The 10 Most Trusted Agents in California Defined by Honesty, Clear Communication, and Client-First Service

Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest decisions most people will ever make. It involves money, timing, emotion, and a level of trust that can be hard to place in someone you have just met. That is why the agents on this list stand out.

They come from different parts of California and work in different markets, from coastal luxury properties to farmland, mountain homes, and suburban neighborhoods. What they share is an approach built on honesty, clear communication, and putting clients first. Some have decades of experience. Others bring fresh perspectives alongside seasoned partners. A few have backgrounds outside of real estate that shaped how they listen, solve problems, and serve people during stressful moments.

These agents have earned repeat clients and referrals not through marketing, but through consistency. They answer the phone. They tell the truth, even when it is not what clients want to hear. They stay in touch long after the paperwork is signed. Trust, in this business, is built slowly and proven over time.

Zak Freedman and Nicole Truszkowski: Precision and Transparency on the Monterey Peninsula

Zak Freedman and Nicole Truszkowski lead Truszkowski Freedman & Associates, the top performing luxury real estate team on California's Monterey Peninsula. Their work spans Carmel, Pebble Beach, and Big Sur, where they have built a reputation for handling complex transactions with precision and discretion.

The team has been responsible for some of the region's most significant sales, including the highest in Carmel's history at $40 million. They have also represented notable properties like the Betty White Estate, Bien Sur, Casa Luna, and the Dragon House. The Betty White estate alone generated more than 1,000 global press features and over 2 billion media impressions.

"We add value through radical transparency, aggressive problem solving, and a data first advisory model that outperforms traditional intuition based real estate," they explained. Zak brings a background in creative direction and digital strategy, while Nicole has decades of experience representing properties in Pebble Beach and Big Sur. Together, they blend cinematic storytelling with advanced analytics to position homes in front of the right buyers.

Their clients often come to them with concerns that go beyond price. Privacy, family dynamics, and conflicting advice from other agents are common challenges. Zak and Nicole focus on giving them clarity and a strategy built around their specific goals.

The team has crossed $100 million in sales for 2025 and is currently expanding by bringing Engel & Völkers to Carmel and Pebble Beach.

Jennifer Borwick: The House Whisperer of Lake Tahoe

Jennifer Borwick has spent 39 years living in North Lake Tahoe and Truckee, and 11 of those years working in real estate. Before that, she spent 30 years in healthcare as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner. She also ran her own staging company for eight years. That combination of experiences shaped how she works with clients today.

"I can instantly see the potential in any property and visualize the result of strategic improvements that will maximize its market value," Jennifer said. She calls it House Vision. It's the ability to walk into a home and understand not just what it is, but what it could become with the right changes.

That skill has made her particularly effective with homes that previously failed to sell. By rethinking presentation, adjusting pricing, and transforming how a property shows, she has turned difficult listings into successful sales. To date, she has closed 95 transactions and surpassed $100 million in closed volume, all without a referral network.

Originally from Marin County, Jennifer understands the Bay Area buyers who often seek mountain homes in Tahoe. She knows what they want and how to match them with the right property.

Her team, Dream Living Lake Tahoe, recently added partner Norm Kitching, who brings experience in finance, lending, and renovation project management. Together, they offer clients a broader range of expertise.

Stella Tsakonas and Stephanie Mull: A Mother Daughter Team Serving the Bay Area

Stella Tsakonas & Stephanie Mull are a mother and daughter real estate team specializing in Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Walnut Creek, and Alamo. With over two decades of combined experience, they have built their business on trust, communication, and a balance of generational strengths.

Stella brings deep market insight and negotiation skills developed over years of working in the Bay Area. Stephanie brings a fresh perspective on digital platforms, social media, and creative outreach. The partnership works because their approaches complement each other.

"We're always looking for ways to do better," Stephanie said. "That means staying current with how people search for homes, how they consume information, and what they need to feel confident in their decisions."

Many of their clients come to them feeling uncertain about timing, competition, or whether they are making the right choice. Stella and Stephanie take that pressure off by handling every detail from staging and marketing to pricing strategy and negotiation.

"Our goal is for clients to feel informed, supported, and completely at ease knowing they made the best possible decision for their future," Stella said.

Their work has built loyalty over time. Generations of families have returned to them and referred friends and colleagues. This year, they launched new digital marketing campaigns and expanded their client experience program with local partnerships and home preparation services.

"Real estate is personal," they said. "We treat it that way, guiding every client like family."

Prescilla Romero: A Lifestyle First Approach in Southern California

Prescilla Romero has helped over 100 families relocate throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, and out of state since 2017. Her approach starts with understanding how people actually live. She considers family needs, work schedules, commute times, and how clients spend their free time before recommending properties. That attention to detail leads to better matches and fewer surprises.

Romero grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from California State University, Northridge with a degree in Finance and a minor in Real Estate. That foundation gives her strong skills in market analysis, pricing, and financial planning, which she applies daily in her work at Vista Sotheby's International Realty.

Many of her clients come to her feeling overwhelmed by the buying or selling process. Over time, she has developed a method for breaking things down into smaller, manageable steps.

