Best Realtors in Pleasant Hill, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Pleasant Hill is a central Contra Costa County city of about 34,000 people between Walnut Creek, Concord and Martinez, with mostly mid-century single-family neighborhoods, condo and townhome complexes and a BART station on its border. A Pleasant Hill agent should be able to read an older home’s permit history, review HOA documents on a condo or townhome and confirm whether an address is inside the city or in unincorporated county land.
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 "Licensed" status. We left out anyone whose record showed no responsible broker, or whose responsible broker did not match the brokerage they are listed with.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the responsible broker they work under, and it matches the brokerage on their profile.
- A public profile that names Pleasant Hill. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile and confirmed it names Pleasant Hill among the areas the agent serves.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. Licenses and affiliations change, so verify the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
Pleasant Hill housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2020–2024 5-year) | Pleasant Hill |
|---|---|
| Population | 34,235 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $1,077,100 |
| Median household income | $145,029 |
| Persons per household | 2.5 |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.2 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, via Census Reporter, Pleasant Hill, CA.
The 2020–2024 median owner-occupied value was just over $1 million. These are five-year survey figures, not current sale prices. To price a specific home, an agent should pull recent sales of the same property type in the same neighborhood.
Pleasant Hill settings: mid-century neighborhoods, condos and the BART area
Much of Pleasant Hill is single-family housing built in the decades after World War II, with condo and townhome complexes scattered through the city and denser housing near the Pleasant Hill BART station. The station area itself, Contra Costa Centre, is unincorporated county land rather than part of the city. Older homes call for a close look at permit history and inspections, and condos and townhomes come with HOA budgets and rules. Our guides to Pleasant Hill HOA and assessment costs, home improvement records and comparing Pleasant Hill neighborhoods go into more detail. See also our Pleasant Hill real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to a Pleasant Hill purchase
- Transfer tax. The Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder charges the county documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value. The Recorder’s page lists separate city taxes only for El Cerrito and Richmond, so a Pleasant Hill sale typically carries the county tax only. On a $1,000,000 sale, the county tax is $1,100. Who pays is negotiable; confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
- City or county? Contra Costa Centre, the unincorporated transit village at Pleasant Hill BART, is governed by the County, not the City. Some other addresses near the city’s edges are also unincorporated. Confirm the jurisdiction on the title report, since it determines which permits and planning rules apply.
- HOAs and condos. For a condo, townhome or planned-development home, request the HOA budget, reserve study, rules and any special assessments before you remove contingencies. Our Pleasant Hill HOA costs guide explains what to review.
- Permit history. Compare the seller’s disclosures with permit records for additions, garage conversions and other work; our home improvement records guide covers the basics.
- Inspections and insurance. Ask for quotes early, since they vary by address; our Pleasant Hill inspection and insurance planning guide lists common steps.
- Hazards. The natural hazard disclosure report shows whether an address is in a mapped earthquake fault, landslide, flood or Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
Pleasant Hill 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 Pleasant Hill. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Auen | RE/MAX Accord, Lafayette office | Salesperson #01244711 | Walnut Creek, Oakland, Pleasant Hill, Berkeley, Lafayette |
| Kimberly Barnett | Coldwell Banker Realty, Walnut Creek office | Salesperson #01904955 | Pittsburg, Bay Point, Antioch, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Martinez and many other Bay Area cities |
| Kiersten Fouts | Coldwell Banker Realty, Walnut Creek office | Salesperson #02204189 | Clayton, Concord, Walnut Creek, Danville, Alamo, Brentwood, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Martinez |
| Dessy Gueorguieva | Coldwell Banker Realty, Walnut Creek office | Broker #01301988 | Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Clayton, Pacheco, Martinez and many other Bay Area cities |
| Darlene Lizotte | Coldwell Banker Realty, Walnut Creek office | Salesperson #02113211 | Walnut Creek, Danville, El Sobrante, Pleasant Hill, Oakland, Moraga |
| Chris Luna | Coldwell Banker Realty, Danville office | Salesperson #02226845 | Concord, Danville, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Martinez and other East Bay cities |
| James Masi | Coldwell Banker Realty, Walnut Creek office | Salesperson #02118184 | Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Oakland, Berkeley |
| Rich McNell | Coldwell Banker Realty, Walnut Creek office | Salesperson #02213307 | Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill |
| Nathan Rahmatti | Coldwell Banker Realty, Danville office | Broker #01258952 | Concord, Walnut Creek, Martinez, Pleasant Hill and other East Bay cities |
| Natalie Signorelli | Coldwell Banker Realty, Walnut Creek office | Salesperson #01425148 | Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Lafayette, Orinda, Martinez, Concord, Clayton, Alamo, Danville, San Ramon |
Coldwell Banker Realty agents above are licensed under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304); Dessy Gueorguieva and Nathan Rahmatti are broker associates with that firm. Jeff Auen is licensed under S&J Stadtler Inc (DRE #01491373), which operates RE/MAX Accord. Some DRE records list a legal name that differs from the name the agent uses professionally (for example, Jeffrey Auen, Dessislava Gueorguieva, Richard McNell and Najib Rahmatti). None of the agents above works from an office inside Pleasant Hill; their profiles name Pleasant Hill as an area served.
How to vet a Pleasant Hill agent
- Ask for comparables from the same property type. A mid-century single-family home, a townhome and a condo near BART trade in different ranges; make sure the agent prices from the right sales.
- Ask how they confirm city or county jurisdiction. An agent should check whether the address is inside Pleasant Hill or in unincorporated areas such as Contra Costa Centre before you plan any remodel.
- For an older home, ask about permits and inspections. Ask which inspections they usually recommend (sewer lateral, foundation, roof, electrical) and how they compare permit records with what was built.
- For a condo or HOA home, ask how they review association documents. Ask what they look for in the budget, reserves and minutes.
- Ask for a net sheet. An estimate should show the county transfer tax, title and escrow costs, HOA fees if any and the commission terms you agreed to.
- Verify the license yourself. Look up the agent on the DRE site and confirm the responsible broker matches the brokerage they name.
Pleasant Hill questions we hear
Does Pleasant Hill have its own transfer tax?
The Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder’s transfer tax page lists city taxes only for El Cerrito and Richmond, so a Pleasant Hill sale typically shows the county tax of $0.55 per $500. Confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
Is Contra Costa Centre part of Pleasant Hill?
No. Contra Costa Centre, the transit village around Pleasant Hill BART, is unincorporated and governed by Contra Costa County. Permits and planning there go through the County.
What should I check before buying a Pleasant Hill condo?
Request the HOA budget, reserve study, rules, insurance details and recent minutes, and ask whether any special assessments are planned. Our Pleasant Hill HOA costs guide has a checklist.
How do I check a Pleasant Hill agent’s license?
Search the name or license number on the DRE public lookup. The record shows license type, status and responsible broker. Every agent in our table links to the record we checked.
Should I interview more than one Pleasant Hill agent?
Yes. Interview at least two or three, ask each for recent sales near the homes you are considering, and compare how they explain pricing, HOA documents and inspections for that address.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter: Pleasant Hill, CA (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-year estimates)
- Agent profiles at Coldwell Banker Realty and RE/MAX, linked in the table
- Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder: documentary transfer tax
- State Fire Marshal: Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Related: Pleasant Hill real estate guide · Pleasant Hill home valuation · Contra Costa 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.
