Best Realtors in Inverness, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Inverness is an unincorporated village of about 1,300 people on the west shore of Tomales Bay in West Marin, next to Point Reyes National Seashore. Its homes are mostly cottages and wooded hillside houses on narrow lanes above the bay, often with septic systems, steep access and coastal permit rules. An Inverness agent should be able to explain coastal zoning, short-term rental limits, septic and fire-zone questions as well as price.
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 firm they work under, and it matches the brokerage on their profile.
- A public profile that names Inverness. We opened each agent’s profile and confirmed it names Inverness in its service areas, biography or listed past sales.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. None of the agents below works from an office in Inverness; their offices are in Greenbrae, Mill Valley and San Rafael. Licenses and affiliations change, so verify the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
Inverness housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Inverness CDP |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,346 |
| Median age | 68.9 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $1,872,700 (±$406,371) |
| Median household income | $80,176 (±$40,471) |
| Persons per household | 1.6 |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.2 minutes |
Source: Census Reporter profile of Inverness, CA, using U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates. The margins of error are very wide in a community this small.
A median age near 69 and fewer than two people per household reflect a community of retirees and part-time residents. The median owner-occupied value was close to $1.9 million, but with few sales each year, an agent should explain which Inverness, Inverness Park and Point Reyes Station sales they used and how they adjusted for bay views, water access and lot slope. These are survey estimates, not sale prices.
Inverness settings: the bayshore, the ridge and Inverness Park
Homes along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard sit near the shore of Tomales Bay; others climb wooded lanes on Inverness Ridge, and Inverness Park lies to the south toward Point Reyes Station. Many lots are steep, heavily wooded and served by septic systems and small water systems. Our guides to coastal home inspections, coastal home pricing, the coastal ownership budget, coastal property records and shoreline property comparison go into detail. See also our Inverness real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to an Inverness purchase
- Transfer tax. The Marin County Recorder’s transfer tax sheet lists the county documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value, and the only city tax it lists is San Rafael’s. Inverness is unincorporated, so the county tax alone applies: about $2,060 on a $1.87 million sale. Who pays is negotiable; confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
- Coastal zoning and permits. Inverness is in the Coastal Zone, where Marin County’s coastal zoning code (Chapter 20.62) and Local Coastal Program apply, and most development needs a Coastal Development Permit. The County is processing Local Coastal Program amendments. Budget time for coastal review before planning a remodel or addition.
- Short-term rentals. Stays under 30 days need a county license under Chapter 5.41. Licenses come from a waitlist and are capped countywide, with a separate cap for Inverness and other West Marin townships, so do not assume a home’s rental license transfers or that a new one is available.
- Septic and water. Many homes rely on septic systems and small water systems. Order a septic inspection and confirm the water source and any district fees before you remove contingencies.
- 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 an insurance quote early.
- Other hazards. The natural hazard disclosure report shows whether an address is in a mapped fault, landslide, flood or tsunami zone; ask the agent what the report shows for the address.
Inverness 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 Inverness. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Barrett | Compass | Salesperson #01917077 | West Marin, Inverness, Point Reyes Station, Marshall, Tomales, Bolinas and other West Marin towns |
| B.G. Bates | Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, San Rafael office | Salesperson #00968254 | Inverness, Point Reyes Station, Olema, Marshall, Bolinas, Stinson Beach and other West Marin towns |
| Terry Donohue | Coldwell Banker Realty, Greenbrae office | Broker #01276710 | Inverness, Olema, Point Reyes, Tomales, Bolinas, Stinson Beach (biography) |
| Jenn Doty | Compass | Salesperson #02178077 | West Marin; Inverness among past sales shown |
| Troy Luchessi | Compass | Salesperson #01322760 | Inverness, Marin, Greenbrae, Mill Valley, San Anselmo and other towns |
| Michela Rizzo McCurdy | Compass | Salesperson #01974228 | Inverness, Point Reyes Station, Bolinas, Nicasio, San Geronimo Valley, West Marin |
| Rick Trono | Compass | Broker #01045523 | Inverness, Marshall, Nicasio, Forest Knolls, Stinson Beach, West Marin |
Compass agents are licensed under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235). B.G. Bates is licensed under Decker Bullock Dreyfus Inc. (DRE #02027353), the firm shown on her record, and her profile is on homes.com. Terry Donohue is a broker associate with Coldwell Banker Realty, licensed under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304). Some DRE records show a legal name that differs from the name the agent uses (William Eddy Barrett, Beverly Gay Buttemiller Bates, Theresa Ellen Donohue, Jennifer Marie Doty, Troy Peter Luchessi, Richard Quirino Trono); in each case the license number on the profile matches the record we linked.
How to vet an Inverness agent
- Ask which sales they used. With few Inverness sales, ask which Inverness, Inverness Park and Point Reyes Station sales they compared, and how they adjusted for views, access and septic condition.
- Ask about coastal permits. Ask how they check County records for Coastal Development Permits on past work, and what a planned remodel would need.
- Ask about short-term rental licenses. If rental income matters, ask how the township cap and the waitlist would affect you, and do not assume a license comes with the home.
- Ask which inspections they recommend. Septic, water system, drainage, pest and roof inspections are common for wooded hillside homes.
- Ask about fire zones and insurance. Ask how they handle AB 38 documentation and when to get insurance quotes.
- Verify the license yourself. Look up the agent on the DRE site and confirm the firm they work under matches the brokerage they name.
Inverness questions we hear
Does Inverness have its own transfer tax?
No. Inverness is unincorporated, and the Marin County Recorder’s sheet lists only San Rafael as adding a city tax, so a sale carries the county tax of $0.55 per $500.
Can I rent an Inverness home short term?
Only with a Marin County short-term rental license, which is issued from a waitlist under a cap that includes a separate limit for Inverness. Check the County’s STR page before you count on rental income.
Is Inverness in the Coastal Zone?
Yes. West Marin villages, including Inverness, follow the County’s coastal zoning code and Local Coastal Program, and most development needs a Coastal Development Permit.
Why do none of these agents have an Inverness office?
West Marin has few brokerage offices. The agents here work from offices in Greenbrae, Mill Valley and San Rafael and name Inverness on their profiles. Our Marin County agents guide lists more.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter: Inverness, CA (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-year estimates)
- Agent profiles on compass.com, coldwellbankerhomes.com and homes.com, linked in the table
- Marin County Recorder: documentary transfer tax
- Marin County Code Chapter 20.62, Coastal Zoning Districts (GoCodebook) and LCP and Housing Element amendments
- Marin County: short-term rental license
- 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: Inverness real estate guide · Inverness home valuation · Marin 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.
