsible broker on the DRE record when the legal name differs.
- A public profile tied to Contra Costa County. We opened a public brokerage roster that places each agent in a Contra Costa County office.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider or report sales volume, reviews or awards. A license check is a starting point, not a recommendation. Verify each record yourself before signing anything, and interview more than one agent.
Contra Costa County housing in numbers
| Measure | Contra Costa County | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,172,607 | ACS 2024 1-year |
| Housing units | 434,847 | ACS 2024 1-year |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $873,100 | ACS 2024 1-year |
| Median household income | $127,221 | ACS 2024 1-year |
| Mean travel time to work | 37.7 minutes | ACS 2024 1-year |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter. Figures are estimates with margins of error.
The county’s mean commute is among the longest in the Bay Area, which reflects how many residents drive or take BART to jobs in San Francisco, Oakland and Silicon Valley. A county median also blends very different markets, so ask agents for recent sales in the city and property type you want.
West county, Lamorinda, central county, San Ramon Valley and east county
- West county. Richmond, El Cerrito, San Pablo, Pinole and Hercules, with older housing stock and the county’s two city transfer taxes.
- Lamorinda. Lafayette, Orinda and Moraga, hillside towns where fire zone status and insurance questions come up often.
- Central county. Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Martinez and Clayton, around the BART corridor.
- San Ramon Valley. Danville, San Ramon, and the unincorporated communities of Alamo, Blackhawk and Diablo.
- East county. Antioch, Pittsburg, Brentwood, Oakley and Delta communities such as Discovery Bay, Bethel Island and Byron, where newer subdivisions may carry Mello-Roos charges and Delta parcels raise levee and flood questions.
Costs and rules specific to a Contra Costa County purchase
- County transfer tax. The Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder charges $0.55 per $500 of value, excluding remaining liens.
- Richmond and El Cerrito city taxes. Richmond adds a tiered city tax on full value, from $7 per $1,000 under $1 million up to $30 per $1,000 above $10 million. El Cerrito adds $12 per $1,000. Confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
- Urban limit line. Measure C (1990) set the county’s urban limit line, which restricts where urban land uses can be designated; the Envision Contra Costa page explains it. For acreage near the edge of the east county or San Ramon Valley suburbs, confirm the line’s current status with the County before assuming a parcel can be split or developed.
- Fire hazard zones and AB 38. Lamorinda, the Diablo foothills and other hillside areas carry State Fire Marshal Fire Hazard Severity Zone designations. Sellers in High or Very High zones must provide defensible space documentation or an agreement for the buyer to obtain it; see our AB 38 guide.
- Hazard disclosures. The natural hazard disclosure report summarizes mapped hazards, including earthquake fault zones near the Hayward and Concord faults and flood zones in the Delta.
Contra Costa County agents with verified licenses
Matthew Martinez, Diamond Real Estate Group (publisher of this guide)
Matthew Martinez is the broker of Diamond Group Estates Inc, DBA Diamond Real Estate Group (company DRE #02163490), and holds a California broker license, DRE #01869679. He is based in Sonoma County; contact him to discuss a purchase or sale in Contra Costa County through our contact page.
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Caskie | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01347068 | Danville office |
| Kelly Copland | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01376412 | Danville office |
| John Heywood | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01765306 | Danville office |
| Malaika Hunt | Coldwell Banker Realty | Broker #01358675 | Walnut Creek office |
| Mike Kehrig | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01823194 | Danville office |
| Leigh Klock | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01874255 | Walnut Creek office |
| Denise Larussa-Morgan | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01399611 | Danville office |
| Lisa Lombardi | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01845141 | Walnut Creek office |
| Steve Monasch | Coldwell Banker Realty | Broker #01033306 | Walnut Creek office |
| Bill Montgomery | Coldwell Banker Realty | Broker #01751172 | Walnut Creek office |
| Heba Rayan | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01722870 | Danville office |
| Kathy Stephenson | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01702658 | Walnut Creek office |
Coldwell Banker Realty agents in this table are licensed under the responsible broker NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304), as shown on each DRE record, and appear on the Walnut Creek office or Danville office roster. License status and brokerage affiliations change; check the DRE record before you hire anyone.
