10 Top Real Estate Companies in California

San Francisco

Corcoran Global Living

Corcoran Global Living is a top-performing real estate company in San Francisco. The company and its team are five-star rated across Yelp, Angi, Google, and several real estate channels. Their top producers are some of the very best Realtors® in the country, while their newer agents receive the highest level of training and support available in the industry.

See more top real estate agents in San Francisco.

Fresno

FresYes Realty Group with eXp Realty

FresYes Realty Group is one of the highest-performing large real estate teams in California, and the top-performing large group in Fresno, according to Real Trends. They’re also highly rated across multiple review sites and real estate channels, including Yelp, Google, Zillow, Facebook, and EffectiveAgents.com. Their agents also are highly rated, selling more houses and faster than the average Fresno agent. Perhaps that’s because FresYes agents operate on a “Yes and” mindset, going above and beyond what’s requested of them, with excitement for the challenge.

See more top real estate agents in Fresno.

Sacramento

ERA Carlile Realty and Lending

Carlisle Realty and Lending was one of the top-performing large real estate teams in the state of California last year. Also five-star rated across review sites and real estate channels, Carlisle Realty is a boutique brokerage that offers a wide variety of services for buyers, sellers and investors. By providing most real estate services under one roof, Carlile is typically able to close faster, offer better deals and exceed buyer and seller expectations.

See more top real estate agents in Sacramento.

Long Beach (and Lakewood)

Van Wig & Associates with Keller Williams Realty

Van Wig & Associates is an award-winning group serving Lakewood, Long Beach, and surrounding areas since 1988. Real Trends’ 2023 top-performing small team for the Long Beach area, Van Wig & Associates is five-star rated across multiple review sites and real estate channels. Team lead Allison Van Wig is a single-family home expert in the Long Beach and Lakewood areas, selling 72% more homes than the average Lakewood agent and 44% faster.

See more top real estate agents in Long Beach.
See more top real estate agents in Lakewood.

Oakland (as well as Alameda County, Berkeley, and Piedmont)

The Gunderman Group with Keller Williams Realty

The five-star-rated Gunderman Group is one of Oakland’s top-performing large real estate teams, according to Real Trends. It’s led by Andrew and David Gunderman, whose real estate journey began in 2000. The team’s operations manager is Diane Cunningham, who has served as a Realtor since 2003. Together they have become one of the most successful real estate agents and teams in the Alameda, Berkeley, Oakland, and Piedmont market, consistently ranked in the Wall Street Journal as among the top 100 Realtors in the country. The team sells 78% more homes than average Oakland agents, and 46% faster.

See more top real estate agents in Oakland.
See more top real estate agents in Berkeley.
See more top real estate agents in Piedmont.
See more top real estate agents in Alameda County.

Bakersfield

Coldwell Banker Preferred Realtors

Coldwell Banker Preferred Realtors® is a top-performing real estate group in Bakersfield that enjoys a five-star rating and enthusiastic client reviews across multiple review sites and real estate channels. Established in 1993, the local real estate agency has been a part of thousands of families’ histories, helping residents to become active and connected citizens within the Bakersfield community. They are members of a number of local, regional, state, and national industry associations.

See more top real estate agents in Bakersfield.

Anaheim and Yorba Linda

Geronsins Real Estate Group with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Anaheim’s top-performing medium real estate team, according to Real Trends, The Geronsins Real Estate Group is five-star rated. Genelle, Carole, and George Geronsin are a family team that runs an executive boutique-style business with the support of prestigious corporate backing. Their continued success is a result of a keen knowledge of the local market and real estate law, work ethic, and client commitment. With a combined 65+ years of experience, the Geronsins are single-family home experts, selling 76% more homes than the average Yorba Linda agent.

See more top real estate agents in Anaheim.
See more top real estate agents in Yorba Linda.

Frequently asked questions about real estate in California

Are more people moving into or out of California?

Forbes Home reports that 817,669 residents moved out of California in 2022, according to a study in the same year. Only 475,803 moved into the state in the same time period.  A 2024 PODS survey, California cities with the highest move out rate include Los Angeles, San Diego, Stockton-Modesto, Santa Barbara, Fresno, and Bakersfield. Reasons for leaving California include the high cost of living, prohibitive housing costs, and high tax rates.

Is it a good time to buy real estate in California?

Although facing supply constraints and higher home prices, single-family home sales are forecast to increase 22.9 percent from 2023, according to the 2024 housing forecast by the California Association of Realtors (CAR).

CAR reports that decreased economic growth and reduced inflation will lower mortgage interest rates, fostering a more advantageous market climate, stimulating California home sales. Lower interest rates combined with the booming market mean that home values will likely continue to rise, indicating it could be a good time to build equity in a California home.

Where are the most affordable houses in California?

The most affordable housing can be found in these cities in California:

Where are the most expensive houses in California?

The most expensive housing prices in California are located in these cities:

How can I sell my California home quickly?

If you need to sell your California home fast, you can request a cash offer through HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform, an online platform where sellers across the country can request a cash offer for their home. Simple Sale connects you to the largest network of cash buyers in the US, and partner investors have a wide range of investment strategies, including fix-and-flip and buy-and-hold. This enables Simple Sale to provide cash offers for a wide array of properties, even those that need some or a lot of work. With Simple Sale, you can have cash in hand in as few as 10 days.

Need to Sell Your California Home Fast?

HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform provides all-cash offers for homes nationwide, including in California. Receive your offer within a week and sell without the need for repairs, staging, or open houses. We can put cash in your hands in as few as 10 days.

Request Offer

What if I need to sell my existing California home before I can buy a new one?

Save yourself the stress of buying and selling at the same time with HomeLight Buy Before You Sell. We’ll work with your real estate agent to make an offer on your current home, so you can make an offer on a new home, and close and move on your timeline.

Are there real estate scams in California I should know about?

Yes, although they’re relatively uncommon. Scams involving the sale or rental of homes in California include:

• Wire transfer fraud. Scammers may contact homebuyers with instructions on where to wire escrow funds, or they may hack into online communications and intercept funds, transactions, or steal sensitive data.
• Home title theft. Thieves obtain a title illegally by assuming the identity of a real estate professional or third party and intercepting sensitive information or transfer of funds.
• Fake home sales or rentals. Scammers solicit online offers and receive payments for properties they don’t own.

Other scams California homeowners, buyers, or sellers may be susceptible to include:

• Illegal subdivisions. Scammers sell illegally subdivided properties in undeveloped neighborhoods that lack access to water, wastewater, and emergency services.
• Foreclosure relief. Scammers offer homeowners foreclosure relief for an upfront fee with no intention to help.
• Loan flipping. Predatory lenders persuade homeowners to refinance their mortgage multiple times at no benefit to the homeowner.
• Moving scams. Predatory movers ransom a homeowner’s belongings back to them for a much higher moving fee than the original estimate.

Bottom line

California is home to more than 38.8 million people, making it the most populated state in the US. Every city in the Golden State has its own characteristics and special housing markets. California boasts a competitive housing market and nearly 400,000 real estate agents from which to choose.

We make your decision easier. Whether you’re buying or selling, HomeLight’s Agent Match can help you select the best agent in your area to meet your specific needs. It’s free, simple, and data-backed by millions of home sale transactions that HomeLight has analyzed to find the top-rated California agents.

Thinking of selling your California home? Find out what your home might be worth in two minutes with our Home Value Estimator. These and other tools are quick, easy to use, and available with no obligation.

Header Image Source: (Robert Bye / Unsplash)