Best Realtors in Canyon, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Canyon is a tiny unincorporated community in the wooded hills between the inner East Bay and Lamorinda, in Contra Costa County. Many homes sit on wooded parcels reached by narrow or shared roads, so a Canyon agent should be able to explain County jurisdiction, how access, easements and utilities work for a specific parcel and how a wooded hillside setting changes fire zone disclosures and insurance.
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 "Licensed" status. We left out anyone whose record showed no responsible broker, a suspension or an expired license.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the responsible broker they work under, and it matches the brokerage on their profile.
- A public profile tied to the county. We did not find agent profiles that list Canyon itself as a service area, so every agent below has a brokerage profile that names Contra Costa County.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. Because these profiles name the county rather than Canyon, ask each agent directly about recent sales in Canyon and the nearby Moraga hills. Licenses and affiliations change, so verify the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
Canyon housing in numbers
The Census Bureau does not publish a QuickFacts profile we could open for Canyon, so we have not shown community-level figures. With only a small number of homes, Canyon may go long stretches without a sale, and prices vary widely by access, lot and condition. Ask an agent for every recent Canyon sale plus comparable wooded-hillside sales nearby, and see our guide to Canyon rural home comparable sales.
Canyon settings: wooded parcels, narrow roads and County services
Canyon is unincorporated and is not part of the Town of Moraga; Contra Costa County handles planning and building permits, and the County’s cities and communities directory lists it separately. Wooded parcels can be appealing but need more planning for access, maintenance and services. Trace the route that people, contractors and equipment use to reach the home, including slopes, steps, turnarounds and any shared road or driveway, and review the recorded rights and maintenance agreements separately from how the route is used today. Our guides to Canyon private roads and site access, Canyon water and wastewater, parcel jurisdiction and services and the Canyon acreage ownership budget go into detail. See also our Canyon real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to a Canyon purchase
- Transfer tax. The Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder charges the county documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value. Canyon is unincorporated, so no city transfer tax applies; the Recorder’s page lists city taxes only for El Cerrito and Richmond. On a $1,000,000 sale, the county tax is about $1,100. Who pays is negotiable; confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
- County permits. Additions, decks and outbuildings go through Contra Costa County. Compare permit history with the seller’s disclosures.
- Access and easements. Ask for recorded easements and any road maintenance agreement, and confirm who maintains the route to the home; see our private roads and site access guide.
- Water and wastewater. Identify the actual water and wastewater systems serving the property and request service or inspection history; see our water and wastewater guide.
- Fire hazard zones and AB 38. Check the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps. In High and Very High zones, sellers may need to provide AB 38 defensible space documentation. Get insurance quotes early.
- Other hazards. The natural hazard disclosure report shows mapped landslide, fault and fire zones for the address.
Canyon 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 Canyon. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eva Marie Fontanilla | RE/MAX Gold, Antioch | Broker #01422593 | Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara counties |
| Song Kim | Coldwell Banker Realty, Danville office | Salesperson #01813351 | Contra Costa and Alameda counties |
| Deborah Maisterrena | RE/MAX Crossroads, Brentwood | Salesperson #01982779 | Contra Costa, Alameda and nearby counties |
| Luis Sanchez | Compass, Walnut Creek | Salesperson #01982146 | Contra Costa, Alameda and other counties |
| Maria Sanchez | Compass, Walnut Creek | Salesperson #01347940 | Contra Costa County |
| Angelica Vergara | Compass | Salesperson #02061735 | Contra Costa, Alameda, Solano counties |
Compass agents above are licensed under the responsible broker Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235). Song Kim is licensed under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304), the responsible broker for Coldwell Banker Realty. Deborah Maisterrena works under Compass Land and Homes, Inc. (DRE #02082044), which is not the Compass brokerage, and Eva Marie Fontanilla is a broker associate for Norcal Gold Inc (DRE #01215931). Some DRE records list a legal name that differs from the name the agent uses professionally (for example, Luis Armando Sanchez and Angelica Velazco Vergara).
How to vet a Canyon agent
- Ask about Canyon sales directly. Profiles above name the county, not Canyon, so ask each agent which Canyon or nearby hillside sales they have handled.
- Ask how they confirm access. Ask how they check recorded easements and maintenance agreements and how they evaluate the route for emergency vehicles and contractors.
- Ask how they confirm water and wastewater. Ask which records and inspections they request for the specific property.
- Ask how they handle fire zones and insurance. Ask when they recommend getting insurance quotes and how they handle AB 38 documentation on wooded lots.
- Ask how they price a home with few comparables. Ask which nearby sales they would use and how they adjust for access, lot and condition.
- Verify the license yourself. Look up the agent on the DRE site and confirm the responsible broker matches the brokerage they name.
Canyon questions we hear
Is Canyon part of Moraga?
No. Canyon is an unincorporated community in Contra Costa County, separate from the incorporated Town of Moraga. County rules apply for planning and building permits.
Does Canyon have its own transfer tax?
No city tax applies because Canyon is unincorporated. A sale typically shows the county tax of $0.55 per $500, according to the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder. Confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
What should I check first on a Canyon property?
Start with access (recorded easements and road maintenance), water and wastewater systems, fire zone status and insurability. Those can affect financing, insurance and resale.
How do I check an 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.
Should I interview more than one agent for a Canyon home?
Yes. Interview at least two or three, ask each about recent hillside sales nearby, and compare how they explain access, utilities and fire zone questions for that parcel.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Compass, Coldwell Banker Realty and RE/MAX agent profiles linked in the table
- Contra Costa County: cities and communities directory
- Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder: documentary transfer tax
- State Fire Marshal: Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- No Census QuickFacts profile was available for Canyon, so no community statistics are shown.
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Related: Canyon real estate guide · Canyon 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.
