If you’re buying or selling a home, choosing the right real estate agent can make a big difference in your experience and outcome. Top real estate agents in California close more deals, negotiate better prices, and move homes faster than their peers.
We analyzed transactions and performance metrics for 42,298 real estate agents in California to identify the best of the best. These are the top selling realtors across the state based on local experience, sales history, and overall results.
- Identify agents with solid experience in your price range, neighborhood, and property type
- Prioritize agents with high customer review counts and strong ratings
- Look at active or recently sold listings to assess marketing quality and performance
- Interview 2–3 agents minimum (actually meet or speak with them)
- Gauge communication, honesty, and expertise during the interview process
- Verify included services and specifics about terms and pricing before signing anything
» More: How to find a real estate agent
Our team spends hundreds of hours each month analyzing real estate agents across the country so you don’t have to. We focus on the most important data for typical buyers and sellers in California — people looking for a knowledgeable, well-rounded agent who can deliver strong results.
To identify the best agents for most people, we apply a consistent set of filters to narrow the field to agents with relevant experience, strong performance in the local market, and a balanced track record. We then sort those agents based on key metrics like sales volume, speed, pricing accuracy, and client mix.
We regularly update our rankings as new data becomes available and continue refining our approach to surface the most useful recommendations. See our full methodology.
10 best real estate agents in California by total recent sales (April 2026 rankings)
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Doreen A Davis
Wilson Homes, Inc.Fresno, CARecent sales*336Price range*$351K - $525KTypical price*$410,735HighlightsAbout -
Gabriel Valdez
Opendoor Brokerage Inc.Riverside, CARecent sales*319Price range*$280K - $2.3MTypical price*$676,000HighlightsAbout -
Lily Campbell
First Team Real EstateLos Angeles, CARecent sales*288Price range*$497K - $9.4MTypical price*$1,385,000HighlightsAbout -
Erin Collins
D R Horton America's BuilderRiverside, CARecent sales*274Price range*$510K - $1MTypical price*$630,588HighlightsAbout -
Laurie F Mccarty
Coldwell Banker Preferred, REALTORS®Bakersfield, CARecent sales*271Price range*$25K - $2.6MTypical price*$399,900HighlightsAbout -
Real Estate Team
Deleon Team
Deleon RealtySan Jose, CARecent sales*266Price range*$1.4M - $45.5MTypical price*$4,500,000HighlightsAbout -
Will Rahill
KELLER WILLIAMS BIG BEARRiverside, CARecent sales*245Price range*$41K - $2.2MTypical price*$485,000HighlightsAbout -
Goran Forss
Team Forss Realty GroupRiverside, CARecent sales*241Price range*$87K - $2.6MTypical price*$710,500HighlightsAbout -
Elizabeth Do
Keller Williams RealtyLos Angeles, CARecent sales*236Price range*$140K - $4.1MTypical price*$971,500HighlightsAbout -
Jessica L Nieto
eXp Realty of California Inc.Los Angeles, CARecent sales*236Price range*$245K - $2.2MTypical price*$682,500HighlightsAbout
Top California real estate agents near you
Top real estate agents in Los Angeles, CA
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Lily Campbell
First Team Real Estate287 local sales -
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Elizabeth Do
Keller Williams Realty219 local sales -
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Craig Martin
Pinnacle Estate Properties, Inc.171 local sales -
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Neal Weichel
RE/MAX of Santa Clarita199 local sales -
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Tracy B Do
Coldwell Banker Realty218 local sales -
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Stephanie Vitacco
Equity Union201 local sales -
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Gary Keshishyan
Pinnacle Estate Properties123 local sales -
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Judi Reimer
First Team Real Estate104 local sales - See all real estate agents in Los Angeles, CA »
Top real estate agents in San Francisco, CA
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David Gunderman
KW Advisors East Bay207 local sales -
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Renee White
Keller Williams Realty182 local sales -
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Own Marin
Own Marin174 local sales -
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Amy Li
Century 21 Masters93 local sales -
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Negar Souza
Red Oak Realty89 local sales -
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Khrista Jarvis
Coldwell Banker Realty163 local sales -
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Kristie Martinelli Team
Coldwell Banker Realty95 local sales -
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Kate Mccaffrey
Compass88 local sales - See all real estate agents in San Francisco, CA »
Top real estate agents in Riverside, CA
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Will Rahill
KELLER WILLIAMS BIG BEAR245 local sales -
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Erin Collins
D R Horton America's Builder274 local sales -
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Gary Doss
