Best Realtors in Monte Rio, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Monte Rio is a small unincorporated river town of about 900 people in western Sonoma County, about 4 miles downstream from Guerneville. Hillside cabins under the redwoods, homes along the river and the Bohemian Highway, and a high share of second homes shape the local market.
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 Monte Rio. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile, personal site or listing-portal profile and confirmed it names Monte Rio, 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.
Monte Rio housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Monte Rio CDP |
|---|---|
| Population | 876 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $652,000 (±$66,600) |
| Median household income | $63,750 (±$34,375) |
| Persons per household | 1.9 |
| Median age | 62.9 |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.7 minutes |
| Housing units | 774 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter.
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. Monte Rio’s older median age and small households fit a town with many retirees and part-time owners. With fewer than 800 housing units, the margins are wide; treat these figures as rough context and ask an agent for recent comparable sales.
A river town under the redwoods
Monte Rio has no city government, so Permit Sonoma handles zoning and building. The small downtown and the beach area sit on the river flat near the Bohemian Highway bridge, while most homes climb steep, wooded hillsides on narrow roads such as those off Main Street and Bohemian Highway. Villa Grande, Camp Meeker and Duncans Mills are nearby. See our Monte Rio real estate guide, our notes on private roads and site access and rural water and wastewater.
Costs and rules specific to a Monte Rio purchase
- Transfer tax. Monte Rio 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 $652,000 sale that is about $717. Only Santa Rosa and Petaluma add a city tax, so a Monte Rio 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 Monte Rio second only to Guerneville for repetitive flood-loss properties and says downtown Monte Rio floods often. 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.
- Water and wastewater. Ask which water system serves the parcel and whether the home is on a septic system; many hillside lots are small and septic upgrades can be costly. 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.
Monte Rio 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 Monte Rio. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyla Brooke | Vanguard Properties, Sebastopol | Salesperson #01477814 | Russian River Valley; Monte Rio sales |
| Theresa Disbro | Keller Williams Realty, Santa Rosa | Broker #01928995 | Russian River Valley; Monte Rio sales |
| John Genovese | Vanguard Properties, Guerneville | Salesperson #01380792 | Russian River Valley, Guerneville; Monte Rio sales |
| Daniela Hernandez | Hernandez Realty Co, Guerneville | Salesperson #01980504 | Guerneville (office); Monte Rio sales |
| David Millar (licensed as David Richard Millar) | Keller Williams Realty (The Millar Group), Guerneville | Salesperson #01354778 | Monte Rio, Guerneville, Duncans Mills, Jenner, Cazadero |
| Stewart Moore | The Agency, Healdsburg | Salesperson #02093591 | Russian River Valley; Monte Rio and Cazadero sales |
| Michael Pellegrini | HomeSmart Advantage Realty, Santa Rosa | Salesperson #02044192 | Russian River Valley; Monte Rio sale |
| Mallory Lambert Silipo | Corcoran Icon Properties, Sebastopol | Salesperson #02005785 | Russian River Valley; Monte Rio listing and sale |
On the DRE record, Vanguard Properties agents are licensed under Vanguard Properties, Inc.; Keller Williams agents under Santa Rosa Capital Holdings Inc (Keller Williams Realty business name); Hernandez Realty Co agents under broker Herman Joseph Hernandez; Corcoran Icon Properties agents under Norcal United Real Estate Partners; HomeSmart Advantage Realty agents under PL HomeSmart Advantage Realty Corp.; and The Agency agents under UMRO Realty Corp., whose record lists The Agency as a business name and a Healdsburg branch. Most of these agents work from Guerneville, Sebastopol, Santa Rosa or Healdsburg offices; profiles show Monte Rio through listings and sales rather than a Monte Rio office.
How to vet a Monte Rio agent
- Ask about flood and access. Downtown and riverside homes can flood, and hillside homes can be cut off when river roads close. Ask the agent how past floods affected the street.
- Check stairs, slopes and parking. Many Monte Rio homes sit on steep lots; ask about retaining walls, parking and drainage.
- Confirm permits on additions. Older cabins were often enlarged over time; compare the home to County records.
- Verify the septic system. Ask for the septic permit and an inspection, especially on small hillside lots.
- Run rental numbers against County rules. Check the parcel’s vacation rental status before you rely on rental income.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status and a current broker on the DRE lookup before you sign a listing or buyer agreement.
Monte Rio questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Monte Rio?
No. Monte Rio is unincorporated, so only the Sonoma County tax of $1.10 per $1,000 applies.
What is the median home value in Monte Rio?
Census estimates put it at about $652,000 for 2020–2024, with a wide margin. Ask an agent for recent sales of similar homes.
Does Monte Rio flood?
The County’s hazard mitigation plan says downtown Monte Rio floods often and ranks the town second in the county for repetitive flood-loss properties.
Why do most of these agents work from other towns?
Monte Rio is small; the agents whose profiles show Monte Rio listings and sales work from offices in Guerneville, Sebastopol, Santa Rosa and Healdsburg.
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, Monte Rio CDP profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- Census Reporter, Sonoma County profile (ACS 2024 1-year)
- homes.com agent directory for Monte Rio (used to find candidates)
- DRE records for Vanguard Properties, Inc., Santa Rosa Capital Holdings Inc, Herman Joseph Hernandez, Norcal United Real Estate Partners and UMRO Realty Corp. (business names)
- Agent profiles on 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: Guerneville · Duncans Mills · Cazadero
Related: Monte Rio real estate guide · Monte Rio 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.
