Best Realtors in Willits, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Willits is a small incorporated city of about 4,900 people on Highway 101 in northern Mendocino County, about 20 miles north of Ukiah. In-town homes, the large Brooktrails subdivision in the hills to the west, and rural acreage in Little Lake Valley and beyond make up most of the local market.
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), a "Licensed" status, and 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 Willits. We opened each agent’s brokerage profile and confirmed it names Willits, through a Willits office, the agent’s service areas or bio, or a current listing in Willits.
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.
Three agents work from Willits offices; the others are based in Ukiah and name Willits on their profiles. The table says which.
Willits housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Willits city |
|---|---|
| Population | 4,920 |
| Housing units | 2,319 (±227) |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $371,100 (±$58,798) |
| Median household income | $63,447 (±$7,818) |
| Persons per household | 2.2 |
| Mean travel time to work | 14 minutes |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter. Small-city figures carry wide margins of error.
The city’s estimated median owner-occupied value of $371,100 is well below the Mendocino County figure of $512,200 reported by U.S. Census QuickFacts. These figures cover city limits only, so they leave out Brooktrails and most rural parcels with Willits addresses. They are five-year estimates, not current sale prices.
In town, Brooktrails and the rural valley
Willits has its own city government, so the City handles zoning and permits inside city limits. Brooktrails, the hillside subdivision west of town, and the ranch and timber land around Little Lake Valley are unincorporated, so the County handles permits there. Brooktrails homes are served by their own community services district; see our post on Brooktrails water system reports. For local background, see our posts on Ridgewood Ranch’s historic buildings and the rail-with-trail route, and our Willits real estate guide.
Costs and rules specific to a Willits purchase
- Transfer tax. Fidelity National Financial’s title guide (Who Pays What, rev. January 2026) lists Mendocino County’s documentary transfer tax at $1.10 per $1,000, customarily paid by the seller, and lists no city transfer tax for Willits. On a $371,100 sale, that is about $408. The County Recorder collects the tax but does not post the rate, so confirm it on your escrow estimate. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- City, Brooktrails or county? Confirm the jurisdiction and water provider before you write an offer. It decides who reviews an ADU or addition and what water and sewer service the parcel has.
- ADUs and septic outside the city. On County parcels, the County’s ADU page bars ADUs on a septic leach field or its replacement area, so locate the leach field first.
- Fire hazard and insurance. Brooktrails and the hills around the valley are wooded. Look up the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, read the natural hazard disclosure report, and get an insurance quote before you remove contingencies. In High or Very High zones, see our AB 38 defensible space guide.
- Wells and roads on rural parcels. Ask for well logs, a yield test and any road maintenance agreement.
Willits 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 Willits. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Randy Gonzalez | Coldwell Banker Mendo Realty, Ukiah | Salesperson #02251703 | Willits, Ukiah (bio) |
| Clinton Hanks | RE/MAX Gold, Ukiah | Broker #01371736 | Willits, Ukiah, Hopland, Lakeport, Cloverdale |
| Brittney Horn | CENTURY 21 Kobetz Realty, Ukiah | Salesperson #02236306 | Willits (listing); Ukiah office |
| Josh Huff (licensed as Joshua Kane Huff) | RE/MAX Gold, Ukiah | Salesperson #01887336 | Willits, Ukiah, Redwood Valley, Potter Valley, Hopland |
| Dara Johnson (licensed as Dara Danae Johnson) | RE/MAX Gold, Willits | Salesperson #02062954 | Willits office |
| Karena Jolley | RE/MAX Gold, Ukiah | Salesperson #01482063 | Willits, Ukiah, Laytonville, Redwood Valley |
| Jacqueline Kettering | CENTURY 21 Kobetz Realty, Ukiah | Salesperson #01997878 | Willits, Piercy, Ukiah (listings) |
| Benjamin Kobetz | CENTURY 21 Kobetz Realty, Ukiah | Broker #02017661 | Willits, Laytonville, Redwood Valley (listings); Ukiah office |
| Josh Koeppel (licensed as Joshua J Koeppel) | Coldwell Banker Mendo Realty, Willits | Salesperson #02105500 | Willits office and listing; Ukiah office |
| Salvador Madrigal (licensed as Salvador L Madrigal) | RE/MAX Gold, Willits | Salesperson #01139481 | Willits office |
On the DRE record, RE/MAX Gold agents are licensed under Peninsula Gold, Inc. (DRE #01957500), CENTURY 21 Kobetz Realty agents under Kobetz Realty, Inc. (DRE #02130965), and Coldwell Banker Mendo Realty agents under LivInMendo, Inc. (DRE #02116789). The RE/MAX Gold Willits profiles list an office at 390 South Main Street, and Coldwell Banker Mendo Realty lists a Willits office at 100 South Street.
How to vet a Willits agent
- Ask about Brooktrails. Ask how many Brooktrails sales the agent has handled and how they confirm water and sewer service and any district charges.
- Confirm the jurisdiction. City, Brooktrails and County parcels follow different permit and utility rules; ask the agent to confirm before you plan changes.
- Ask about wells, septic and road access. On rural parcels, get well logs, a yield test, a septic inspection and the road maintenance agreement.
- Get fire insurance quotes early. Ask which carriers are writing policies for wooded hillside homes and build the premium into your budget.
- Ask for comparable sales from the same area. In-town, Brooktrails and acreage sales price very differently.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
Willits questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Willits?
Fidelity National Financial’s January 2026 guide lists no city transfer tax for Willits, only the Mendocino County tax of $1.10 per $1,000. Confirm the amount on your escrow estimate.
Is Brooktrails part of the City of Willits?
No. Brooktrails is an unincorporated subdivision west of town, so the County handles planning and building permits there.
What is the median home value in Willits?
Census estimates put the city’s median owner-occupied value at about $371,100 for 2020–2024, with a wide margin of error. Ask an agent for recent closed sales of similar homes.
Why are most agents in this guide based in Ukiah?
Only a few agent profiles we checked list a Willits office. The Ukiah-based agents in the table name Willits in their service areas, bio or current listings.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, Willits city profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- U.S. Census QuickFacts, Mendocino County
- Fidelity National Financial, Who Pays What: California Transfer Tax and Fees (rev. January 2026)
- Mendocino County Recorder
- Mendocino County, Accessory Dwelling Units
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Agent profiles on remax.com, century21.com and coldwellbanker.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: Ukiah · Laytonville · Redwood Valley
Related: Willits real estate guide · Willits home valuation · Mendocino 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.
