Best Realtors in Rio Nido, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Rio Nido is a small unincorporated resort community on the north bank of the Russian River, just east of Guerneville, with cabins and houses tucked into a redwood canyon off River Road. Many homes are second homes or vacation rentals, and the agents who work here are based in Guerneville and Santa Rosa.
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 on the agent’s profile.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the brokerage they work under.
- A public page that names Rio Nido or the river towns around it. Three of the profiles we opened show a sale on Rio Nido Road. The other three name neighboring Guerneville, Monte Rio or the Russian River area rather than Rio Nido itself; the table shows which.
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.
Rio Nido housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | ZIP code 95471 (Rio Nido) |
|---|---|
| Population | 394 (±183) |
| Housing units | 498 (±155) |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $603,400 (±$109,330) |
| Persons per household | 1.4 (±1) |
| Median age | 54.5 (±28.2) |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 95471, as presented by Census Reporter. Rio Nido is not a census-designated place, so we used its ZIP code area. The margins are wide; treat the figures as rough.
There are more housing units than residents in the estimate, a sign of how many homes here are second homes or rentals rather than year-round residences.
The canyon, the river and the floodplain
Rio Nido has no city government, so Sonoma County handles zoning and permits. Homes sit on small, often steep lots on narrow canyon roads above River Road, with some lower lots close to the river. Expect older cabins, decks built into hillsides, shared access roads and heavy redwood shade. See our Rio Nido real estate guide and our notes on private roads and site access, rural water and wastewater and parcel jurisdiction and services.
Costs and rules specific to a Rio Nido purchase
- Transfer tax. Rio Nido is unincorporated, so only the county tax applies. The Sonoma County Recorder’s transfer tax page lists it at $0.55 per $500 of value, or $1.10 per $1,000: about $664 on a $603,400 sale. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Flood zones. Lower Rio Nido sits near the Russian River, which floods in some winters. Look up the parcel on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center, ask the seller about past flooding, and get a flood insurance quote before you remove contingencies.
- Hillsides and slides. On steep canyon lots, ask for any geologic or drainage reports and check the natural hazard disclosure report for landslide and fire hazard zones. You can also check the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps.
- Vacation rentals. Many river homes are rented short term under County permit rules. Read our Sonoma County vacation rental rules article before you count on rental income, and see our second home buying article.
Rio Nido 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 Rio Nido. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theresa Disbro (licensed as Theresa Helen Disbro) | Keller Williams Realty, Santa Rosa | Broker #01928995 | Nearby only: Guerneville and Monte Rio sales; Forestville, Sebastopol, Santa Rosa |
| Kimberly Maffia (licensed as Kimberly Ann Maffia) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Santa Rosa | Salesperson #02033450 | Nearby only: Guerneville listing; Santa Rosa |
| Sue Mobley (licensed as Susan P Mobley) | Russian River Realty Co., Guerneville | Broker #01027088 | Rio Nido Road sale; Russian River community, Guerneville, Monte Rio, Forestville, Cazadero |
| Mary Mount (licensed as Mary E Mount) | Russian River Realty Co., Guerneville | Salesperson #01308731 | Nearby only: Guerneville, Forestville and Cazadero sales |
| Michael Pellegrini (licensed as Michael Anthony Pellegrini) | HomeSmart Advantage Realty, Santa Rosa | Salesperson #02044192 | Rio Nido Road sale; Guerneville, Monte Rio, Camp Meeker; Russian River area |
| Connie Schlabach (licensed as Connie Lee Nordine Schlabach) | Vanguard Properties, Guerneville | Salesperson #01086685 | Rio Nido Road sale; Guerneville office; Monte Rio, Forestville, Cazadero |
On the DRE record, Keller Williams Realty (Santa Rosa) agents are licensed under Santa Rosa Capital Holdings Inc, whose record lists Keller Williams Realty as a business name; Coldwell Banker Realty agents under NRT West, Inc.; Russian River Realty Co. is a business name of broker Susan P Mobley, with a main office on Main Street in Guerneville; HomeSmart Advantage Realty agents are licensed under PL HomeSmart Advantage Realty Corp.; and Vanguard Properties agents under Vanguard Properties, Inc. For more river-area agents, see our Russian River agents guide and Sonoma County agents guide.
How to vet a Rio Nido agent
- Ask about river and canyon sales. Rio Nido homes raise flood, slope, access and septic questions; ask how many such sales the agent has handled.
- Get the flood history. Ask the agent to find out whether the home has flooded and whether it has been elevated or repaired.
- Check the wastewater setup. Ask whether the home is on a sewer system or septic, and get the records.
- Check permits on cabins and decks. Older river cabins often have unpermitted additions; ask the agent to pull permit history.
- Get insurance quotes early. Flood and fire insurance can change what a home costs to own.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
Rio Nido questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Rio Nido?
No. Rio Nido is unincorporated, so only the Sonoma County tax of $1.10 per $1,000 applies, per the County Recorder.
What is the median home value in Rio Nido?
Census estimates for the 95471 ZIP code put it at about $603,400 for 2020–2024, with a margin of about $109,000. Recent sales are a better guide.
Does Rio Nido flood?
Lower parts of the community near the river can. Check the parcel’s FEMA flood zone and ask about the home’s own flood history.
Why do some agents in this guide name Guerneville instead of Rio Nido?
Rio Nido is small and sales are few. Three agents show a Rio Nido sale; the other three work the same stretch of river from Guerneville and Santa Rosa, and the table says so.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, ZCTA 95471 profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- Sonoma County Clerk-Recorder, Documentary Transfer Tax
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Santa Rosa Capital Holdings Inc DRE record (Keller Williams Realty business name)
- Agent profiles on homes.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: Russian River · Occidental
Related: Rio Nido real estate guide · Rio Nido home valuation · Sonoma 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.
