Best Realtors in El Granada, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
El Granada is an unincorporated coastal community of about 5,500 people on the San Mateo County Midcoast, just north of Half Moon Bay and above Pillar Point Harbor. Most homes are single-family houses on the curving streets laid out around the town’s central avenues and on the hillsides behind them, and the whole community sits in the Coastal Zone, where County coastal rules shape what you can build.
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 a "Licensed" status, with 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 El Granada. We opened each agent’s Homes.com profile and confirmed it lists El Granada as an area served.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. Licenses and affiliations change, so check the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
El Granada housing in numbers
| Census measure (2020–2024 ACS unless noted) | El Granada CDP |
|---|---|
| Population (2020 Census) | 5,481 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate | 88.5% |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $1,424,700 |
| Median household income | $213,347 |
| Persons per household | 2.34 |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.1 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, El Granada CDP. QuickFacts does not report a median gross rent for El Granada because the sample was too small. Figures are survey estimates, not current sale prices.
With almost nine in ten homes owner-occupied, El Granada is largely a community of owners, and a few sales can move local averages. Ask agents for recent closed sales on similar streets, since ocean views, harbor proximity and lot slope change values quickly; our El Granada coastal home pricing notes explain what to compare.
The town grid, the hillsides and Pillar Point Harbor
El Granada’s older core sits on flatter streets between Highway 1 and the hills, with newer homes on the slopes above. Princeton and Pillar Point Harbor lie just to the north, and Half Moon Bay’s shops and services are a short drive south. Because the community is unincorporated, San Mateo County handles zoning, coastal permits and building permits. See our El Granada real estate guide and coastal home inspections checklist.
Costs and rules specific to an El Granada purchase
- Transfer tax. The San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder levies the documentary transfer tax at 55 cents per $500, or $1.10 per $1,000 of value: about $1,567 on a $1,424,700 sale. El Granada is unincorporated, so no city transfer tax applies. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Midcoast building permit cap. Under Local Coastal Program Policy 1.23, the County may issue no more than 40 housing-unit building permits a year in the urban Midcoast, ADUs included, averaged over three years, according to the County’s permit cap notice. The notice says the County issued 102 units in 2025, leaving 18 for 2026 and 2027 combined; it is not accepting new housing building permits until January 1, 2028 unless the LCP is amended, and approved projects wait in order of planning approval. A proposed amendment was scheduled for a Coastal Commission hearing on November 4, 2026; check the County’s permit cap notice for the outcome. If you plan to build a new home or ADU on a lot you buy, check the parcel against the County’s urban Midcoast map and the waitlist first.
- Coastal permits. Most new construction and many remodels need a coastal development permit, and Coastside design review often applies, under the County’s Zoning and Development Code and Planning department. Ask the County what the parcel’s zoning and overlays require before you plan changes.
- Hazards. Read the natural hazard disclosure report for tsunami, flood, landslide and earthquake zones, and check the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for hillside addresses; see our AB 38 guide if the home is in a High or Very High zone.
- Coastal wear. Salt air is hard on siding, windows and metal; order a full inspection that covers moisture and corrosion.
El Granada 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 Granada. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helen Aragoni | Coldwell Banker Realty, Half Moon Bay | Salesperson #01306091 | El Granada, Half Moon Bay, Moss Beach, Pacifica, Belmont |
| Matt Aragoni (licensed as Matthew T. Aragoni) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Half Moon Bay | Salesperson #01978236 | El Granada, Half Moon Bay, Moss Beach, Pacifica |
| Kirsten Hagen | Compass | Broker #01490617 | El Granada, Half Moon Bay, Moss Beach |
| Jakki Harlan (licensed as Jacqueline Amanda Harlan) | Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, Menlo Park | Salesperson #01407129 | El Granada, Half Moon Bay, Moss Beach, Menlo Park |
| Nate Serdy (licensed as Nathan Michael Serdy) | Compass, Half Moon Bay | Salesperson #01493170 | El Granada, Half Moon Bay, Moss Beach, Pacifica |
On the DRE record, Coldwell Banker Realty agents are licensed under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304), Compass agents under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235), and the Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty agent under Decker Bullock Dreyfus Inc. (DRE #02027353), whose record lists Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty as a business name and a Menlo Park branch. For more Coastside agents, see our San Mateo County agents guide.
How to vet an El Granada agent
- Ask how they handle the permit cap. If you might build or add an ADU, ask how the agent checks the County waitlist and the parcel’s urban Midcoast status before you write an offer.
- Ask for coastal permit history. A good agent will help you pull County coastal and building permits to match additions and decks.
- Ask about views and slope. Ask for recent sales with similar views, and for geotechnical or drainage reports on hillside lots.
- Ask about water and sewer service. Confirm which district serves the parcel and whether any connection or capacity issues apply to vacant lots.
- Get insurance quotes early. Ask about fire, flood and earthquake coverage for the specific address.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
El Granada questions we hear
Is El Granada part of Half Moon Bay?
No. It is unincorporated San Mateo County, so the County handles zoning, coastal permits and building permits.
Can I build a new home or ADU in El Granada?
Possibly, but new housing permits in the urban Midcoast are capped under the County’s Local Coastal Program, only 18 remain for 2026–2027, and the County has said it will not accept new housing building permits until January 1, 2028 unless the LCP is amended. Check the waitlist before you buy a lot to build on.
What is the median home value in El Granada?
Census QuickFacts puts it at about $1,424,700 for 2020–2024. Ask an agent for recent sales of similar homes.
Is there a city transfer tax in El Granada?
No. Only the county tax of $1.10 per $1,000 applies, according to the San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, El Granada CDP
- San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder, documentary transfer tax
- San Mateo County Planning, urban Midcoast building permit cap and waitlist
- San Mateo County Planning and Zoning and Development Code
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Decker Bullock Dreyfus Inc. DRE record (Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty business name)
- 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.
Related: El Granada real estate guide · El Granada home valuation · San Mateo 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.
