Best Realtors in Oakland, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Oakland is Alameda County’s largest city, with about 441,000 people, and its neighborhoods run from the flatlands near the bay to Rockridge, Montclair and the Oakland hills. Oakland adds a tiered city transfer tax on top of the county tax, so an agent should be able to show you the full closing cost for a specific price before you write an offer.
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.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the responsible broker they work under, and it matches the brokerage on their profile.
- A public profile that names Oakland. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile or the brokerage’s Oakland office roster and confirmed it names Oakland or an Oakland office.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. Licenses and affiliations change, so verify the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
Oakland housing in numbers
| Census measure | Oakland |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 440,838 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate (2020–2024) | 42.3% |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (2020–2024) | $929,900 |
| Median gross rent (2020–2024) | $1,979 |
| Median household income (2020–2024, 2024 dollars) | $101,600 |
| Mean travel time to work (2020–2024) | 29.8 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Oakland city, California.
Most Oakland households rent: the Census Bureau puts the owner-occupancy rate at about 42%, and the median owner-occupied home value over 2020–2024 was just under $930,000. These are five-year survey figures, not current sale prices, and they average very different neighborhoods. An agent pricing a specific home should use recent sales from the same neighborhood and property type.
Oakland settings: flatlands, hills and neighborhoods
An Oakland search can include older homes and small multi-unit buildings in the flatlands, condos near downtown and Lake Merritt, established neighborhoods such as Rockridge and Montclair, and hillside homes in the Oakland hills where streets are narrow and lots are steep. Each setting raises different questions: rental rules for a duplex, HOA documents for a condo, and fire zone, vegetation and insurance questions in the hills. Our Oakland hills vegetation maintenance post covers one of those. For more detail, see our Oakland real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to an Oakland purchase
- Transfer tax. The Alameda County Clerk-Recorder charges the county documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value and also collects Oakland’s city conveyance tax on full value, in tiers: $10.00 per $1,000 at $300,000 and below, $15.00 per $1,000 from $300,001 to $2,000,000, $17.50 per $1,000 from $2,000,001 to $5,000,000, and $25.00 per $1,000 above $5,000,000. On a $1,000,000 sale, that is about $15,000 in city tax plus about $1,100 in county tax. Confirm the figure on your escrow estimate; our Alameda County city transfer taxes page compares cities.
- Rental property rules. If the home includes a rental unit or a tenant, ask which local rules apply before you remove contingencies, and confirm with the City of Oakland.
- Fire hazard zones and AB 38. Much of the Oakland hills carries State Fire Marshal Fire Hazard Severity Zone designations. In High and Very High zones, sellers may need to provide AB 38 defensible space documentation.
- Earthquake and other hazards. The natural hazard disclosure report shows whether an address is in a mapped fault, landslide or liquefaction zone.
Oakland 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 Oakland. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrance Austin | Red Oak Realty, Oakland (Moraga Avenue) office | Salesperson #02081032 | Oakland office; East Bay |
| Stephanie Davis | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Salesperson #01518838 | Oakland-Piedmont office |
| David Eckert | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Broker #01239021 | Oakland-Piedmont office |
| David Gluck | Red Oak Realty, Oakland (Moraga Avenue) office | Salesperson #01468016 | Oakland, Piedmont, Crocker Highlands |
| Bonnie Kehl | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Broker #00896243 | Oakland-Piedmont office |
| Maureen Lawlor | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Salesperson #01756863 | Oakland-Piedmont office |
| Peter Lekas | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Salesperson #00992665 | Oakland, Piedmont, Berkeley |
| Nora Moakher | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Broker #01246699 | Oakland-Piedmont office |
| Peter Nicolopoulos | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Salesperson #00947914 | Oakland, Berkeley, Piedmont, Emeryville, Montclair |
| Jeff Rosenbloom | Red Oak Realty, Oakland (Moraga Avenue) office | Salesperson #01228881 | Oakland, Rockridge, Montclair, Berkeley, Emeryville |
| Dan Silvert | Red Oak Realty, Oakland (Moraga Avenue) office | Salesperson #01963734 | Oakland, Berkeley, Piedmont, Richmond, Union City |
| Nanine Watson | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Broker #01248338 | Oakland-Piedmont office |
Coldwell Banker Realty agents above are licensed under the responsible broker NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304) and appear on the Oakland-Piedmont office roster. Red Oak Realty agents are licensed under Red Oak Realty (DRE #00619098). Broker-licensed agents work as broker associates, as shown on their DRE records.
How to vet an Oakland agent
- Ask for a net sheet with the city tax tier. Oakland’s rate changes at $300,000, $2 million and $5 million, so the estimate should show which tier applies and the county tax as well.
- Ask for comparables from the same neighborhood. A Rockridge craftsman, a hills view home and a flatland duplex sit in separate markets.
- For a duplex or a home with a tenant, ask about rental rules. A good Oakland agent should explain what to ask the seller and point you to the city to confirm.
- Ask how they handle hills properties. Ask about fire zone disclosures, vegetation management, insurance quotes and access on narrow streets.
- Ask what inspections they recommend for older homes. Sewer lateral, foundation and seismic retrofit questions are common in Oakland’s older housing.
- Verify the license yourself. Look up the agent on the DRE site and confirm the responsible broker matches the brokerage they name.
Oakland questions we hear
How much is Oakland’s transfer tax?
According to the Alameda County Clerk-Recorder, Oakland’s city conveyance tax ranges from $10 to $25 per $1,000 of full value depending on price, on top of the county tax of $0.55 per $500. Who pays is negotiable, so check the purchase contract.
Is my Oakland hills home in a fire hazard zone?
Check the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps and the natural hazard disclosure report for the address. Zone status affects disclosures and may require AB 38 defensible space documentation.
Are most Oakland homes owner-occupied?
No. The Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 figures show about 42% of occupied homes are owner-occupied. If the property you are buying has a tenant, ask early which rules apply.
How do I check an Oakland agent’s license?
Search the name or license number on the DRE public lookup. The record shows license type, status and responsible broker. Every agent in our table links to the record we checked.
Should I interview more than one Oakland agent?
Yes. Interview at least two or three, ask each for recent sales in the neighborhood you are considering, and compare how they explain the transfer tax tier, inspections and hills questions for that address.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Oakland city, California (V2025 population estimate; 2020–2024 ACS figures)
- Coldwell Banker Realty Oakland-Piedmont office agent roster
- Red Oak Realty agent directory
- Alameda County Clerk-Recorder: real property transfer tax
- 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: Oakland real estate guide · Oakland home valuation · Alameda 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.
