Matthew Martinez is the founder and CEO of Diamond Real Estate Group, a boutique real estate brokerage in Sonoma County, California, and a licensed California real estate broker (DRE #01869679). He works with buyers, sellers and investors across Sonoma, Napa, Marin and the greater Bay Area on homes, land, vineyards, multifamily and commercial property, and he writes the guides on this website. In 2024 the North Bay Business Journal named him one of its Forty Under 40.
About Matthew
Matthew founded Diamond Real Estate Group to make buying, selling and investing simpler for clients, as he told the North Bay Business Journal in its 2024 profile. He came to real estate from a background in sales and marketing, and he describes his approach as data-driven and technology-focused.
His work covers homes, vacant land, vineyards, multifamily and commercial property, and bank-owned homes. The guides on this site are organized around the questions buyers and sellers face before a transaction: what a property is really worth, what the county will allow on it, and what can go wrong in escrow.
What does Matthew focus on?
Vineyards, wineries and rural estates
Vineyard property is a specialty. A vineyard purchase turns on water, vine health, permits and grape contracts as much as on the house, and Matthew’s guides on vineyards and wineries for sale in Napa and Sonoma set out how he approaches them: separating planted, plantable and unusable acres, valuing the vines and water on their own evidence, and planning the first two to three years of farming before closing.
Bank-owned homes, short sales and distressed property
He works on both sides of distressed sales. For buyers, that means bank-owned (REO) homes, short sales and government-owned homes, each with its own bidding rules and inspection limits; see buying REOs and short sales. For owners behind on a mortgage, it means explaining the short sale process and when it can make sense, alongside the help available from a HUD-approved housing counselor; see short sale and REO listing services.
Homes in Sonoma County and the North Bay
Matthew also represents buyers and sellers of homes. His area guides start with Sonoma real estate and the surrounding Sonoma Valley towns, and the site covers communities across Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Mendocino and Solano counties. Sellers can start with how we sell homes.
Investment and commercial property
For investors, he looks at rents, local rental rules, financing and exit options before a purchase. See investment property services and commercial real estate.
How Matthew works with clients
For buyers, the work starts with a strategy conversation: goals, budget, timing and how much risk is acceptable. Then come sourcing from listed and, where sellers choose it, private opportunities; coordinated due diligence with the right specialists, such as inspectors, vineyard managers, water consultants, attorneys and tax advisers; and negotiation of the terms that matter most to the client, not just the price.
For sellers, it starts with a candid read on value and likely buyers. Then the preparation that changes the outcome: organizing records, fixing what’s worth fixing before launch, and marketing the property in a way that matches the buyer pool and the seller’s need for privacy. In his own words, the goal is a plan “grounded in real numbers, aligned with your goals.”
Recognition and press
- North Bay Business Journal, Forty Under 40 (2024): listed as “Matthew Martinez, CEO & Real Estate Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group” in the 2024 honorees announcement, with a profile by Gary Quackenbush.
- Company press release (September 8, 2022): Diamond Real Estate Group distributed a release about Matthew’s use of social media and technology through EIN Presswire. It’s a company announcement, not independent coverage.
For interviews, background on the North Bay market or an approved biography, see media and press.
Licensing and how to check it
Matthew Raymond Martinez holds California real estate broker license #01869679, issued by the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) in February 2019. He was first licensed as a real estate salesperson in August 2010. Diamond Real Estate Group is registered with the DRE as his business name, also since February 2019. When we checked the DRE’s public record in October 2026, the license was active through January 31, 2027.
Every California broker and salesperson is licensed by the DRE, and anyone can check a license on the DRE’s public lookup. It’s a good habit before hiring any agent.
Where Matthew works
Diamond Real Estate Group serves Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Mendocino, Solano and San Francisco counties. Its vineyard and winery work is focused on Napa and Sonoma.
Guides written by Matthew
The guides on this site are published under Matthew’s name. Each one cites its sources and shows when it was last checked. Good places to start:
- Buying a vineyard: a step-by-step guide for Napa and Sonoma
- Valuing a vineyard: land, vines, water and contracts
- The California foreclosure process, stage by stage
- Wine Country for technology buyers: how founders and investors buy in Napa and Sonoma
- What clients say: client reviews
How the guides on this site are written
Real estate decisions involve large sums, so the guides follow a few rules. Figures come from primary sources where possible, such as county crop reports, state agencies, court self-help pages and the California Association of Realtors, and each figure carries its date. Rules are linked to the agency or statute that sets them. Nothing is presented as Diamond Real Estate Group’s own result unless it can be documented. And the guides describe properties and places, never the kind of people who should live there, in line with federal and California fair housing law.
When a rule or figure changes, the page is updated and its review date changes with it. If you spot something out of date, please tell us through the contact page.
Questions people ask about Matthew
Is Matthew Martinez a licensed real estate broker?
Yes. He holds California broker license #01869679, issued in 2019, and was first licensed as a salesperson in 2010. You can confirm the current status on the DRE’s public lookup.
What areas does he cover?
Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Mendocino, Solano and San Francisco counties, with a particular focus on Sonoma County homes and Napa and Sonoma vineyard property.
Does he work with first-time buyers?
Yes. The process is the same: a strategy conversation first, then a search and an offer built around the client’s budget and timing.
How do I contact Matthew?
Use the contact page to send a message or book a time to talk. Tell him the property or area, what you’re trying to do and your timing.
Sources & notes
- North Bay Business Journal: Forty Under 40 winners for 2024
- North Bay Business Journal profile of Matthew Martinez (2024), via The Press Democrat
- EIN Presswire: company release, September 8, 2022
- California Department of Real Estate: license record for Matthew Raymond Martinez, #01869679 (checked October 22, 2026); DRE licensee lookup
Last reviewed October 2026.
