Best Realtors in Brisbane, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Brisbane is a small city of about 4,700 people tucked between San Bruno Mountain and the bay, just south of San Francisco. Most homes sit on the hillside streets of Central Brisbane or in the newer Northeast Ridge neighborhood higher on the mountain, and with about 2,100 housing units the local market is small.
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 a "Licensed" status, with a responsible broker 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 Brisbane. We opened each agent’s brokerage or Homes.com profile and confirmed it names Brisbane, either as an area served or as the location of a sale in the agent’s history.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. Licenses and affiliations change, so check the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
Only a handful of agent profiles name Brisbane, so this list is short. Two agents list Brisbane as an area served; three show Brisbane sales on their profiles.
Brisbane housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Brisbane city |
|---|---|
| Population | 4,692 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $1,232,200 (±$204,609) |
| Median household income | $156,169 (±$39,706) |
| Median age | 43.6 |
| Persons per household | 2.5 |
| Mean travel time to work | 33.8 minutes |
| Housing units | 2,104 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter. Figures for a small city carry wide margins of error; treat them as rough guides, not current sale prices.
With only about 2,100 housing units, a few sales can move local averages a lot. Ask agents for recent closed sales in Central Brisbane or Northeast Ridge, whichever matches the home you want; our Brisbane comparable sales notes explain what to compare.
Central Brisbane, Northeast Ridge and San Bruno Mountain
Central Brisbane is the older part of town, with hillside streets above Visitacion Avenue and the small downtown. Northeast Ridge is a newer planned area of townhomes and single-family homes higher on the mountain, typically with homeowners association rules. Much of the surrounding hillside is protected open space within San Bruno Mountain State and County Park. See our Brisbane real estate guide, housing settings comparison, condo and townhome ownership costs and older home records and inspections.
Costs and rules specific to a Brisbane purchase
- Transfer tax. The San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder levies the documentary transfer tax at 55 cents per $500, or $1.10 per $1,000 of value: about $1,355 on a $1,232,200 sale. The Recorder’s page names only the City of San Mateo as adding a city conveyance tax, so a Brisbane sale pays the county tax alone. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- San Bruno Mountain Habitat Conservation Plan. The City’s HCP page says the plan covers private land in the Brisbane Acres, Southwest Bayshore, Northeast Ridge and Guadalupe Hills subareas and some northwest Bayshore hillside parcels. Before the City approves a development permit on covered land, it requires a biological assessment, and the findings set the owner’s long-term duties to protect endangered butterfly habitat. If you plan to build on a vacant hillside lot or expand into open slopes, ask the City what applies before you buy.
- HOA documents. In Northeast Ridge and other planned developments, review the CC&Rs, budget, reserves and any habitat-related obligations before removing contingencies.
- Slopes and hazards. Hillside lots raise drainage and slope questions. Read the natural hazard disclosure report, check the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for addresses near the mountain, and see our AB 38 guide if the home is in a High or Very High zone.
- Budgeting. See our Brisbane homeownership budget for costs that follow closing.
Brisbane 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 Brisbane. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanit Bordeianu | Coldwell Banker Realty, Burlingame | Salesperson #01923423 | Brisbane sale in profile history; areas served Redwood City, Belmont, San Mateo, Burlingame |
| Susan Chong | Compass, Burlingame | Salesperson #01210685 | Central Brisbane, Daly City, Westlake, San Mateo, Burlingame |
| Kevin Dalonzo | Compass, Burlingame | Salesperson #01914790 | Brisbane sales in profile history; areas served Pacifica, Burlingame |
| Dan Hendel (licensed as Daniel Hendel) | Coldwell Banker Realty, San Francisco | Salesperson #01215003 | Brisbane sale in profile history; areas served San Francisco neighborhoods |
| Holly Noto | Coldwell Banker Realty, Redwood City – San Carlos | Salesperson #01244498 | Brisbane, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame and other Peninsula cities |
On the DRE record, Coldwell Banker Realty agents are licensed under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304) and Compass agents under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235). For more agents in neighboring cities, see our San Mateo County agents guide and Daly City agents guide.
How to vet a Brisbane agent
- Ask how many Brisbane sales they have handled. In a city this small, close comparables can be hard to find; ask how the agent prices a home when recent nearby sales are scarce.
- Ask about Northeast Ridge HOAs. Ask for the HOA budget, reserve study and any special assessments, and how the agent reviews them.
- Ask what the HCP means for the parcel. For hillside lots or expansion plans, ask whether the property is in a covered subarea and what the City requires.
- Ask about views and wind. Hillside homes trade on views and exposure; visit at different times of day.
- Get slope and drainage inspections. Ask for any geotechnical reports and retaining wall permits.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
Brisbane questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Brisbane?
No. The San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder lists only the City of San Mateo as adding a city tax, so a Brisbane sale pays the county tax of $1.10 per $1,000.
What is the median home value in Brisbane?
Census estimates put it at about $1,232,200 for 2020–2024, with a wide margin of error. Ask an agent for recent sales of similar homes.
Does the San Bruno Mountain habitat plan affect my property?
It can if the parcel is in a covered subarea such as Brisbane Acres or Northeast Ridge. The City requires a biological assessment before approving development permits on covered land.
Why are so few agents listed?
Brisbane is small, and only a handful of agent profiles we checked name it as an area served or show sales there.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, Brisbane city profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder, documentary transfer tax
- City of Brisbane, Habitat Conservation Plan
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Agent profiles on coldwellbankerhomes.com and homes.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: Daly City · Burlingame
Related: Brisbane real estate guide · Brisbane home valuation · San Mateo 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.
