Best Realtors in Ross, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Ross is a small incorporated town of about 2,600 people in Marin County’s Ross Valley, between Kentfield and San Anselmo along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Most homes sit on large, often wooded lots on the flats near Corte Madera Creek or on the hills above it, and the Census places the town’s median owner-occupied value at the survey’s $2 million ceiling, so creek, hillside and town permit questions come up in most sales.
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. We left out anyone whose record showed a suspension, an expired license or a responsible broker that did not match the brokerage on their profile.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the brokerage they work under, and it matches their profile.
- A public profile that names Ross. We opened each agent’s brokerage or listing-site profile and confirmed it names Ross.
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.
Ross housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Ross town |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,606 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $2,000,001 (the Census top-code: "$2 million or more") |
| Median household income | $250,001 (top-coded: "$250,000 or more") |
| Persons per household | 3.0 |
| Median age | 42.3 |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.1 minutes (±11.6) |
| Housing units | 912 (±92) |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter. These are survey estimates for a small town, not current sale prices.
Both the median home value and the median household income sit at the survey’s top-codes, which means more than half of owner-occupied Ross homes were valued above $2 million. With about 900 homes, only a handful sell in a typical year, so ask an agent for recent sales of similar lots on the same side of the creek or the same hillside.
Ross settings: the flats, the hills and Corte Madera Creek
Ross is a residential town with no commercial strip of its own beyond a small cluster near the Marin Art and Garden Center and the town hall. Homes on the flats are close to Corte Madera Creek and its tributaries, which brings flood-zone questions; homes on the hills bring steep driveways, retaining walls, drainage and wildfire questions instead. Ross is its own town, so its own planning, building and design-review rules apply rather than the County’s Title 22. See our Ross real estate guide and nearby Kentfield for more.
Costs and rules specific to a Ross purchase
- Transfer tax. The Marin County Recorder’s transfer tax sheet lists the county documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000), and the only city tax it lists is San Rafael’s. We found no Ross city transfer tax on an official source, so we state only the county tax: $2,200 on a $2 million sale. Confirm the figure on your escrow estimate; our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Town permits and design review. As an incorporated town, Ross handles its own zoning, building permits and design review. Before relying on a remodel or addition plan, compare the seller’s disclosures with the Town’s permit history for the address.
- Fire hazard zones and AB 38. Check the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps. In High and Very High zones, sellers may need to provide AB 38 defensible space documentation.
- Flood and other hazards. The natural hazard disclosure report shows whether an address is in a mapped flood, landslide or fault zone. For homes near the creek, also check the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and ask whether flood insurance is required.
- Insurance. Get a homeowner’s insurance quote before you remove contingencies; wooded hillside lots can be hard to insure.
Ross 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 Ross. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Bragstad | Compass | Salesperson #00823526 | Ross, Kentfield, San Anselmo, Larkspur, Nicasio, Stinson Beach and other Marin towns |
| Deborah Cole | Compass | Salesperson #01937272 | Ross, Kentfield, Larkspur, Fairfax, Mill Valley and other Marin towns |
| Carey Hagglund Condy | Compass | Salesperson #01323032 | Ross, Kentfield, San Anselmo, Belvedere, Tiburon, Nicasio |
| Robert Craig | Compass | Salesperson #01258090 | Ross, Ross Valley, Kentfield, Kent Woodlands, San Anselmo, Larkspur and other Marin towns |
| Kris Klein | Coldwell Banker Realty, Greenbrae office | Salesperson #01934328 | Ross, Ross Valley, Greenbrae, Woodacre, Sausalito |
| Stephanie Lamarre | Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, Greenbrae | Broker #01840604 | Ross, Kentfield, San Anselmo, Sleepy Hollow, Greenbrae, Mill Valley |
| Laura Reinertsen | Compass | Salesperson #01226087 | Ross, Kentfield, Kent Woodlands, San Anselmo, Larkspur and other Marin towns |
| Kristin Sennett | Compass | Salesperson #01348547 | Ross, Kentfield, Kent Woodlands, San Anselmo, Fairfax and other Marin towns |
Compass agents are licensed under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235). Kris Klein is licensed under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304), the broker for Coldwell Banker Realty. Stephanie Lamarre is a broker associate for Decker Bullock Dreyfus Inc. (DRE #02027353), whose DRE record lists Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty as a business name and branches at 500 Drakes Landing Road and 189 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Greenbrae. Some DRE records show a legal name that differs from the name the agent uses (for example Paul Jonathan Bragstad, Carey Hagglund Condy, Kristin Hammer Klein and Stephanie Simonds Lamarre); in each case the license number on the profile matches the record we linked. Stephanie Lamarre’s profile is on homes.com, a listing site, rather than on her brokerage’s own site.
How to vet a Ross agent
- Ask about recent Ross sales. With only about 900 homes in town, ask how many Ross or Kent Woodlands sales the agent has handled and which comparable sales they would use.
- Ask how they handle Town permit history. A good agent should pull, or tell you how to pull, the Town’s permit file for the address and compare it with the seller’s disclosures.
- Check creek and flood exposure. For homes on the flats, ask about the FEMA flood zone, past flooding and any flood insurance the seller carries.
- Plan for fire-zone rules. For hillside homes, ask about the fire hazard zone, defensible space and how the seller will handle AB 38 documentation.
- Get insurance quotes early. Ask the agent to build insurance quotes into your contingency period.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current responsible broker on the DRE lookup.
Ross questions we hear
Does Ross have a city transfer tax?
The Marin County Recorder’s sheet lists only San Rafael as adding a city tax, and we found no Ross tax on an official source. A sale carries the county tax of $0.55 per $500; confirm the total on your escrow estimate.
What is the median home value in Ross?
The Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 estimate is top-coded at "$2 million or more," per Census Reporter. For a current price, ask an agent for recent sales of similar homes.
Who handles permits in Ross?
The Town of Ross, not Marin County, because Ross is incorporated. Ask the Town’s planning and building staff before you plan an addition, pool or second unit.
Why do most agents in this guide work for Compass?
Most profiles we found that name Ross belong to Compass agents. We also included one Coldwell Banker Realty agent and one Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty agent whose profiles name Ross. For more Ross Valley agents, see our Kentfield agents guide and Marin County agents guide.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Decker Bullock Dreyfus Inc. DRE record (Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty business name and branches)
- Census Reporter, Ross, CA (ACS 2024 5-year)
- Marin County Recorder, documentary transfer tax
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Agent profiles on compass.com, coldwellbankerhomes.com and homes.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: Kentfield · Greenbrae
Related: Ross real estate guide · Ross home valuation · Marin 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.
