Best Realtors in El Cajon, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
El Cajon is the largest city in San Diego’s East County, with about 102,000 people, much of its housing built in the decades after World War II, and Gillespie Field airport in its northwest corner. An El Cajon agent should be able to tell you whether an address is in the city or unincorporated county territory, whether it falls in the airport influence area, and what to check in an older home’s permit history.
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.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the brokerage they work under, and their profile names the brokerage brand.
- A public profile that names El Cajon. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile page and confirmed it lists El Cajon or an El Cajon office.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. Licenses and affiliations change, so verify the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
El Cajon housing in numbers
| Census measure | El Cajon |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 101,755 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate (2020–2024) | 41.5% |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (2020–2024) | $681,700 |
| Median gross rent (2020–2024) | $1,856 |
| Median household income (2020–2024, 2024 dollars) | $67,511 |
| Mean travel time to work (2020–2024) | 24.8 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, El Cajon city, California.
According to the Census Bureau, about four in ten El Cajon homes are owner-occupied, so renters make up a majority of households and small rental properties are a large part of the market. These are five-year survey figures, not current sale prices. An agent pricing a home should use recent sales of similar age and type in the same part of the city.
El Cajon settings: older neighborhoods, the airport and the trolley
The city’s history page says El Cajon incorporated in 1912 around Main Street and Magnolia Avenue and grew to 9.8 square miles by 1960, so many homes are decades old. Gillespie Field, operated by the County of San Diego, sits in the northwest corner of the city, and its land use compatibility plan says state law requires an airport disclosure for most residential sales in its influence area.
Some El Cajon mailing addresses are outside the city. Helix Water District lists the city in its service area, while the Otay Water District lists unincorporated areas of El Cajon. MTS lists the El Cajon Transit Center on the Orange, Green and Copper lines. For more detail, see our El Cajon real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to an El Cajon purchase
- Transfer tax. The San Diego County Recorder collects documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000), about $750 on a $680,000 sale. We did not find a separate El Cajon city rate on an official source, so confirm with escrow. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Airport disclosure. For homes near Gillespie Field, check the address against the compatibility plan maps and review the airport disclosure in the natural hazard disclosure report.
- City or county parcel. Unincorporated parcels follow County of San Diego zoning and permits. See our unincorporated San Diego County guide.
- Sewer and permits. The city’s Public Works page lists sewer billing contacts, and its Project Assistance Center handles permits. Order a sewer lateral inspection and compare permits with the listing for older homes.
- Special taxes and fire zones. Sellers must make a good-faith effort to provide special tax notices under Civil Code section 1102.6b. Check fire hazard severity zones on the State Fire Marshal’s site; in high and very high zones, AB 38 documentation may apply.
El Cajon 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 El Cajon. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senar Alkatib | CENTURY 21 Affiliated, El Cajon office | Salesperson #02062924 | El Cajon |
| Chris Baker | CENTURY 21 Affiliated (Award-Superstars) | Salesperson #01291814 | El Cajon, San Diego County |
| Lori Beckstrand | CENTURY 21 Affiliated, El Cajon office | Salesperson #01193232 | El Cajon |
| Judy Bohlen | CENTURY 21 Affiliated, El Cajon office | Salesperson #01146417 | El Cajon, San Diego |
| Becky Bucalo | CENTURY 21 Affiliated, El Cajon office | Salesperson #01852546 | El Cajon |
| DaVonna Charles | CENTURY 21 Affiliated, El Cajon office | Salesperson #01186422 | El Cajon |
| Caren Connolly | Coldwell Banker Realty, La Mesa office | Broker #01148354 | El Cajon, Fletcher Hills, Granite Hills, La Mesa, Santee |
| Nikki Coppa | CENTURY 21 Affiliated, El Cajon office | Broker #01266573 | El Cajon office; San Diego County, Chula Vista |
| John Ellis | CENTURY 21 Affiliated, El Cajon office | Salesperson #01741619 | El Cajon |
| George Hetzel | Coldwell Banker Realty, La Mesa office | Broker #01000871 | El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Spring Valley |
| Kay LeMenager | Coldwell Banker Realty, La Mesa office | Broker #01015821 | El Cajon, Mount Helix, Rancho San Diego, La Mesa |
| Leah McIvor | Coldwell Banker Realty, La Mesa office | Salesperson #01912055 | El Cajon, East County, La Mesa |
CENTURY 21 Affiliated is a DBA of Award-Superstars, a licensed corporation (DRE #01897784) with its main office in El Cajon; Nikki Coppa is its designated officer. Coldwell Banker broker-licensed agents work as broker associates, as shown on their DRE records. Some DRE names differ from profile names (for example, Loretta Marie Beckstrand and Rebecca Bucalo).
How to vet an El Cajon agent
- Ask whether the address is in the city. A good El Cajon agent should confirm city versus unincorporated county territory and the water provider, since a mailing address does not settle either.
- Ask about Gillespie Field. For homes in the northwest part of the city, ask whether the parcel is in the airport influence area and what the disclosure says.
- Ask about permit history. For older homes, expect the agent to compare city permits with the listing’s room count and square footage.
- Ask about the sewer lateral. Ask whether they recommend a lateral camera inspection and who handles sewer billing for the address.
- For income property, ask about rents and tenancies. With most households renting, ask for rent comparables and how state tenant rules affect an existing lease.
- Verify the license yourself. Look up the agent on the DRE site and confirm the brokerage matches what they tell you.
El Cajon questions we hear
Does El Cajon have a city transfer tax?
We did not find one on an official source. The San Diego County Recorder collects the county tax at $0.55 per $500 and collects any city tax as well. Ask escrow to confirm.
Does Gillespie Field affect home sales?
It can affect disclosures. The airport’s compatibility plan says state law requires an airport disclosure for most residential sales in its influence area, which includes parts of El Cajon. The County of San Diego operates the airport.
Is every El Cajon address inside the city?
No. The Otay Water District lists unincorporated areas of El Cajon in its service area. Unincorporated parcels follow county zoning and permits.
Is there trolley service in El Cajon?
Yes. MTS lists the El Cajon Transit Center on the Orange, Green and Copper lines, plus Arnele Avenue and Gillespie Field stations on the Copper Line.
Should I interview more than one El Cajon agent?
Yes. Interview at least two or three, ask each for recent sales of similar age and type nearby, and compare how they explain jurisdiction, airport and permit questions for the address.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: El Cajon city, California (V2025 population estimate; 2020–2024 ACS figures)
- CENTURY 21 agent directory, El Cajon · Coldwell Banker Realty agent profiles, La Mesa office
- City of El Cajon: history · Public Works · Project Assistance Center
- County of San Diego: Gillespie Field
- Helix Water District · Otay Water District
- MTS trolley
- San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk: recording and transfer tax
- State Fire Marshal fire hazard severity zones
- California Civil Code section 1102.6b (Justia)
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Related: El Cajon real estate guide · El Cajon home valuation · San Diego 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.
