Best Real Estate Agents in Alameda County (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Alameda County stretches from Berkeley, Oakland and the bay-shore cities of the East Bay through Hayward and Fremont to the Tri-Valley cities of Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore. Eight of its cities add their own transfer tax on top of the county tax, so the closing cost of two similar homes a few miles apart can differ by thousands of dollars, and that is one reason the agent you hire should know the county city by city.
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
Every agent below met three tests in October 2026:
- 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 status of "Licensed." One agent whose record showed no current broker affiliation was left out.
- A named brokerage. We list the brokerage the agent markets under and note the responsible broker on the DRE record when the legal name differs.
- A public profile tied to Alameda County. We opened a public brokerage roster that places each agent in an Alameda County office.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider or report sales volume, reviews or awards. A license check is a starting point, not a recommendation. Verify each record yourself before signing anything, and interview more than one agent.
Alameda County housing in numbers
| Measure | Alameda County | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,649,060 | ACS 2024 1-year |
| Housing units | 650,539 | ACS 2024 1-year |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $1,090,600 | ACS 2024 1-year |
| Median household income | $129,130 | ACS 2024 1-year |
| Mean travel time to work | 32.7 minutes | ACS 2024 1-year |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter. Figures are estimates with margins of error.
A county median mixes Oakland hills homes, Fremont tract houses, Emeryville condos and Livermore-area acreage. Ask the agents you interview for recent sales that match the city, property type and age of the home you want.
North County, Central County, Fremont-Newark and the Tri-Valley
- North County. Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda, Albany, Emeryville and Piedmont: older housing stock, hillside lots, and every one of these cities adds a city transfer tax.
- Central County. San Leandro, Hayward and the unincorporated communities of Castro Valley, San Lorenzo and Fairview, which follow County planning rather than a city’s.
- South County. Fremont, Newark and Union City, with no city transfer tax listed by the Clerk-Recorder.
- Tri-Valley and east county. Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore and rural Sunol, where newer subdivisions and the County’s East County Area Plan shape what can be built.
Costs and rules specific to an Alameda County purchase
- County transfer tax. The Alameda County Clerk-Recorder charges $0.55 per $500 of value, excluding liens that remain.
- City transfer taxes. The Clerk-Recorder also collects city taxes on full value for Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Hayward, Oakland, Piedmont and San Leandro. Oakland’s rate runs from $10 to $25 per $1,000 in tiers, and Berkeley’s rises to $25 per $1,000 above $1.7 million. It lists no city tax for Dublin, Fremont, Livermore, Newark, Pleasanton or Union City. Our Alameda County city transfer taxes page shows each rate. Confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
- Rural land limits. Voter-approved Measure D and the County’s East County Area Plan restrict development of rural land outside the Tri-Valley cities, so an acreage parcel near Sunol or Livermore may allow far less than its size suggests.
- Fire hazard zones and AB 38. Hillside areas in the Berkeley and Oakland hills and other parts of the county carry State Fire Marshal Fire Hazard Severity Zone designations. Sellers in High or Very High zones must provide defensible space documentation or an agreement for the buyer to obtain it; see our AB 38 guide.
- Hazard disclosures. The natural hazard disclosure report summarizes mapped hazards such as earthquake fault and liquefaction zones, which matter near the Hayward Fault.
Alameda County agents with verified licenses
Matthew Martinez, Diamond Real Estate Group (publisher of this guide)
Matthew Martinez is the broker of Diamond Group Estates Inc, DBA Diamond Real Estate Group (company DRE #02163490), and holds a California broker license, DRE #01869679. He is based in Sonoma County; contact him to discuss a purchase or sale in Alameda County through our contact page.
