Best Realtors in Montara, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Montara is a small unincorporated community of about 2,900 people on Highway 1 at the north end of the San Mateo County Midcoast, just south of Devil’s Slide and Montara Mountain. Homes climb from the beach and the highway into the hills, and the agents who name Montara on their profiles mostly work out of Half Moon Bay offices.
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 Montara. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile or MLS profile and confirmed it names Montara (or its ZIP code, 94037) as an area served or work area.
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.
Montara housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Montara CDP |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,917 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $1,580,700 (±$195,558) |
| Median household income | $233,826 (±$102,824) |
| Persons per household | 2.9 |
| Median age | 50.5 |
| Mean travel time to work | 31.2 minutes |
| Housing units | 1,211 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter. Figures for a small community carry wide margins of error; treat them as rough guides, not current sale prices.
With only about 1,200 housing units, a handful of sales can move Montara’s local numbers a lot. Ask agents for recent closed sales on similar streets, lot sizes and views.
Hillside streets, the beach side and the Midcoast
Montara has no city government, so San Mateo County handles zoning, coastal permits and building permits. Most homes sit on the grid of streets east of Highway 1 that rise toward the mountain, with a smaller group on the ocean side near the beach and the lighthouse. Lot sizes, views and slopes vary a lot from block to block. Moss Beach lies just to the south and shares the same County coastal rules. For more on the town, see our Montara real estate guide, coastal property records notes and coastal home inspection notes.
Costs and rules specific to a Montara purchase
- Transfer tax. Montara is unincorporated, so no city transfer tax applies. The San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder lists the county documentary transfer tax at 55 cents per $500, or $1.10 per $1,000 of value: about $1,739 on a $1,580,700 sale. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Coastal permits. Montara is in the Coastal Zone. County Planning applies the Local Coastal Program and the Zoning and Development Code, and new homes, additions and many exterior changes need coastal review.
- Midcoast building permit cap. County Planning says Local Coastal Program Policy 1.23 limits the urban Midcoast to 40 new housing-unit building permits a year, ADUs included. After a large 2025, the County says only 18 permits can be issued across 2026 and 2027, and it is not accepting new residential building permit applications until January 1, 2028 or until an LCP amendment takes effect; approved projects join a waitlist. A Coastal Commission hearing on an amendment was scheduled for November 4, 2026. The County’s notice links to a map of the urban Midcoast area; if you plan to build or add an ADU, confirm whether the parcel falls inside it and where a project would land on the waitlist before you buy.
- Water, sewer and septic. Ask which district provides water and sewer service to the parcel, or whether it relies on a well or septic system, and get the records before you remove contingencies.
- Hazards and insurance. Hillside lots near Montara Mountain can carry wildfire, landslide and erosion exposure. Read the natural hazard disclosure report, check the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, and get an insurance quote early. In a High or Very High zone, see our AB 38 guide.
Montara 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 Montara. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deborah Cozzolino | Coldwell Banker Realty, Half Moon Bay | Salesperson #01774449 | Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, Miramar, Half Moon Bay, San Gregorio, Pescadero |
| Daniel Dimas | Daniel Dimas, Broker, El Granada | Broker #01863442 | ZIP codes for Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, Half Moon Bay and Pacifica |
| Kirsten Hagen | Compass, Half Moon Bay | Broker #01490617 | Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, Half Moon Bay |
| Marcia Kimball | Coldwell Banker Realty, Half Moon Bay | Salesperson #01890605 | Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, Half Moon Bay |
| Shanti Minkstein | Compass, Half Moon Bay | Salesperson #02122033 | Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica |
| Diana Plank | Coldwell Banker Realty, Half Moon Bay | Broker #00779576 | Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, Pescadero |
| Frank Vento | Intero Real Estate Services, Burlingame | Broker #01321362 | Montara, Miramar, Half Moon Bay, La Honda, Pescadero, San Mateo County Coastside |
On the DRE record, Coldwell Banker Realty agents are licensed under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304), Compass agents under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235), and Intero agents under Intero Real Estate Services Inc (DRE #01354442). Daniel Dimas holds his own broker license with a main office in El Granada. For more coastal agents, see our Half Moon Bay agents guide and San Mateo County agents guide.
How to vet a Montara agent
- Ask about the Midcoast permit cap. If you plan to build, add an ADU or buy a vacant lot, ask how the agent checks the County waitlist and a project’s permit status.
- Ask for permit history. Ask how they confirm that past additions and remodels had County building and coastal approvals.
- Confirm water and sewer service. Ask for the service provider, connection status, or well and septic records.
- Walk the slope and drainage. Hillside lots need a look at grading, retaining walls and drainage; consider a geotechnical review.
- Get fire insurance quotes early. Build the premium into your budget before you remove contingencies.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
Montara questions we hear
Is Montara a city?
No. Montara is an unincorporated Midcoast community, so San Mateo County handles planning, coastal permits and building permits.
Is there a city transfer tax in Montara?
No. Only the county documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 applies, according to the County Clerk-Recorder.
Can I build a new home or ADU in Montara right now?
If the parcel is in the County’s mapped urban Midcoast area, County Planning says it is not accepting new residential building permit applications there until January 1, 2028 or until an LCP amendment takes effect, though planning applications are still accepted and approved projects join a waitlist. Check the County’s current notice before you buy.
What is the median home value in Montara?
Census estimates put the median owner-occupied value at about $1,580,700 for 2020–2024, with a wide margin of error. Ask an agent for recent sales of similar homes.
Is the agent order a ranking?
No. Our broker is listed first because we publish the guide; everyone else is alphabetical by last name.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, Montara CDP profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder, documentary transfer tax
- San Mateo County Planning, Zoning and Development Code and urban Midcoast building permit cap and waitlist
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Agent profiles on coldwellbankerhomes.com, compass.com and mlslistings.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: Moss Beach · Half Moon Bay · Pacifica
Related: Montara real estate guide · Montara home valuation · San Mateo 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.
