Best Realtors in Big Sur, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Big Sur is the unincorporated stretch of the Monterey County coast south of Carmel, where homes sit on ridges and canyons off Highway 1 and a handful of side roads such as Palo Colorado and Partington Ridge. Sales are few and properties are unusual, so most agents who work here are based in Big Sur itself or in Carmel.
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), a "Licensed" status, and 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 Big Sur. We opened each agent’s profile and confirmed it names Big Sur, through a Big Sur office, the bio or service area, or Big Sur listings and sales.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. We left out agents whose profile brokerage did not match the brokerage on their DRE record. Licenses and affiliations change, so check the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
Big Sur housing in numbers
The Census Bureau does not publish a separate profile for Big Sur, so the figures below are for Monterey County as a whole.
| Measure (U.S. Census QuickFacts) | Monterey County |
|---|---|
| Population, July 1, 2025 estimate | 433,729 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes, 2020–2024 | $781,000 |
| Owner-occupied housing rate, 2020–2024 | 52.1% |
| Median gross rent, 2020–2024 | $2,055 |
| Median household income, 2020–2024 (2024 dollars) | $97,230 |
| Mean travel time to work, 2020–2024 | 25.4 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census QuickFacts, Monterey County.
A county median blends Salinas Valley tract homes with Peninsula and coastal estates, so it says almost nothing about a Big Sur parcel, where views, access, water and buildability drive the price. Ask agents for recent closed sales on the coast and expect few true comparables.
Ridges, canyons and the Highway 1 corridor
Big Sur has no city government. The County’s coastal zoning (Title 20) and the Big Sur Coast portion of its Local Coastal Program govern what can be built, and the Coastal Commission’s LCP review page describes the program and its four coastal planning areas. Many parcels are reached by long private roads, rely on springs or wells, and sit in steep, wooded terrain. Highway 1 closures from slides can cut off access for long periods. Our Big Sur real estate guide covers coastal home inspections, the ownership budget and coastal property records.
Costs and rules specific to a Big Sur purchase
- Transfer tax. Big Sur is unincorporated, so no city transfer tax applies. Monterey County Code Chapter 5.32 sets Monterey County’s documentary transfer tax at 55 cents per $500 ($1.10 per $1,000), often paid by the seller by local custom (your contract decides): about $3,300 on a $3 million sale. Confirm the amount on your escrow estimate; our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Coastal permits. New homes, additions, many ADUs and grading need a coastal development permit under Title 20. Ask what has been permitted on the property, and treat unpermitted structures as a cost, not a bonus.
- Vacation rentals. The County’s short-term rental page says rentals of 30 days or less need a discretionary permit, with coastal rentals handled through a coastal permit. The vacation rental ordinance page reports a coastal ordinance adopted in September 2025 that awaits Coastal Commission certification. The Treasurer-Tax Collector applies a 10.5% transient occupancy tax in the unincorporated county. Do not count on rental income until the County confirms the use.
- Fire hazard and AB 38. Most of the coast carries 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. Get insurance quotes before you remove contingencies.
- Hazards and access. Read the natural hazard disclosure report for landslide and other mapped hazards, and ask for recorded easements and a road maintenance agreement.
Big Sur 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 Big Sur. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Heinrich | Carmel Realty Company, Carmel-by-the-Sea | Broker #00584641 | Big Sur, Carmel Valley, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Pebble Beach (service area and listings) |
| Hillary Lipman | Big Sur Coast Properties, Big Sur | Salesperson #00923925 | Big Sur office; Big Sur listings and sales |
| Robert Patterson (licensed as Robert Allen Patterson) | Big Sur Coast Properties, Big Sur | Broker #01453298 | Big Sur office |
| Nancy Sanders (licensed as Nancy Joan Sanders) | Sotheby’s International Realty, Carmel | Broker #01343023 | Big Sur (bio); Carmel, Monterey |
| Jonathan Spencer (licensed as Jonathan Charles Spencer) | Compass, Carmel-by-the-Sea | Salesperson #01916757 | Big Sur (sales); Carmel-by-the-Sea, Carmel Highlands, Pebble Beach |
On the DRE record, Big Sur Coast Properties is a business name of broker Robert Allen Patterson, who is Hillary Lipman’s responsible broker; Ben Heinrich is a broker associate for Carmel Realty Brokerage Services (DRE #01871627, the number Carmel Realty Company publishes); Nancy Sanders is a broker associate for Sotheby’s International Realty Inc (DRE #00899496); and Jonathan Spencer is licensed under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235). Big Sur Coast Properties lists its office at 47540 Highway 1 in Big Sur.
How to vet a Big Sur agent
- Ask how they establish value. With few comparable sales, ask which sales they would use and how they adjust for access, water and views.
- Ask about permits on every structure. A good Big Sur agent compares what is on the ground with what the County has permitted before you write an offer.
- Confirm water. Ask for spring or well records, storage capacity and any water-quality tests.
- Ask about access and Highway 1. Ask how recent closures affected the property and who maintains the private road.
- Get insurance quotes early. Ask which carriers or FAIR Plan options buyers are using on the coast.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
Big Sur questions we hear
Is there a transfer tax in Big Sur?
Only the Monterey County tax, set at $1.10 per $1,000 by Monterey County Code Chapter 5.32. Big Sur is unincorporated, so no city tax applies.
Can I rent a Big Sur home to visitors?
Only with County approval. Coastal short-term rentals need a coastal permit, and a new coastal ordinance adopted in 2025 was still awaiting Coastal Commission certification when we checked.
Who issues building permits in Big Sur?
Monterey County Housing and Community Development, under the County’s coastal zoning and Local Coastal Program.
Why is this list so short?
Few agent profiles we checked name Big Sur, and we left out agents whose profile and DRE brokerage did not match. Agents who name Carmel or Carmel Highlands may also work here; see our Carmel Highlands and Carmel-by-the-Sea guides.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- U.S. Census QuickFacts, Monterey County (population estimate July 1, 2025; other figures 2020–2024)
- Monterey County Code Chapter 5.32, Documentary Transfer Tax (county rate of $0.55 per $500, with credit for a qualifying city tax)
- California Coastal Commission, Monterey County LCP review
- Monterey County HCD, short-term rentals and vacation rental ordinances
- Monterey County Treasurer-Tax Collector, transient occupancy tax
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Agent profiles on homes.com and carmelrealtycompany.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: Carmel Highlands · Carmel-by-the-Sea · Carmel Valley
Related: Big Sur real estate guide · Big Sur home valuation · Monterey 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.
