Best Realtors in Richmond, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Richmond is a west Contra Costa County city of about 115,000 people, with a long bay shoreline, older neighborhoods of early and mid-20th-century homes, hillside streets toward the east and newer condos and townhomes near the marina. A Richmond agent should be able to price the city’s own transfer tax into a net sheet, read the permit history of an older home and explain HOA documents on a condo or townhome.
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. We left out anyone whose record showed no responsible broker, or whose responsible broker did not match the brokerage they are listed with.
- 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 Richmond. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile and confirmed it names Richmond among the areas the agent serves.
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.
Richmond housing in numbers
| Census measure | Richmond |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 114,861 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate (2020–2024) | 54.7% |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (2020–2024) | $668,200 |
| Median gross rent (2020–2024) | $1,960 |
| Median household income (2020–2024, 2024 dollars) | $95,391 |
| Persons per household (2020–2024) | 2.80 |
| Mean travel time to work (2020–2024) | 34.2 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Richmond city, California.
Just over half of Richmond homes are owner-occupied, so many buyers will see tenant-occupied listings or small rental properties. The 2020–2024 median owner-occupied value was about $668,000. These are five-year survey figures, not current sale prices. To price a specific home, an agent should pull recent sales of the same property type in the same neighborhood.
Richmond settings: older neighborhoods, hillsides and the shoreline
Richmond’s housing varies a lot from one part of the city to another. Older flatland neighborhoods hold many early and mid-century homes, hillside areas to the east have views and steeper lots, and the marina and shoreline areas include condos and townhomes. Older homes call for a close look at permit history and inspections, hillside lots bring drainage, fire zone and insurance questions, and condos and townhomes come with HOA budgets and rules. Our guides to comparing Richmond housing settings, condo and townhome ownership costs and older-home improvement records go into more detail. See also our Richmond real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to a Richmond purchase
- County transfer tax. The Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder charges the county documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value.
- Richmond city transfer tax. The Clerk-Recorder also collects a City of Richmond transfer tax on full value, in addition to the county tax: $7 per $1,000 under $1 million, $12.50 per $1,000 from $1 million to $3 million, $25 per $1,000 from $3 million to $10 million and $30 per $1,000 above $10 million (Richmond Ord. 35-90). On a $700,000 sale, that is about $4,900 in city tax plus about $770 in county tax. Who pays is negotiable; confirm the figures on your escrow estimate.
- Older-home records. Compare the seller’s disclosures with permit records for additions, conversions and other work; our Richmond older-home records guide covers the basics.
- Condos and townhomes. Request the HOA budget, reserve study, rules and any special assessments before you remove contingencies. Our Richmond condo and townhome costs guide explains what to review.
- Ownership budget. Our Richmond homeownership budget guide lists the recurring costs to plan for.
- Fire hazard zones and AB 38. Check whether the address sits in a State Fire Marshal Fire Hazard Severity Zone. In High and Very High zones, sellers may need to provide AB 38 defensible space documentation.
- Other hazards. The natural hazard disclosure report shows whether an address is in a mapped earthquake fault, landslide, flood or tsunami zone.
- City or county? Some areas with a Richmond mailing address, such as North Richmond and parts of El Sobrante, are unincorporated Contra Costa County. The Richmond city transfer tax and city rules apply only inside city limits, so confirm the jurisdiction on the title report.
