Best Realtors in Gonzales, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Gonzales is a small Salinas Valley city of about 8,500 people on Highway 101, roughly 17 miles southeast of Salinas, with Chualar to the north and Soledad to the south. Its homes are mostly single-family houses on city streets and in newer subdivisions, surrounded by row-crop farmland, and many buyers are weighing a commute to Salinas or the Monterey Peninsula against lower prices.
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. We left out anyone whose record showed a restriction, a suspension, an expired license, no current broker affiliation, or a responsible broker that did not match the brokerage on their profile. Some agents whose profiles named Gonzales were left out because their profiles showed no license number we could check.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record ties them to the brokerage shown on their profile.
- A public profile that names Gonzales or its neighbor. We opened each agent’s profile. Few profiles we could verify name Gonzales, a city of about 2,300 homes. Two agents’ profiles name Gonzales. Three others name neighboring Soledad, about 8 miles south, but not Gonzales, and the table says so plainly.
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.
Gonzales housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Gonzales |
|---|---|
| Population | 8,492 |
| Housing units | 2,294 (±217) |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $618,800 (±$36,986) |
| Median household income | $77,672 (±$15,128) |
| Persons per household | 3.7 |
| Median age | 28.2 |
| Mean travel time to work | 27 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter. Figures are estimates with margins of error, not current sale prices.
With only about 2,300 homes, Gonzales has few sales in a typical month, so a single sale can move the local average. Ask agents for every recent closed sale in your part of town, not just a citywide figure.
Gonzales and its farm-belt setting
- In town. Nearly all sales are single-family homes inside city limits, from the older grid near Alta Street to newer subdivisions on the edges. City zoning and permits apply. See our Gonzales real estate guide.
- Farm edges. Cropland and agricultural processing surround the city, so ask about right-to-farm disclosures, spraying and truck traffic for homes on the edge of town.
- Neighboring towns. Soledad is about 8 miles south and Salinas about 17 miles northwest, and most agents serving Gonzales work from offices in those towns or in Gonzales itself.
Costs and rules specific to a Gonzales purchase
- Transfer tax. The Monterey County Recorder collects documentary transfer tax at recording. Monterey County Code Chapter 5.32 sets the county rate at 55 cents per $500 ($1.10 per $1,000), with a credit for a qualifying city tax. We did not find a Gonzales city transfer tax on an official source for this guide, so confirm the amount on your escrow estimate. Our California transfer tax guide explains how it is usually handled.
- Rent rules. The California Attorney General’s rent cap page places Monterey County in its "all other counties" group, with an 8.6% cap on increases for covered units from August 1, 2026, and lists Salinas, not Gonzales, as having local rent stabilization. See our AB 1482 guide.
- Short-term rentals outside city limits. For rural homes in the unincorporated county, the County’s short-term rental page says stays of 30 days or less need a discretionary permit and are allowed only in certain districts. Inside the city, ask the City of Gonzales about its rules.
- Fire hazard 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.
- Hazard disclosures. The natural hazard disclosure report covers mapped flood, fault and fire hazards, including Salinas River flood areas east of town.
Gonzales 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 Gonzales. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jasmine Duncan | Oak Shores Realty, King City office | Broker #02092802 | Soledad (neighboring city, not Gonzales), King City, Greenfield |
| Monica Figueroa | Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Time Realty, Salinas | Broker #01756509 | Soledad (neighboring city, not Gonzales), Salinas, King City, Greenfield |
| Victor Marquez Marmolejo | RE/MAX Property Experts, Salinas | Salesperson #02120723 | Soledad (neighboring city, not Gonzales), Salinas, King City |
| Martin M. Mendez | Caminos Real Estate, Gonzales | Broker #01222402 | Gonzales (office and bio), Soledad, Greenfield, King City, Salinas |
| Michael Singh | Singh Real Estate, Salinas | Broker #01840098 | Gonzales, Salinas, Toro Park, Corral de Tierra |
How each license ties to the brokerage, per the DRE records: Martin M. Mendez is a broker whose record lists Caminos Real Estate as his business name, at a Gonzales office. Michael Singh is an individual broker licensed under his own name; his license record shows an expiration date of December 12, 2026, so recheck it before you hire. Jasmine Duncan is an officer of Oak Shores Realty (DRE #02201406). Monica Figueroa is a broker associate for Real Time Realty Inc. (DRE #01900835), which markets as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Time Realty. Victor Marquez Marmolejo is licensed under Bay Capital Real Estate, Inc. (DRE #01931860), which does business as RE/MAX Property Experts. All profiles are on homes.com, a listing site.
How to vet a Gonzales agent
- Ask for Gonzales sales specifically. With few sales each month, ask the agent to show every recent closed sale near the home you want.
- Ask about commute and resale. Many Gonzales buyers work in Salinas or on the Peninsula; ask how commute times have affected demand and days on market.
- Confirm permits for additions. Ask how the agent checks City permits for converted garages and added rooms.
- Ask about farm-adjacent issues. Ask about right-to-farm disclosures, dust and spraying for homes near fields.
- Ask for a net sheet. It should show the transfer tax from escrow, the expected supplemental tax bill and any special assessments.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status and the responsible broker on the DRE lookup.
Gonzales questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Gonzales?
We did not find one on an official source when we checked in October 2026. The County rate is $1.10 per $1,000 under County Code Chapter 5.32. Your escrow estimate will show the documentary transfer tax due at recording.
Does Gonzales have rent control?
The Attorney General’s chart lists Salinas as the only Monterey County city with local rent stabilization, so covered Gonzales units follow the statewide AB 1482 cap, 8.6% for increases from August 1, 2026.
What is the median home value in Gonzales?
The Census estimate is about $619,000 for 2020–2024, with a margin of error near $37,000. Ask an agent for recent sales of similar homes.
Why does this guide include agents whose profiles name Soledad?
Few agents’ public profiles that we could verify name Gonzales itself. We included three agents whose profiles name neighboring Soledad and said so in the table, so you can decide whether that is close enough for your search.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, Gonzales (ACS 2024 5-year)
- California Attorney General, rent caps
- Monterey County HCD, short-term rentals
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Agent profiles on homes.com, linked in the table
- Monterey County Code Chapter 5.32, Documentary Transfer Tax (county rate of $0.55 per $500, with credit for a qualifying city tax)
- City transfer tax: none found on an official source in October 2026.
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Nearby agent guides: Greenfield · Soledad · Salinas
Related: Gonzales real estate guide · Gonzales 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.