How to vet a Contra Costa County agent
- Open the DRE record. Confirm the license is "Licensed" and that the responsible broker matches the brokerage the agent represents.
- Ask for sales in your part of the county. Richmond, Lafayette and Brentwood are separate markets. Ask for recent closed sales near the homes you are considering.
- In Richmond or El Cerrito, ask for a net sheet with the city tax. Richmond’s tiered tax can add a large amount at higher prices.
- For hillside homes, ask about fire zones and insurance. Ask how they handle AB 38 documentation and when they recommend getting insurance quotes.
- For newer east county homes, ask about Mello-Roos and HOAs. Request the tax bill and HOA documents before you finalize an offer.
- For acreage or Delta property, ask about County rules. Ask how they confirm zoning, the urban limit line and flood zone status.
Contra Costa County questions we hear
Which Contra Costa cities charge their own transfer tax?
According to the Clerk-Recorder, Richmond and El Cerrito collect city taxes in addition to the county tax of $0.55 per $500. Rates change by ballot measure, so confirm the current figure on your escrow estimate.
Who pays the transfer tax in Contra Costa County?
It is negotiable in the purchase contract, and local custom varies. Ask your agent what is typical where you are buying or selling, and make sure the contract states the split.
Are Alamo, Blackhawk and Diablo cities?
No. They are unincorporated communities, so County planning and permitting apply rather than a city’s.
How do I check a real estate agent’s license?
Search the name or license number on the DRE public lookup. The record shows license type, status and responsible broker. Every agent in our table links to the record we checked.
Is the agent order in this guide a ranking?
No. Our broker is listed first because Diamond Real Estate Group publishes the guide; everyone else is alphabetical by last name. Inclusion means we verified a current license, a brokerage and a public profile tied to a Contra Costa County office in October 2026, nothing more.
Agent guides for cities and communities in Contra Costa County
Each guide below lists agents we verified for that place, with the local rules that matter there.
- Best realtors in Alamo, CA
- Best realtors in Antioch, CA
- Best realtors in Bay Point, CA
- Best realtors in Blackhawk, CA
- Best realtors in Brentwood, CA
- Best realtors in Byron, CA
- Best realtors in Canyon, CA
- Best realtors in Clayton, CA
- Best realtors in Concord, CA
- Best realtors in Crockett, CA
- Best realtors in Danville, CA
- Best realtors in Diablo, CA
- Best realtors in Discovery Bay, CA
- Best realtors in El Cerrito, CA
- Best realtors in El Sobrante, CA
- Best realtors in Hercules, CA
- Best realtors in Lafayette, CA
- Best realtors in Martinez, CA
- Best realtors in Moraga, CA
- Best realtors in Oakley, CA
- Best realtors in Orinda, CA
- Best realtors in Pinole, CA
- Best realtors in Pittsburg, CA
- Best realtors in Pleasant Hill, CA
- Best realtors in Richmond, CA
- Best realtors in San Ramon, CA
- Best realtors in Walnut Creek, CA
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (records linked individually in the table)
- Coldwell Banker Realty Walnut Creek office agent roster
- Coldwell Banker Realty Danville office agent roster
- Census Reporter, Contra Costa County profile (ACS 2024 1-year)
- Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder, documentary transfer tax, with Richmond and El Cerrito city taxes
- Envision Contra Costa (urban limit line)
- State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Related: Contra Costa County real estate guide · Contra Costa County home valuation · 20 tips for choosing a real estate agent
License-status update: the linked California DRE public records were checked November 2, 2026 and showed "Licensed." Public profile research retains the dates stated above. Names on DRE records may differ from public profile names; verify status and brokerage before selecting an agent.
