Best Realtors in San Jose, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
San Jose is the largest city in Santa Clara County and in the Bay Area, home to about 990,000 people across the valley floor and into the eastern and southern foothills. Its neighborhoods range from Willow Glen, Rose Garden and Naglee Park near downtown to Almaden Valley, Cambrian, Evergreen, Berryessa and the East Foothills, with condos and new apartments in the urban core. Closing costs here depend on price, because the City adds its Measure E transfer tax on higher-value 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, 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 San Jose. We opened each agent’s brokerage roster, brokerage profile or MLS profile and confirmed it names San Jose (or San Jose ZIP codes) as a service area, or lists the agent at a San Jose 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.
San Jose housing in numbers
| Census measure | San Jose |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 989,814 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate (2020–2024) | 55.8% |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (2020–2024) | $1,233,200 |
| Median gross rent (2020–2024) | $2,669 |
| Median household income (2020–2024, 2024 dollars) | $146,427 |
| Persons per household (2020–2024) | 2.97 |
| Mean travel time to work (2020–2024) | 27.3 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, San Jose city, California.
A citywide median covers very different markets, from downtown condos to Almaden Valley and Silver Creek houses. Ask agents for recent closed sales in the same neighborhood, school area and property type.
Willow Glen, Almaden, Evergreen and the rest of the city
- Central neighborhoods. Willow Glen, the Rose Garden, Naglee Park and the streets around downtown have many older homes, with condos and new apartment towers in the core.
- West and south. Cambrian, Almaden Valley, Blossom Valley and Santa Teresa are largely single-family suburbs, with hillside lots on the edges toward the Santa Cruz Mountains and the New Almaden area.
- East and north. Evergreen, Silver Creek, Berryessa, Alum Rock and North San Jose range from older tracts to master-planned communities; the East Foothills and the road up to Mount Hamilton are largely unincorporated county land.
Some homes with San Jose mailing addresses sit in unincorporated county pockets or other cities, so taxes and permits can differ. For more on the city, see our San Jose real estate guide and rent ordinance for investors page.
Costs and rules specific to a San Jose purchase
- Measure E transfer tax. The City of San José says its Measure E real property transfer tax, approved by voters on March 3, 2020, applies to transfers of $2 million or more, with the money going mostly to affordable housing and homelessness programs. The City Attorney’s impartial analysis set the rate at 0.75% for transfers of $2 million to $5 million, 1% above $5 million to $10 million and 1.5% above $10 million, applied to the full price, and said the exemption threshold adjusts with inflation every five years starting July 1, 2025. Ask escrow for the current threshold.
- City conveyance tax. The same analysis notes that San José already had a separate conveyance tax on property transfers, which applies in addition to Measure E. Ask escrow to show it as its own line.
- 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 at recording: about $1,357 on a $1,233,200 sale. Confirm every transfer tax on your escrow estimate. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Apartment Rent Ordinance. The City says its rent stabilization program covers apartments in buildings of three or more units built and occupied before September 7, 1979, and limits increases to one 5% increase in any 12 months. Single-family homes, duplexes, condos, townhomes and ADUs are excluded. If you are buying an older multifamily building, confirm coverage with the City before you rely on projected rents.
- Hazards. The natural hazard disclosure report shows flood, liquefaction and fault zones. Hillside areas carry State Fire Marshal Fire Hazard Severity Zone designations; in a High or Very High zone, see our AB 38 guide.
