Best Realtors in Pleasanton, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Pleasanton is a Tri-Valley city of about 74,500 people at the junction of Interstates 580 and 680, with a historic Main Street downtown, planned neighborhoods and hillside and rural land at its edges. Some homes with a Pleasanton mailing address are outside city limits, so the agent you hire should be able to tell you which jurisdiction, permit records and rules apply to a specific address.
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 with a responsible broker. One agent on the office roster whose record showed no current broker affiliation was left out.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the brokerage they work under.
- A public profile tied to Pleasanton. Each agent appears on the public roster of Coldwell Banker Realty’s Pleasanton office, which we opened.
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.
Pleasanton housing in numbers
| Census measure | Pleasanton |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 74,556 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate (2020–2024) | 67.0% |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (2020–2024) | $1,537,100 |
| Median gross rent (2020–2024) | $3,060 |
| Median household income (2020–2024, 2024 dollars) | $190,124 |
| Persons per household (2020–2024) | 2.73 |
| Mean travel time to work (2020–2024) | 34.3 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Pleasanton city, California.
About two-thirds of Pleasanton homes are owner-occupied, and the median rent is high, which supports demand for condos and townhomes from both owners and investors. These are five-year survey figures, not current sale prices; ask an agent for recent sales from the same neighborhood and property type.
Downtown, planned neighborhoods and county edges
A Pleasanton search can include older homes near Main Street, planned subdivisions and gated communities such as Ruby Hill, condos and townhomes near Stoneridge and the BART station, and larger lots on the hills. Downtown homes may fall under the city’s historic preservation review, which covers exterior changes, additions and demolition of historic resources; age alone does not decide whether review applies.
Pleasanton is an incorporated city listed in the Alameda County city directory, but the city’s online permit portal notes that County parcels with Pleasanton mailing addresses are not covered. For those addresses, the County handles permits and zoning, and rural land is also subject to the County’s voter-approved Measure D. The city’s protected tree program can matter for remodels and lot changes. For more, see our Pleasanton real estate guide and our Ruby Hill page.
Costs and rules specific to a Pleasanton purchase
- Transfer tax. The Alameda County Clerk-Recorder collects city transfer taxes for eight cities, and Pleasanton is not one of them, so only the county tax of $0.55 per $500 of value applies, about $1,650 on a $1.5 million sale. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Permit history. The city’s permit portal covers applications from May 24, 2011 onward; older records go through the city’s archive process. Ask for both when you review additions and remodels, and see the city’s permits page for how statuses work.
- Historic review downtown. Exterior changes to a downtown historic resource may need review under the city’s historic preservation guidance.
- HOAs and special taxes. Many planned neighborhoods have associations, and sellers must make a good-faith effort to provide a notice of special tax districts under Civil Code section 1102.6b. Read the HOA documents and the property tax bill’s direct charges in escrow.
- Fire hazard zones. Hillside areas may carry State Fire Marshal Fire Hazard Severity Zone designations. In High or Very High zones, sellers may need to provide AB 38 defensible space documentation.
Pleasanton 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 Pleasanton. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will Butler | Coldwell Banker Realty, Pleasanton office | Broker #00499631 | Pleasanton office |
| Romar De Claro | Coldwell Banker Realty, Pleasanton office | Broker #01341138 | Pleasanton office |
| Thomas Ivarson | Coldwell Banker Realty, Pleasanton office | Salesperson #01242205 | Pleasanton office |
| Andy Knuth (licensed as Andrew William Knuth) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Pleasanton office | Salesperson #01896749 | Pleasanton office |
| Lori Kriens | Coldwell Banker Realty, Pleasanton office | Salesperson #01899795 | Pleasanton office |
| Terri Maxoutopoulis (licensed as Theresia G Maxoutopoulis) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Pleasanton office | Salesperson #01788629 | Pleasanton office |
| Diane McDonald | Coldwell Banker Realty, Pleasanton office | Salesperson #01197910 | Pleasanton office |
| Laurie Pfohl | Coldwell Banker Realty, Pleasanton office | Salesperson #00866660 | Pleasanton office |
| Lucy Ramos | Coldwell Banker Realty, Pleasanton office | Salesperson #01393413 | Pleasanton office |
| Kal Siddiq (licensed as Khalid Ali Siddiq) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Pleasanton office | Salesperson #01164815 | Pleasanton and surrounding areas |
| Lydia Vetere | Coldwell Banker Realty, Pleasanton office | Salesperson #01910741 | Pleasanton office |
| Kathleen Waelde (licensed as M Kathleen Waelde) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Pleasanton office | Broker #00885285 | Pleasanton office |
All 12 agents appear on the Pleasanton office roster; the office is at 5075 Hopyard Rd, Suite 200, Pleasanton. Coldwell Banker Realty agents are licensed under the responsible broker NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304), as shown on each DRE record; broker-licensed agents work there as broker associates.
How to vet a Pleasanton agent
- Ask whether the home is in the city or the county. A good Pleasanton agent checks the parcel record, since the city’s permit portal does not cover County parcels with Pleasanton addresses.
- Ask how they pull permit history. Online records start in 2011, so ask whether they request archived records for older work.
- Ask about HOA and special tax documents. For planned and gated neighborhoods, ask how early they get the HOA package and the special tax notice to you.
- Ask about downtown historic review. If you plan to remodel near Main Street, ask whether the home is a historic resource and how that affects additions.
- Ask for comparables from the same setting. A downtown cottage, a Ruby Hill estate and a townhome near BART should not be priced from the same sales.
- Verify the license yourself. Look the agent up on the DRE site and confirm the responsible broker matches the brokerage they name.
Pleasanton questions we hear
Does Pleasanton have its own transfer tax?
No city tax is listed. The Alameda County Clerk-Recorder collects city taxes for eight cities, and Pleasanton is not among them, so only the county tax of $0.55 per $500 applies. Confirm the total on your escrow estimate.
Is every home with a Pleasanton address in the City of Pleasanton?
No. The city’s permit portal says it does not cover County parcels with Pleasanton mailing addresses. For those, the County handles permits and zoning.
How far back do Pleasanton’s online permit records go?
The city’s portal covers applications from May 24, 2011 onward. For older permits, use the city’s archive process.
Does a downtown Pleasanton home need historic review to remodel?
It may. The city’s historic preservation guidance covers exterior changes and additions to historic resources. Ask the Planning Division before you plan major work.
Should I interview more than one Pleasanton agent?
Yes. Interview at least two or three, ask each for recent sales near the homes you are considering, and compare how they explain jurisdiction, HOA and permit questions.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Coldwell Banker Realty, Pleasanton office agent roster
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Pleasanton city, California (July 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020–2024 ACS figures)
- Alameda County Clerk-Recorder: real property transfer tax
- Alameda County city directory
- City of Pleasanton: permit portal · permits, forms and fees · historic preservation · landscape architecture and protected trees
- State Fire Marshal: Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- California Civil Code section 1102.6b (Justia)
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Related: Pleasanton real estate guide · Pleasanton home valuation · Alameda 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.
