Top Real Estate Agents in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

The Bambace Peterson Team at Compass, led by Dana Bambace and Mark Peterson, reports more than $860 million in sales across 350 transaction sides from 2018 to 2026, split almost evenly between sellers (176) and buyers (174). The team reports being the #1 Compass team on the Monterey Peninsula every year from 2018 to 2025, and its Compass profile lists it among the top 100 small teams in California for 2025. Clients rate the team 5.0 on Google (42 reviews) and 5.0 on its Zillow team profile (47 reviews).

In the first half of 2026, the Carmel West market area (single-family sales in the village, Carmel Point, Carmel Woods and Hatton Fields) recorded 66 closings, up from 60, at a median price of $3,422,500, up 15.1% from $2,972,500 in the first half of 2025. 57% of purchases were paid in cash. In August 2026 the median sale price was $2,850,000, or about $1,778 per square foot. These figures come from MLS data reported in 2026 Carmel West market reports.

The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea, incorporated in 1916, covers about one square mile and had 3,220 residents in the 2020 Census. Homes inside city limits have traditionally been described by grid location, such as "San Antonio 2 SE of 11th", and the city began assigning numbered street addresses in 2026. Carmel Point, Hatton Fields, Carmel Woods and Mission Fields sit just outside city limits in unincorporated Carmel (ZIP 93923), and nearby markets include Pebble Beach, Carmel Valley and the Carmel Highlands.

Look for an agent whose closed sales include homes inside Carmel-by-the-Sea city limits, which you can check on public profiles such as Zillow, Redfin and Homes.com, and confirm their license on the California Department of Real Estate's public lookup. They should know how grid-described properties and the city's newer numbered addresses appear in listings and records, and the difference between in-town homes and those in unincorporated Carmel.

Commissions are not set by law and are negotiable between the agent and the client. Since August 17, 2024, buyers working with an agent who belongs to an MLS must sign a written agreement with that agent before touring a home, and offers of compensation to buyer's agents can no longer be advertised on the MLS.

A seller's agent (listing agent) represents the homeowner on pricing, marketing and negotiating the sale. A buyer's agent represents the purchaser in finding homes, evaluating value and negotiating terms. Some agents handle both sides of different transactions, while others focus on one.