Best Realtors in Walnut Creek, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Walnut Creek is a central Contra Costa County city of about 70,000 people, with a downtown near BART, a large stock of condos and townhomes, and single-family neighborhoods that climb toward the open space ridges around the city. A Walnut Creek agent should be able to read HOA documents closely, explain what a home’s permit history shows and flag fire zone and insurance questions on hillside streets.
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. We left out anyone whose record showed no responsible broker, or whose responsible broker did not match the brokerage they are listed with.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the responsible broker they work under, and it matches the brokerage on their profile or office roster.
- A public profile that names Walnut Creek. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile or the brokerage’s Walnut Creek office roster and confirmed it names Walnut Creek or a Walnut Creek office.
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.
Walnut Creek housing in numbers
| Census measure | Walnut Creek |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 70,012 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate (2020–2024) | 64.4% |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (2020–2024) | $1,057,300 |
| Median gross rent (2020–2024) | $2,680 |
| Median household income (2020–2024, 2024 dollars) | $130,432 |
| Persons per household (2020–2024) | 2.09 |
| Mean travel time to work (2020–2024) | 30.6 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Walnut Creek city, California.
The 2020–2024 median owner-occupied value was just over $1 million, and household size averaged about two people, which fits a city with many condos, townhomes and smaller households. These are five-year survey figures, not current sale prices. To price a specific home, an agent should pull recent sales of the same property type in the same neighborhood.
Walnut Creek settings: downtown condos, planned communities and hillside streets
Walnut Creek’s housing falls into a few broad settings. Condos and apartments cluster near downtown and the BART station, many townhome and planned-development communities come with HOAs, and single-family neighborhoods spread out toward the open space ridges at the city’s edges. Each raises different questions: condos and planned developments come with HOA budgets, reserves and rules, older homes call for a careful look at permit records, and hillside lots add fire zone, drainage and insurance checks. Our guides to Walnut Creek HOA and assessment costs, home improvement records and comparing Walnut Creek neighborhoods go into more detail. See also our Walnut Creek real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to a Walnut Creek purchase
- Transfer tax. The Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder charges the county documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value. The Recorder’s page lists separate city taxes only for El Cerrito and Richmond, so a Walnut Creek sale typically carries the county tax only. On a $1,050,000 sale, the county tax is about $1,155. Who pays is negotiable; confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
- HOAs and condos. For a condo, townhome or planned-development home, request the HOA budget, reserve study, rules and any special assessments before you remove contingencies. Our Walnut Creek HOA costs guide explains what to review.
- Permit history. Compare the seller’s disclosures with permit records for additions, garage conversions and other work; our home improvement records guide covers the basics.
- Inspections and insurance. Ask for quotes early, since they vary by address; our Walnut Creek inspection and insurance planning guide lists common steps.
- Fire hazard zones and AB 38. Check whether the address sits in a State Fire Marshal Fire Hazard Severity Zone. In High and Very High zones, sellers may need to provide AB 38 defensible space documentation.
- Other hazards. The natural hazard disclosure report shows whether an address is in a mapped earthquake fault, landslide or flood zone.
- City or county? Some homes with a Walnut Creek mailing address are in unincorporated Contra Costa County, which changes who issues permits. Confirm the jurisdiction with the city or county planning office.
Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Randy Carlos | RE/MAX Accord | Salesperson #02161438 | Walnut Creek office |
| Nancy Christman | RE/MAX Accord | Salesperson #01998923 | Walnut Creek office |
| Adam Cox | RE/MAX Accord | Broker #01824392 | Danville office, Walnut Creek |
| Deniz Halilov | Coldwell Banker Realty, Walnut Creek office | Salesperson #01997918 | Walnut Creek office |
| Malaika Hunt | Coldwell Banker Realty, Walnut Creek office | Broker #01358675 | Walnut Creek office |
| Leigh Klock | Coldwell Banker Realty, Walnut Creek office | Salesperson #01874255 | Walnut Creek office |
| Jeanne Lam | Compass | Salesperson #02054979 | Alameda, Oakland, Berkeley, Walnut Creek |
| Sonia Ledo | RE/MAX Accord | Salesperson #01100829 | Walnut Creek office; Contra Costa and Solano counties |
| Darlene Lizotte | Coldwell Banker Realty, Walnut Creek office | Salesperson #02113211 | Walnut Creek office |
| Anna Masis | RE/MAX Accord | Salesperson #01933285 | Walnut Creek office |
| Alison Matsuhara | RE/MAX Accord | Salesperson #01432223 | Walnut Creek office; Berkeley, Oakland, Walnut Creek, Alameda, El Cerrito |
| Noreen Mulholland | Coldwell Banker Realty, Walnut Creek office | Salesperson #01115287 | Walnut Creek office |
| Naimah Thompson | Coldwell Banker Realty, Walnut Creek office | Salesperson #01981963 DRE record name: Grant, Naimah Bashara. | Walnut Creek office |
Coldwell Banker Realty agents above appear on the brokerage’s Walnut Creek office roster and are licensed under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304). RE/MAX Accord agents are licensed under S&J Stadtler Inc (DRE #01491373), as shown on each DRE record; RE/MAX profiles show the brokerage’s Walnut Creek office (800 S Broadway), except Adam Cox, whose profile names the Danville office and Walnut Creek. Jeanne Lam is licensed under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235). Broker-licensed agents work as broker associates. Naimah Thompson’s DRE record lists her legal name as Naimah Bashara Grant.
How to vet a Walnut Creek agent
- Ask for comparables from the same property type. A downtown condo, a planned-development townhome and a hillside single-family home trade in different ranges; make sure the agent prices from the right sales.
- For a condo or HOA home, ask how they review association documents. Ask what they look for in the budget, reserves, insurance and meeting minutes, and how they flag pending special assessments.
- For a hillside home, ask about fire zones and insurance. Ask how they handle AB 38 documentation and when they recommend getting insurance quotes.
- Ask about permits and inspections. Ask which inspections they usually recommend (sewer lateral, foundation, roof, drainage) and how they compare permit records with what was built.
- Ask for a net sheet. An estimate should show the county transfer tax, HOA transfer and document fees if any, title and escrow costs and the commission terms you agreed to.
- Verify the license yourself. Look up the agent on the DRE site and confirm the responsible broker matches the brokerage they name.
Walnut Creek questions we hear
Does Walnut Creek have its own transfer tax?
The Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder’s transfer tax page lists city taxes only for El Cerrito and Richmond, so a Walnut Creek sale typically shows the county tax of $0.55 per $500. Confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
What should I check before buying a Walnut Creek condo or townhome?
Request the HOA budget, reserve study, rules, master insurance details and recent minutes, and ask whether any special assessments are planned. Our Walnut Creek HOA costs guide has a checklist.
Is my Walnut Creek address inside the city?
Not always. Some neighborhoods with a Walnut Creek mailing address are unincorporated, so permits and planning rules come from Contra Costa County. Your agent or the title report can confirm the jurisdiction.
How do I check a Walnut Creek agent’s license?
Search the name or license number on the DRE public lookup. The record shows license type, status and responsible broker. Every agent in our table links to the record we checked.
Should I interview more than one Walnut Creek agent?
Yes. Interview at least two or three, ask each for recent sales near the homes you are considering, and compare how they explain pricing, HOA documents and inspections for that address.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Walnut Creek city, California (V2025 population estimate; 2020–2024 ACS figures)
- Coldwell Banker Realty Walnut Creek office agent roster
- RE/MAX agent search, Walnut Creek, CA
- Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder: documentary transfer tax
- State Fire Marshal: Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Related: Walnut Creek real estate guide · Walnut Creek home valuation · Contra Costa 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.
