Best Realtors in Los Gatos, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Los Gatos is a town of about 32,800 people at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains, where Highway 17 leaves the valley for Santa Cruz. Its housing runs from older homes near downtown and North Santa Cruz Avenue to valley-floor neighborhoods and hillside properties, and all of the agents below work from brokerage offices in town.
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 or broker-associate affiliation that matches the brokerage the agent works under.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the brokerage they work under.
- A public page tied to Los Gatos. We opened a brokerage profile or office roster that places the agent in a Los Gatos office, or an MLS profile that lists Los Gatos ZIP codes as areas served.
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.
Los Gatos housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Los Gatos |
|---|---|
| Population | 32,786 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $2,000,000 or more (top of the Census range) |
| Median household income | $217,554 (±$14,059) |
| Persons per household | 2.6 |
| Median age | 44.7 |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.6 minutes |
| Housing units | 13,728 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter. The Census caps reported home values at $2 million, so the Los Gatos median shows only that it sits at or above that level. These are survey estimates, not current sale prices.
Because the Census figure is capped, ask agents for recent closed sales in the neighborhood and setting you want: downtown, valley floor or hillside.
Downtown, the valley floor and the hills
Downtown Los Gatos centers on North Santa Cruz Avenue and the streets around it, where many homes are older and some sit in the Town’s historic districts. Neighborhoods to the north and east are flatter and closer to Campbell and San Jose, while homes to the south and west climb into the hills along Highway 17 and toward the Santa Cruz Mountains. Many properties with a Los Gatos mailing address are outside town limits in unincorporated county land, where County rules apply. For more, see our Los Gatos real estate guide, property setting comparison, hillside home due diligence and renovation feasibility records.
Costs and rules specific to a Los Gatos purchase
- Transfer tax. The Santa Clara County Ordinance Code, Division A30, Chapter III sets the county tax at 55 cents per $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000), and section A30-40 credits a conforming city or town tax set at half that rate against the county’s. At the county rate, a $2,000,000 sale would carry about $2,200. A few charter cities in the county, including San Jose, add their own taxes, so confirm the total on your escrow estimate. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Hillside standards. The Town says its Hillside Development Standards and Guidelines, adopted in January 2004, apply to new hillside homes and to major additions and remodels of existing ones. The Town’s page links to a Hillside Area map; check whether a property is covered before you rely on expansion plans.
- Historic districts. Older homes near downtown may be in a historic district or listed under the Town’s historic preservation code, which can affect exterior changes. Ask Town Planning before you plan a remodel.
- Fire zones and insurance. Hillside and mountain properties around Los Gatos carry mapped wildfire risk. Check the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, get an insurance quote early, and see our AB 38 guide and hillside ownership budget.
- Hazard disclosures. The natural hazard disclosure report covers mapped fault, landslide and flood zones.
Los Gatos 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 Los Gatos. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenn Callahan | Coldwell Banker Realty, Los Gatos | Broker #01044326 | Los Gatos office |
| Julie Charron | Coldwell Banker Realty, Los Gatos | Salesperson #01265151 | Los Gatos office |
| Doug Evans (licensed as Douglas Bradford Evans) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Los Gatos | Broker #01253232 | Los Gatos |
| Lorie Gillespie | Intero Real Estate Services, Los Gatos | Salesperson #01465384 | ZIP codes across the county, including Los Gatos (95030, 95032, 95033) |
| Raylene Khan | Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno, Los Gatos | Salesperson #01202160 | Los Gatos office, Silicon Valley |
| Laura Lindecker | Coldwell Banker Realty, Los Gatos | Salesperson #01319654 | Los Gatos office |
| Zan Mendenhall | Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno, Los Gatos | Salesperson #02002595 | Los Gatos office, Cambrian area |
| Kitty Mora (licensed as Kristin Kimberly Mora) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Los Gatos | Salesperson #01439927 | Los Gatos office |
| Jason Noriega | Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno, Los Gatos | Salesperson #01244659 | Los Gatos office |
| Tracy Pina | Coldwell Banker Realty, Los Gatos | Broker #01401384 | Los Gatos office |
| Margie Walsh (licensed as Margery Formico Walsh) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Los Gatos | Salesperson #00797248 | Los Gatos office |
On the DRE record, Coldwell Banker Realty agents are licensed under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304), Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno agents under Sereno Group, Inc. (DRE #02101181), and Intero agents under Intero Real Estate Services Inc (DRE #01354442). Coldwell Banker agents appear on the Los Gatos office roster. For more agents across the county, see our Santa Clara County agents guide.
How to vet a Los Gatos agent
- Ask for sales in your setting. Downtown, valley-floor and hillside homes price and sell differently; ask for closed sales near the home you want.
- Ask whether the home is in town limits. Many Los Gatos addresses are unincorporated, which changes who issues permits.
- Ask about hillside and historic rules. Ask how the agent checks whether the Town’s hillside standards or historic district rules apply before you plan changes.
- Ask about insurance early. For hillside homes, ask when they recommend getting a quote and how they handle AB 38 documentation.
- Ask about septic, wells and private roads. Some hillside properties are off the sewer or public road system.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
Los Gatos questions we hear
Does Los Gatos have its own transfer tax?
State law sets the county documentary transfer tax at $1.10 per $1,000, and a town tax under that law is credited against it. Your escrow estimate will show the exact lines.
Do the Town’s hillside rules apply to my remodel?
The Town says its Hillside Development Standards and Guidelines apply to new hillside homes and major additions or remodels. Check the Town’s Hillside Area map and ask a planner.
What is the median home value in Los Gatos?
The Census caps its home value range at $2 million, and the town’s 2020–2024 median is at that cap. Ask an agent for recent sales of similar homes.
Is every Los Gatos address inside the town?
No. Many mountain and hillside properties with Los Gatos addresses are in unincorporated Santa Clara County or Santa Cruz County.
Is the agent order a ranking?
No. Our broker is listed first because we publish the guide; everyone else is alphabetical by last name.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, Los Gatos profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- Town of Los Gatos, Hillside Development Standards and Guidelines
- Santa Clara County Ordinance Code, Division A30, Chapter III, Real Property Transfer Tax (county rate of $0.55 per $500; section A30-40 credit for a conforming half-rate city tax)
- California Attorney General Opinion 06-1009 (documentary transfer tax and city credit)
- City of San José, Measure E real property transfer tax
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Coldwell Banker Realty Los Gatos office roster, agent profiles on sereno.com and mlslistings.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 Sereno · Holy City · Cupertino
Related: Los Gatos real estate guide · Los Gatos home valuation · Santa Clara 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.
