Best Realtors in Santee, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Santee is an East County San Diego city of about 58,000 people along the San Diego River, at the end of the Trolley’s Copper Line. Two homes a short drive apart here can carry different fire, flood, airport and special-tax records, so the agent you hire should know how to check each one for a specific address.
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.
- A named brokerage. The brokerage shown is the responsible broker on the DRE record. Where an agent works on a team, the team name is noted.
- A public profile that names Santee. We opened each agent’s brokerage or team profile and confirmed it names Santee among the areas served.
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.
Santee housing in numbers
| Census measure | Santee |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 58,205 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate (2020–2024) | 72.4% |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes (2020–2024) | $727,200 |
| Median gross rent (2020–2024) | $2,250 |
| Median household income (2020–2024, 2024 dollars) | $113,394 |
| Mean travel time to work (2020–2024) | 26.7 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Santee city, California.
About seven in ten Santee homes are owner-occupied. These are five-year survey figures, not current sale prices. Ask an agent to price a home from sales in the same setting, such as river-adjacent streets, Weston or a hillside edge.
Santee settings: river, town center and hillside edges
Santee’s housing sits near the San Diego River corridor, around the Town Center, in newer planned neighborhoods such as Weston, and along hillside and open-space edges. The city’s Town Center Specific Plan, first adopted in 1986, was fully updated in March 2025 with an Arts and Entertainment Neighborhood at its center; a plan guides future development but does not approve projects.
Land near Gillespie Field falls within the airport’s land use compatibility plan, which describes disclosure for most residential sales in its influence area. Padre Dam Municipal Water District provides water and sewer, and the MTS Copper Line runs to Santee Town Center. For more, see our Santee real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to a Santee purchase
- Transfer tax. The San Diego County Recorder collects documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000), about $800 on a $725,000 sale. We did not find a separate Santee city rate on an official source, so confirm with escrow. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Fire zones and sale inspections. The city’s fire hazard severity zone page has an address lookup, and its vegetation management inspection page explains AB 38 inspections for sales in high and very high zones. See our AB 38 guide.
- Flood zones. The city’s flood zones page describes its San Diego River floodplain study; also check the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.
- Mello-Roos. The city lists three community facilities districts, including two for Weston, with special taxes on the property tax bill. Sellers must make a good-faith effort to provide a special tax notice under Civil Code section 1102.6b.
- ADUs. The city’s ADU page says ADUs are meant as permanent housing rather than short-term rentals.
Santee 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 Santee. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holly Barr | Coldwell Banker Realty, San Diego Metro / Mission Valley office | Broker #01958986 | Santee, La Mesa, Mount Helix, Poway, San Diego |
| Mike Campbell | Coldwell Banker Realty, La Mesa office | Salesperson #01717222 | Santee, El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Spring Valley |
| Caren Connolly | Coldwell Banker Realty, La Mesa office | Broker #01148354 | Santee, El Cajon, Lakeside, San Carlos, Allied Gardens, La Mesa |
| Tony Dulawan | Coldwell Banker Realty, La Mesa office | Salesperson #00644438 | Santee, Lakeside, El Cajon, La Mesa, Alpine |
| George Hetzel | Coldwell Banker Realty, La Mesa office | Broker #01000871 | La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Lakeside, Alpine (bio) |
| Pati Johnson (licensed as Patricia Ann Johnson) | Coldwell Banker Realty, San Diego Metro / Mission Valley office | Salesperson #01377469 | Santee, El Cajon, La Mesa, Spring Valley, Alpine, Rancho San Diego |
| Carla Molino | Coldwell Banker Realty, Rancho Bernardo office | Broker #01271186 | Santee, San Carlos, Tierrasanta, Poway, San Diego |
| Mike Proctor (licensed as Michael Ray Proctor Jr) | eXp Realty of California, Inc. (Whissel Realty team) | Salesperson #01727013 | East County, El Cajon, Santee, Lakeside |
| Kimo Quance (licensed as James Edward Quance) | eXp Realty of California, Inc. (Whissel Realty team) | Salesperson #01927385 | Santee |
Coldwell Banker Realty is a trade name of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Company, the responsible broker on those DRE records; broker-licensed agents work as broker associates. Its La Mesa office is at 9332 Fuerte Dr. Whissel Realty team members are licensed under eXp Realty of California, Inc.
How to vet a Santee agent
- Ask how they check fire zones and schedule the city inspection. A good Santee agent should start AB 38 work early for homes in high or very high zones.
- Ask about flood mapping near the river. The agent should check the FEMA map and the city’s floodplain study for river-adjacent homes.
- Ask for the CFD details on a Weston home. The tax bill and district documents show what the buyer will pay.
- Ask whether the home is in the Gillespie Field influence area. That can mean an airport disclosure or recorded overflight notice.
- Ask for comparables from the same setting. River-adjacent, Weston and hillside homes should not be priced from the same sales.
- Verify the license yourself. Look up the agent on the DRE site and confirm the brokerage matches what they tell you.
Santee questions we hear
Does Santee have its own transfer tax?
We did not find a Santee city transfer tax on an official source. The San Diego County Recorder collects the county tax at $0.55 per $500 and collects any city tax as well. Ask escrow to confirm the total.
Does a Santee home have Mello-Roos taxes?
Some do. The city lists three community facilities districts, including two for Weston. Look for CFD lines on the tax bill.
Does a Santee seller need a defensible space inspection?
In high and very high fire hazard zones, yes. The city’s inspection page explains how to request one and ties it to AB 38.
Does the trolley serve Santee?
Yes. The MTS Copper Line runs between El Cajon and Santee Town Center.
Should I interview more than one Santee agent?
Yes. Interview at least two or three, ask each for recent sales in the setting you want, and compare how they explain fire, flood and CFD questions for the address.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Santee city, California (V2025 population estimate; 2020–2024 ACS figures)
- Coldwell Banker Realty agent profiles (La Mesa, Rancho Bernardo and San Diego Metro / Mission Valley offices), linked in the table
- Whissel Realty team page
- City of Santee: fire hazard severity zones · real estate vegetation inspections · flood zones · community facilities districts · Town Center Specific Plan · ADUs
- Gillespie Field Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan
- Padre Dam Municipal Water District · MTS Trolley
- San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk: recording and transfer tax
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- California Civil Code section 1102.6b (Justia)
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Related: Santee real estate guide · Santee home valuation · San Diego 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.
