Best Realtors in Upper Lake, CA (2026 Guide)

By Matthew Martinez

Upper Lake is a small unincorporated town at the north end of Clear Lake in Lake County, along Highway 20 between Nice and the turnoff to Lakeport, with a historic Main Street, ranch and orchard land, and lakeside and rural homes nearby. Because it is not a city, planning and permits come from Lake County, and many homes rely on wells or septic systems, so an Upper Lake agent should be able to explain county rules, rural inspections and fire-zone disclosures as well as price.

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:

1. 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. We left out anyone whose record showed a suspension, an expired license or no current broker affiliation.
2. A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the firm they work under, and it matches the brokerage on their profile.
3. A public profile that names Upper Lake, or its neighbor Lakeport. The first table lists agents whose profiles name Upper Lake. Because few profiles name Upper Lake, the second table lists agents from offices in neighboring Lakeport, the county seat about 10 miles south on the lake’s west shore, whose profiles name Lakeport and other Lake County communities but not Upper Lake.

We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. This list is short because few public profiles name Upper Lake; agents in our Lake County guide may also work here. Licenses and affiliations change, so verify the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.

Upper Lake housing in numbers

We could not open a Census profile for the Upper Lake census-designated place, so we have not included a local table. For Lake County as a whole, Census QuickFacts put the 2020–2024 median value of owner-occupied homes at $324,300 and the owner-occupied housing rate at 72.2%; our Lake County agents guide has the full county table. These are five-year survey figures, not current prices. With few Upper Lake sales, an agent should explain which nearby north-shore and Lakeport sales they used and how they adjusted for acreage, water source and lake access.

Upper Lake settings: Main Street, the north shore and rural acreage

Homes in and around Upper Lake range from older houses near the historic Main Street to lakeside cabins toward Nice, and ranch, orchard and wooded parcels in the valleys to the north and west toward the Mendocino National Forest. The County’s plans page lists an Upper Lake-Nice Area Plan among its eight community plans; the posted copy is marked draft, so ask the County which version governs. Rural parcels raise well, septic, road-access and fire-safety questions; lakeside homes raise flood-zone and shoreline questions. See our Upper Lake real estate guide and the Upper Lake commercial guide.

Costs and rules specific to an Upper Lake purchase

• Transfer tax. The Lake County Assessor-Recorder fee schedule lists the documentary transfer tax at $1.10 per $1,000 of value and shows no city transfer tax. Upper Lake is unincorporated, so the county tax alone applies: about $440 on a $400,000 sale. Who pays is negotiable; confirm the figure on your escrow estimate.
• County zoning and permits. Planning and building permits come from Lake County under its zoning ordinance and the Upper Lake-Nice Area Plan. Compare the seller’s disclosures with County permit records for additions, outbuildings and second units.
• Short-term rentals. On July 6, 2026, the County announced a committee of short-term rental owners and operators to help draft regulations for the unincorporated area. If you plan to rent a home by the night, treat that income as subject to rules still being written.
• Wells, septic, water and sewer. Many rural homes use private wells and septic systems; order well-yield, water-quality and septic inspections. In town, the Upper Lake–Nice Area Plan says the Upper Lake County Water District draws from two wells, and that orders on the regional sewer treatment facility have limited new development, so confirm service and capacity for any addition or second unit.
• Drainage. The same plan reports localized flooding in Upper Lake from inadequate drainage; check the flood zone and site drainage during inspections.
• Fire hazard zones and AB 38. Check the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps. In High and Very High zones, sellers may need to provide AB 38 defensible space documentation. Get an insurance quote before you remove contingencies.
• Flood and other hazards. The natural hazard disclosure report shows whether an address is in a mapped flood or other hazard zone, which matters near the lake and creeks.

Upper Lake 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 Upper Lake. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490

Agents whose profiles name Upper Lake

Agents in neighboring Lakeport whose profiles do not name Upper Lake

The RE/MAX Gold Lakeport office at 1675 S Main Street lists Upper Lake and Nice among its service areas. On the DRE record, Laura Hall-Santarelli and Linda Lindeblad are broker associates for Norcal Gold Inc (DRE #01215931), and Karena Jolley is licensed under Peninsula Gold, Inc (DRE #01957500), both firms operating under the RE/MAX Gold name. CENTURY 21 Epic agents work from the Lakeport office at 912 South Main Street and are licensed under Century 21 Select Wine Country, Inc.

How to vet an Upper Lake agent

1. Ask which sales they used. With few Upper Lake sales, ask which north-shore, Nice and Lakeport sales they compared, and how they adjusted for acreage, lake access and water source.
2. Ask about wells and septic. Ask which well-yield, water-quality and septic inspections they recommend and how long they take to schedule.
3. Ask how they check County permits. Ask how they compare Lake County permit records with outbuildings, additions and second units on the property.
4. Ask about fire zones and insurance. Ask how they handle AB 38 documentation and which insurers are writing policies in the area.
5. For rental plans, ask about the pending STR rules. Do not count on nightly-rental income until the County adopts its ordinance.
6. Verify the license yourself. Look up the agent on the DRE site and confirm the firm they work under matches the brokerage they name.

Upper Lake questions we hear

Sources & notes

• California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the tables)
• RE/MAX Gold, Lakeport office and CENTURY 21 Epic, Lakeport office; agent profiles linked in the tables
• U.S. Census QuickFacts, Lake County (2020–2024)
• Lake County Assessor-Recorder, Schedule of Fees
• Lake County Plans, Upper Lake–Nice Area Plan (posted draft) and Zoning Ordinance
• Lake County news: short-term rental ordinance committee (July 6, 2026)
• State Fire Marshal: Fire Hazard Severity Zones
• License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.

Related: Upper Lake real estate guide · Upper Lake home valuation · Lake 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.