Best Realtors in Palo Alto, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Palo Alto is a Santa Clara County city of about 67,600 people on the Peninsula, bordered by Menlo Park and East Palo Alto to the north, Stanford University to the west, and Mountain View and Los Altos to the south. Its housing runs from older homes in neighborhoods like Professorville, Crescent Park and Old Palo Alto to the city’s large stock of mid-century Eichler tracts, plus condos and apartments near downtown and California Avenue.
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 Palo Alto. We opened each agent’s brokerage roster or profile and confirmed it names Palo Alto as a service area, or lists the agent at a Palo Alto office.
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.
Palo Alto housing in numbers
| Census measure | Palo Alto |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 67,609 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate (2020–2024) | 54.6% |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (2020–2024) | $2,000,000 or more (top-coded) |
| Median gross rent (2020–2024) | $3,484 |
| Median household income (2020–2024, 2024 dollars) | $231,101 |
| Persons per household (2020–2024) | 2.56 |
| Mean travel time to work (2020–2024) | 21.4 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Palo Alto city, California.
The Census reports Palo Alto’s median home value only as "$2,000,000 or more," because it sits above the survey’s top reporting limit. Only a little over half of homes are owner-occupied, reflecting the city’s many apartments. Ask agents for recent closed sales in the same neighborhood and of the same type, since an Eichler, a downtown condo and an Old Palo Alto estate are separate markets.
Eichler tracts, older neighborhoods and the city’s edges
- Eichler neighborhoods. The City’s Eichler design guidelines count 31 Eichler tracts in Palo Alto, mostly in the south and midtown areas, with roughly 2,700 homes.
- Older neighborhoods. Professorville, Crescent Park, Old Palo Alto and the streets near downtown hold many of the city’s older houses.
- Condos and apartments. Multifamily housing clusters near University Avenue, California Avenue and El Camino Real.
- Stanford next door. Homes on the Stanford campus are on university-leased land in unincorporated Santa Clara County, not in the City of Palo Alto, and have their own purchase rules; see our Stanford agents guide.
For more on the city, see our Palo Alto real estate guide, housing settings comparison, older home records and inspections and homeownership budget pages, plus our county Eichler homes page.
Costs and rules specific to a Palo Alto purchase
- City transfer tax. Palo Alto Municipal Code section 2.34.020 sets a city documentary transfer tax of $1.65 for each $500 of value, or $3.30 per $1,000: about $6,600 on a $2,000,000 sale. Ask escrow how it will be split between buyer and seller.
- County transfer tax. The Santa Clara County Ordinance Code, Division A30, Chapter III sets the county tax at 55 cents per $500 ($1.10 per $1,000), and the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder collects transfer tax when deeds record: about $2,200 on a $2,000,000 sale. Confirm both taxes on your escrow estimate. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Single-Story Overlay districts. The City’s Eichler design guidelines, adopted in April 2018, note that 11 Eichler tracts are in Single-Story Overlay districts, which limit homes to one habitable floor and 17 feet in height. If you plan to add a second story, confirm the zoning first.
- Individual Review for second stories. Outside those districts, the same document explains that new two-story homes and most second-story additions go through the City’s Individual Review for neighbor impacts such as privacy and massing. The Eichler guidelines themselves are advisory.
- Flood zones and hazards. Parts of the city near San Francisquito Creek and the Baylands are in mapped flood zones. Read the natural hazard disclosure report and check the address on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center.
Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Beltramo (licensed as Jeffrey Michael Beltramo) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Palo Alto | Salesperson #01274256 | Palo Alto office |
| Alex Comsa | Coldwell Banker Realty, Palo Alto | Salesperson #01875782 | Palo Alto office |
| Colleen Cooley | Coldwell Banker Realty, Palo Alto | Salesperson #01269455 | Palo Alto office |
| Erika Demma | Compass, Woodside | Salesperson #01230766 | Palo Alto, Woodside, Portola Valley, Atherton, Menlo Park |
| Gordon Ferguson | Coldwell Banker Realty, Palo Alto | Salesperson #01038260 | Palo Alto office |
| Patrick Ho | Coldwell Banker Realty, Burlingame | Broker #01934478 | Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Burlingame, San Mateo, Redwood City and other Peninsula cities |
| Zita Macy | Coldwell Banker Realty, Palo Alto | Salesperson #01300198 | Palo Alto office |
| Stephanie Nash | Compass, Woodside | Salesperson #01104524 | Palo Alto, Woodside, Portola Valley, Atherton, Menlo Park, Los Altos |
| Judy Shen | Coldwell Banker Realty, Palo Alto | Salesperson #01272874 | Palo Alto office |
On the DRE record, Coldwell Banker Realty agents are licensed under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304) and Compass agents under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235). Agents marked "Palo Alto office" appear on the Coldwell Banker Palo Alto office roster. For more agents across the county, see our Santa Clara County agents guide.
How to vet a Palo Alto agent
- Ask how they check zoning before you plan an addition. Ask whether the agent confirms Single-Story Overlay status and Individual Review rules with the City for any home you are considering.
- Ask about Eichler experience. Radiant floor heating, flat roofs and post-and-beam framing call for specific inspections; ask which inspectors the agent’s past Eichler buyers used.
- Ask for a net sheet with both transfer taxes. The city tax is three times the county tax, so ask how it is usually split in the agent’s recent deals.
- Confirm school attendance with the district. Ask how the agent verifies school boundaries rather than relying on a listing.
- Check flood zones. Near San Francisquito Creek and east of Highway 101, ask about flood insurance before you write the offer.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
Palo Alto questions we hear
Does Palo Alto have a city transfer tax?
Yes. The municipal code sets it at $1.65 per $500 of value ($3.30 per $1,000), on top of the county tax.
Can I add a second story to a Palo Alto Eichler?
It depends on the tract. Eleven Eichler tracts are in Single-Story Overlay districts that limit homes to one floor; elsewhere, second stories generally go through Individual Review.
What is the median home value in Palo Alto?
The Census reports it only as $2,000,000 or more for 2020–2024, because values exceed the survey’s top limit. Ask an agent for recent comparable sales.
Are Stanford campus homes in Palo Alto?
No. They have Stanford or Palo Alto mailing addresses but sit on Stanford land in unincorporated Santa Clara County, sold under Stanford’s ground lease rules.
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)
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Palo Alto city, California
- Palo Alto Municipal Code section 2.34.020, documentary transfer tax
- City of Palo Alto, Eichler Neighborhood Design Guidelines (adopted April 2, 2018)
- Santa Clara County Ordinance Code, Division A30, Chapter III, Real Property Transfer Tax (county rate of $0.55 per $500; section A30-40 credit for a conforming half-rate city tax)
- California Attorney General Opinion 06-1009 (documentary transfer tax and city credit)
- County of Santa Clara, Clerk-Recorder’s Office
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Coldwell Banker Palo Alto office roster, plus agent profiles on coldwellbankerhomes.com and compass.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: Stanford · Mountain View · Menlo Park
Related: Palo Alto real estate guide · Palo Alto home valuation · Santa Clara 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.
