Best Realtors in Lake Berryessa, CA (2026 Guide)

By Matthew Martinez

Lake Berryessa is a large reservoir in the hills of eastern Napa County, and the name also covers the small unincorporated communities around it, such as Berryessa Highlands, Spanish Flat and Berryessa Estates. Homes here are mostly in hillside subdivisions or on rural acreage, a long drive from the Napa Valley floor.

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:

1. 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 that matches the brokerage on the agent’s profile.
2. A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the brokerage they work under.
3. A public page that names the area. Each agent’s profile or listing page names Lake Berryessa, a neighboring community, the Napa Valley or Napa County.

Few agent profiles name Lake Berryessa. One agent below shows a sale near Spanish Flat at Lake Berryessa; the others name the Napa Valley, neighboring Angwin or Napa County, and work from offices in Napa and St. Helena. We say which in the table, so you can ask each agent about lake-area sales.

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.

Lake Berryessa housing in numbers

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates for the Lake Berryessa census county division of Napa County, as presented by Census Reporter.

The estimated median owner-occupied value of about $451,000 is roughly half the Napa County figure of $869,500 on the same profile, and the mean commute of about 37 minutes is far longer than the county’s 25 minutes. The margin of error is large, so treat these as rough guides and ask an agent for recent sales in the specific subdivision.

Berryessa Highlands, Spanish Flat and Berryessa Estates

The lake communities have no city government, so Napa County handles zoning and permits. Napa County’s Resort Improvement Districts page says the Napa Berryessa Resort Improvement District provides water and wastewater service to Berryessa Highlands Units 1 and 2 and Oakridge Estates, and the Lake Berryessa Resort Improvement District serves Berryessa Estates Unit 2 and Pope Valley; the Board of Supervisors governs both. Homes outside those districts generally rely on private wells and septic systems. For more, see our Lake Berryessa real estate guide.

Costs and rules specific to a Lake Berryessa purchase

• Transfer tax. The Napa County Assessor lists a documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 of value; the lake communities are unincorporated, so no city tax applies. On a $451,000 sale, that is about $496. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
• Water and sewer districts. Ask which district, if any, serves the parcel, the current water and sewer rates, and any planned system improvements. Outside the districts, get a well yield test and a septic inspection.
• No vacation rentals. A 2019 Napa County Grand Jury report says short-term vacation rentals are prohibited in unincorporated Napa County, and changing that would take a vote of the people. Do not plan on vacation-rental income.
• Wineries. According to a Napa County Grand Jury report on wineries, new or expanded wineries since 1990 must use at least 75% county-grown grapes, and a new winery needs at least 10 acres. Check any existing winery’s use permit before you buy.
• Hillside and canopy rules. Napa County’s conservation regulations summary requires an erosion control plan for earth disturbance on slopes over 5% and, in mapped agricultural watershed woodland, retention of 70% of the tree canopy that stood on June 16, 2016.
• Williamson Act and wells. Ask whether the parcel is under a Williamson Act contract, which limits use in exchange for lower assessed value. For a private well, ask for the well log and a recent yield test.
• Fire disclosure. In high and very high fire hazard zones, sellers must provide documentation of a defensible-space inspection or agree in writing that the buyer will comply, as the State Fire Marshal’s AB 38 bulletin explains. Check the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps.

Lake Berryessa 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 Lake Berryessa. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490

On the DRE record, Compass agents are licensed under Compass California II, Inc.; Joel Toller under Carolyn Roberts RE, Inc., whose DRE record lists Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley as its business name; Mary Carpenter under Vanguard Properties, Inc.; and Amber Payne under Norcal United Real Estate Partners, the license number (DRE #02205397) shown for Corcoran Icon Properties on her listing page, which gives her office as 1040 Main Street in Napa. For more agents across the county, see our Napa County agents guide.

How to vet a Lake Berryessa agent

1. Ask about lake-area sales. Ask how many Berryessa Highlands, Spanish Flat or Berryessa Estates homes the agent has sold, and how recently.
2. Identify the water and sewer provider. Ask whether the home is in a County resort improvement district or on a private well and septic.
3. Get fire insurance quotes early. Check the hazard map and the defensible-space disclosure, and build the premium into your budget.
4. Check road access and slope. Ask about steep driveways, shared roads and any grading or retaining walls.
5. Plan around the vacation-rental ban. Do not count on short-term rental income.
6. Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current responsible broker on the DRE lookup.

Lake Berryessa questions we hear

Sources & notes

• California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
• Census Reporter, Lake Berryessa CCD, Napa County (ACS 2024 5-year)
• Napa County Assessor, documentary transfer tax
• Napa County, Resort Improvement Districts
• Napa County Grand Jury 2018–19, short-term vacation rentals
• Napa County Grand Jury 2014–15, wineries
• Napa County, compliance with conservation regulations
• Napa County Assessor, Williamson Act
• Office of the State Fire Marshal, AB 38 information bulletin
• Agent profiles and listing pages on compass.com, vanguardproperties.com, corcoranicon.com and thejoeltollerteam.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: Pope Valley

Related: Lake Berryessa real estate guide · Lake Berryessa home valuation · Napa 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.