San Jose 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 San Jose. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Ang (licensed as Jennifer Mou Ang) | Coldwell Banker Realty, San Jose | Salesperson #01229201 | San Jose office |
| Nicki Banucci (licensed as Nicole Andros Banucci) | Compass, San Jose | Salesperson #01405054 | San Jose (bio), Santa Clara County; San Jose ZIP codes including 95110, 95120, 95125 and 95136 |
| Joe Borromeo (licensed as Joseph Paul Borromeo) | Compass, Los Gatos | Salesperson #01925793 | San Jose, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell |
| Kim Carmassi (licensed as Kimberly Carey Carmassi) | Coldwell Banker Realty, San Jose | Salesperson #01449206 | San Jose office |
| Steve Davis | Coldwell Banker Realty, San Jose | Salesperson #01162166 | San Jose office |
| Trevor Feichtmann | Intero Real Estate Services, Saratoga | Salesperson #02049253 | San Jose ZIP codes including 95110, 95112, 95117, 95126 and 95128; Santa Clara |
| Katie Figueroa (licensed as Mary Kate Figueroa) | Coldwell Banker Realty, San Jose | Salesperson #01736299 | San Jose office |
| Mike Hammill (licensed as Michael D Hammill) | Compass, Los Gatos | Salesperson #01859722 | San Jose ZIP codes including 95118, 95120, 95123, 95124 and 95125; Saratoga, Los Gatos, Campbell |
| Patrick Kong | Coldwell Banker Realty, Saratoga | Salesperson #01506503 | San Jose, Cupertino, Saratoga, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Milpitas |
| Greg Peralta (licensed as Gregory Paul Peralta) | Coldwell Banker Realty, San Jose | Salesperson #01403345 | San Jose office |
| Mary Pope-Handy (licensed as Mary Eleanor Pope-Handy) | Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno, Los Gatos | Salesperson #01153805 | Cambrian, Almaden, Willow Glen and Blossom Valley; Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell |
| Sarah Rios | Coldwell Banker Realty, San Jose | Salesperson #01514532 | San Jose office |
| Suzie Snowden (licensed as Suzanne Marie Snowden) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Los Gatos | Broker #02030931 | Almaden, Cambrian and Blossom Valley; Campbell, Los Gatos, Morgan Hill |
| Kirsten Trapani | Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno, Los Gatos | Salesperson #02085469 | San Jose ZIP codes 95124, 95125 and 95126; Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell, Mountain View |
On the DRE record, Coldwell Banker Realty agents are licensed under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304), Compass agents under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235), Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno agents under Sereno Group, Inc. (DRE #02101181), and Intero agents under Intero Real Estate Services Inc (DRE #01354442). Agents marked "San Jose office" appear on the Coldwell Banker San Jose office roster. For more agents across the county, see our Santa Clara County agents guide.
How to vet a San Jose agent
- Ask which neighborhoods they sell in most. San Jose is too big for one market; ask for recent sales in your target area and school boundary.
- Ask for a net sheet near $2 million. Measure E applies to the full price once a sale reaches the threshold, so ask how the agent handles pricing and negotiation around it.
- For investors, ask about the rent ordinance. Ask how the agent confirms whether a building is covered and what the rent history shows.
- Confirm city limits. Ask the agent to check whether an address is in the City of San José or an unincorporated pocket, since taxes and permits differ.
- For hillside homes, ask about fire zones and insurance. Get the hazard disclosure report and an insurance quote before contingencies come off.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
San Jose questions we hear
What is Measure E?
It is a City of San José real property transfer tax approved in March 2020 for transfers of $2 million or more. The City Attorney’s analysis set rates of 0.75%, 1% and 1.5% by price tier, applied to the full price.
Is San Jose rent controlled?
For older apartments, yes. The City’s Apartment Rent Ordinance covers buildings of three or more units built and occupied before September 7, 1979, with one 5% increase allowed in 12 months.
What is the median home value in San Jose?
The Census estimates the median owner-occupied value at $1,233,200 for 2020–2024. Ask an agent for recent comparable sales in your neighborhood.
Are all San Jose addresses inside the City of San José?
No. Some areas with San Jose mailing addresses, including much of the East Foothills, are unincorporated county land. The title report shows the legal jurisdiction.
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, San Jose city, California
- City of San José, Measure E real property transfer tax
- City of San José, City Attorney’s impartial analysis of Measure E
- City of San José, Learn About Rent Stabilization
- 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
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Coldwell Banker San Jose office roster, plus agent profiles on coldwellbankerhomes.com, compass.com and mlslistings.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: Santa Clara · Campbell · Saratoga · New Almaden · Mount Hamilton · San Martin
Related: San Jose real estate guide · San Jose 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.
