Best Realtors in Jenner, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Jenner is a tiny unincorporated village where the Russian River meets the Pacific on Highway 1, in western Sonoma County. Homes cling to the hillsides above the river mouth and along the coast, and Jenner mailing addresses also cover homes up the coast toward Fort Ross and Timber Cove, so the agents below show Jenner through listings and sales on both stretches.
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 Jenner. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile, personal site or listing-portal profile and confirmed it names Jenner, 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.
Only David Millar’s site lists Jenner as a service area; the other profiles show Jenner through listings and past sales. All of these agents work from offices in Guerneville, Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, Sonoma or Healdsburg.
Jenner housing in numbers
Jenner is too small for reliable Census survey estimates; a community of a few hundred people produces very wide margins of error. For context, here are countywide figures.
| Census measure (ACS 2024 1-year) | Sonoma County |
|---|---|
| Population | 485,375 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $822,400 (±$17,796) |
| Median household income | $107,274 (±$4,759) |
| Persons per household | 2.5 |
| Median age | 43.4 |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.4 minutes |
| Housing units | 210,985 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter.
Coastal homes in Jenner range from small cottages above the river mouth to ocean-view houses on large parcels, so countywide medians say little about any one sale. Ask an agent for recent sales of comparable coastal homes.
The river mouth and the Coastal Zone
Jenner has no city government; Permit Sonoma handles planning and building, and the whole village lies within the coast’s Coastal Zone, which the County says reaches between half a mile and five miles inland. The California Coastal Commission certified the County’s updated Local Coastal Plan on November 14, 2024, and Permit Sonoma is updating the coastal zoning code to match. Homes sit on steep hillsides off Highway 1 and Willow Creek Road, with Sonoma Coast State Park and Goat Rock nearby. See our Jenner real estate guide, notes on coastal home inspections and the coastal ownership budget, and our guide to buying coastal property in Sonoma and Marin.
Costs and rules specific to a Jenner purchase
- Transfer tax. Jenner 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 hypothetical $900,000 sale that is about $990. Only Santa Rosa and Petaluma add a city tax, so a Jenner address pays only the county rate. Our California transfer tax guide explains who customarily pays.
- Coastal permits. Inside the Coastal Zone, new homes, additions and many other changes need a coastal permit from Permit Sonoma under the Local Coastal Plan. Confirm the parcel on the County’s Coastal Zone map and ask what was permitted before you buy.
- Sea level rise and bluffs. The flood chapter of the County’s hazard mitigation plan names Jenner and Bodega Bay as the communities at greatest risk from sea level rise. Ask for a geotechnical report on bluff or hillside lots and check the FEMA Flood Map Service Center for low-lying parcels near the estuary.
- Vacation rentals. Permit Sonoma lists the Coastal Zone among the areas where vacation rentals may be allowed with a permit, a certified property manager and a license, subject to zoning, caps and exclusion districts. Check the parcel on the County’s vacation rental map viewer.
- Water and septic. Ask which water system serves the parcel and get a septic inspection; coastal soils and slopes can limit septic repairs.
- 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.
Jenner 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 Jenner. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathleen Ball | Sotheby’s International Realty, Sonoma | Broker #01386466 | The Sea Ranch, Sonoma; Jenner listing and sales on Highway 1 and Timber Cove Road |
| John Genovese | Vanguard Properties, Guerneville | Salesperson #01380792 | Russian River Valley, Guerneville; Jenner sales |
| Tim Hedges (licensed as Timothy James Hedges) | Vanguard Properties, Sebastopol | Broker #01368460 | Graton, Forestville, Sebastopol; Jenner listing and sale |
| Daniela Hernandez | Hernandez Realty Co, Guerneville | Salesperson #01980504 | Guerneville (office); Jenner listing |
| David Millar (licensed as David Richard Millar) | Keller Williams Realty (The Millar Group), Guerneville | Salesperson #01354778 | Jenner, Duncans Mills, Monte Rio, Guerneville, Cazadero |
| Harper Nolan | Engel & Völkers Healdsburg | Salesperson #01931813 | Graton, Sebastopol, Russian River Valley; Jenner sale |
| Mallory Lambert Silipo | Corcoran Icon Properties, Sebastopol | Salesperson #02005785 | Russian River Valley; Jenner sale |
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); Hernandez Realty Co agents under broker Herman Joseph Hernandez; Corcoran Icon Properties agents under Norcal United Real Estate Partners; Sotheby’s International Realty agents under Sotheby’s International Realty Inc; and Engel & Völkers Healdsburg agents under SFRE Wine Country, whose record lists Engel & Volkers Healdsburg as a business name.
How to vet a Jenner agent
- Ask about coastal permits. Ask the agent which past work on the home needed a coastal permit and whether it was obtained.
- Get a geotechnical opinion. On hillside and bluff lots, a soils or geotechnical report can matter more than the home inspection.
- Check road and parking access. Highway 1 and the river road are the only ways in and out; ask about winter closures and driveway grades.
- Verify water and septic. Ask for the water source, any shared-system agreement and the septic permit.
- Price insurance early. Fire and, for low-lying parcels, flood coverage can both apply.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status and a current broker on the DRE lookup before you sign a listing or buyer agreement.
Jenner questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Jenner?
No. Jenner is unincorporated, so only the Sonoma County tax of $1.10 per $1,000 applies.
Is Jenner in the Coastal Zone?
Yes. The village lies within the Coastal Zone, so most building work needs a coastal permit from Permit Sonoma. Confirm any parcel on the County’s Coastal Zone map.
Can I run a vacation rental in Jenner?
Possibly. Permit Sonoma lists the Coastal Zone among the places vacation rentals can be permitted, but the parcel’s zoning, any cap or exclusion district and the license rules still apply.
Why are there no Census numbers for Jenner?
The community is too small for reliable survey estimates, so we show Sonoma County figures for context.
Why do these agents work from other towns?
Jenner has no brokerage office among the profiles we checked; agents who list it or show sales there work from nearby river and county offices.
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, Local Coastal Plan approval and Coastal Zone map (PDF)
- Permit Sonoma, vacation rentals
- Sonoma County hazard mitigation plan, flood hazards chapter (Permit Sonoma)
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Census Reporter, Sonoma County profile (ACS 2024 1-year)
- homes.com agent directory for Jenner (used to find candidates)
- DRE records for Vanguard Properties, Inc., Santa Rosa Capital Holdings Inc, Herman Joseph Hernandez, Norcal United Real Estate Partners and SFRE Wine Country (business names)
- Agent profiles on homes.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: Duncans Mills · Monte Rio · Cazadero
Related: Jenner real estate guide · Jenner 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.