COMPASS155 local sales -
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Goran Forss
Team Forss Realty Group197 local sales -
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Jelmberg Team
KW Coachella Valley150 local sales -
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Sandy Hernandez
CENTURY 21 SYNERGIA REALTY131 local sales -
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John K Miller Group
Bennion Deville Homes117 local sales -
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Lori Bowers
The Lori Bowers Group13 local sales - See all real estate agents in Riverside, CA »
Top real estate agents in San Diego, CA
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View profileMelissa Goldstein Tucci
Melissa Goldstein Tucci143 local sales -
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Alan Shafran
SRG201 local sales -
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Emma Lefkowitz
Real Broker171 local sales -
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Chad Dannecker
Compass185 local sales -
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Tyler Hagerla
Coastal Premier Properties69 local sales -
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Gregg Phillipson
Keller Williams Realty121 local sales -
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Mark Schultz
Mark Schultz Broker114 local sales -
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Patti Mckelvey
Coldwell Banker West105 local sales - See all real estate agents in San Diego, CA »
Top real estate agents in Sacramento, CA
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Linda Granger
Christie's Int'l R.E. Sereno70 local sales -
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Juliann Cretsinger
Signature Homes25 local sales -
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Jamison Blair
COMPASS57 local sales -
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C Kelly Smith
Centr-21 Tahoe North, Realtors30 local sales -
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Max Lichtenberg
Redleaf Realty6 local sales -
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Julia L Beals
Realty ONE Group Complete8 local sales -
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Laura M Eklund
Realty ONE Group Complete6 local sales -
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Scott E Willers
Compass25 local sales - See all real estate agents in Sacramento, CA »
What to know about top real estate agents in California
Top California real estate agents combine deep, local expertise with higher-than-average performance. Here’s what that looks like in California.
General
- High transaction volume: Does more than 10 sales per year (local median)
- Well established: At least 3–5+ years of experience in the local market
- Good reputation: High total review count and average ratings
Sellers
- Pricing expertise: Few-to-no price drops
- High sale-to-list ratios: Typically sells near or above list price (median sale-to-list in California is 100%)
- Strong marketing strategy: Beautiful photos, compelling listing descriptions, maximum visibility
- Faster-than-average sales: Gets homes under contract quickly (median sale timeline in California is 60 days)
Buyers
- Strong negotiator: The best buyer’s agents in California often save 5-10% off list price
- Local expertise: Know neighborhoods, schools, amenities, regulations
- Responsive and accessible: Reviews consistently call out these specific traits
Most likely, yes. The vast majority of home sellers in California will get the best outcome and most money selling with a top local real estate agent. That said, it really depends on your goals.
Consider listing with a California realtor if:
- You're aiming for top dollar or need help navigating pricing and offers
- You want someone to handle the full process—marketing, showings, negotiation, paperwork
- Your property is typical for the area and priced at or above $200,000
Consider alternatives if:
- You want a faster sale and are open to a cash offer from a cash home buyer or iBuyer
- You’re cost-conscious and want to save on commission with a discount real estate broker
- You want to avoid realtor commission altogether and are comfortable trying FSBO (for sale by owner), knowing that FSBO sales usually net less and require a lot of work.
In California, the average real estate commission is about 5.47%, while the national average is (5.7%).
- Typically, this gets split between the listing and buyer’s agents (2.73% and 2.74%, respectively).
- Rates are negotiable and may be lower for higher-priced homes or repeat clients.
- Following the NAR settlement, buyers may need to negotiate their agent's fee directly.
Sell with a top agent and save
With Clever, sellers can list with a top local agent for just 1.5% (or $3,000 flat) — up to 50% less than the typical rate in California.
Interviewing agents? Focus on the questions that reveal how they actually work. Catherine Robles, a real estate agent serving San Francisco and the Peninsula, emphasizes asking about what matters most: "Buyers and sellers should focus on local market expertise, a strong negotiation strategy, and clear, proactive communication. Ask how many recent deals the agent has done in your area, how they would specifically price or structure an offer in today's market — they should be able to explain their strategy with data, not vague promises — and how they handle problems when a deal gets difficult."
