Best Realtors in Forest Knolls, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Forest Knolls is a small unincorporated community in the San Geronimo Valley of West Marin, along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard between Woodacre and Lagunitas. Its homes are mostly wooded hillside houses and cabins on narrow, steep lanes near San Geronimo Creek, often with septic systems, private roads and fire-zone questions. A Forest Knolls agent should be able to explain those rural-property checks 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 that names Forest Knolls, or the neighboring valley town of Woodacre. We opened each agent’s profile. The first table lists agents whose profiles name Forest Knolls or the combined Lagunitas-Forest Knolls area. Because few profiles name Forest Knolls, the second table lists an agent whose profile names neighboring Woodacre, about two miles east in the same valley, but not Forest Knolls.
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 Forest Knolls; their offices are in Greenbrae, Mill Valley and San Rafael. Licenses and affiliations change, so verify the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
Forest Knolls housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Lagunitas-Forest Knolls CDP |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,626 |
| Median age | 53.6 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $939,500 (±$77,099) |
| Median household income | $130,682 (±$22,434) |
| Persons per household | 2.0 |
| Mean travel time to work | 32.4 minutes |
Source: Census Reporter profile of Lagunitas-Forest Knolls, CA, using U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates. The Census Bureau combines Lagunitas and Forest Knolls into one census-designated place.
The combined area’s median owner-occupied value of about $940,000 is well below the $2 million-plus medians reported for southern and central Marin towns such as Kentfield and Belvedere, reflecting smaller, older homes on wooded lots. These are five-year survey estimates, not sale prices; with few sales, an agent should explain which valley sales they compared and how they adjusted for road access, sun exposure and septic condition.
Forest Knolls settings: creekside lanes, hillside cabins and private roads
Homes cluster on lanes climbing the hills on both sides of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, with some along San Geronimo Creek on the valley floor. Many parcels are reached by steep or privately maintained roads and rely on septic systems and small water systems. Our guides to parcel jurisdiction and services, private roads and site access, rural water and wastewater, rural home comparable sales and the acreage ownership budget go into detail. See also our Forest Knolls real estate guide and nearby Lagunitas.
Costs and rules specific to a Forest Knolls 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. Forest Knolls is unincorporated, so the county tax alone applies: $1,034 on a $940,000 sale. Who pays is negotiable; confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
- County zoning and permits. Forest Knolls is unincorporated, so Marin County’s Title 22 Development Code governs zoning and permits. Compare the seller’s disclosures with County permit records for additions, decks and second units.
- Septic, water and roads. Many homes rely on septic systems and small water systems, and some lanes are private. Order septic and water inspections, and ask for any road maintenance agreement before you remove contingencies.
- Creek setbacks. Homes near San Geronimo Creek and its tributaries can face limits on new work near the stream; ask the County what applies before planning an addition.
- Short-term rentals. Stays under 30 days in unincorporated Marin need a county license under the Marin County short-term rental program. Licenses come from a waitlist and are capped countywide, with separate caps in several West Marin townships, so do not assume a license transfers with the home.
- 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 flood, landslide or fault zone, which matters on steep lots and near the creek.
Forest Knolls 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 Forest Knolls. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
Agents whose profiles name Forest Knolls
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Barrett | Compass | Salesperson #01917077 | Forest Knolls, Lagunitas, San Geronimo, Woodacre, Nicasio and other West Marin towns |
| B.G. Bates | Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, San Rafael office | Salesperson #00968254 | Lagunitas-Forest Knolls, San Geronimo Valley, Nicasio and other West Marin towns |
| Michela Rizzo McCurdy | Compass | Salesperson #01974228 | Forest Knolls, San Geronimo Valley, Woodacre, Nicasio, Inverness |
| Rick Trono | Compass | Broker #01045523 | Forest Knolls, Nicasio, Kentfield, Inverness, West Marin |
Agent whose profile names neighboring Woodacre (not Forest Knolls)
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kris Klein | Coldwell Banker Realty, Greenbrae office | Salesperson #01934328 | Woodacre, Ross Valley, Ross, Greenbrae, Sausalito, Novato |
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. Coldwell Banker Realty agents are licensed under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304). Some DRE records show a legal name that differs from the name the agent uses (William Eddy Barrett, Beverly Gay Buttemiller Bates, Kristin Hammer Klein, Richard Quirino Trono); in each case the license number on the profile matches the record we linked.
How to vet a Forest Knolls agent
- Ask which sales they used. With few Forest Knolls sales, ask which San Geronimo Valley sales they compared and how they adjusted for access, sun and septic condition.
- Ask about septic and water. Ask which septic and water-system inspections they recommend and how they read County septic records.
- Ask about the road. For homes on private lanes, ask whether a road maintenance agreement exists and what it costs.
- Ask how they check County permits. Ask how they compare Marin County permit records with decks, additions and second units.
- Ask about fire zones and insurance. Ask how they handle AB 38 documentation and when to get insurance quotes.
- Verify the license yourself. Look up the agent on the DRE site and confirm the firm they work under matches the brokerage they name.
Forest Knolls questions we hear
Is Forest Knolls part of Lagunitas?
They are separate communities, but the Census Bureau combines them into one census-designated place, Lagunitas-Forest Knolls. Both are unincorporated and governed by Marin County.
Does Forest Knolls have its own transfer tax?
No. The Marin County Recorder’s sheet lists only San Rafael as adding a city tax, so a Forest Knolls sale carries the county tax of $0.55 per $500.
What is the median home value in Forest Knolls?
The Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 estimate for the combined Lagunitas-Forest Knolls area is $939,500, per Census Reporter. For a current value, ask an agent for recent sales of comparable homes.
Why are there so few agents in this guide?
We list only agents whose profile names Forest Knolls, plus one agent naming neighboring Woodacre in a separate, labeled table. See our Lagunitas guide and the Marin County agents guide for more.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the tables)
- Census Reporter: Lagunitas-Forest Knolls, CA (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-year estimates)
- Agent profiles on compass.com, homes.com and coldwellbankerhomes.com, linked in the tables
- Marin County Recorder: documentary transfer tax
- Marin County: Title 22 Development Code
- 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: Forest Knolls real estate guide · Forest Knolls 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.
