Best Realtors in Rutherford, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Rutherford is a tiny unincorporated farming community on Highway 29 in the Napa Valley, between Oakville and St. Helena. It is also the name of a federally recognized wine-grape appellation, so most property here is vineyard land, winery estates and homes on agricultural parcels rather than town lots, and sales are rare.
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 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 the area. Each agent’s profile names Rutherford or the Napa Valley.
Two agents below name Rutherford on their pages; the other three name the Napa Valley, and two of those work from St. Helena offices just up the valley. We say which in the table, so you can ask each agent about Rutherford and vineyard sales.
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.
Rutherford housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Rutherford CDP | Napa County (ACS 2024 1-year) |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 84 | 132,727 |
| Housing units | 108 (±63) | 56,344 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | not reported | $870,100 (±$27,022) |
| Median household income | not reported reliably | $122,754 (±$8,747) |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates, as presented by Census Reporter for the Rutherford CDP and Napa County.
With only about 84 residents and roughly 100 homes, the Census survey does not report a median home value for Rutherford, and other figures carry very wide margins of error. For value, rely on recent sales of comparable vineyard parcels and estate homes, which an agent experienced in valley-floor property can pull.
Vineyards, wineries and agricultural parcels
Rutherford has no city government, so Napa County handles zoning and permits. The Rutherford viticultural area is defined in federal regulations at 27 CFR 9.133. Much of the land is in agricultural use, and County rules on hillside grading, tree canopy and winery use shape what a buyer can build or plant. For more on the area, see our Rutherford real estate guide, our notes on parcel jurisdiction and services and our rural water and wastewater page.
Costs and rules specific to a Rutherford purchase
- Transfer tax. The Napa County Assessor lists a documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 of value; Rutherford is unincorporated, so no city tax applies. That is $1.10 per $1,000 of value, or about $957 on an $870,100 sale. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- No vacation rentals. A 2019 Napa County Grand Jury report says short-term vacation rentals are prohibited in unincorporated Napa County, and changing that would take a vote of the people. Do not plan on vacation-rental income.
- Wineries. According to a Napa County Grand Jury report on wineries, new or expanded wineries since 1990 must use at least 75% county-grown grapes, and a new winery needs at least 10 acres. Check any existing winery’s use permit before you buy.
- Hillside and canopy rules. Napa County’s conservation regulations summary requires an erosion control plan for earth disturbance on slopes over 5% and, in mapped agricultural watershed woodland, retention of 70% of the tree canopy that stood on June 16, 2016.
- Williamson Act and groundwater. Ask whether the parcel is under a Williamson Act contract, which limits use in exchange for lower assessed value. The state approved the Napa Valley Subbasin groundwater sustainability plan in January 2023, according to the California Natural Resources Agency; ask about the well and any water use reporting.
- Fire disclosure. In high and very high fire hazard zones, sellers must provide documentation of a defensible-space inspection or agree in writing that the buyer will comply, as the State Fire Marshal’s AB 38 bulletin explains. Hills on both sides of the valley deserve a hazard map check.
Rutherford 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 Rutherford. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Carpenter (licensed as Mary Elizabeth Carpenter) | Vanguard Properties, St. Helena | Salesperson #01468434 | Napa Valley; Yountville (resident) |
| Tim Hayden (licensed as Timothy John Hayden) | Compass, St. Helena | Broker #01027532 | Napa Valley; St. Helena |
| Robert Pursell | Compass, Napa | Broker #01747804 | Yountville / Oakville / Rutherford; St. Helena; Napa Valley |
| Mark Stornetta | Compass | Broker #01440416 | Napa Valley; Sonoma |
| Joel Toller | Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley, St. Helena | Salesperson #01259088 | Rutherford, Oakville, St. Helena, Yountville; Napa Valley |
On the DRE record, Compass agents are licensed under Compass California II, Inc.; Joel Toller under Carolyn Roberts RE, Inc., whose DRE record lists Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley as its business name and a branch at 1200 Main Street in St. Helena; and Mary Carpenter under Vanguard Properties, Inc. Robert Pursell’s Compass page groups Rutherford with Yountville and Oakville in its sales breakdown. For more agents across the county, see our Napa County agents guide.
How to vet a Rutherford agent
- Ask about vineyard and winery sales. Ask how many planted-vineyard or winery transactions the agent has handled in the valley, and which appellations.
- Ask who will review the use permit. For any winery or tasting use, have the agent and your attorney review the County permit and production limits.
- Confirm water before you write an offer. Ask for well logs, yield tests and any groundwater reporting.
- Check the Williamson Act status. A contract affects taxes and what you can do with the land.
- Plan around the vacation-rental ban. Do not count on short-term rental income in unincorporated Napa County.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current responsible broker on the DRE lookup.
Rutherford questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Rutherford?
No. Rutherford is unincorporated, so only Napa County’s tax of $0.55 per $500 applies.
Can I rent out a Rutherford home as a vacation rental?
No. Short-term vacation rentals are prohibited in unincorporated Napa County, and changing that would take a public vote.
Who handles permits in Rutherford?
Napa County, since Rutherford has no city government.
Why are some agents in this guide based in St. Helena?
Rutherford has no brokerage office of its own among the profiles we checked. Several agents who work the mid-valley are based in St. Helena, a few miles north, or in Napa.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, Rutherford CDP profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- Census Reporter, Napa County profile (ACS 2024 1-year)
- Napa County Assessor, documentary transfer tax
- Napa County Grand Jury 2018–19, short-term vacation rentals
- Napa County Grand Jury 2014–15, wineries
- Napa County, compliance with conservation regulations
- Napa County Assessor, Williamson Act
- California Natural Resources Agency, groundwater plan approvals (January 2023)
- Office of the State Fire Marshal, AB 38 information bulletin
- 27 CFR 9.133, Rutherford viticultural area
- Agent profiles on compass.com, vanguardproperties.com and thejoeltollerteam.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: Oakville
Related: Rutherford real estate guide · Rutherford home valuation · Napa 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.