Richmond 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 Richmond. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sindy Anderson | Coldwell Banker Realty, Berkeley office | Salesperson #02203627 | Pinole, San Pablo, El Sobrante, Richmond, Orinda, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Concord |
| Chris Angel | Coldwell Banker Realty, Berkeley office | Salesperson #02115053 | Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda, El Cerrito, Richmond |
| Kimberly Barnett | Coldwell Banker Realty, Walnut Creek office | Salesperson #01904955 | Pinole, El Sobrante, Richmond and many other Bay Area cities |
| Lisa Chilton | Coldwell Banker Realty, Berkeley office | Salesperson #02155460 | Pinole, San Pablo, El Sobrante, Richmond, Rodeo, Hercules, Crockett and other Bay Area cities |
| Wayne Cory | Coldwell Banker Realty, Berkeley office | Salesperson #01431677 | Emeryville, Berkeley, Oakland, Albany, El Cerrito, Richmond |
| Rudy Gonzales | Red Oak Realty | Salesperson #01960333 | El Cerrito, Richmond, Oakland, Berkeley |
| Dessy Gueorguieva | Coldwell Banker Realty, Walnut Creek office | Broker #01301988 | San Pablo, Richmond and many other Bay Area cities |
| Mohan Karki | RE/MAX Regency, Hercules office | Salesperson #02118988 | Berkeley, El Sobrante, Richmond, El Cerrito, Hercules |
| Angel Lax | CENTURY 21 Masters | Salesperson #02184996 | Castro Valley, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Oakland, Union City, Livermore, Dublin, Richmond, El Cerrito |
| Dan Silvert | Red Oak Realty | Salesperson #01963734 | Oakland, Berkeley, Piedmont, Richmond |
| Chris Stortenbecker | Coldwell Banker Realty, Berkeley office | Salesperson #02188254 | Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville, El Cerrito, Kensington, Richmond |
| Herman Sun | Red Oak Realty | Broker #01005880 | Albany, El Cerrito, Kensington, Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond |
| Bevin White | Coldwell Banker Realty, Berkeley office | Broker #01224969 | Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, Albany, Richmond |
Coldwell Banker Realty agents above are licensed under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304); Bevin White and Dessy Gueorguieva are broker associates with that firm. Red Oak Realty agents are licensed under Red Oak Realty (DRE #00619098). Mohan Karki is licensed under VMRW (DRE #01937237), which the DRE lists as doing business as RE/MAX Regency, at 1375 Sycamore Ave in Hercules. Angel Lax’s CENTURY 21 Masters profile matches a DRE record under the responsible broker Full Realty Services Inc (DRE #01849354). Herman Sun works as a broker associate. Some DRE records list a legal name that differs from the name the agent uses professionally (for example, Christopher Angel, Dessislava Gueorguieva, Rudolph Gonzales, Daniel Silvert and Huainan Herman Sun). No agent in this list works from an office inside Richmond city limits; their profiles name Richmond as an area served.
How to vet a Richmond agent
- Ask for a net sheet that includes the city tax. Richmond’s tiered city tax is many times the county tax, and it steps up at $1 million. Ask the agent to show both on the estimate.
- Ask for comparables from your part of the city. Flatland neighborhoods, the hills and the shoreline trade in different ranges; make sure the agent prices from nearby sales of the same property type.
- For an older home, ask about permits and inspections. Ask which inspections they usually recommend (sewer lateral, foundation, roof, electrical) and how they compare permit records with what was built.
- For a tenant-occupied home or small rental, ask what applies. With almost half of homes renter-occupied, ask early what notices, agreements and local rules affect a property with a tenant, and confirm them with the City.
- For a condo or townhome, ask how they review HOA documents. Ask what they look for in the budget, reserves and minutes.
- Verify the license yourself. Look up the agent on the DRE site and confirm the responsible broker matches the brokerage they name.
Richmond questions we hear
Does Richmond have its own transfer tax?
Yes. According to the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder, Richmond charges a tiered city tax on full value, starting at $7 per $1,000 for sales under $1 million, in addition to the county tax of $0.55 per $500. Confirm the figures on your escrow estimate.
Does the Richmond city tax apply to North Richmond or El Sobrante?
Only inside Richmond city limits. North Richmond and much of El Sobrante are unincorporated, so check the title report or the County Assessor to confirm the jurisdiction of the specific parcel.
Are many Richmond homes rentals?
Yes. The Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 figures show an owner-occupancy rate of about 55%, so roughly 45% of homes are renter-occupied. If the home you want has a tenant, ask early what rules apply.
How do I check a Richmond agent’s license?
Search the name or license number on the DRE public lookup. The record shows license type, status, responsible broker and any disciplinary history. Every agent in our table links to the record we checked.
Should I interview more than one Richmond agent?
Yes. Interview at least two or three, ask each for recent sales near the homes you are considering, and compare how they explain pricing, transfer taxes and inspections for that address.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Richmond city, California (V2025 population estimate; 2020–2024 ACS figures)
- Agent profiles at Coldwell Banker Realty, Red Oak Realty and CENTURY 21 Masters, linked in the table
- Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder: documentary transfer tax and City of Richmond 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: Richmond real estate guide · Richmond home valuation · Contra Costa 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.