Dolores Park, a real estate agent serving Ventura County and Greater Los Angeles, adds a Southern California perspective: "[Focus on the] number of transactions — not just years in business. Local knowledge and negotiating skills [matter, too. Ask] agents to show you [exactly] how [they'd] get you the best offer in the least amount of time." If an agent can answer these confidently and specifically, that's a strong sign you're on the right track.
If you’re both selling a home and purchasing a new one, using the same agent can simplify the process. But you’ll need to find an agent with a successful track record as both a listing agent and a buyer’s agent. While some real estate agents do both, some of the best real estate professionals specialize in either representing buyers or listing properties
If a traditional agent isn’t the right fit, here are some California alternatives:
- Get fast, no-obligation offers from investors, iBuyers, and bridge loan providers.
- Ideal for distressed homes, tight timelines, or sellers prioritizing speed over top price.
- Offer lower commissions (often 1–2%) while still providing MLS access and support.
- Good option if you want to save but still prefer professional help.
- Pay a one-time fee to list your home on the MLS.
- You'll handle pricing, showings, and negotiation yourself — best for experienced sellers.
- No agent involvement, no commission—but you’ll do everything yourself.
- FSBO homes typically sell for less, so weigh potential savings vs. final sale price.
Pro tip: Even if you go non-traditional, consider services like Clever or local offer platforms — they help you compare your options and connect with agents or investors offering discounts, fast offers, or both.
California is currently a buyer's market, due to fewer active homebuyers and more homes available for sale.
- The market has an average of 4 months of supply, meaning it would take about that long for all available homes to sell if no new listings were added. There were 59,590 homes for sale in CA in the last month. Sellers added 5,422 new listings, and 3,392 home sales closed in that time.
- On average, properties spend 60 days on the market, and it takes 33 days for a home to go under contract.
Homes in California are selling for more on average compared to the previous month. More sellers reduced their listing price this month compared to last month.
- 3,143 homes dropped in price this month. That's around 5% of all homes on the market, compared to the 4.51% of listings that lowered prices the month before.
- The median home in California ultimately sells for its original list price: $790,000.
In February 2026, we asked real estate agents across California about conditions in the local housing market. Catherine Robles, a real estate agent serving San Francisco and the Peninsula, said, "The inventory is limited, and so are the number of buyers, which makes it a unique market. I do expect interest rates to decrease, [bringing] out the buyers who were on hold. It will be a great time for sellers to list and good for buyers waiting for more inventory and better interest rates."
Dolores Park, a real estate agent serving Ventura County and Greater Los Angeles, added, "Home sales slowed a bit and the pricing was leveling out. I'm seeing a lot more activity getting back out there — I think buyers and sellers are tired of waiting." With both agents noting signs of returning activity, buyers who've been waiting may find this a strategic time to re-enter, and sellers stand to benefit from growing demand, especially if rates continue to come down.
Related guides and resources
Find more top California realtors near you
How we research and evaluate top realtors in California
Data sources
Our rankings are powered by real estate transaction data, internal research, and other publicly available sources. We compiled and analyzed over 59,610,100 data points for 42,298 real estate agents across California.
We make every effort to ensure accuracy, but no dataset is perfect. Some activity may not be captured if information isn’t available or accurate from our sources. We update and refine our data regularly to improve coverage and reliability.
Methodology
There’s no single “best” real estate agent — the right fit depends on your goals and situation. Our approach is designed to highlight agents with strong, well-rounded performance and make it easier to compare real estate agents in California.
We look at factors that matter most to typical buyers and sellers, such as:
- Transaction volume and recent activity
- Balance of buyer- and seller-side representation
- Pricing accuracy and negotiation outcomes
- Speed of sales relative to the local market
- Years of experience and proven track record
- Specialized expertise with certain property types or client needs
We use these key indicators to surface agents who are likely to be a good fit for most people, while giving you the data you need to decide which qualities matter most for your own situation.
Ongoing updates
Rankings are updated regularly as new data becomes available. Our goal is to provide a clear, objective view of agent performance to help you make an informed choice when hiring a real estate professional.