Best Realtors in Philo, CA (2026 Guide)

By Matthew Martinez

Philo is a small unincorporated community on Highway 128 in Anderson Valley, between Boonville and Navarro, in the heart of the valley’s wine and apple country. Buyers find homes on acreage, vineyard and orchard land, and redwood-forest parcels along the Navarro River and its tributaries. Two brokerages in this guide have offices on Highway 128 in Boonville, about six miles south.

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:

1. 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 on the agent’s profile.
2. A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the brokerage they work under.
3. A public page that names Philo. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile or office roster and confirmed it names Philo or, where noted, names Anderson Valley.

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.

Few agents name Philo on their profiles. Three agents below name Philo through their listings, sales or bio. The other three name Anderson Valley, the valley that includes Philo, rather than Philo itself, and the table says which is which.

Philo housing in numbers

We could not find a Census place profile for Philo that loaded, so the figures below are for Mendocino County as a whole.

Source: U.S. Census QuickFacts, Mendocino County. Anderson Valley property often trades on acreage, water and vineyard potential more than on house size, so county medians say little about a Philo parcel. Ask an agent for recent sales of comparable land in the valley.

Anderson Valley land, water and the river

Philo has no city government; Mendocino County handles zoning and permits under its Inland Zoning Code. Much of the land around Philo is zoned for agriculture, rangeland or timber, and many homes sit on long private roads. Water is the deciding factor for most purchases: wells, springs and river diversions each come with their own questions, and vineyard buyers should ask about frost protection and irrigation water. For more, see our Philo real estate guide, our rural water and wastewater notes and our Mendocino County vineyards page.

Costs and rules specific to a Philo purchase

• Transfer tax. Philo is unincorporated, so no city transfer tax applies. Fidelity National Financial’s title guide (Who Pays What, rev. January 2026) lists Mendocino County’s documentary transfer tax at $1.10 per $1,000, customarily paid by the seller: about $563 on a $512,200 sale (the county median value). The County Recorder collects the tax but does not post the rate, so confirm it on your escrow estimate. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
• Zoning. The County’s Inland Zoning Code was updated in full on September 10, 2024, according to the notice of determination filed with the state. Order a County letter of zoning or ask Planning before you plan a barn, shop or second unit.
• ADUs and septic. The County’s ADU page allows detached ADUs up to 1,200 square feet and bars ADUs on a septic leach field or its replacement area, so locate the leach field before planning a second unit.
• 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.
• Flood near the river. For parcels near the Navarro River or its forks, check the address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center; Highway 128 near the river can close in heavy winter storms.
• Water rights. Ask for any recorded water rights, pond permits or well logs, and get a well yield test before removing contingencies.

Philo 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 Philo. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490

On the DRE record, Rancheria Realty is a business name of broker Joshua Caleb Mathias, with a main office at 14250 Highway 128 in Boonville, and Sheri Hansen is licensed under him. North Country Real Estate is a business name of broker Anne Lorraine Fashauer at 14251 Highway 128 in Boonville, and David Starkey is licensed under her. Sarah Schoeneman is licensed under Mendo Realty Of Mendocino Inc (Mendo Sotheby’s International Realty) and Bud Thompson under Peninsula Gold, Inc. (RE/MAX Gold) in Ukiah. Profiles for the Rancheria agents are on Homes.com.

How to vet a Philo agent

1. Ask how many Anderson Valley sales they have handled. Valley land is priced on water, access and usable acreage.
2. Get the water story in writing. Ask for well logs, yield tests, spring or river diversion rights, and any pond permits.
3. Confirm legal access. Many parcels are reached by shared private roads; ask for a road maintenance agreement.
4. Ask about permits on every structure. Compare barns, cabins and second units with County permit records.
5. Get a fire insurance quote early. Forested hills around the valley are in mapped fire hazard zones.
6. Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.

Philo questions we hear

Sources & notes

• California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
• U.S. Census QuickFacts, Mendocino County
• Fidelity National Financial, Who Pays What: California Transfer Tax and Fees (rev. January 2026)
• Mendocino County Recorder
• Mendocino County Inland Zoning Code, Ch. 20.040; CEQAnet notice of determination, SCH 2008062074
• Mendocino County, Accessory Dwelling Units
• CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
• FEMA Flood Map Service Center
• North Country Real Estate agents; Mendo Sotheby’s International Realty team; agent profiles on homes.com and remax.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: Navarro · Hopland · Yorkville

Related: Philo real estate guide · Philo home valuation · Mendocino 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.