Best Realtors in Dillon Beach, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Dillon Beach is a tiny unincorporated coastal community of about 300 people at the northwest corner of Marin County, near the mouth of Tomales Bay and a few miles west of Tomales. Its homes include older beach cottages in the village and newer houses in the Oceana Marin subdivision on the bluffs to the north, with coastal permit, wastewater and rental-license questions. A Dillon Beach agent should be able to explain those as well as price.
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) and "Licensed" status. We left out anyone whose record showed no responsible broker, a suspension or an expired license.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the firm they work under, and it matches the brokerage on their profile.
- A public profile or office page that names Dillon Beach. We opened each agent’s profile and confirmed it names Dillon Beach, or confirmed that the agent appears on a brokerage office page that lists Dillon Beach among the areas the office serves. For the two Coldwell Banker agents, the office page, not their individual profile, names Dillon Beach.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. None of the agents below works from an office in Dillon Beach; their offices are in Bodega Bay, Petaluma, Mill Valley and San Rafael. Licenses and affiliations change, so verify the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
Dillon Beach housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Dillon Beach CDP |
|---|---|
| Population | 293 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $1,660,000 (±$87,852) |
| Median household income | $209,536 (±$102,706) |
| Persons per household | 2.1 |
Source: Census Reporter profile of Dillon Beach, CA, using U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates. With fewer than 300 residents, the margins of error are very large, and the Census Bureau did not report a commute figure.
The median owner-occupied value was about $1.66 million. These survey figures cover only full-time households and are not sale prices. With few sales, an agent should explain which Dillon Beach, Oceana Marin and Tomales-area sales they compared and how they adjusted for ocean views, bluff setbacks and rental history.
Dillon Beach settings: the village, Oceana Marin and the bluffs
The original village sits near the beach at the mouth of Tomales Bay, with older cottages on small lots. Oceana Marin, to the north, has newer homes on the ocean bluffs. Bluff-top lots raise erosion and setback questions, and wastewater service varies by area. Our guides to coastal home inspections, coastal home pricing, the coastal ownership budget, coastal property records and shoreline property comparison go into detail. See also our Dillon Beach real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to a Dillon Beach purchase
- Transfer tax. The Marin County Recorder’s transfer tax sheet lists the county documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value, and the only city tax it lists is San Rafael’s. Dillon Beach is unincorporated, so the county tax alone applies: about $1,826 on a $1.66 million sale. Who pays is negotiable; confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
- Coastal zoning and permits. Dillon Beach is in the Coastal Zone, where Marin County’s coastal zoning code (Chapter 20.62) and Local Coastal Program apply, and most development needs a Coastal Development Permit. The County is processing Local Coastal Program amendments. Budget time for coastal review before planning a remodel.
- Short-term rentals. Stays under 30 days in unincorporated Marin need a county license under the Marin County short-term rental program. The County’s countywide cap of 1,200 licenses does not count Dillon Beach, so ask the County how licensing works here before you count on rental income, and do not assume a license transfers with the home.
- Wastewater and water. Ask how the home is served for sewer or septic and water, and request any district bills or septic records before you remove contingencies.
- Fire hazard zones and AB 38. Check the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps. In High and Very High zones, sellers may need to provide AB 38 defensible space documentation. Get an insurance quote before you remove contingencies.
- Other hazards. The natural hazard disclosure report shows whether an address is in a mapped tsunami, flood, landslide or fault zone, which matters on the bluffs and near the beach.
Dillon Beach 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 Dillon Beach. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Barrett | Compass | Salesperson #01917077 | Dillon Beach, Tomales, Marshall, Point Reyes Station, Inverness and other West Marin towns |
| B.G. Bates | Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, San Rafael office | Salesperson #00968254 | Dillon Beach, Tomales, Marshall, Point Reyes Station and other West Marin towns |
| Ellen Lesher | Compass, Petaluma office | Salesperson #01728566 | Dillon Beach, Oceana Marin, Petaluma, Bodega Bay, Sonoma County |
| Ed Vail | Coldwell Banker Realty, Bodega Bay office | Broker #00774354 | Bodega Bay office, which lists Dillon Beach, Tomales and Marshall among areas served |
| Travis Vail | Coldwell Banker Realty, Bodega Bay office | Salesperson #02048911 | Bodega Bay office, which lists Dillon Beach, Tomales and Marshall among areas served |
Compass agents are licensed under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235). B.G. Bates is licensed under Decker Bullock Dreyfus Inc. (DRE #02027353), the firm that operates Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, and her profile is on homes.com. Ed Vail and Travis Vail appear on the Coldwell Banker Realty Bodega Bay office page at 1400 Highway 1, which lists Dillon Beach among the areas it serves; they are licensed under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304). Ed Vail’s license record shows an expiration date of December 20, 2026; check the record before you sign. Some DRE records show a legal name that differs from the name the agent uses (William Eddy Barrett, Beverly Gay Buttemiller Bates, Ellen Beatrice Lesher, Edward Emerson Vail, Edward Travis Vail); in each case the license number on the profile matches the record we linked.
How to vet a Dillon Beach agent
- Ask which sales they used. With very few Dillon Beach sales, ask which village, Oceana Marin and Tomales-area sales they compared and why.
- Ask about rental licensing. If rental income matters, ask how short-term rental licensing works for Dillon Beach and what records the seller can provide.
- Ask about bluff setbacks and coastal permits. For bluff-top homes, ask how they check permit history and erosion constraints.
- Ask about wastewater. Ask whether the home is on a sewer system or septic and what inspections or records apply.
- Ask about insurance. Ask when to get insurance quotes for a coastal home and what the hazard report shows.
- Verify the license yourself. Look up the agent on the DRE site and confirm the firm they work under matches the brokerage they name.
Dillon Beach questions we hear
Does Dillon Beach have its own transfer tax?
No. Dillon Beach is unincorporated, and the Marin County Recorder’s sheet lists only San Rafael as adding a city tax, so a sale carries the county tax of $0.55 per $500.
Can I rent a Dillon Beach home short term?
Stays under 30 days need a Marin County license. The County’s STR page says the 1,200-license countywide cap does not count Dillon Beach; confirm with the County how a license is issued for a specific home.
Is Dillon Beach in the Coastal Zone?
Yes. Dillon Beach follows Marin County’s coastal zoning code and Local Coastal Program, and most development needs a Coastal Development Permit.
Why do agents from Sonoma County offices appear here?
Dillon Beach sits near the Sonoma County line, and the Coldwell Banker Bodega Bay office lists it among the areas it serves. A Petaluma-based Compass agent also names it on her profile.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the tables)
- Census Reporter: Dillon Beach, CA (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-year estimates)
- Coldwell Banker Realty, Bodega Bay office; agent profiles on compass.com, homes.com and coldwellbanker.com, linked in the table
- Marin County Recorder: documentary transfer tax
- Marin County Code Chapter 20.62, Coastal Zoning Districts (GoCodebook) and LCP and Housing Element amendments
- Marin County: short-term rental license
- 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: Dillon Beach real estate guide · Dillon Beach home valuation · Marin 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.
