Best Realtors in Guerneville, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Guerneville is the largest town on the lower Russian River, an unincorporated community of about 4,100 people in western Sonoma County, roughly 15 miles west of Santa Rosa. Redwood-shaded cabins, river-flat homes and hillside lots around Armstrong Woods make up most of the market, and second homes and short-term rentals are a big part of local demand.
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, broker-associate affiliation or brokerage name (DBA) 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 Guerneville. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile, personal site or listing-portal profile and confirmed it names Guerneville, either as a service area or in a listing or sale address.
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.
Guerneville housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Guerneville CDP |
|---|---|
| Population | 4,100 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $600,600 (±$39,141) |
| Median household income | $81,281 (±$18,958) |
| Persons per household | 1.8 |
| Median age | 51.7 |
| Mean travel time to work | 33.8 minutes |
| Housing units | 3,181 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter.
Guerneville’s estimated median value sits below the county figure. Sonoma County as a whole had an estimated median owner-occupied value of $822,400 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 one-year survey, as presented by Census Reporter. The small household size and the gap between about 3,200 housing units and a 4,100-person population suggest many second homes and part-time residences. These are survey estimates, not current sale prices; ask an agent for recent sales of comparable river-flat or hillside homes.
River flats, redwood hillsides and Armstrong Woods
Guerneville has no city government, so Permit Sonoma handles zoning, building and septic permits. Homes near Main Street, River Road and the Highway 116 corridor sit on the river flats; neighborhoods climbing toward Armstrong Woods, Rio Nido and the ridges are reached by narrow, sometimes private roads. Many older cabins were built as summer places, so additions, permits and septic capacity deserve a close look. For the town, see our Guerneville real estate guide, our notes on private roads and site access and rural water and wastewater, and our Russian River area page.
Costs and rules specific to a Guerneville purchase
- Transfer tax. Guerneville is unincorporated, so no city transfer tax applies. The Sonoma County Clerk-Recorder lists the county documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000), less any loan assumed in the sale, collected when the deed is recorded. On a $600,600 sale that is about $661. Only Santa Rosa and Petaluma add a city tax, so a Guerneville address pays only the county rate. Our California transfer tax guide explains who customarily pays.
- Flooding. The flood chapter of the County’s hazard mitigation plan says lower Russian River floods can stay above flood stage for four days or more, and it names Guerneville as the community with the most repetitive flood-loss properties in the county, ahead of Monte Rio and Forestville. The same chapter notes that Highway 116 and River Road can be cut off in major floods. Check the parcel on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, ask for an elevation certificate and the flood claims history, and price flood insurance early. See our North Bay flood zones guide.
- Vacation rentals. Permit Sonoma requires a vacation rental permit, a certified property manager and a vacation rental license for whole-home stays of 30 days or less in the unincorporated county. Rentals are barred in Vacation Rental Exclusion (X) combining districts and limited in cap zones; the Board of Supervisors adopted caps and exclusion zones in parts of the west and north county in April 2023. Check the parcel on the County’s vacation rental map viewer before you count on rental income. More in our Sonoma County vacation rental rules guide.
- Septic and sewer. Parts of town are served by the Russian River sewer system and others by private septic. Ask which serves the parcel, and for a septic inspection where it applies; see our rural water and wastewater notes.
- Fire hazard and insurance. Look up the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, read the natural hazard disclosure report, and get an insurance quote before you remove contingencies. Our home hardening guide covers defensible space.
