Best Realtors in Santa Lucia Preserve, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
The Santa Lucia Preserve is a private, gated community of about 20,000 acres in the hills south of Carmel Valley, about 10 minutes from Carmel-by-the-Sea. Its owners say 18,000 of those acres are protected by a conservation land trust and that the community has just 297 homesites, so sales are few and most involve large rural lots or custom homes.
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 the Santa Lucia Preserve. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile and confirmed it names the Preserve.
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.
The Preserve’s own website says the community is not a licensed real estate broker and that listings come from independent licensed brokers. Only a handful of profiles name the Preserve, so this list is short; every agent below works from a Carmel office.
Santa Lucia Preserve housing in numbers
The Census Bureau does not publish separate figures for the Preserve, which has no Census place of its own. For context, the American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimate of the median owner-occupied home value for all of Monterey County is $808,600, as shown on Census Reporter’s county profile. That figure says little about Preserve homesites, which are few and large; ask agents for closed sales inside the gates.
| Fact | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total area | About 20,000 acres | Santa Lucia Preserve |
| Land protected by a conservation land trust | 18,000 acres | Santa Lucia Preserve |
| Homesites | 297 | Santa Lucia Preserve |
Homesites, the conservancy and the club
The Preserve sits in unincorporated Monterey County, so the County handles zoning and building permits, while the Santa Lucia Conservancy manages the protected land. Its entrance is at 1 Rancho San Carlos Road off Carmel Valley Road. Golf club memberships are offered to residents and non-residents, according to the Preserve’s website; ask the seller and the association what dues, assessments and membership terms come with a particular lot. For the surrounding area, see our Santa Lucia Preserve page and our Monterey County land and ranches guide.
Costs and rules specific to a Santa Lucia Preserve purchase
- Transfer tax. The Preserve is unincorporated, so no city transfer tax applies. Monterey County Code Chapter 5.32 sets Monterey County’s documentary transfer tax at 55 cents per $500 ($1.10 per $1,000), often paid by the seller by local custom (your contract decides): $3,300 on a $3 million sale. Confirm it on your escrow estimate, and see our California transfer tax guide.
- Association documents. Ask for the CC&Rs, design guidelines, budget and any conservation easement terms that apply to the lot before you remove contingencies. They can limit where and how you build.
- Vacation rentals. The County’s short-term rental page says stays of 30 days or less in the inland unincorporated county need a discretionary permit and are limited to certain districts. Association rules may be stricter.
- Fire hazard and insurance. Check the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, read our AB 38 defensible space guide and the natural hazard disclosure report, and get an insurance quote early.
- Water, septic and building. For a vacant homesite, ask what water and wastewater service the lot has, and get a builder’s estimate and County permit timeline before you commit.
Santa Lucia Preserve 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 the Santa Lucia Preserve. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dana Bambace | Compass, Carmel | Salesperson #01731448 | Santa Lucia Preserve, Carmel Valley, Pebble Beach, Carmel Highlands |
| Alan Drew (licensed as Alan Winter Drew) | Compass, Carmel | Broker #02029344 | Santa Lucia Preserve, Carmel, Carmel Valley |
| Lisa Guthrie | Compass, Carmel | Broker #01250803 | Santa Lucia Preserve, Carmel, Carmel Valley |
| Nancy Nino | Coldwell Banker Realty, Carmel-by-the-Sea | Salesperson #02168301 | Santa Lucia Preserve, Carmel Valley, Pebble Beach |
| Jonathan Spencer | Compass, Carmel | Salesperson #01916757 | Santa Lucia Preserve, Carmel, Pebble Beach, Big Sur |
On the DRE record, Compass agents are licensed under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235), and Coldwell Banker Realty agents under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304). For more Carmel-area agents, see our Pebble Beach guide and our Monterey County agents guide.
How to vet a Santa Lucia Preserve agent
- Ask how many Preserve sales they have handled. Few homes sell each year, and lot rules, easements and membership terms vary.
- Ask for the association and easement documents early. Ask the agent to get the CC&Rs, design guidelines and any conservation terms before you write an offer.
- Ask about building costs on vacant lots. Ask for builder and architect contacts, and for realistic County permit and construction timelines.
- Get insurance quotes before you commit. Wildland lots can be costly to insure.
- Ask about dues and membership. Ask what association dues, assessments and club terms come with the lot.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
Santa Lucia Preserve questions we hear
Does the Preserve sell homes itself?
Its website says the Santa Lucia Preserve is not a licensed real estate broker and that listing information comes from independent licensed brokers.
How many homesites are there?
The Preserve’s website says it has 297 homesites on about 20,000 acres, with 18,000 acres protected by a conservation land trust.
Is there a transfer tax?
Only the county tax, set at $1.10 per $1,000 by Monterey County Code Chapter 5.32 and often paid by the seller by local custom; your contract decides.
Can I rent out a Preserve home short term?
Short stays in the inland unincorporated county need a discretionary County permit in eligible districts, and association rules may add limits. Confirm both before you count on rental income.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Santa Lucia Preserve (acreage, protected land, homesite count, address) and its careers page (broker disclaimer)
- Census Reporter, Monterey County profile (ACS 2024 1-year)
- Monterey County Code Chapter 5.32, Documentary Transfer Tax (county rate of $0.55 per $500, with credit for a qualifying city tax)
- Monterey County HCD, short-term rentals
- State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Agent profiles on compass.com and coldwellbankerhomes.com, linked in the table
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Related: Santa Lucia Preserve real estate guide · Santa Lucia Preserve home valuation · Monterey 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.
