Best Realtors in Emeryville, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Emeryville is a small Alameda County city of about 13,000 people, wedged between Oakland and Berkeley along the bay, where much of the housing is condos, lofts and townhomes in former industrial areas. Emeryville charges its own tiered transfer tax, so an Emeryville agent should be able to show the full closing cost and explain HOA documents and local tenant rules before you write an offer.
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 responsible broker they work under, and it matches the brokerage on their profile.
- A public profile that names Emeryville. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile and confirmed it names Emeryville, as an area served, in the bio, or in a listed transaction or client comment.
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.
Emeryville housing in numbers
| Census measure | Emeryville |
|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020–2024) | 13,081 |
| Housing units (ACS 2020–2024) | 8,497 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (ACS 2020–2024) | $604,800 |
| Median household income (ACS 2020–2024) | $117,092 |
| Mean travel time to work (ACS 2020–2024) | 28.9 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter, Emeryville city. Figures are estimates with margins of error.
Emeryville’s median owner-occupied home value of about $605,000 over 2020–2024 is well below the county’s, largely because so many owned homes are condos. These are five-year survey figures, not current sale prices. To price a specific unit, an agent should use recent sales in the same building or complex, or of comparable size and age.
Emeryville settings: condos, lofts and the Watergate peninsula
An Emeryville search is mostly condos and lofts, from converted warehouses and newer mid-rise buildings near the Bay Street and Powell Street areas to the towers and complexes on the Watergate peninsula, along with some older single-family homes and small multi-unit buildings in the city’s residential pockets. Our housing settings comparison and condo and townhome ownership costs pages go further, and our post on Emeryville’s Emery Go-Round and BART access covers transit. For more detail, see our Emeryville real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to an Emeryville purchase
- Transfer tax. The Alameda County Clerk-Recorder charges the county documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value and also collects Emeryville’s city conveyance tax on full value under Measure O: $12.00 per $1,000 below $1,000,000, $15.00 per $1,000 from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000, and $25.00 per $1,000 above $2,000,000. On a $600,000 condo sale, that is about $7,200 in city tax plus about $660 in county tax. Confirm the figure on your escrow estimate; our Alameda County city transfer taxes page compares cities.
- HOA documents. For a condo or loft, review the CC&Rs, budget, reserve study, insurance and any special assessments before you remove contingencies. Sellers must make a good-faith effort to provide a notice of special tax districts under Civil Code section 1102.6b.
- Tenant rules. If the unit is rented, Emeryville has local tenant protections; see the city’s tenant protection resources and Municipal Code Chapter 5-40, and confirm which rules apply with the city.
- Older buildings. For converted or older buildings, see our older home records and inspections checklist.
- Flood and seismic hazards. Check the FEMA Flood Map Service Center for bayside addresses, and review the natural hazard disclosure report for mapped liquefaction and fault zones.
Emeryville 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 Emeryville. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Cory | Coldwell Banker Realty, Berkeley office | Salesperson #01431677 | Emeryville, Berkeley, Oakland, Albany, El Cerrito, Richmond |
| Sandy Cruz | Red Oak Realty | Salesperson #02141001 | Oakland, Berkeley, El Cerrito; an Emeryville transaction is listed |
| Rudy Gonzales | Red Oak Realty | Salesperson #01960333 | El Cerrito, Richmond, Oakland, Berkeley; Emeryville named in a client comment |
| Peter Nicolopoulos | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Salesperson #00947914 | Oakland, Berkeley, Piedmont, Emeryville |
| Jeff Rosenbloom | Red Oak Realty | Salesperson #01228881 | Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, Rockridge, Montclair |
| Bevin White | Coldwell Banker Realty, Berkeley office | Broker #01224969 | Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, Albany, Richmond |
Coldwell Banker Realty agents above are licensed under the responsible broker NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304) and appear on the brokerage’s Berkeley or Oakland-Piedmont office rosters. Red Oak Realty agents are licensed under Red Oak Realty (DRE #00619098). The broker-licensed agent works as a broker associate. Some DRE records list a legal name that differs from the name the agent uses professionally.
How to vet an Emeryville agent
- Ask for a net sheet with the city tax tier. Emeryville’s rate changes at $1 million and $2 million, so the estimate should show which tier applies and the county tax as well.
- Ask for comparables from the same building or complex. Condo and loft values often depend on the specific building, its HOA and its amenities.
- Ask for HOA documents early. Ask the agent to request the budget, reserve study, insurance, meeting minutes and any pending assessments or litigation.
- For a rented unit, ask about tenant rules. A good Emeryville agent should explain what to ask the seller and point you to the city to confirm which rules apply.
- Ask about financing for condos. Some buildings face lender or insurance limits; ask whether recent buyers in the building used conventional or FHA loans.
- Verify the license yourself. Look up the agent on the DRE site and confirm the responsible broker matches the brokerage they name.
Emeryville questions we hear
Does Emeryville have its own transfer tax?
Yes. According to the Alameda County Clerk-Recorder, Emeryville’s city conveyance tax is $12, $15 or $25 per $1,000 of full value depending on price, on top of the county tax of $0.55 per $500. Who pays is negotiable, so check the purchase contract.
Are most Emeryville homes condos?
A large share are. Emeryville’s owned housing is weighted toward condos, lofts and townhomes, which is one reason its Census median home value is lower than neighboring cities’.
Does Emeryville have tenant protections?
Yes. The city publishes tenant protection resources. If you are buying a tenant-occupied unit, confirm with the city which rules apply.
How do I check an Emeryville 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.
Should I interview more than one Emeryville agent?
Yes. Interview at least two or three, ask each for recent sales in the building or complex you are considering, and compare how they explain HOA documents, the city tax tier and tenant rules.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter: Emeryville city (ACS 2020–2024 5-year)
- Coldwell Banker Realty agent rosters: Berkeley, Oakland-Piedmont
- Red Oak Realty agent directory
- Alameda County Clerk-Recorder: real property transfer tax
- City of Emeryville: tenant protection resources and Municipal Code Chapter 5-40
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- 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: Emeryville real estate guide · Emeryville home valuation · Alameda 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.
