Best Realtors in Clayton, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Clayton is a small city of about 10,800 people at the foot of Mount Diablo, next to Concord in central Contra Costa County, where close to nine in ten homes are owner-occupied. A Clayton agent should be able to explain HOA documents in its planned neighborhoods, how to check permit records on remodeled homes and how a location near open space 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 Clayton. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile and confirmed it names Clayton (as a service area or in listed sales) or Contra Costa County. Where a profile names only the county, the table says so.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. Licenses and affiliations change, so verify the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
Clayton housing in numbers
| Census measure | Clayton |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 10,842 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate (2020–2024) | 89.2% |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (2020–2024) | $1,055,200 |
| Median gross rent (2020–2024) | $3,500+ (top-coded) |
| Median household income (2020–2024, 2024 dollars) | $175,707 |
| Persons per household (2020–2024) | 2.74 |
| Mean travel time to work (2020–2024) | 35.5 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Clayton city, California.
Clayton’s 2020–2024 median owner-occupied value of about $1.06 million is higher than neighboring Concord’s (about $798,000 in the same QuickFacts series), and its owner-occupancy rate is among the highest in central Contra Costa County. These are five-year survey figures, not current sale prices. To price a specific home, an agent should pull recent sales from the same neighborhood.
Clayton settings: planned neighborhoods, the old town and Mount Diablo’s edge
Much of Clayton’s housing sits in planned neighborhoods, many with homeowners associations, with a small historic downtown at the center and open space and Mount Diablo State Park along the city’s edge. Homes near open space raise fire zone and insurance questions, and HOA neighborhoods come with budgets and rules to review. Our guides to Clayton HOA and assessment costs, Clayton home improvement records, comparing Clayton neighborhoods and pricing a Clayton home go into detail. See also our Clayton real estate guide and neighboring Concord.
Costs and rules specific to a Clayton purchase
- Transfer tax. The Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder charges the county documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value. The Recorder’s page lists separate city taxes only for El Cerrito and Richmond. On a $1,050,000 sale, the county tax is about $1,155. Who pays is negotiable; confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
- HOAs. For a home in an association, request the budget, reserves, CC&Rs and any pending special assessments before you remove contingencies; our Clayton HOA costs guide explains what to review.
- Permit records. Compare the seller’s disclosures with permits for additions, pools and other work; see our Clayton home improvement records guide.
- Fire hazard zones and AB 38. Areas near Mount Diablo and the city’s open space carry State Fire Marshal Fire Hazard Severity Zone designations. In High and Very High zones, sellers may need to provide AB 38 defensible space documentation.
- Inspections and insurance. Ask for insurance quotes early, since they vary by address; our Clayton inspection and insurance planning guide lists common steps.
- Other hazards. The natural hazard disclosure report shows mapped fault, landslide and fire zones for the address.
Clayton 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 Clayton. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batool Bernal | Compass, Danville | Salesperson #01923938 | Danville; Clayton sale listed |
| Heather Donovan | Compass, Walnut Creek | Salesperson #01329100 | Clayton; Contra Costa and Alameda counties |
| Shelly Gwynn | Compass, Walnut Creek | Salesperson #01467993 | Clayton, Concord, Walnut Creek, Diablo Valley |
| Song Kim | Coldwell Banker Realty, Danville office | Salesperson #01813351 | Contra Costa and Alameda counties (county only) |
| Deborah Maisterrena | RE/MAX Crossroads, Brentwood | Salesperson #01982779 | Contra Costa and nearby counties (county only) |
| Kelly McDougall | Compass, Walnut Creek | Salesperson #01156462 | Walnut Creek; Clayton listings shown |
| Luis Sanchez | Compass, Walnut Creek | Salesperson #01982146 | Contra Costa, Alameda and other counties (county only) |
| Maria Sanchez | Compass, Walnut Creek | Salesperson #01347940 | Contra Costa County (county only) |
| Angelica Vergara | Compass | Salesperson #02061735 | Contra Costa, Alameda, Solano counties (county only) |
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, and appears on the Danville office roster. Deborah Maisterrena works from RE/MAX Crossroads in Brentwood under Compass Land and Homes, Inc. (DRE #02082044), which is not the Compass brokerage. "County only" means the profile names Contra Costa County but not Clayton; "sale listed" means Clayton appears in the addresses of listed or past sales. Some DRE records list a legal name that differs from the name the agent uses professionally (for example, Heather Krista Donovan and Luis Armando Sanchez).
How to vet a Clayton agent
- Ask for comparables from the same neighborhood. Clayton’s planned neighborhoods differ in lot size, age and HOA costs, so ask for recent sales from the same one.
- Ask how they review HOA documents. Ask what they look for in the budget, reserves and CC&Rs, and how they flag pending special assessments.
- Ask about fire zones and insurance. For a home near open space, ask how they handle AB 38 documentation and when they recommend getting insurance quotes.
- Ask how they check permits. Ask how they compare city permit records with added rooms, pools and other improvements.
- Ask about their Clayton experience directly. Several agents in this table name only the county; ask each one how many Clayton sales they have handled recently.
- Verify the license yourself. Look up the agent on the DRE site and confirm the responsible broker matches the brokerage they name.
Clayton questions we hear
Does Clayton have its own transfer tax?
The Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder’s transfer tax page lists city taxes only for El Cerrito and Richmond, so a Clayton sale typically shows the county tax of $0.55 per $500. Confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
Is Clayton more expensive than Concord?
By the Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 figures, yes: Clayton’s median owner-occupied value was about $1.06 million versus about $798,000 in Concord. Current prices depend on the specific neighborhood and home.
Is my Clayton home in a fire hazard zone?
Check the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps and the natural hazard disclosure report for the address. Zone status affects disclosures and may require AB 38 defensible space documentation.
How do I check a Clayton 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 Clayton agent?
Yes. Interview at least two or three, ask each for recent sales in the neighborhood you are considering, and compare how they explain HOA costs, fire zones and pricing for that address.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Clayton city, California (V2025 population estimate; 2020–2024 ACS figures) and Concord city for the comparison
- Compass and RE/MAX agent profiles linked in the table
- Coldwell Banker Realty Danville office agent roster
- Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder: documentary transfer tax
- 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: Clayton real estate guide · Clayton 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.
