Choosing a Real Estate Agent in Rodeo, CA
By Matthew Martinez
Rodeo is an unincorporated community of about 9,000 people on San Pablo Bay in west Contra Costa County, between Hercules and Crockett, with older homes near the waterfront and hillside neighborhoods above it. Because Rodeo is not a city, planning, permits and many local rules come from Contra Costa County, and a Rodeo agent should be able to explain how that affects a purchase, read an older home’s permit history and flag hillside and shoreline hazard questions.
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 to use this agent guide
Start with the property questions below, then compare the publisher and five regional candidates. Public profiles and licensing records answer different questions: a license establishes regulatory status, while a profile describes claimed service areas. Neither establishes local sales experience, quality of service or suitability for your transaction. Some candidates name neighboring communities or the county rather than Rodeo itself; the profile evidence is shown explicitly. Interview more than one agent and ask for recent, relevant examples.
Rodeo housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2020–2024 5-year) | Rodeo CDP |
|---|---|
| Population | 8,976 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $663,200 |
| Median household income | $91,484 |
| Mean travel time to work | 38.1 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, via Census Reporter, Rodeo, CA. Small-area survey figures have wide margins of error.
The 2020–2024 median owner-occupied value was about $663,000. These are survey figures, not current sale prices. To price a specific home, an agent should pull recent sales of the same property type in Rodeo and neighboring Hercules and Crockett.
Rodeo settings: the waterfront, hillside streets and county rules
Rodeo’s older homes sit near the waterfront and the old downtown, with single-family neighborhoods and some townhomes and condos on the hills above. The County prepared a Rodeo Waterfront/Downtown Specific Plan for the shoreline area, and local land-use questions go to Contra Costa County; the Rodeo Municipal Advisory Council advises the County on local issues. Older homes call for a close look at permit history and inspections, hillside lots bring drainage, fire zone and insurance checks, and attached homes come with HOA budgets and rules. Our guides to comparing Rodeo housing settings, older-home records and inspections and condo and townhome ownership costs go into more detail. See also our Rodeo real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to a Rodeo purchase
- Transfer tax. The Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder charges the county documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value. Rodeo is unincorporated, so no city transfer tax applies. On a $660,000 sale, the county tax is $726. Who pays is negotiable; confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
- County permits and planning. Building permits and planning approvals for Rodeo homes come from Contra Costa County. Compare the seller’s disclosures with County permit records for additions and conversions; our Rodeo older-home records guide covers the basics.
- Condos and townhomes. Request the HOA budget, reserve study, rules and any special assessments before you remove contingencies. Our Rodeo condo and townhome costs guide explains what to review.
- Ownership budget. Our Rodeo homeownership budget guide lists the recurring costs to plan for.
- 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, flood or tsunami zone.
Agent profiles to compare for a Rodeo transaction
Matthew Martinez, Diamond Real Estate Group (publisher)
Matthew Martinez is the Founder, CEO and Managing Broker of Diamond Real Estate Group, based in Sonoma County. Contact him to discuss representation for your specific property and location. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc #02163490.
Five regional interview candidates
These profiles are drawn from the local and broader county research. The final column records the location evidence in each public profile; a nearby town or county reference does not establish completed transactions in Rodeo. Ask each candidate to demonstrate relevant experience before hiring them. This is an interview starting point, not a ranking or a claim that every agent specializes in this community.
| Agent / public profile | Brokerage as described by the profile | DRE record | Geographic evidence in the source profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisa Chilton | Coldwell Banker Realty, Berkeley office | Salesperson #02155460 | Pinole, San Pablo, El Sobrante, Richmond, Rodeo, Hercules, Crockett and other Bay Area cities |
| Matthew Potter | RE/MAX Accord, Walnut Creek office | Salesperson #02443005 | Rodeo, Hercules, Crockett, Benicia, Pinole |
| Jason Caskie | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01347068 | Danville office |
| Kelly Copland | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01376412 | Danville office |
| John Heywood | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01765306 | Danville office |
For a wider comparison, read the county agent guide. Verify current license status and brokerage affiliation on the linked DRE record, and agree on representation terms in writing.
How to vet a Rodeo agent
- Ask how they handle County permits. Because Rodeo is unincorporated, ask how the agent checks County permit records and planning rules for the address.
- Ask for comparables from Rodeo and its neighbors. With few sales in a small community, ask which Rodeo, Hercules and Crockett sales they use and why.
- For an older home, ask about inspections. Ask which inspections they usually recommend (sewer lateral, foundation, roof, drainage) and how they compare permit records with what was built.
- 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 for a net sheet. An estimate should show the county transfer tax, title and escrow costs, HOA fees if any 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.
Rodeo questions we hear
Is Rodeo a city?
No. Rodeo is an unincorporated community, so Contra Costa County handles planning, permits and most local services. The Rodeo Municipal Advisory Council advises the County on local matters.
Does Rodeo have a city transfer tax?
No. As an unincorporated area, Rodeo sales carry the county documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500, according to the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder. Confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
Why are there so few agents in this guide?
We list only agents whose public brokerage profile names Rodeo and whose license we confirmed. Many agents who work in Rodeo list only larger nearby cities, so also consider agents in our Pinole and Richmond guides.
How do I check a Rodeo 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.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter: Rodeo, CA (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-year estimates)
- Agent profiles at Coldwell Banker Realty and RE/MAX, linked in the table
- Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder: documentary transfer tax
- CEQAnet: Rodeo Waterfront/Downtown Specific Plan and Contra Costa County: Rodeo Municipal Advisory Council
- 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: Rodeo real estate guide · Rodeo 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.
