Best Realtors in Aromas, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Aromas is a small unincorporated community of about 3,200 people in the hills at the northern tip of Monterey County, where it meets San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. Most homes sit on acreage among oaks and pasture off Carpenteria Road and San Juan Road, and the market draws buyers from Watsonville, Salinas, Hollister and the South Bay.
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
Each agent below met three checks in October 2026:
- A 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), a "Licensed" status, and a responsible broker or broker-associate affiliation that matches the brokerage on the agent’s profile.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the brokerage they work under.
- A public page that names Aromas. We opened each agent’s profile and confirmed it names Aromas, as an office location, an area of experience or a current listing.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. We left out agents whose profile brokerage did not clearly match their DRE record. Licenses and affiliations change, so check the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
Aromas housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Aromas CDP |
|---|---|
| Population | 3,245 |
| Housing units | 1,155 (±295) |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $863,500 (±$68,159) |
| Median household income | $148,438 (±$66,260) |
| Persons per household | 2.9 |
| Mean travel time to work | 26 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter. Small-community figures carry wide margins of error.
Aromas’s estimated median owner-occupied value of $863,500 is above the Monterey County figure of $781,000 reported by QuickFacts, reflecting larger parcels and fewer small homes. Acreage, water and views drive individual prices, so ask an agent for recent closed sales of similar parcels.
Acreage, oak hills and the county lines
Aromas has no city government. Most of it is in Monterey County, where the County handles zoning and permits under its inland code (Title 21), but part of the community extends into San Benito County, so confirm which county a parcel is in before you plan anything. Many properties rely on private wells or small water systems and on septic, and are reached by shared private roads. Our Aromas real estate guide covers parcel jurisdiction and services, rural water and wastewater, private roads and site access and rural home comparable sales.
Costs and rules specific to an Aromas purchase
- Transfer tax. Aromas is unincorporated, so no city transfer tax applies. For Monterey County parcels, Monterey County Code Chapter 5.32 sets the county documentary transfer tax at 55 cents per $500 ($1.10 per $1,000), often paid by the seller by local custom (your contract decides): about $950 on an $863,500 sale. For a San Benito County parcel, check that county’s rate on your escrow estimate. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Water and septic. Ask what serves the parcel, get well logs and a yield test or the small water system’s records, and order a septic inspection.
- Fire hazard and AB 38. Look up the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps. In High or Very High zones, see our AB 38 defensible space guide, and get insurance quotes early.
- Hazards. The area sits near the San Andreas fault zone; read the natural hazard disclosure report for fault, landslide and other mapped hazards.
- Vacation rentals. In Monterey County, the short-term rental page says stays of 30 days or less need a discretionary permit and are limited to certain districts.
Aromas agents with verified licenses
Matthew Martinez, Diamond Real Estate Group (publisher of this guide)
Matthew Martinez is the Founder, CEO and Managing Broker of Diamond Real Estate Group. He is based in Sonoma County; contact him to discuss a purchase or sale in Aromas. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanne Carvalho (licensed as Shanne Jeffrey Carvalho) | eXp Realty of California | Broker #01339231 | Aromas, Aptos, Watsonville, Santa Cruz |
| Raeid Farhat (licensed as Raeid Shawki Farhat) | Raeid Farhat Real Estate Inc, Watsonville | Broker #01295607 | Aromas, Watsonville, Salinas, Castroville |
| Lorena Murillo Weldon (licensed as Lorena Guadalupe Murillo Weldon) | eXp Realty of California | Salesperson #01800223 | Aromas, Salinas, Watsonville, Prunedale |
| Patty Thompson | Country Properties & Estates, Aromas | Broker #01212424 | Aromas office; Aromas, Prunedale, Watsonville |
| April Whitehead (licensed as April Lynn Whitehead) | Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Haven Properties, Monterey | Broker #01268491 | Aromas (current listing); Salinas, Prunedale |
On the DRE record, Country Properties & Estates is a business name of broker Patty Thompson, whose office the profile lists on Carpenteria Road in Aromas; Raeid Farhat is an officer of Raeid Farhat Real Estate Inc; Shanne Carvalho and Lorena Murillo Weldon are licensed under eXp Realty of California, Inc. (DRE #01878277); and April Whitehead is a broker associate for A Payne International Corporation (DRE #01935192), whose record lists Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate and Haven Properties as business names and a branch at 118 Webster Street in Monterey.
How to vet an Aromas agent
- Ask which county the parcel is in. Monterey and San Benito parcels follow different permit offices and tax rates.
- Confirm water before you write an offer. Ask for well logs, yield tests, water-quality results or the small water system’s records.
- Ask about septic and outbuildings. Ask the agent to compare what is built with what has been permitted, and locate the leach field.
- Walk the access route. Ask for recorded easements and any road maintenance agreement.
- Get fire insurance quotes early. Ask which carriers are writing policies for rural homes in the area.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
Aromas questions we hear
Is Aromas in Monterey County or San Benito County?
Most of it is in Monterey County, but part of the community extends into San Benito County. The parcel’s tax bill shows which.
Is there a city transfer tax in Aromas?
No. Aromas is unincorporated, so only the county tax applies; for Monterey County it is set at $1.10 per $1,000 by Monterey County Code Chapter 5.32.
What is the median home value in Aromas?
Census estimates put it at about $863,500 for 2020–2024, with a wide margin of error. Ask an agent for recent sales of similar acreage.
Why are most agents based outside Aromas?
Only one profile we checked lists an Aromas office. The others work from Watsonville, Monterey and regional offices and name Aromas on their profiles.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, Aromas CDP profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- U.S. Census QuickFacts, Monterey County
- Monterey County Code Chapter 5.32, Documentary Transfer Tax (county rate of $0.55 per $500, with credit for a qualifying city tax)
- Monterey County HCD, short-term rentals
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Agent profiles on homes.com, linked in the table
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Nearby agent guides: Castroville · Salinas · Moss Landing
Related: Aromas real estate guide · Aromas home valuation · Monterey County agents guide · 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.
