Best Realtors in Escondido, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Escondido is an inland North County San Diego city of about 146,000 people, with the Old Escondido Historic District near downtown, newer planned communities that carry special taxes, and hillside edges mapped for fire hazard. An Escondido agent should know which of those settings an address falls in, because the records, taxes and sale requirements differ between two homes that look alike.
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.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s profile and DRE record show the brokerage they work under.
- A public profile that names Escondido. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile page and confirmed it lists Escondido as an area served.
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.
Escondido housing in numbers
| Census measure | Escondido |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 146,030 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate (2020–2024) | 53.4% |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (2020–2024) | $714,500 |
| Median gross rent (2020–2024) | $2,046 |
| Median household income (2020–2024, 2024 dollars) | $91,967 |
| Mean travel time to work (2020–2024) | 27.5 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Escondido city, California.
According to the Census Bureau, just over half of Escondido homes are owner-occupied, and the median owner-occupied home value over 2020–2024 was about $715,000. These are five-year survey figures, not current sale prices. An agent should price a home from recent sales in the same setting, since a historic-district bungalow, a planned-community home with a CFD tax and a hillside home on acreage are different products.
Escondido settings: Old Escondido, planned communities and hillside edges
Homes in the Old Escondido Historic District need a certificate of appropriateness for exterior changes such as paint, windows and fences, whether or not the home is individually listed. The city’s historic preservation resources page describes a Mills Act program for homes on the local register.
The city lists four community facilities districts (The Villages, Eclipse/Mountain House, Eureka Ranch and Hidden Trails) that levy an annual special tax. A city EIR section describes the city as the main water provider, with Rincon del Diablo MWD serving some adjacent areas. NCTD’s SPRINTER runs from Escondido Transit Center to Oceanside. For more detail, see our Escondido real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to an Escondido purchase
- Transfer tax. The San Diego County Recorder collects documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000), about $785 on a $715,000 sale. We did not find a separate Escondido city rate on an official source, so confirm with escrow. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Fire zone inspection at sale. The city adopted the 2025 state fire hazard map by Ordinance 2025-03. Its fire severity zone page says sellers in high and very high zones must disclose the designation and the fire department requires an inspection; the defensible space certification page explains the request process. See our AB 38 guide.
- CFD special taxes. Homes inside one of the city’s four CFDs pay an annual special tax on the property tax bill. Sellers must make a good-faith effort to provide special tax notices under Civil Code section 1102.6b.
- ADUs. The city’s ADU page says ADUs may not be rented short term, and the city offers a pre-approved ADU program.
- City or county parcel. Use the city’s parcel lookup and confirm the parcel is inside city limits; an Escondido mailing address does not establish city jurisdiction.
Escondido 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 Escondido. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dana Andrews | Coldwell Banker Realty, Carlsbad office | Salesperson #01342809 | Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, Carlsbad, Poway |
| Brenda Dotts | RE/MAX Connections (Ya Cali Holdings, Inc) | Salesperson #01448107 | Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, Oceanside, Fallbrook |
| Cheree Dracolakis | Coldwell Banker Realty, Carlsbad office | Salesperson #01299672 | Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, Bonsall, Fallbrook |
| Keith Elliott | Coldwell Banker Realty, Carlsbad office | Broker #01097485 | East, North, South, Southwest and Southeast Escondido; San Marcos, Vista |
| Kay LeMenager | Coldwell Banker Realty, La Mesa office | Broker #01015821 | Escondido, La Mesa, El Cajon, Fallbrook |
| Mai Nguyen | Coldwell Banker Realty, Carmel Valley/Del Mar office | Salesperson #01925442 | Escondido, San Marcos, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Vista |
| Mike Resnik | Coldwell Banker Realty, North County San Diego office (Vista) | Salesperson #02121528 | Escondido, Vista, San Marcos, Carlsbad, Oceanside |
| Craig Turner | Coldwell Banker Realty, Encinitas/La Costa office | Broker #01003218 | Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, Bonsall, Rancho Bernardo |
RE/MAX Connections is a DBA of Ya Cali Holdings, Inc, a licensed corporation (DRE #02073643). Coldwell Banker broker-licensed agents work as broker associates, as shown on their DRE records. None of the agents above is based in an Escondido office; each profile names Escondido as an area served. We could not complete checks on more Escondido-based agents within this review, so compare these agents with others you find and verify each license yourself.
How to vet an Escondido agent
- Ask whether the home is in the historic district. A good Escondido agent should know whether exterior changes need a certificate of appropriateness and whether a Mills Act contract is recorded.
- Ask about the fire zone and inspection. For hillside and edge properties, ask how the city’s fire department inspection and defensible space report fit into the escrow timeline.
- Ask which CFD applies, if any. In planned communities such as The Villages or Eureka Ranch, ask for the special tax amount from the tax bill.
- Confirm jurisdiction and water provider. Ask the agent to confirm the parcel is inside city limits and which water agency serves it.
- Ask for comparables from the same setting. Historic-district, planned-community and hillside homes should be priced from different sales.
- Verify the license yourself. Look up the agent on the DRE site and confirm the brokerage matches what they tell you.
Escondido questions we hear
Do Escondido homes have Mello-Roos taxes?
Homes inside one of the city’s four community facilities districts pay an annual special tax on the property tax bill. The city refers owners to the County Treasurer-Tax Collector for parcel rates.
What happens at sale for a home in a high fire zone?
The city’s fire severity zone page says sellers in high and very high zones must disclose the designation, and the fire department requires an inspection. Request it early through the city’s defensible space certification page.
Does Escondido have a city transfer tax?
We did not find one on an official source. The San Diego County Recorder collects the county tax at $1.10 per $1,000 and collects any city tax as well. Confirm with escrow.
What does it mean to own a home in Old Escondido?
The city’s district page says owners need a certificate of appropriateness before exterior changes such as painting, replacing windows or installing fences.
Should I interview more than one Escondido agent?
Yes. Interview at least two or three, ask each for recent sales in the setting you are considering, and compare how they explain fire zone, CFD and historic district questions for that address.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Escondido city, California (V2025 population estimate; 2020–2024 ACS figures)
- Coldwell Banker Realty agent profiles · RE/MAX agent directory, Escondido
- City of Escondido: Old Escondido Historic District · historic preservation resources
- City of Escondido: community facilities districts
- City of Escondido: Ordinance 2025-03 · fire severity zones · defensible space certification
- City of Escondido: utilities EIR section · ADUs · pre-approved ADU program · parcel lookup
- NCTD SPRINTER
- San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk: recording and transfer tax
- California Civil Code section 1102.6b (Justia)
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Related: Escondido real estate guide · Escondido home valuation · San Diego 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.
