Best Realtors in Herald, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Herald is a small unincorporated farming community of about 1,500 people in southeastern Sacramento County, east of Galt and south of Wilton. Most properties are rural homes on acreage, ranchettes and agricultural parcels, so water, septic, access and zoning questions come up in almost every Herald sale.
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 Herald or a neighboring community. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile and confirmed the areas it names.
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.
Few agent profiles name Herald itself. Of the agents below, one lists Herald as a service area; the others list neighboring Galt or Wilton, the towns where most Herald-area buyers and sellers look for help. The table shows exactly which areas each profile names.
Herald housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Herald CDP |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,521 |
| Median household income | $93,036 (±$18,839) |
| Persons per household | 3.1 |
| Median age | 50.8 |
| Housing units | 482 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter.
Herald’s estimated median household income is close to the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom metro figure of $97,188 on the same profile, and the median age of about 51 is well above the metro’s 38.5. We left out the Census home value estimate because its margin of error is more than $250,000 either way; with fewer than 500 housing units, ask an agent for recent sales of comparable acreage instead.
Acreage, farmland and an unincorporated community
Herald has no city government, so Sacramento County handles zoning, building permits and code enforcement. Parcels range from homes on a few acres to working agricultural land, and many are served by private wells and septic systems rather than public water and sewer. Shared private roads and easements are common. For an overview, see our Herald real estate guide, our parcel jurisdiction and services notes and our private roads and site access notes.
Costs and rules specific to a Herald purchase
- Transfer tax. The Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder charges documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 of value and says the City of Sacramento is the only city in the county with its own transfer tax. Herald is unincorporated, so only the County tax applies: $1.10 per $1,000 of value. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Wells and septic. Ask for well logs, a yield test and a water quality test, and have the septic system inspected and located before you plan additions.
- Zoning and farm use. Ask County Planning what the parcel’s zoning allows for animals, outbuildings, second units and home businesses, and whether any agricultural contract limits use.
- Short-term rentals. The County’s short-term rental permit page requires a permit, a County business license and transient occupancy tax registration in the unincorporated area, with the owner or a long-term renter living on site at least six months a year.
- Hazards and insurance. Look up the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps and FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center, read the natural hazard disclosure report, and get an insurance quote early. Our acreage ownership budget notes cover ongoing costs.
Herald 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 Herald. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martha Corona (licensed as Martha Linora Corona) | RE/MAX Gold, Galt | Salesperson #01319554 | Herald, Galt, Wilton, Elk Grove, Lodi |
| George Gonzalez | Coldwell Banker Realty, Elk Grove | Salesperson #01994014 | Galt, Elk Grove, Lodi, Stockton |
| Paula Houghtaling | RE/MAX Gold, Galt | Broker #01315783 | Galt, Elk Grove, Lockeford, Acampo |
| Teresa Laine | Coldwell Banker Realty, Elk Grove | Salesperson #01758097 | Wilton, Galt, Elk Grove, Lodi, Clay |
| Maria Lopez | RE/MAX Gold, Galt | Salesperson #02153193 | Galt, Sacramento County, Amador County |
| Traci Petersen | Coldwell Banker Realty, Elk Grove | Salesperson #01267649 | Galt, Elk Grove, Lodi, Sacramento |
| Bob Walter (licensed as Robert Dallas Walter) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Elk Grove | Salesperson #01876679 | Wilton, Galt, Elk Grove, Sacramento |
On the DRE record, RE/MAX Gold agents are licensed under Norcal Gold Inc, whose DRE record lists Re/Max Gold as a business name and a branch office in Galt, and Coldwell Banker Realty agents under NRT West, Inc. Martha Corona is the only agent here whose profile names Herald; the rest name Galt or Wilton. For more agents nearby, see our Galt agents guide and Sacramento County agents guide.
How to vet a Herald agent
- Ask about acreage sales. Ask how many rural or agricultural parcels the agent has sold, and how they price land with few nearby comparables. Our rural home comparable sales notes explain the approach.
- Confirm water before you write an offer. Ask for well records and build a yield and quality test into your contingencies.
- Check access and easements. Ask for any road maintenance agreement and confirm recorded access.
- Ask about zoning limits. Have the agent check what the County zoning allows for your planned use.
- Get insurance quotes early. Rural properties can be harder to insure; build the premium into your budget.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current responsible broker on the DRE lookup.
Herald questions we hear
Is Herald a city?
No. Herald is an unincorporated community, so Sacramento County handles zoning and permits, and only the County transfer tax applies.
Why do most agents in this guide name Galt rather than Herald?
Herald is small, and few agent profiles list it. The agents here work from Galt and Elk Grove offices and name Galt or Wilton, the nearest towns; one also names Herald.
Do Herald homes have public water and sewer?
Many do not; private wells and septic systems are common. Ask for records and inspections on any parcel you consider.
What is the median home value in Herald?
The Census estimate is too uncertain to be useful, with a margin of error of more than $250,000. Ask an agent for recent sales of comparable acreage.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, Herald CDP profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder, documentary transfer tax FAQ
- Sacramento County Planning, short-term rental permits
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones; FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Norcal Gold Inc DRE record (Re/Max Gold business name and branches)
- Agent profiles on remax.com and coldwellbankerhomes.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: Galt · Elk Grove
Related: Herald real estate guide · Herald home valuation · Sacramento 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.
