Best Realtors in Piedmont, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Piedmont is a small, almost entirely residential city of about 10,600 people, surrounded on every side by Oakland. It has its own city government, its own design review process and a city transfer tax of $13 per $1,000, so the agent you hire should know where the Piedmont line falls and what a Piedmont address adds to the closing statement.
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, with a responsible broker shown.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the brokerage they work under.
- A public roster or profile that ties them to Piedmont. Each agent appears on the public roster of Coldwell Banker Realty’s Oakland-Piedmont office, and we opened that roster.
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.
Piedmont housing in numbers
| Census measure | Piedmont |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 10,642 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate (2020–2024) | 90.9% |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (2020–2024) | $2,000,000+ |
| Median gross rent (2020–2024) | $3,500+ |
| Median household income (2020–2024, 2024 dollars) | $250,000+ |
| Persons per household (2020–2024) | 2.83 |
| Mean travel time to work (2020–2024) | 31.7 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Piedmont city, California. The "+" values are the Census Bureau’s top-coded ceilings, which means the true medians are higher than the figure shown.
About nine in ten Piedmont homes are owner-occupied, so few homes come up for sale in any given month and rentals are scarce. Because the Census caps its published medians, these figures do not describe Piedmont prices; ask an agent for recent sales of comparable homes on similar lots.
Piedmont as a city inside Oakland
Piedmont is an incorporated city listed in the Alameda County city directory, but its borders run street by street against Oakland neighborhoods. Homes with an "Oakland" mailing address sit a block away from Piedmont homes, and a few parcels straddle the line. That boundary decides which city reviews a remodel, which transfer tax applies and which school district a home is assigned to, so confirm jurisdiction from the parcel record rather than the mailing address.
Most of the city’s housing is older single-family homes, many on sloped lots, and exterior changes are reviewed under the city’s design guidelines. For more on the city, see our Piedmont real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to a Piedmont purchase
- City transfer tax. The Alameda County Clerk-Recorder lists a Piedmont city tax of $13.00 per $1,000 of full value (Ordinance No. 546 NS), collected in addition to the county tax of $0.55 per $500. On a $2,000,000 sale, that is about $26,000 to the city and $2,200 to the county, before any negotiated split. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Design review. City staff and the Planning Commission use Piedmont’s design guidelines for exterior changes, and some projects need planning approval before a building permit. A project that crosses into Oakland may need approval from both cities.
- ADUs. The city’s ADU page explains that an accessory dwelling unit needs both an ADU planning permit and a building permit before construction starts.
- Sewer laterals. Work on the private line from a house to the city main needs a city sewer permit, and Piedmont also takes part in the regional East Bay private sewer lateral program, whose compliance certificate is separate from the city permit. Ask early in escrow whether a certificate is on file.
- Fire hazard zones. Check the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for the address. In High or Very High zones, sellers may need to provide AB 38 defensible space documentation.
- Hazard disclosures. The natural hazard disclosure report summarizes mapped earthquake, landslide and fire hazards, which matter on hillside lots near the Hayward Fault.
Piedmont 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 Piedmont. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Eckert | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Broker #01239021 | Oakland-Piedmont office |
| Vicky Faulk | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Salesperson #00974458 | Oakland-Piedmont office |
| James Forquer | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Salesperson #01205407 | Oakland-Piedmont office |
| Robin Hampton | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Salesperson #01962186 | Oakland-Piedmont office; Oakland |
| 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 office |
| Nora Moakher | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Broker #01246699 | Oakland-Piedmont office; Oakland, Berkeley, Walnut Creek |
| Peter Nicolopoulos | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Salesperson #00947914 | Oakland-Piedmont office |
| Kim Vu | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Salesperson #02053801 | Oakland-Piedmont office |
| Nanine Watson | Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office | Broker #01248338 | Oakland-Piedmont office; Oakland |
All 11 agents appear on the Oakland-Piedmont office roster; the office is at 6137 La Salle Ave, Oakland, near the Piedmont line. Coldwell Banker Realty agents are licensed under the responsible broker NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304), as shown on each DRE record; broker-licensed agents work there as broker associates.
How to vet a Piedmont agent
- Ask them to confirm the city line. A good Piedmont agent checks the parcel record, not the mailing address, before quoting the transfer tax or permit path.
- Ask for a net sheet with the city tax. At $13 per $1,000, Piedmont’s city tax is a large line item; the estimate should show city and county tax separately and state the agreed split.
- Ask how they read permit and design review history. Older Piedmont homes often have additions; ask how they check that the work was permitted and approved.
- Ask about sewer lateral compliance. Ask whether they routinely request the lateral certificate status and a sewer video inspection.
- Ask for comparables on similar lots. Lot slope, size and street matter in Piedmont; a flat lot and a steep hillside lot should not be priced from the same sales.
- Verify the license yourself. Look the agent up on the DRE site and confirm the responsible broker matches the brokerage they name.
Piedmont questions we hear
Does Piedmont have its own transfer tax?
Yes. The Alameda County Clerk-Recorder lists a Piedmont city tax of $13.00 per $1,000 of full value, collected along with the county tax of $0.55 per $500. Who pays is negotiable, so confirm the split in the contract and the total on your escrow estimate.
Is every home with "Piedmont" in the listing in the City of Piedmont?
Not necessarily. Piedmont is surrounded by Oakland, and Oakland neighborhoods near the border sometimes use the Piedmont name. Check the parcel record or ask the city to confirm jurisdiction, since it decides the transfer tax and permit rules.
Do I need a permit to add an ADU in Piedmont?
Yes. According to the city, an ADU needs an ADU planning permit and a building permit before construction begins, and changes to the main house may need separate design review.
What is the sewer lateral certificate?
It is a compliance certificate under the regional East Bay private sewer lateral program, separate from the city’s sewer permit. Ask the seller’s agent early whether one has been issued.
Should I interview more than one Piedmont agent?
Yes. Interview at least two or three, ask each for recent Piedmont sales near the homes you are considering, and compare how they explain the city tax, design review and lateral questions.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Coldwell Banker Realty, Oakland-Piedmont office agent roster
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Piedmont city, California (July 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020–2024 ACS figures)
- Alameda County Clerk-Recorder: real property transfer tax
- Alameda County city directory
- City of Piedmont: design guidelines · planning permits · ADUs · sewer permits
- East Bay private sewer lateral program
- 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: Piedmont real estate guide · Piedmont 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.
