Best Realtors in San Mateo, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
San Mateo is the largest city in the middle of the Peninsula, with about 103,000 people between Burlingame and Belmont. Its housing runs from older homes in neighborhoods like Baywood and San Mateo Park to condos and townhomes near downtown, Hillsdale and Bay Meadows and bayside homes east of Highway 101. Unlike its neighbors, San Mateo adds its own transfer tax, so closing costs here are higher than in nearby cities.
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 San Mateo. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile and confirmed it names the city of San Mateo, as a service area, in the bio, or in San Mateo 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.
San Mateo housing in numbers
| Census measure | San Mateo |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 103,337 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate (2020–2024) | 49.9% |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (2020–2024) | $1,618,700 |
| Median gross rent (2020–2024) | $3,077 |
| Median household income (2020–2024, 2024 dollars) | $153,504 |
| Persons per household (2020–2024) | 2.54 |
| Mean travel time to work (2020–2024) | 26.1 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, San Mateo city, California.
About half of San Mateo homes are owner-occupied, and the city has a large stock of apartments and condos. The Census median of about $1.6 million mixes those condos with single-family homes, so ask agents for recent sales of the same property type in the neighborhood you want.
West-side hills, the downtown core and the bayside
- West of El Camino. San Mateo Park, Baywood, Aragon and the hills toward Highway 280, such as Sugarloaf and Laurelwood, hold older and mid-century single-family homes.
- Downtown, Hayward Park and Bay Meadows. Condos, townhomes and apartments cluster near the downtown and Hayward Park Caltrain stations and on the former Bay Meadows racetrack site near Hillsdale.
- East of Highway 101. Shoreview, Mariners Island and other bayside neighborhoods sit on lower ground near the bay, next to Foster City.
For local topics, see our San Mateo real estate guide, housing settings comparison and condo and townhome ownership costs pages.
Costs and rules specific to a San Mateo purchase
- County 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. The Recorder notes that the City of San Mateo levies its own conveyance tax on properties within city limits, paid to the city.
- City transfer tax. Under San Mateo Municipal Code section 3.48.010, the city tax is 0.5% of the consideration or value below $10 million and 1.5% at $10 million or more. On a $1,618,700 sale, that is about $8,094 in city tax plus about $1,781 in county tax. Who pays is negotiable; ask escrow to show both lines, and see our California transfer tax guide.
- Check city limits. The city tax applies only inside the City of San Mateo. Some homes with a San Mateo mailing address are in unincorporated areas, Hillsborough or other cities; confirm the jurisdiction on the title report.
- Flood zones near the bay. Bayside neighborhoods east of Highway 101 can sit in or near mapped flood zones. Check the address on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center and ask your lender whether flood insurance is required.
- Hazard disclosures and HOAs. Read the natural hazard disclosure report, and for condos and townhomes, the HOA budget, reserve study and recent minutes, before you remove contingencies.
San Mateo 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 San Mateo. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoebe Carrillo (licensed as Phoebe Prado Bundang) | Compass, Burlingame | Salesperson #02039325 DRE record name: Bundang, Phoebe Prado. | San Mateo, Burlingame, Hillsborough, San Carlos, Foster City, South San Francisco (sales) |
| Dorothy Figueroa Rahal | Compass, Burlingame | Broker #02070346 | San Mateo, South San Francisco, Daly City (listings and sales) |
| Bill O’Leary (licensed as William P O’Leary) | Compass, Burlingame | Salesperson #01860595 | San Mateo, Belmont, Burlingame, San Carlos, San Bruno, Foster City (sales) |
| Sejal Parekh (licensed as Sejal Dipak Parekh) | Compass, Burlingame | Salesperson #01895441 | San Mateo, San Bruno (sales); the Peninsula and South Bay |
| Bertha Sandoval (licensed as Bertha Guadalupe Sandoval) | Compass, Burlingame | Salesperson #01261609 | San Mateo, Burlingame, Belmont (bio); San Bruno, South San Francisco, Millbrae (sales) |
| Arlene Sullivan (licensed as Arlene R Sullivan) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Burlingame | Salesperson #01053539 | San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos, Burlingame, Foster City, Hillsborough, San Bruno |
On the DRE record, Compass agents are licensed under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235), and Coldwell Banker Realty agents under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304). For more mid-Peninsula agents, including a dozen from Coldwell Banker’s Burlingame office, see our San Mateo County agents guide. License status and brokerage affiliations change; check the DRE record before you hire anyone.
How to vet a San Mateo agent
- Ask for sales in your neighborhood and property type. Baywood houses, Bay Meadows townhomes and Shoreview homes are different markets.
- Ask for a net sheet with the city tax. It should show both the county tax and the City of San Mateo’s tax, and who is paying each.
- Confirm city limits. Ask the agent to check that the property is inside the City of San Mateo before you budget for the city tax.
- Ask about flood zones for bayside homes. Ask how they check flood maps and when to get a flood insurance quote.
- Read HOA documents with them. For condos and townhomes, ask what they look for in reserves, special assessments and litigation disclosures.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
San Mateo questions we hear
How much is the City of San Mateo transfer tax?
Under Municipal Code section 3.48.010, it is 0.5% of the value for sales under $10 million and 1.5% for sales of $10 million or more. It is in addition to the county tax of $1.10 per $1,000.
Does every home with a San Mateo address pay the city tax?
No. The Clerk-Recorder says the city tax applies to properties within city limits. Homes in unincorporated pockets or neighboring cities with a San Mateo mailing address pay only the county tax and any tax of their own city.
What is the median home value in San Mateo?
The Census estimates the median owner-occupied value at $1,618,700 for 2020–2024. It blends condos and houses, so ask an agent for recent comparable sales.
Why are most of these agents from Compass?
They are the agents whose profiles we opened that name San Mateo and passed the license check. Our San Mateo County agents guide lists more Coldwell Banker agents from the Burlingame office next door.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, San Mateo city, California
- San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder, documentary transfer tax
- City of San Mateo Municipal Code, section 3.48.010, real property document transfer tax
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Agent profiles on compass.com and coldwellbankerhomes.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: Burlingame · Foster City · Belmont
Related: San Mateo real estate guide · San Mateo 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.