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mustafa Afzali | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01514891 | Fremont office |
| Bita Azizi | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01795117 | Berkeley office |
| Josh Chen | Coldwell Banker Realty | Broker #01849235 | Fremont office |
| Wayne Cory | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01431677 | Berkeley office |
| Meiling Duong | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01401325 | Fremont office |
| Tony Dzoan | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01346599 | Fremont office |
| Sudie Hsu | Coldwell Banker Realty | Broker #01921378 | Fremont office |
| Vivian Hung | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01831151 | Berkeley office |
| Chris Jacquez | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01398729 | Fremont office |
| Warren Lei | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01254980 | Berkeley office |
| Kathie Longinotti | Coldwell Banker Realty | Salesperson #01479865 | Berkeley office |
| Bevin White | Coldwell Banker Realty | Broker #01224969 | Berkeley office |
Coldwell Banker Realty agents in this table are licensed under the responsible broker NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304), as shown on each DRE record, and appear on the Berkeley office or Fremont office roster. License status and brokerage affiliations change; check the DRE record before you hire anyone.
How to vet an Alameda County agent
- Open the DRE record. Confirm the license is "Licensed" and that the responsible broker matches the brokerage the agent represents.
- Ask for sales in your target city. Oakland, Fremont and Livermore are separate markets. Ask for recent closed sales near the homes you are considering.
- Ask for a net sheet that includes the city transfer tax. In Oakland, Berkeley, Piedmont and the other taxing cities, the city tax can exceed the county tax. A good estimate shows both.
- Ask how they handle older homes. Much of North County’s housing is decades old. Ask what inspections they routinely recommend (sewer lateral, foundation, seismic retrofit) and how they read permit history.
- Ask about hillside and fault-zone homes. For a hill or fault-adjacent property, ask how they approach fire zone disclosures, insurance quotes and geological reports early in escrow.
- For rural or Tri-Valley acreage, ask about County rules. Measure D and the East County Area Plan can limit splitting or building on rural land.
Alameda County questions we hear
Which Alameda County cities charge their own transfer tax?
According to the Clerk-Recorder, Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Hayward, Oakland, Piedmont and San Leandro collect city conveyance taxes on full value in addition to the county tax. Rates change by ballot measure, so confirm the current figure on your escrow estimate.
Who pays the transfer tax in Alameda County?
It is negotiable in the purchase contract, and local custom varies by city. Ask your agent what is typical in the city where you are buying or selling, and make sure the contract states the split.
How do I check a real estate 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.
Is Castro Valley part of a city?
No. Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Fairview and several other communities are unincorporated, so County planning applies and the Clerk-Recorder lists no city transfer tax for them.
Is the agent order in this guide a ranking?
No. Our broker is listed first because Diamond Real Estate Group publishes the guide; everyone else is alphabetical by last name. Inclusion means we verified a current license, a brokerage and a public profile tied to an Alameda County office in October 2026, nothing more.
Agent guides for cities and communities in Alameda County
Each guide below lists agents we verified for that place, with the local rules that matter there.
- Best realtors in Alameda, CA
- Best realtors in Albany, CA
- Best realtors in Berkeley, CA
- Best realtors in Castro Valley, CA
- Best realtors in Dublin, CA
- Best realtors in Emeryville, CA
- Best realtors in Fairview, CA
- Best realtors in Fremont, CA
- Best realtors in Hayward, CA
- Best realtors in Livermore, CA
- Best realtors in Newark, CA
- Best realtors in Oakland, CA
- Best realtors in Piedmont, CA
- Best realtors in Pleasanton, CA
- Best realtors in San Leandro, CA
- Best realtors in San Lorenzo, CA
- Best realtors in Union City, CA
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (records linked individually in the table)
- Coldwell Banker Realty Berkeley office agent roster
- Coldwell Banker Realty Fremont office agent roster
- Census Reporter, Alameda County profile (ACS 2024 1-year)
- Alameda County Clerk-Recorder, real property transfer tax
- Alameda LAFCo Measure D review (March 2022) and Alameda County general and area plans
- 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: Alameda County real estate guide · Alameda County home valuation · 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.
