Best Realtors in Saratoga, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Saratoga is a Santa Clara County city of about 30,000 people at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains, between Cupertino, San Jose and Los Gatos. Most homes are single-family houses on larger lots, from flat valley-floor streets near Saratoga Village to hillside parcels toward the mountains, and many of the agents who work here are based at the Coldwell Banker office on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road or in nearby Los Gatos.
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 Saratoga. We opened each agent’s brokerage roster, brokerage profile or MLS profile and confirmed it names Saratoga (or its ZIP code, 95070) as a service area, or lists the agent at a Saratoga 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.
Saratoga housing in numbers
| Census measure | Saratoga |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 30,418 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate (2020–2024) | 86.4% |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (2020–2024) | $2,000,000 or more (top-coded) |
| Median gross rent (2020–2024) | $3,500 or more (top-coded) |
| Median household income (2020–2024, 2024 dollars) | $250,000 or more (top-coded) |
| Persons per household (2020–2024) | 2.79 |
| Mean travel time to work (2020–2024) | 25.1 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Saratoga city, California.
The Census reports Saratoga’s median home value, rent and income only as "or more" figures because they sit above the survey’s top reporting limits, so the table cannot tell you what a typical home costs. Most homes are owner-occupied. Ask agents for recent closed sales of homes like the one you want, on similar lot sizes and slopes.
Saratoga Village, the valley floor and the hillsides
- Saratoga Village. The small downtown on Big Basin Way has shops and restaurants, with older homes and some condos on the streets around it.
- Valley-floor neighborhoods. North and east of the Village, much of the city is single-family housing on level lots, closer to Cupertino, San Jose and the Highway 85 corridor.
- Hillside parcels. Toward the Santa Cruz Mountains, larger lots on winding roads fall under the City’s Hillside Residential zoning and, in many cases, mapped fire hazard zones.
For more on the city, see our Saratoga real estate guide, hillside home due diligence, hillside ownership budget and renovation feasibility records pages.
Costs and rules specific to a Saratoga purchase
- County transfer tax. The Santa Clara County Ordinance Code, Division A30, Chapter III sets the county tax at 55 cents per $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000), and the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder collects transfer tax when the deed records: about $2,200 on a $2,000,000 sale. Confirm the amount on your escrow estimate. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays, and our Santa Clara County city transfer taxes page covers the cities that add their own tax.
- Design review and hillside rules. The City’s Planning Division runs design review for new homes and many additions, publishes a single-family design review handbook and objective design standards, and has separate standards for the Hillside Residential district. If you plan to rebuild or expand, ask Planning what review your project would need before you rely on it.
- Protected trees. The City requires a permit to remove protected trees and an arborist review for work near a protected tree’s dripline; see its Trees page. Design review plans must include a tree protection plan.
- Fire zones and AB 38. The City has guidance on building in a fire zone or the wildland-urban interface. Check the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, get an insurance quote early, and in a High or Very High zone see our AB 38 guide.
- Hazard disclosures. The natural hazard disclosure report shows mapped earthquake, landslide, flood and fire zones for the address.
Saratoga 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 Saratoga. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Borromeo (licensed as Joseph Paul Borromeo) | Compass, Los Gatos | Salesperson #01925793 | Saratoga, Los Gatos, Campbell, San Jose |
| Arlene Chui | Coldwell Banker Realty, Saratoga | Salesperson #01215019 | Saratoga office |
| Loren Cook | Coldwell Banker Realty, Saratoga | Salesperson #01195219 | Saratoga office |
| Earl Girbovan | Coldwell Banker Realty, Saratoga | Broker #01794616 | Saratoga office |
| Patrick Kong | Coldwell Banker Realty, Saratoga | Salesperson #01506503 | Saratoga, Cupertino, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Milpitas |
| Anthony Lum | Coldwell Banker Realty, Saratoga | Salesperson #01172999 | Saratoga office |
| Jay Nauss (licensed as James Joseph Nauss) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Saratoga | Salesperson #01374954 | Saratoga office |
| Lisa Radding | Coldwell Banker Realty, Los Gatos | Broker #01375805 | Saratoga, Los Gatos, Campbell, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Cambrian |
| Kirsten Trapani | Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno, Los Gatos | Salesperson #02085469 | ZIP codes including 95070 (Saratoga), Los Gatos, Campbell, San Jose and Mountain View |
| Li-Hua Wang | Coldwell Banker Realty, Saratoga | Salesperson #01004603 | Saratoga office |
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), and Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno agents under Sereno Group, Inc. (DRE #02101181). Agents marked "Saratoga office" appear on the Coldwell Banker Saratoga office roster. For more agents across the county, see our Santa Clara County agents guide.
How to vet a Saratoga agent
- Ask for sales on similar lots. A level lot near the Village and a hillside parcel off a private road are different markets; ask for comparable sales of the same type.
- Ask how they check what can be built. Ask how the agent confirms zoning, slope limits and past permits before you count on a remodel, rebuild or ADU.
- Ask about trees early. Protected trees can shape where an addition or pool can go; ask whether the agent has worked with arborist reports.
- Check fire zone and insurance. Ask for the hazard disclosure report and an insurance quote before contingencies come off.
- Ask about school boundaries. Saratoga addresses can fall in different school districts; ask how the agent confirms attendance areas with the district itself.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
Saratoga questions we hear
Does Saratoga have a city transfer tax?
San Jose, Mountain View and Palo Alto add their own city taxes. We did not find a city transfer tax in the Saratoga city code; confirm on your escrow estimate.
What is the median home value in Saratoga?
The Census reports it only as $2,000,000 or more for 2020–2024, because values exceed the survey’s top limit. Ask an agent for recent comparable sales.
Do I need City approval to remodel a Saratoga home?
Many new homes and additions go through the City’s design review, and hillside lots have their own standards. Check with the Planning Division before you buy if a remodel is part of your plan.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree?
For protected trees, yes. The City’s Trees page explains the permit and arborist requirements.
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, Saratoga city, California
- 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
- City of Saratoga, Planning Division
- City of Saratoga, Trees
- City of Saratoga, Building in a Fire Zone or the Wildland-Urban Interface
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Coldwell Banker Saratoga 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: Campbell · San Jose · Redwood Estates
Related: Saratoga real estate guide · Saratoga 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.
