Best Realtors in San Marcos, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
San Marcos is an inland North County San Diego city of about 97,000 people, home to Cal State San Marcos and master-planned hillside communities such as San Elijo Hills. Many homes here carry community facilities district taxes on top of HOA dues, so the agent you hire should be able to read a tax bill and explain what a specific address will cost to own.
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.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s profile and DRE record show the brokerage they work under.
- A public profile that names San Marcos. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile page and confirmed it lists San Marcos among the areas served.
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.
San Marcos housing in numbers
| Census measure | San Marcos |
|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2024 1-year) | 96,615 |
| Households (ACS 2024 1-year) | 30,992 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (ACS 2024 1-year) | $969,000 |
| Median household income (ACS 2024 1-year) | $109,520 |
| Mean travel time to work (ACS 2020–2024 5-year) | 26.5 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, as presented by Census Reporter. One-year figures have wide margins of error for a city this size. QuickFacts did not load when we checked.
The median owner-occupied value blends hillside planned-community homes, older valley homes and mobile homes, so it says little about any one address. Ask an agent for recent sales from the same community and, ideally, the same CFD.
San Marcos settings: planned communities, valley neighborhoods and the Creek District
San Marcos housing ranges from master-planned hillside areas such as San Elijo Hills to older valley neighborhoods, newer homes near the university, and the Creek District, which the city is replanning. The Creek Specific Plan update covers about 214 acres along San Marcos Creek; final draft documents were posted October 30, 2026 for Planning Commission review and are not yet adopted.
The city’s utilities page says water and sewer come from Vallecitos Water District, not the city. The Sprinter stops at Cal State San Marcos and San Marcos Civic Center on the line between Escondido and Oceanside. For more, see our San Marcos real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to a San Marcos purchase
- Transfer tax. The San Diego County Recorder collects documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000), about $1,000 on a $900,000 sale. We did not find a separate San Marcos city rate on an official source, so confirm with escrow. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Mello-Roos and service CFDs. The city’s CFD page lists districts for areas such as San Elijo Hills, Twin Oaks Valley Ranch and University Commons, plus service districts for police, fire and lighting and landscaping. Facilities CFDs usually end when bonds are repaid; service CFDs have no set end date and may rise each year within limits.
- Fire hazard zones and AB 38. The fire department runs a vegetation management program and offers AB 38 defensible space inspections for sales in high and very high zones. See our AB 38 guide.
- Mobile home parks. The city’s mobile home parks page describes a rent review commission that hears petitions from residents; it is a review process, not a fixed cap.
- Special tax disclosure. Sellers must make a good-faith effort to provide a notice of special tax districts under Civil Code section 1102.6b. Check flood status on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.
San Marcos 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 Marcos. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat Adair | Coldwell Banker Realty, North County San Diego office (Vista) | Salesperson #01374153 | San Marcos, San Elijo Hills, Vista, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Escondido |
| Terez Anderson | Coldwell Banker Realty, North County San Diego office (Vista) | Salesperson #02213832 | Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, San Diego, San Marcos |
| Dana Andrews | Coldwell Banker Realty, Carlsbad office | Salesperson #01342809 | Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido |
| Chrissy Bailey | Coldwell Banker Realty, North County San Diego office (Vista) | Salesperson #02120020 | Vista, Escondido, San Marcos, Carlsbad, San Diego |
| Gini De Armas | Coldwell Banker Realty, North County San Diego office (Vista) | Broker #00879140 | Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Encinitas, Carlsbad |
| Cheree Dracolakis | Coldwell Banker Realty, Carlsbad office | Salesperson #01299672 | Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido |
| Keith Elliott | Coldwell Banker Realty, Carlsbad office | Broker #01097485 | Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido |
| Linda Krikorian | Coldwell Banker Realty, North County San Diego office (Vista) | Broker #00782670 | Vista, Oceanside, San Marcos, Escondido, Carlsbad |
| Theresa Organ | Coldwell Banker Realty, North County San Diego office (Vista) | Salesperson #01506680 | Carlsbad, Encinitas, San Marcos, Vista, Escondido, Solana Beach |
| Mike Resnik | Coldwell Banker Realty, North County San Diego office (Vista) | Salesperson #02121528 | Vista, San Marcos, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Escondido |
| Bill Shaffer (licensed as William John Shaffer) | Coldwell Banker Realty, North County San Diego office (Vista) | Salesperson #01956858 | Vista, Oceanside, San Marcos, Escondido, Carlsbad |
| Shauna Shook | Coldwell Banker Realty, North County San Diego office (Vista) | Salesperson #01720608 | Vista, Carlsbad, Oceanside, San Marcos, Del Mar |
Coldwell Banker Realty is a trade name of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Company, the responsible broker on each DRE record; broker-licensed agents work there as broker associates.
How to vet a San Marcos agent
- Ask the agent to read the tax bill with you. A good San Marcos agent should identify each CFD line and say whether it is a facilities or service district.
- Ask for HOA and CFD costs together. In San Elijo Hills and other planned areas, the monthly cost of ownership can differ a lot between similar homes.
- Ask about fire zone status early. Hillside homes may need AB 38 documentation and may face higher insurance quotes.
- Ask how they treat the Creek District plan. Draft plans are not adopted rules, and the agent should say so.
- Ask for comparables from the same community. A San Elijo Hills home and an older valley home should not be priced from the same sales.
- Verify the license yourself. Look up the agent on the DRE site and confirm the brokerage matches what they tell you.
San Marcos questions we hear
Does San Marcos have its own transfer tax?
We did not find a San Marcos city transfer tax on an official source. The San Diego County Recorder collects the county tax at $0.55 per $500 and collects any city tax as well. Ask escrow to confirm the total.
Does a San Marcos home have Mello-Roos taxes?
Many do. The city’s CFD page lists area districts for places such as San Elijo Hills and Twin Oaks Valley Ranch and citywide service districts. Look for "CFD" lines on the tax bill.
Do San Marcos CFD taxes ever end?
It depends on the type. The city says facilities CFD taxes usually end when bonds are repaid, while service CFDs have no expiration date and may rise each year within limits.
Who provides water in San Marcos?
The city’s utilities page lists Vallecitos Water District for water and sewer. Confirm the provider from the seller’s bills.
Should I interview more than one San Marcos agent?
Yes. Interview at least two or three, ask each for recent sales in the community you are considering, and compare how they explain CFD and HOA costs for the address.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter: San Marcos, CA (ACS 2024 1-year and 2020–2024 5-year estimates)
- Coldwell Banker Realty agent profiles: North County San Diego office and Carlsbad office
- City of San Marcos: CFD (Mello-Roos) · utilities · community wildfire mitigation · AB 38 inspections · Creek Specific Plan update · mobile home parks
- NCTD Sprinter
- San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk: recording and transfer tax
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- 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: San Marcos real estate guide · San Marcos home valuation · San Diego 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.
