Choosing a Real Estate Agent in San Gregorio, CA
By Matthew Martinez
San Gregorio is a tiny unincorporated community on the San Mateo County coast, where La Honda Road (Highway 84) meets Highway 1 near San Gregorio Creek and the state beach. Almost everything for sale here is rural: ranch and farm land, homes on acreage in the creek valley, and a few older houses near the crossroads. The agents who name San Gregorio on their profiles work from Half Moon Bay and Woodside.
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 to use this agent guide
Start with the property questions below, then compare the publisher and five regional candidates. Public profiles and licensing records answer different questions: a license establishes regulatory status, while a profile describes claimed service areas. Neither establishes local sales experience, quality of service or suitability for your transaction. Some candidates name neighboring communities or the county rather than San Gregorio itself; the profile evidence is shown explicitly. Interview more than one agent and ask for recent, relevant examples.
San Gregorio housing in numbers
The Census Bureau does not publish a separate profile for San Gregorio, so the closest official figures are countywide:
| Census measure (ACS 2024 1-year) | San Mateo County |
|---|---|
| Population | 742,893 |
| Housing units | 290,427 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $1,576,200 |
| Median household income | $160,733 |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.2 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter. Figures are estimates with margins of error.
A county median mostly reflects bayside suburbs and says little about ranch land on the coast. In a place with so few homes, each sale differs in acreage, water and access; ask agents for recent sales of similar rural property along the south coast.
Ranch land, the creek valley and the coast
San Gregorio has no city government, so San Mateo County handles zoning, permits and coastal approvals. Most parcels are agricultural or rural residential land along San Gregorio Creek and the hills toward La Honda, often with wells, septic systems, barns and shared private roads. For more on the area, see our San Gregorio real estate guide, coastal property records and coastal ownership budget pages.
Costs and rules specific to a San Gregorio purchase
- Transfer tax. The San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder levies the documentary transfer tax at 55 cents per $500, or $1.10 per $1,000 of value: $2,200 on a $2 million sale. San Gregorio is unincorporated, so no city tax applies. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Coastal permits. San Gregorio lies in the Coastal Zone, where County zoning adds coastal rules under the Zoning and Development Code and the Local Coastal Program. Ask County Planning whether a remodel, barn, farm building or second unit would need a coastal development permit.
- Water rights, wells and septic. Ask what water source serves the parcel, whether it holds recorded rights to San Gregorio Creek water, and get a well yield and water-quality test. Confirm septic permits and the leach field location before planning additions.
- Flood zones. Land near the creek mouth and along the valley floor can sit in mapped flood zones. Check the parcel on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center and read the natural hazard disclosure report.
- Fire hazard and insurance. Look up the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps. In High or Very High zones, sellers must provide defensible space documentation or an agreement for the buyer to obtain it; see our AB 38 guide.
Agent profiles to compare for a San Gregorio transaction
Matthew Martinez, Diamond Real Estate Group (publisher)
Matthew Martinez is the Founder, CEO and Managing Broker of Diamond Real Estate Group, based in Sonoma County. Contact him to discuss representation for your specific property and location. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc #02163490.
Five regional interview candidates
These profiles are drawn from the local and broader county research. The final column records the location evidence in each public profile; a nearby town or county reference does not establish completed transactions in San Gregorio. Ask each candidate to demonstrate relevant experience before hiring them. This is an interview starting point, not a ranking or a claim that every agent specializes in this community.
| Agent / public profile | Brokerage as described by the profile | DRE record | Geographic evidence in the source profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deborah Cozzolino | Coldwell Banker Realty, Half Moon Bay | Salesperson #01774449 | San Gregorio, Pescadero, Half Moon Bay, Miramar, El Granada, Moss Beach, Montara |
| Linda Crose-Andersen | Coldwell Banker Realty, Half Moon Bay | Salesperson #01957715 | San Gregorio, La Honda, Half Moon Bay, El Granada, Princeton, Moss Beach, Montara, Pacifica |
| Scott Hayes (licensed as Scott Packard Hayes) | Compass, Woodside | Salesperson #01401243 | San Gregorio (past sale), La Honda, Loma Mar, Woodside, Portola Valley, the Coastside |
| Diana Plank | Coldwell Banker Realty, Half Moon Bay | Broker #00779576 | San Gregorio, Tunitas Creek, Pescadero, Half Moon Bay, Montara, Pacifica |
| Miriam Chirko | Coldwell Banker Realty | Broker #01130688 | Burlingame office |
For a wider comparison, read the county agent guide. Verify current license status and brokerage affiliation on the linked DRE record, and agree on representation terms in writing.
How to vet a San Gregorio agent
- Ask about ranch and farm sales. Ask how many rural coastal sales the agent has handled and how they price land with few comparable sales.
- Confirm water first. Ask for well logs, yield tests and any recorded creek water rights before you write an offer.
- Check permits for every structure. Ask how the agent confirms that houses, barns and second units had County and coastal approvals.
- Walk the access road. Ask whether a road maintenance agreement covers any shared private road and whether winter storms have closed it.
- Get insurance quotes early. Rural coastal properties can be hard to insure; get a quote during your contingency period.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
San Gregorio questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in San Gregorio?
No. San Gregorio is unincorporated, so only the county tax applies: $1.10 per $1,000 of value, per the San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder.
Who handles permits in San Gregorio?
San Mateo County Planning and Building. San Gregorio is in the Coastal Zone, so many projects also need a coastal development permit under the County’s Local Coastal Program.
Why does this guide show county statistics instead of San Gregorio figures?
The Census Bureau does not publish a separate place profile for San Gregorio, so we show San Mateo County figures and label them as such.
Why are there only four agents?
Only a few agent profiles we opened name San Gregorio and passed our license check. Agents who cover the whole Coastside may also work here; see our Pescadero agents guide and check any agent’s license on the DRE lookup.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, San Mateo County profile (ACS 2024 1-year)
- San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder, documentary transfer tax
- San Mateo County Planning and Zoning and Development Code
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Agent profiles on coldwellbankerhomes.com and compass.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: Pescadero · La Honda · Half Moon Bay
Related: San Gregorio real estate guide · San Gregorio home valuation · San Mateo 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.
