If you’re looking to sell your California home, one of the best tools you can add to your arsenal is partnering with a trusted local real estate agent. The real estate market in California is competitive, and selling a home is a complex process.
A trusted local agent with a top real estate brokerage in California can help demystify the process and get you the best value for your property when it hits the open market.
As of August 2024, according to the California Association of Realtors, the average days on the market in California, that is, the time it takes for a home to sell once it has been listed, sits at 22 (up 25% year-over-year). Homes typically sell for a median of $888,740, a 3.7% increase from the previous year. Though home sales in the Golden State have slowed down, the market is still competitive, making it a good time to find a top agent in your area.
This guide will provide you with a list of local trusted agents in your area from top brokerages or real estate companies in California, along with some alternatives to consider, particularly if you need to sell your home fast.
Step One: Talk to a California Real Estate Expert
Connect with a top-performing agent in your California market to get an expert opinion on how much your house will sell for and what to fix before listing.
Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Links and mentions of specific companies or individuals should not be considered endorsements.
What is a real estate brokerage?
Real estate brokers are professionals with additional training and are licensed to run their own businesses, called brokerages. Agents without a broker’s license must work under a brokerage to legally buy or sell property and typically do so as independent contractors. Most brokerages make money by taking a portion of the agent’s commission from each successful transaction.
Since brokerages profit from agents’ success, it’s in a brokerage’s best interest to support its agents. For sellers, it’s important to consider the kinds of support that a brokerage provides its agents.
This support can often include training, access to large marketing networks, the latest technology, or a large support staff.
Why work with a real estate agent?
There are several reasons why you should consider working with a real estate agent when selling your home rather than selling on your own.
One of the biggest reasons is that selling your home “for sale by owner” will typically net you less overall profit than selling through an agent—23.5% less on average, according to the National Association of Realtors. FSBO homes sold for a median price of $310,000 last year. In comparison, homes sold with the assistance of a real estate agent had a median sale price of $405,000. That’s a difference of $95,000.
Additionally, a real estate agent can help you get more money for your home sale but can also help you wade through a lengthy and complicated sales process.
An agent is your advocate for you and your property, and they can provide insight into their local market or assist you in finding a real estate attorney who can deal with any unexpected complications that might occur.
- Have you sold homes in this area and my price range before?
- How many homes have you sold in my neighborhood in the past year?
- How will you help me prepare my home to sell?
- Will I be working with you directly or with a team?
- What are the average days on market for your listings?
- What is your average list-to-sales price ratio?
- How long have you been an agent?
- How many homes do you help buyers purchase each year?
- Do you work full-time or part-time as an agent?
- Do you work with both buyers and sellers?
List of top brokerages in California
Not all brokerages and agents are created equal, and there are countless options to choose from. Rather than wade through an endless list of companies, we’ve compiled a list of some of the top real estate brokerages in California, along with some top real estate agents, for you to consider on your home-selling journey.
eXp Realty
eXp Realty, founded in 2009, is one of the largest brokerages by transaction sides and agent count, with 355,052 sides and over 87,000 agents globally in 2023, according to RealTrends. Headquartered in Bellingham, Washington, it operates in the U.S. and 23 other countries. The company refers to itself as the first “cloud-based brokerage” and leverages technology to simplify real estate transactions and lower costs tied to physical offices. In 2023, it reported $143 billion in sales, despite a 3% dip in transactions.
Kenny Truong is a top California real estate agent brokered by eXp Realty. Truong has completed over 2,800 transactions, with an average price point of $721,000. Additionally, he sells homes 38% faster than the average Oakland, Calif. agent.
Compass
Founded in 2012, Compass has been one of the largest U.S. residential real estate brokerage by sales volume for three consecutive years, with $184 billion in 2023, according to RealTrends. Despite a 15.5% drop in transactions due to rising interest rates, Compass performed better than the national average decline of 18.7%.
Headquartered in New York City, Compass operates over 300 offices across 72 markets, with a strong presence in major metros. Its focus on technology aims to streamline processes and give agents more time to advise clients. Compass has around 14,689 principal agents.
Andrea Gordon is a top Compass real estate agent in California with over 25 years of experience. She is an expert in single-family homes, working with over 69% more single-family homes than the average Oakland agent. Her homes sell for an average price point of $1 million.
Century 21 Real Estate Alliance
Century 21 Real Estate Alliance is a brokerage based in San Francisco, CA. According to Real Trends, it is a Century 21 affiliate with 1,545 active licensed agents across 37 residential sales offices. The brokerage serves clients across California.
Patrick Lam is a top real estate agent in California at Century 21. He has over 15 years of experience and over 600 transactions under his belt. He sells homes 51% faster than the average San Francisco agent.
Pinnacle Real Estate Group
Pinnacle Real Estate Group has six branches and over 800 agents. Its Advanced Super Team, based in Arcadia, was ranked among the top 1,000 U.S. teams by RealTrends in 2023, with $2.687 billion in sales.
Operating across Southern California, from Beverly Hills to the Inland Empire, Pinnacle handles everything from first homes to luxury estates, land development, and commercial real estate. The company also offers loan financing, property management, and title protection services.
eHomes
Ehomes is a team of 250 agents serving the Chino, California, metro area. Its main office is in Downey, and over 145 of its agents are based there. They also operate in several popular metros, including Chino, Bloomington, Solana Beach, San Diego, and Las Mesa.
HomeLight’s Buy Before You Sell Program
Let’s say you’re ready to sell your current home, but your dream home pops up unexpectedly. You don’t want to wait for your current home to sell as you might miss out on a great opportunity, so what can you do?
Enter HomeLight’s Buy Before You Sell Program. This program lets you leverage the equity in your existing home so that you can move into your new forever home without delay.
Here’s a quick look at how it works:
Start Making Offers Without Waiting to Sell Your Home
Through our Buy Before You Sell program, HomeLight can help you unlock a portion of your equity upfront to put toward your next home. You can then make a strong offer on your next home with no home sale contingency.
Ready to sell your California home?
Selling your home can be a scary and complicated process, but don’t worry—HomeLight is here to help.
Whenever you’re ready to get started, HomeLight can connect you with a top real estate agent in your California market. We’ll help you find the best agent in your area—one equipped with the expertise to build a selling strategy that works best for you, whether you’re selling an inherited home or relocating for your next journey as a homeowner.
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