Best Realtors in Stinson Beach, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Stinson Beach is a small unincorporated coastal village in West Marin, on Highway 1 between Muir Beach and Bolinas, with about 255 year-round residents and nearly 700 homes, many of them second homes or rentals. Beach houses, the gated Seadrift area on the sandspit and hillside homes above the village each raise different questions about flooding, coastal permits and short-term rental rules, and one brokerage in this guide keeps an office on Shoreline Highway in the village.
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. We left out anyone whose record showed a suspension, an expired license or a responsible broker that did not match the brokerage on their profile.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the brokerage they work under, and it matches their profile.
- A public profile that names Stinson Beach. We opened each agent’s brokerage or listing-site profile and confirmed it names Stinson Beach, through a service area, bio, listing or sale.
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.
Stinson Beach housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Stinson Beach CDP |
|---|---|
| Population | 255 |
| Housing units | 683 (±130) |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $1,493,400 (±$1,017,804) |
| Median household income | $132,857 (±$122,466) |
| Persons per household | 1.8 |
| Median age | 71.1 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter. The margins of error are extremely wide for a community this small, so treat these as rough guides, not sale prices.
The gap between about 255 residents and about 683 housing units shows how many Stinson Beach homes are second homes or vacation rentals rather than full-time residences. The Census value estimate covers only owner-occupied homes and says little about beachfront or Seadrift sales; ask an agent for recent sales of similar homes in the same part of the village.
Stinson Beach settings: the village, Seadrift and the hillsides
Stinson Beach has no city government, so Marin County handles zoning and permits, and the whole village is in the Coastal Zone. The small village center along Shoreline Highway holds the shops, restaurants and the Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty office. Seadrift, a gated subdivision on the sandspit between the ocean and Bolinas Lagoon, has beachfront and lagoon-side homes. Above Highway 1, homes climb the slopes of Mount Tamalpais on steep, wooded lots. For more, see our Stinson Beach real estate guide and nearby Bolinas.
Costs and rules specific to a Stinson Beach purchase
- Transfer tax. The Marin County Recorder’s transfer tax sheet lists the county documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000). Stinson Beach is unincorporated, so no city tax applies: about $1,643 on a $1,493,400 sale. Who pays is negotiable; confirm it on your escrow estimate.
- Coastal permits. In the Coastal Zone, county coastal zoning (Chapter 20.62) and the Local Coastal Program apply, most development needs a Coastal Development Permit, and many county decisions can be appealed to the Coastal Commission. Budget time for a remodel, seawall or addition.
- Short-term rentals. Under Marin County Chapter 5.41, any stay under 30 days needs a county license, and Stinson Beach has its own cap within the county STR program. A license does not transfer automatically to a buyer, so do not assume rental income from the current owner’s history.
- Flooding and sea level. Check the address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and read the natural hazard disclosure report; beachfront and lagoon-side homes can face flood, tsunami and erosion exposure and flood insurance costs.
- Fire hazard and AB 38. Hillside homes are often in mapped fire hazard zones. Check the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps and ask the seller about AB 38 defensible space documentation.
Stinson Beach 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 Stinson Beach. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.G. Bates (licensed as Beverly Gay Buttemiller Bates) | Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, San Rafael | Salesperson #00968254 | Stinson Beach, Bolinas, Olema, Inverness, Point Reyes Station, Tomales, Nicasio; West Marin |
| Paul Bragstad | Compass | Salesperson #00823526 | Stinson Beach, Belvedere, Mill Valley, Ross, Nicasio and other Marin towns |
| Robert Craig | Compass | Salesperson #01258090 | Stinson Beach (past sale); Mill Valley, Sausalito, Ross and other Marin towns |
| Cristina di Grazia | Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, Stinson Beach office | Salesperson #01269252 | Stinson Beach, Bolinas; West Marin |
| Randi Deutsch | Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, Mill Valley | Broker #00779948 | Stinson Beach (listings or sales); Mill Valley, Sausalito, Larkspur, Tiburon |
| Terry Donohue | Coldwell Banker Realty, Greenbrae office | Broker #01276710 | Stinson Beach, Bolinas, Muir Beach, Olema, Point Reyes, Tomales; West Marin |
| Butch Haze (licensed as William Henry Haze) | Compass | Salesperson #01140774 | Stinson Beach, Bolinas, Belvedere, San Francisco |
| Rick Trono | Compass | Broker #01045523 | Stinson Beach, Inverness, Marshall, Nicasio, Mill Valley; West Marin |
Compass agents are licensed under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235); Rick Trono is a broker associate there. B.G. Bates and Cristina di Grazia are licensed under, and Randi Deutsch is a broker associate for, Decker Bullock Dreyfus Inc. (DRE #02027353), whose DRE record lists Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty as a business name and a branch at 3605 Shoreline Highway in Stinson Beach. Terry Donohue is a broker associate for NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304), the broker for Coldwell Banker Realty. Robert Craig’s profile names Stinson Beach only through a past sale. B.G. Bates’s and Randi Deutsch’s profiles are on homes.com and Cristina di Grazia’s on luxuryestate.com, both listing sites.
How to vet a Stinson Beach agent
- Ask which part of Stinson they sell. Seadrift, the village flats and the hillside each price differently; ask for recent sales in the same area.
- Ask how they handle coastal permit history. The agent should help you pull the County’s coastal permit file and compare it with what was built.
- Do not count on rental income. Ask how the county STR cap and waitlist affect a buyer, and get the facts in writing from the County.
- Check flood and erosion exposure early. Ask for the flood zone, any elevation certificate, and the seller’s flood insurance history.
- Get insurance quotes before removing contingencies. Coastal and wildfire risk can both affect premiums.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
Stinson Beach questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Stinson Beach?
No. Stinson Beach is unincorporated, so only the county tax of $0.55 per $500 applies, per the Marin County Recorder.
Can I rent a Stinson Beach home short term?
Only with a Marin County STR license, which is capped in Stinson Beach and issued from a waitlist. Check with the County before you rely on rental income.
Who handles permits in Stinson Beach?
Marin County, under its coastal zoning code and the Local Coastal Program, with appeals of many decisions to the California Coastal Commission.
Is there a real estate office in Stinson Beach?
Yes. The DRE record for Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty’s broker lists a branch at 3605 Shoreline Highway in the village.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Decker Bullock Dreyfus Inc. DRE record (Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty business name and branches)
- Census Reporter, Stinson Beach CDP (ACS 2024 5-year)
- Marin County Recorder, documentary transfer tax
- Marin County Code Chapter 20.62, Coastal Zoning Districts (GoCodebook)
- Marin County Code Chapter 5.41, Short-Term Rentals; Marin County STR program
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center; CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Agent profiles on compass.com, coldwellbankerhomes.com, homes.com and luxuryestate.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: Muir Beach · Olema
Related: Stinson Beach real estate guide · Stinson Beach home valuation · Marin 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.
