Best Real Estate Agents in El Dorado County (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
El Dorado County climbs from the commuter suburbs of El Dorado Hills and Cameron Park, through Shingle Springs, Placerville and the apple-and-wine country around Camino, to South Lake Tahoe. Most homes here are owner-occupied, many sit on acreage, and a large share of the county is in mapped fire hazard areas, so an agent’s knowledge of the specific community, and of rural property, matters a great deal.
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, checked 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 status of "Licensed" with a current broker affiliation.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s brokerage appears on the profile and on the DRE record.
- A public profile that names the area. We opened each agent’s profile and confirmed it names El Dorado County, a community in it, or an office in the county.
We did not rank anyone, and we did not use sales volume, reviews or awards. Verify the license yourself and interview more than one agent.
El Dorado County housing in numbers
| Measure (U.S. Census QuickFacts) | El Dorado County |
|---|---|
| Population, July 1, 2025 estimate | 192,323 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes, 2020–2024 | $679,900 |
| Owner-occupied housing rate, 2020–2024 | 77.2% |
| Median gross rent, 2020–2024 | $1,715 |
| Median household income, 2020–2024 (2024 dollars) | $108,845 |
| Mean travel time to work, 2020–2024 | 28.6 minutes |
| Land area, 2020 | 1,707.85 sq. mi. |
More than three in four El Dorado County homes are owner-occupied, one of the highest rates in the Sacramento region. The county covers about 1,700 square miles but has fewer than 200,000 residents, so much of the market is rural and semi-rural property. These are five-year Census figures, not current prices.
El Dorado County from the foothills to Tahoe
- El Dorado Hills and Cameron Park. Master-planned neighborhoods, golf communities and an active-adult community, with an easy run to Folsom and Sacramento on Highway 50.
- Shingle Springs, Rescue and the middle foothills. Larger lots and horse property, often on wells and septic. Our Cool guide covers the Georgetown Divide side of the county.
- Placerville, Camino and Pollock Pines. The county seat, Apple Hill farms and higher-elevation homes where snow and fire both shape ownership costs.
- South Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Basin. Cabins, condos and vacation homes under Tahoe-area rules and a County cap on vacation rental permits.
Costs and rules specific to an El Dorado County purchase
Transfer tax. Fidelity National Financial’s title guide (Who Pays What, rev. January 2026) lists El Dorado County’s documentary transfer tax at $1.10 per $1,000, customarily paid by the seller, and lists no city transfer tax. On a $679,900 sale, that is about $748. The guide does not address Placerville or South Lake Tahoe separately, so confirm on your escrow estimate.
Vacation home rentals. The County’s vacation and hosted rental FAQ, revised April 6, 2026, describes a 900-permit cap in the Tahoe Basin and a 500-foot buffer: a property within 500 feet of an active vacation rental cannot apply for a permit. Permits do not transfer to a new owner, so a buyer must reapply under current rules. Vacation rentals are allowed only in the primary home, not in an ADU or guest house.
Fire hazard zones. Large parts of the county are in mapped fire hazard zones. The State Fire Marshal says State Responsibility Area maps took effect April 1, 2024, with Local Responsibility Area maps released to local jurisdictions in 2025. Look up the address, read the seller’s hazard disclosures and get an insurance quote early.
Special taxes. Parts of El Dorado Hills carry Mello-Roos or other special taxes. Ask for the annual amount and how long it runs before you write an offer.
El Dorado County agents with verified licenses
Matthew Martinez, Diamond Real Estate Group (publisher of this guide)
Matthew Martinez is the Broker of Diamond Real Estate Group (Diamond Group Estates Inc, DRE #02163490), Broker DRE #01869679. He is based in Sonoma County; contact him to discuss a purchase or sale in El Dorado County. Contact Matthew.
