Best Realtors in Forestville, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Forestville is an unincorporated town of about 3,700 people on Highway 116 in western Sonoma County, between Sebastopol and Guerneville. The market mixes in-town homes, vineyard and orchard parcels in the Russian River Valley, and riverside neighborhoods such as Mirabel Park along the Russian River.
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, broker-associate affiliation or brokerage name (DBA) 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 Forestville. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile, personal site or listing-portal profile and confirmed it names Forestville, either as a service area or in a listing or sale address.
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.
Forestville housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Forestville CDP |
|---|---|
| Population | 3,717 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $730,300 (±$63,018) |
| Median household income | $115,962 (±$33,861) |
| Persons per household | 2.5 |
| Median age | 45.2 |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.6 minutes |
| Housing units | 1,490 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter.
Sonoma County as a whole had an estimated median owner-occupied value of $822,400 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 one-year survey, as presented by Census Reporter. Forestville’s estimate is a little lower and covers a different survey period, so compare the two loosely. Riverside homes, in-town houses and acreage price very differently, so ask an agent for sales of the same property type.
Town center, vineyards and the river
Forestville has no city government; Permit Sonoma handles zoning, building and septic permits. Homes near the town center along Highway 116 and Front Street are a short drive from Sebastopol, while parcels on the surrounding hills sit among vineyards and apple orchards in the Russian River Valley wine region. Neighborhoods closer to the river, such as Mirabel Park and the River Road corridor, carry different flood and access questions. See our Forestville real estate guide, notes on parcel jurisdiction and services and rural water and wastewater, and our Russian River Valley vineyards page.
Costs and rules specific to a Forestville purchase
- Transfer tax. Forestville is unincorporated, so no city transfer tax applies. The Sonoma County Clerk-Recorder lists the county documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000), less any loan assumed in the sale, collected when the deed is recorded. On a $730,300 sale that is about $803. Only Santa Rosa and Petaluma add a city tax, so a Forestville address pays only the county rate. Our California transfer tax guide explains who customarily pays.
- Flooding. The flood chapter of the County’s hazard mitigation plan says lower Russian River floods can stay above flood stage for four days or more, and it names Forestville third, after Guerneville and Monte Rio, for repetitive flood-loss properties and Mirabel Park among the places with repeated losses. Check the parcel on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, ask for an elevation certificate and the flood claims history, and price flood insurance early. See our North Bay flood zones guide.
- Vacation rentals. Permit Sonoma requires a vacation rental permit, a certified property manager and a vacation rental license for whole-home stays of 30 days or less in the unincorporated county. Rentals are barred in Vacation Rental Exclusion (X) combining districts and limited in cap zones; the Board of Supervisors adopted caps and exclusion zones in parts of the west and north county in April 2023. Check the parcel on the County’s vacation rental map viewer before you count on rental income. More in our Sonoma County vacation rental rules guide.
- Wells and septic. Outside the town center many parcels rely on private wells and septic systems; get a well yield and water quality test and a septic inspection. See our rural water and wastewater notes.
- Fire hazard and insurance. Look up the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, read the natural hazard disclosure report, and get an insurance quote before you remove contingencies. Our home hardening guide covers defensible space.
Forestville 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 Forestville. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Basso | Coldwell Banker Realty, Santa Rosa | Salesperson #02001548 | Forestville, Russian River Valley, Santa Rosa, Healdsburg |
| Kyla Brooke | Vanguard Properties, Sebastopol | Salesperson #01477814 | Russian River Valley; Forestville sale |
| Theresa Disbro | Keller Williams Realty, Santa Rosa | Broker #01928995 | Forestville, Russian River Valley, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol |
| Dillon Forsyth | Compass | Salesperson #02173101 | Forestville sale; Sebastopol, Occidental, Santa Rosa |
| John Genovese | Vanguard Properties, Guerneville | Salesperson #01380792 | Forestville, Russian River Valley, Guerneville |
| Tim Hedges (licensed as Timothy James Hedges) | Vanguard Properties, Sebastopol | Broker #01368460 | Forestville, Graton, Sebastopol, Santa Rosa |
| Daniela Hernandez | Hernandez Realty Co, Guerneville | Salesperson #01980504 | Forestville, Guerneville |
| Marie LaBarron | Vanguard Properties, Guerneville | Salesperson #02238748 | Forestville, Guerneville, Cazadero, West Sonoma County |
| David Millar (licensed as David Richard Millar) | Keller Williams Realty (The Millar Group), Guerneville | Salesperson #01354778 | Forestville, Guerneville, Monte Rio, Cazadero, Jenner |
| Randy Rousseau (licensed as Randall Laurent Rousseau) | W Real Estate, Sebastopol | Salesperson #01024887 | Forestville, Graton, Occidental, Sebastopol |
| Mallory Lambert Silipo | Corcoran Icon Properties, Sebastopol | Salesperson #02005785 | Forestville, Russian River Valley, Sebastopol |
On the DRE record, Vanguard Properties agents are licensed under Vanguard Properties, Inc.; Keller Williams agents under Santa Rosa Capital Holdings Inc (Keller Williams Realty business name); Coldwell Banker Realty agents under NRT West, Inc.; Hernandez Realty Co agents under broker Herman Joseph Hernandez (Hernandez Realty Co business name); Corcoran Icon Properties agents under Norcal United Real Estate Partners; Compass agents under Compass California II, Inc.; and W Real Estate agents under W Real Estate.
How to vet a Forestville agent
- Separate river and upland questions. A home near the river needs flood answers; a hillside or vineyard parcel needs well, septic and fire answers. Ask which the agent has handled.
- Ask for well and septic records early. Request well logs, yield tests and septic permits before you remove contingencies.
- Check the flood map even off the river. Low spots along Mark West Creek and the river corridor can fall in mapped flood zones.
- Confirm vineyard or ag zoning. If the parcel has vines or orchard, ask how zoning and any Williamson Act contract affect what you can build.
- Get insurance quotes before you commit. Fire and flood coverage can both apply to the same property.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status and a current broker on the DRE lookup before you sign a listing or buyer agreement.
Forestville questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Forestville?
No. Forestville is unincorporated, so only the Sonoma County tax of $1.10 per $1,000 applies.
What is the median home value in Forestville?
Census estimates put it at about $730,300 for 2020–2024, with a margin of about ±$63,000. Recent sales of similar homes are a better guide.
Does Forestville flood?
Some neighborhoods near the Russian River do. The County’s hazard mitigation plan ranks Forestville third in the county for repetitive flood-loss properties and names Mirabel Park among areas with repeated losses.
Who handles permits in Forestville?
Permit Sonoma, the County’s planning and building department.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Sonoma County Clerk-Recorder, documentary transfer tax
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Permit Sonoma, vacation rentals and April 2023 Board of Supervisors action on caps and exclusion zones
- Sonoma County hazard mitigation plan, flood hazards chapter (Permit Sonoma)
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Census Reporter, Forestville CDP profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- Census Reporter, Sonoma County profile (ACS 2024 1-year)
- DRE records for Vanguard Properties, Inc., Santa Rosa Capital Holdings Inc, Herman Joseph Hernandez and Norcal United Real Estate Partners (business names)
- Agent profiles on homes.com, compass.com, vanguardproperties.com and russianriverlandandhome.com, linked in the table
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Nearby agent guides: Guerneville · Graton · Monte Rio
Related: Forestville real estate guide · Forestville home valuation · Sonoma 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.