Guerneville 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 Guerneville. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Basso | Coldwell Banker Realty, Santa Rosa | Salesperson #02001548 | Forestville, Russian River Valley; Guerneville sales |
| Kyla Brooke | Vanguard Properties, Sebastopol | Salesperson #01477814 | Russian River Valley; Guerneville, Monte Rio and Cazadero sales |
| Theresa Disbro | Keller Williams Realty, Santa Rosa | Broker #01928995 | Russian River Valley, Forestville; Guerneville and Monte Rio sales |
| John Genovese | Vanguard Properties, Guerneville | Salesperson #01380792 | Guerneville, Russian River Valley, Forestville; Monte Rio, Cazadero and Jenner sales |
| Daniela Hernandez | Hernandez Realty Co, Guerneville | Salesperson #01980504 | Guerneville (office), Forestville; Monte Rio, Jenner and Cazadero listings and sales |
| Marie LaBarron | Vanguard Properties, Guerneville | Salesperson #02238748 | Guerneville, Cazadero, Forestville, West Sonoma County |
| Richard Lester (licensed as Richard Alexander Lester; managing broker, Guerneville office) | Vanguard Properties, Guerneville | Broker #01702147 | Guerneville (office), Russian River |
| Paige MacDonell | Vanguard Properties, Guerneville | Salesperson #02029975 | Guerneville (office), Russian River |
| David Millar (licensed as David Richard Millar) | Keller Williams Realty (The Millar Group), Guerneville | Salesperson #01354778 | Guerneville (office), Rio Nido, Monte Rio, Forestville, Cazadero, Duncans Mills, Jenner |
| Michael Pellegrini | HomeSmart Advantage Realty, Santa Rosa | Salesperson #02044192 | Russian River Valley; Guerneville listings and sales; Monte Rio sale |
| Mallory Lambert Silipo | Corcoran Icon Properties, Sebastopol | Salesperson #02005785 | Russian River Valley, Forestville; Guerneville and Monte Rio sales |
| Randy Tallariti (licensed as Randall James Tallariti) | Artisan Sotheby’s International Realty, Sebastopol | Salesperson #01393329 | Russian River Valley, Graton; Guerneville sales |
On the DRE record, Vanguard Properties agents are licensed under Vanguard Properties, Inc.; Keller Williams agents under Santa Rosa Capital Holdings Inc, whose record lists Keller Williams Realty as a business name; Coldwell Banker Realty agents under NRT West, Inc.; Hernandez Realty Co agents under broker Herman Joseph Hernandez, whose record lists Hernandez Realty Co as a business name; Corcoran Icon Properties agents under Norcal United Real Estate Partners; HomeSmart Advantage Realty agents under PL HomeSmart Advantage Realty Corp.; and Artisan Sotheby’s International Realty agents under Artisan Realty Group, Inc. Where a profile lists "Russian River Valley" as an area, the listing portal uses that label for the Guerneville area.
How to vet a Guerneville agent
- Ask about flood history. Ask the agent to pull the property’s flood claims, any elevation certificate and whether the home was raised under the County’s elevation program.
- Confirm permits on older cabins. Many river cabins were enlarged over decades; compare the house to Permit Sonoma records before you write an offer.
- Check the sewer or septic answer in writing. Know whether the parcel is on the sewer district or a private system, and what that means for adding a bedroom or ADU.
- Run the rental numbers honestly. If you plan a vacation rental, confirm the zoning, cap or exclusion status on the County map before you count income.
- Walk the access road. Hillside streets can be steep, narrow and privately maintained; ask about road agreements.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status and a current broker on the DRE lookup before you sign a listing or buyer agreement.
Guerneville questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Guerneville?
No. Guerneville is unincorporated, so only the Sonoma County tax of $1.10 per $1,000 applies, according to the County Clerk-Recorder.
What is the median home value in Guerneville?
Census estimates put the median owner-occupied value at about $600,600 for 2020–2024. Ask an agent for recent sales of similar homes, since river-flat and hillside properties price differently.
Does Guerneville flood?
Parts of town do. The County’s hazard mitigation plan lists Guerneville as having the most repetitive flood-loss properties in Sonoma County. Check the FEMA map and the property’s claims history.
Can I rent a Guerneville home as a vacation rental?
Only with County permits, a certified property manager and a license, and not in an exclusion district or a cap zone that is full. Check the parcel on Permit Sonoma’s map.
Who handles permits in Guerneville?
Permit Sonoma, the County’s planning and building department.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Sonoma County Clerk-Recorder, documentary transfer tax
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Permit Sonoma, vacation rentals and April 2023 Board of Supervisors action on caps and exclusion zones
- Sonoma County hazard mitigation plan, flood hazards chapter (Permit Sonoma)
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Census Reporter, Guerneville CDP profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- Census Reporter, Sonoma County profile (ACS 2024 1-year)
- DRE records for Vanguard Properties, Inc., Santa Rosa Capital Holdings Inc (Keller Williams Realty business name), Herman Joseph Hernandez (Hernandez Realty Co business name), Norcal United Real Estate Partners (Corcoran Icon Properties business name) and Artisan Realty Group, Inc. (Artisan Sotheby’s International Realty business name)
- Agent profiles on vanguardproperties.com, homes.com and russianriverlandandhome.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: Monte Rio · Forestville · Cazadero
Related: Guerneville real estate guide · Guerneville home valuation · Sonoma 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.
