Best Realtors in Valley Ford, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Valley Ford is a tiny unincorporated town on Highway 1 in southwest Sonoma County, set among dairy and grazing land a few miles inland from the coast between Bodega and Tomales. Sales here are few and usually involve ranch land, older farmhouses or homes in the small town center, so most agents who work the area are based in Santa Rosa, Sebastopol or Petaluma.
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 Valley Ford or a neighboring area. Because so few homes sell here, only two of the profiles we opened name Valley Ford itself, through a past sale. The other agents’ profiles name nearby Bodega, Bodega Bay or west Sonoma County; the table shows which.
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.
Valley Ford housing in numbers
The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates for the Valley Ford census-designated place, as shown by Census Reporter, do not include usable figures for population, income or home value; the place is too small for the survey sample. Ask an agent for recent sales of comparable rural property, which is the only reliable price guide here.
Ranch land, Highway 1 and the coast
Valley Ford has no city government, so Sonoma County handles zoning and permits. Most of the land around town is agricultural, much of it grazing land with older homes, barns and outbuildings, and parcels can be large. Expect wells, septic systems, long driveways and, on some ranch parcels, agricultural easements or Williamson Act contracts that limit how land can be divided or used. See our Valley Ford real estate guide, coastal property records notes, coastal home inspections and coastal ownership budget, plus our Sonoma Coast vineyard land page.
Costs and rules specific to a Valley Ford purchase
- Transfer tax. Valley Ford is unincorporated, so only the county tax applies. The Sonoma County Recorder’s transfer tax page lists it at $0.55 per $500 of value, or $1.10 per $1,000: about $1,100 on a $1,000,000 sale. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Coastal Zone. Parts of west Sonoma County near the coast fall inside the state Coastal Zone, where new building and some changes of use need a coastal development permit. Check the parcel on the Coastal Commission’s Coastal Zone boundary maps and ask the County about permits before you plan work.
- Agricultural land. Ask for the zoning, any recorded agricultural or conservation easements, and whether the parcel is under a Williamson Act contract. See our agricultural zoning page and groundwater rules page.
- Wells and septic. Ask for well logs, a yield and water-quality test and a septic inspection. Our wells, septic and rural utilities article covers what to request.
- Hazards and insurance. Look up the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, read the natural hazard disclosure report, and get an insurance quote before you remove contingencies.
Valley Ford 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 Valley Ford. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Bohling (licensed as Douglas K Bohling) | Artisan Sotheby’s International Realty, Sebastopol | Broker #00924996 | Nearby only: Bodega Bay sale; Sebastopol, Russian River Valley, Santa Rosa |
| Heidi Faulkner (licensed as Heidi Maureen Faulkner) | Artisan Sotheby’s International Realty, Sebastopol | Salesperson #01227446 | Nearby only: West Sonoma County, Bodega Bay, Occidental, Sebastopol |
| Steve Hecht (licensed as Steven Lee Hecht) | Artisan Sotheby’s International Realty, Sebastopol | Broker #01378755 | Nearby only: Bodega Bay, Sebastopol |
| Doug Hecker (licensed as Douglas Michael Hecker) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Petaluma | Salesperson #01347843 | Valley Ford sale; Bodega Bay, Occidental, Petaluma, Sebastopol (CB profile) |
| Mike Lagoyda (licensed as George Michael Lagoyda Jr) | Corcoran Icon Properties, Santa Rosa | Salesperson #01933576 | Valley Ford sale; Santa Rosa, Russian River Valley |
| Kathleen Seibel (licensed as Kathleen Mary Seibel) | W Real Estate, Petaluma | Salesperson #00661442 | Nearby only: Bodega sale on Valley Ford-Freestone Road; Petaluma, Sebastopol |
On the DRE record, Artisan Sotheby’s International Realty agents are licensed under Artisan Realty Group, Inc., whose record lists Artisan Sotheby’s International Realty as a business name and a Sebastopol branch; Coldwell Banker Realty agents under NRT West, Inc.; Corcoran Icon Properties agents under Norcal United Real Estate Partners, whose record lists Corcoran Icon Properties as a business name and a Santa Rosa branch; and W Real Estate agents under W Real Estate. For more agents on the coast and in west county, see our Sonoma County agents guide.
How to vet a Valley Ford agent
- Ask about ranch and agricultural sales. Valley Ford property often comes with grazing leases, barns, ag zoning or easements; ask how many such sales the agent has handled.
- Ask how they will price a property with few comparables. With so few local sales, ask which nearby sales they would use and why.
- Confirm water before you write an offer. Ask for well logs and yield tests, and ask about any ponds or water rights.
- Check the Coastal Zone and permits. Ask whether the parcel needs coastal permits for the work you plan.
- Check easements and leases. Ask for recorded easements and any grazing or farm leases that would continue after the sale.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
Valley Ford questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Valley Ford?
No. Valley Ford is unincorporated, so only the Sonoma County tax of $1.10 per $1,000 applies, per the County Recorder.
What is the median home value in Valley Ford?
There is no usable Census estimate for a place this small. Ask an agent for recent sales of comparable rural property nearby.
Is Valley Ford in the Coastal Zone?
Check the specific parcel on the Coastal Commission’s boundary maps; coastal permit rules apply only inside the mapped zone.
Why do most agents in this guide name nearby areas instead of Valley Ford?
Very few homes sell in Valley Ford, so only two of the profiles we checked show a Valley Ford sale. The others work nearby in Bodega, Bodega Bay and west county, and the table says so.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, Valley Ford CDP profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- Sonoma County Clerk-Recorder, Documentary Transfer Tax
- California Coastal Commission, Coastal Zone boundary maps
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Artisan Realty Group, Inc. DRE record; Norcal United Real Estate Partners DRE record
- Agent profiles on homes.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.
Nearby agent guides: Occidental · Penngrove · The Sea Ranch
Related: Valley Ford real estate guide · Valley Ford home valuation · Sonoma 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.