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debi Ambroff | Coldwell Banker Realty, El Dorado Hills | Salesperson #01017131 | El Dorado Hills; El Dorado County |
| Beth Bryant | Coldwell Banker Realty, Roseville-Granite Bay | Salesperson #00903372 | El Dorado Hills, among others |
| Tiffany Donohue | Coldwell Banker Realty, Elk Grove | Salesperson #01927470 | El Dorado County, among others |
| Tina Ford | Coldwell Banker Realty, El Dorado Hills | Salesperson #01823366 | El Dorado Hills; El Dorado County |
| Carimda Gordon | Coldwell Banker Realty, El Dorado Hills | Salesperson #01279041 | El Dorado Hills |
| Kelly Hunter | Coldwell Banker Realty, Roseville-Granite Bay | Salesperson #01200012 | El Dorado County, among others |
| Mary Lagomarsino | Coldwell Banker Realty, El Dorado Hills | Salesperson #01457713 | El Dorado Hills |
| Walter Mathews | Coldwell Banker Realty, El Dorado Hills | Salesperson #01119029 | El Dorado Hills |
| Laura Moore | Coldwell Banker Realty, Roseville-Granite Bay | Broker #01247653 | El Dorado County, among others |
| Melinda Shrader | Coldwell Banker Realty, Roseville-Granite Bay | Salesperson #00994757 | El Dorado County, among others |
| Brenda Sims | Coldwell Banker Realty, El Dorado Hills | Broker #01032348 | El Dorado Hills, Shingle Springs, Cameron Park, Rescue, Placerville, Camino, Pollock Pines |
| Dana Smith | Coldwell Banker Realty, El Dorado Hills | Broker #01727506 | El Dorado Hills |
| Emile Truong | Coldwell Banker Realty, Sacramento-Sierra Oaks | Salesperson #01444472 | El Dorado County, among others |
| Britt Wiseman | Coldwell Banker Realty, Sacramento-Sierra Oaks | Salesperson #01414550 | El Dorado Hills, among others |
All agents in the table are licensed under NRT West, Inc. (Coldwell Banker Realty) on the DRE record. We were not able to open rosters for other El Dorado County brokerages during this review, so this list is narrower than the market. Many other brokerages serve the county; check any agent you are considering on the DRE lookup.
How to vet an El Dorado County agent
- Ask where their recent sales were. El Dorado Hills subdivisions, Shingle Springs acreage and Tahoe cabins are different markets.
- For rural property, ask about wells, septic and access. Many foothill parcels rely on private systems and shared roads; budget for inspections and a road maintenance review.
- Look up the fire hazard zone and insurance early. Get a quote during your contingency period, not after.
- For Tahoe rentals, assume you must reapply. County vacation rental permits do not transfer on sale, and the 500-foot buffer may block a new permit.
- Ask about special taxes in El Dorado Hills. Have the agent pull the amount and term.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
El Dorado County questions we hear
Does a vacation rental permit transfer when I buy a Tahoe home?
No. The County’s FAQ says vacation and hosted rental permits do not transfer; the new owner must apply and meet current rules, including the 500-foot buffer.
How much is the transfer tax in El Dorado County?
Fidelity National Financial’s 2026 guide lists $1.10 per $1,000, customarily paid by the seller, and no city tax. Confirm on your escrow estimate.
Can I run a vacation rental from an ADU?
No. The County allows vacation and hosted rentals only in the primary home, not in an ADU, second dwelling or guest house.
Do El Dorado agents also cover Placer and Sacramento counties?
Many do. See our Placer County and Sacramento County guides.
Agent guides for cities and communities in El Dorado County
Each guide below lists agents we verified for that place, with the local rules that matter there.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- U.S. Census QuickFacts, El Dorado County (population estimate July 1, 2025; other figures 2020–2024)
- Fidelity National Financial, Who Pays What: California Transfer Tax and Fees (rev. January 2026)
- El Dorado County, VHR and HHR FAQs (rev. April 6, 2026)
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Agent profiles on coldwellbankerhomes.com, linked in the table
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Related: El Dorado County real estate guide · El Dorado County home valuation · El Dorado County vineyards · 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.
