Best Realtors in Monte Sereno, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Monte Sereno is a small, entirely residential city of about 3,500 people in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, bordered by Los Gatos and Saratoga and the El Sereno Open Space Preserve. It shares the 95030 ZIP code with Los Gatos, has no commercial district of its own, and its homes range from mid-century ranch houses to large hillside estates.
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 Monte Sereno. We opened each agent’s brokerage or MLS profile and confirmed it names Monte Sereno, or, in one case, lists the 95030 ZIP code that Monte Sereno shares with Los Gatos.
Monte Sereno has no brokerage offices, so all of these agents work from offices in Los Gatos. We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. Check the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
Monte Sereno housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Monte Sereno |
|---|---|
| Population | 3,461 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $2,000,000 or more (top of the Census range) |
| Median household income | $250,000 or more (top of the Census range) |
| Persons per household | 2.7 |
| Median age | 54.3 |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.7 minutes |
| Housing units | 1,427 |
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 and household income at $250,000, so both Monte Sereno medians sit at those caps. These are survey estimates for a small city, with wide margins of error.
With about 1,400 homes, Monte Sereno sees relatively few sales each year, and lots vary widely in size and slope. Ask agents for closed sales of comparable homes in Monte Sereno and the neighboring parts of Los Gatos and Saratoga.
A residential city in the foothills
Monte Sereno is made up of residential streets on the slopes between Los Gatos and Saratoga, with no commercial zoning. The Santa Clara County wildfire protection plan’s Monte Sereno annex (2019) notes that the city contracts many municipal services through Los Gatos, has no fire department of its own, and receives fire protection from the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District. For more, see our Monte Sereno real estate guide, hillside home due diligence and property setting comparison.
Costs and rules specific to a Monte Sereno 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 tax set at half that rate against the county’s. At the county rate, a $2,000,000 sale would carry about $2,200. Confirm the total on your escrow estimate; our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Wildfire exposure. The County’s 2019 annex says most of Monte Sereno’s wildland-urban interface area is in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, with the western parts of the city facing the most danger next to El Sereno Open Space. Check the current State Fire Marshal Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for the exact parcel, and see our AB 38 guide for the defensible space documentation required in those zones.
- Defensible space and building standards. The annex describes a city weed and brush abatement ordinance and fire-resistant roofing requirements. Ask about vegetation clearance and roof type during inspections, and get an insurance quote before you remove contingencies.
- Hillside costs. Slopes, retaining walls and drainage can drive maintenance and remodel costs; see our hillside ownership budget and renovation feasibility records.
- Hazard disclosures. The natural hazard disclosure report covers mapped fire, fault and landslide zones.
Monte Sereno 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 Sereno. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lorie Gillespie | Intero Real Estate Services, Los Gatos | Salesperson #01465384 | ZIP codes across the county, including 95030 (Los Gatos and Monte Sereno) |
| Ducky Grabill (licensed as Marie McGinnis Grabill) | Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno, Los Gatos | Salesperson #01018603 | Los Gatos and Monte Sereno area; ZIP codes including 95030 |
| Carol Jeans | Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno | Salesperson #01117857 | Los Gatos/Monte Sereno area (her home since 1985) |
| Amy McCafferty | Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, Los Gatos | Broker #00967324 | Los Gatos and Monte Sereno; ZIP codes including 95030 |
| Annette Seaborn | Coldwell Banker Realty, Los Gatos | Salesperson #01348743 | Los Gatos and Monte Sereno |
On the DRE record, Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno agents are licensed under Sereno Group, Inc. (DRE #02101181), Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty agents under Decker Bullock Dreyfus Inc. (DRE #02027353), Coldwell Banker Realty agents under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304), and Intero agents under Intero Real Estate Services Inc (DRE #01354442). For more agents nearby, see our Los Gatos agents guide and Santa Clara County agents guide.
How to vet a Monte Sereno agent
- Ask for Monte Sereno sales. With few sales each year, ask which Monte Sereno and nearby Los Gatos or Saratoga sales the agent would use as comparables.
- Confirm the city, not just the ZIP code. Monte Sereno shares 95030 with Los Gatos, so check which city a parcel is in before relying on permits or planning rules.
- Ask about fire zone and insurance. Ask when they recommend getting an insurance quote and how they handle AB 38 documentation.
- Ask about slope, drainage and retaining walls. Ask which geotechnical or drainage inspections they usually suggest for hillside lots.
- Ask about remodel limits. Ask how they check permit history and what the City allows before you plan additions.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
Monte Sereno questions we hear
Is Monte Sereno part of Los Gatos?
No. Monte Sereno is its own city, though it shares the 95030 ZIP code with Los Gatos and contracts many services through Los Gatos.
Is Monte Sereno in a high fire hazard zone?
The County’s 2019 wildfire plan annex says most of its wildland-urban interface area is in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Check the current State Fire Marshal map for the exact parcel.
What is the median home value in Monte Sereno?
The Census caps its home value range at $2 million, and Monte Sereno’s 2020–2024 median is at that cap. Ask an agent for recent sales of similar homes.
Why are there only five agents in this guide?
We listed only agents whose public profiles name Monte Sereno or its ZIP code and whose licenses we could verify. More agents work the area; check any agent’s license on the DRE lookup.
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, Monte Sereno profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- Santa Clara County Community Wildfire Protection Plan, Annex 8: Monte Sereno (2019)
- 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)
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Agent profiles on coldwellbankerhomes.com, 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: Los Gatos · Holy City
Related: Monte Sereno real estate guide · Monte Sereno 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.
