Best Realtors in Pope Valley, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Pope Valley is a rural, unincorporated valley in eastern Napa County, over Howell Mountain from Angwin and the Napa Valley floor, with Lake Berryessa farther east. Ranch land, vineyards, homes on acreage and the Berryessa Estates subdivision make up most of the local market, and sales are infrequent.
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 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 the area. Each agent’s profile or listing page names Pope Valley, a neighboring community, the Napa Valley or Napa County.
No agent profile we found lists Pope Valley as a service area. One agent below lists a past sale on Chiles Pope Valley Road, one shows a sale near Lake Berryessa, two name neighboring Angwin, and two name the Napa Valley. We say which in the table, so you can ask each agent about rural east-county 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.
Pope Valley housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Pope Valley Union Elementary School District area |
|---|---|
| Population | 734 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $572,000 (±$145,430) |
| Median household income | $92,083 (±$43,913) |
| Persons per household | 2.8 |
| Median age | 43 |
| Mean travel time to work | 31.3 minutes |
| Housing units | 322 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates for the Pope Valley Union Elementary School District, as presented by Census Reporter. There is no Census place profile for Pope Valley, so we use the school district’s boundaries as the closest match.
The estimated median owner-occupied value of about $572,000 is well below the Napa County figure of $870,100 on Census Reporter’s county profile, though the margin of error is about $145,000 either way. With only about 320 housing units, a handful of sales can move the numbers a lot; ask an agent for recent sales of comparable acreage.
Ranches, vineyards and Berryessa Estates
Pope Valley has no city government, so Napa County handles zoning and permits. Napa County’s Resort Improvement Districts page says the Lake Berryessa Resort Improvement District provides water and wastewater service to Berryessa Estates Unit 2 and Pope Valley, with the Board of Supervisors as its governing board. Outside the district, most rural parcels rely on private wells and septic systems. For more, see our Pope Valley real estate guide, our notes on rural water and wastewater and private roads and site access.
Costs and rules specific to a Pope Valley purchase
- Transfer tax. The Napa County Assessor lists a documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 of value; Pope Valley is unincorporated, so no city tax applies. On a $572,000 sale, that is about $629. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Water and sewer district. If the parcel is in Berryessa Estates Unit 2 or otherwise served by the Lake Berryessa Resort Improvement District, ask for current water and sewer rates and any planned improvements. Elsewhere, 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.
Pope Valley 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 Pope Valley. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Carpenter (licensed as Mary Elizabeth Carpenter) | Vanguard Properties, St. Helena | Salesperson #01468434 | Napa Valley; Yountville (resident) |
| Tim Hayden (licensed as Timothy John Hayden) | Compass, St. Helena | Broker #01027532 | Napa Valley; St. Helena; past sale on Chiles Pope Valley Road |
| Amber Payne | Corcoran Icon Properties, Napa | Salesperson #01302244 | Lake Berryessa (sale near Spanish Flat) |
| Robert Pursell | Compass, Napa | Broker #01747804 | St. Helena / Angwin; Napa Valley |
| Mark Stornetta | Compass | Broker #01440416 | Napa Valley; Sonoma |
| Joel Toller | Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley, St. Helena | Salesperson #01259088 | Angwin, St. Helena, Napa Valley; Napa, Sonoma and Lake counties |
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 Pope Valley agent
- Ask about rural east-county sales. Ask how many Pope Valley, Chiles Valley or Lake Berryessa properties the agent has sold.
- Confirm water before you write an offer. Ask whether the parcel is served by the resort improvement district or a private well, and get records.
- Check access and easements. Many parcels are reached by private or shared roads; ask for a road maintenance agreement.
- Get fire insurance quotes early. Build the premium into your budget and check the defensible-space disclosure.
- Ask about vineyard and ranch use. Have the agent check zoning, any Williamson Act contract and County rules on hillside planting.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current responsible broker on the DRE lookup.
Pope Valley questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Pope Valley?
No. Pope Valley is unincorporated, so only Napa County’s tax of $0.55 per $500 applies.
Who provides water and sewer in Pope Valley?
The County’s Lake Berryessa Resort Improvement District serves Berryessa Estates Unit 2 and Pope Valley; many other parcels use private wells and septic systems.
Can I rent out a Pope Valley home as a vacation rental?
No. Short-term vacation rentals are prohibited in unincorporated Napa County, according to a 2019 Grand Jury report.
Why are the agents in this guide based in St. Helena and Napa?
Pope Valley has no brokerage office of its own among the profiles we checked; agents who handle east-county sales work from St. Helena and Napa.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, Pope Valley Union Elementary School District (ACS 2024 5-year)
- Census Reporter, Napa County profile
- 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: Lake Berryessa · Rutherford
Related: Pope Valley real estate guide · Pope Valley 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.