"I've learned to break the process down into smaller steps, and holding their hand through each step helps them reach their goal," Prescilla said. She stays in regular contact with clients throughout, often several times a week, to keep them informed and reduce uncertainty.

Her consistency has earned her Top Producer recognition multiple times in the last three years. Vista Sotheby's was ranked the number one brokerage in the South Bay for the first quarter of 2025, and Prescilla continues to build long term relationships with clients well after their transactions close.

Ashley Morris: Honesty and Long Term Relationships in San Diego

Ashley Morris  is a trilingual real estate professional serving San Diego, fluent in English, Chinese, and Taiwanese. She moved to the area from Taiwan in 2014 and spent eight years at T-Mobile, where she became a top salesperson nationwide by focusing on lasting client relationships rather than short term metrics. That experience shaped her commitment to doing things the right way.

Before selling her first home, Ashley worked as a transaction coordinator for a mentor with well over 25 years of experience, gaining technical mastery of contracts and the regulatory nuances of the business. Today, she also manages a portfolio of more than 20 properties, a responsibility she took on under the mentorship of an experienced broker who gave her the confidence to expand her expertise. The entire portfolio has come through word of mouth referrals.

Ashley is firm about protecting her professional value. She refuses to offer commission rebates to buyers, a practice some agents use to win business. “I believe in the quality of service I provide,” she said. “My reputation is worth more than any single sale.”

That same integrity shows up in how she works with clients. When a buyer from Northern California was told by another agent that their budget would not be enough to purchase in San Diego, Ashley showed them what was actually available and let them make their own decision without pressure, ultimately helping them close on a home other agents said was out of reach.

Most of her business comes from repeat clients and referrals, which she considers the highest form of recognition. For Ashley, that enduring client trust is the ultimate definition of success.

Cash Thomas: Land, Legacy, and Lifelong Client Relationships in the Central Valley

Cash Thomas grew up in Fresno and played Division I baseball at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he served as team captain. That background in competitive athletics shaped his approach to real estate, which he entered in 2011 after returning to California's Central Valley.

By 2017, he had established his own residential brokerage, CMT Properties, Inc. In 2021, he expanded into agricultural real estate by joining AgriWealth, Inc., working with land based assets that require specialized market knowledge. Then in 2023, he co founded Broken Horn Land Co., a brokerage focused on ranch, recreational, and legacy properties across the American West. The company recently expanded into Colorado, with plans to secure licenses in additional western states.

Cash describes his work as entirely relationship focused. "I make sure the client experience is top notch and that they are represented to the highest standards," he said. He applies that same philosophy to fellow agents and brokers, building rapport across the industry to make negotiations smoother and outcomes stronger.

He often works with clients who have been misrepresented in the past. "The problem I come across most is clients who've been misrepresented or taken advantage of. They feel the industry as a whole is 'shady,'" Cash explained. His response is transparency, clear communication, and a consistent focus on protecting client interests.

That trust based approach has earned him lifelong clients and steady referral business.

Larry O. Doss: Old Fashioned Service and Determination in Humboldt County

Larry O. Doss is the second generation owner of Ming Tree Real Estate in Humboldt County. His father co-founded the brokerage in 1972, and Larry took over as broker in 2006 after earning his California Real Estate Sales License in 1995. Since then, he has closed over 800 sales and supervised more than 4,000 transactions for the Ming Tree team.

His customer satisfaction rating has held at 98% over 20 years of surveys, a number that reflects how he approaches his work.

"I work to find solutions for all of our clients and do not quit," Larry said. "Many times, agents can get frustrated and lack the knowledge and determination to persevere. I not only do not quit, I always look to make the solution a double win, positive for all parties involved."

Larry identifies financing and insurance as the toughest challenges for buyers and sellers. When deals hit obstacles, he steps in as an advocate to have the difficult conversations and keep the process moving with as little stress as possible for his clients.

His community involvement runs deep. He served as President of the Humboldt Association of Realtors in 2007, Humboldt Harbor Commissioner from 2015 to 2021, and has been an active Rotarian since 1989. He was named Business Person of the Year by the Eureka Chamber of Commerce in 2015.

Outside of real estate, Larry has raised natural grass fed cattle since 2000 and worked as a traditional teamster with draft horses since 2003.

Colleen Cooley: 26 Years of Steady, Client Centered Service on the San Francisco Peninsula

Colleen Cooley has spent 26 years helping buyers and sellers on the San Francisco Peninsula, the place she has called home her entire life. Her approach is straightforward: listen carefully, ask the right questions, and make sure every decision reflects what matters most to the client.

"I guide, and you decide," Colleen said. "It's a team approach with the client always in the driver's seat."

Real estate runs in her family. Her mother was an agent for many years. Her sister worked in luxury real estate. Her brother spent his career as a lender at Wells Fargo. Colleen herself worked in high tech before making the shift in 1999. "My biggest regret in this business is that I did not start sooner," she said.

She is not the kind of agent who delegates everything. Whether it is staging, coordinating repairs, or managing a complicated transaction, she steps in and handles what needs to be handled. She also mentors new agents, helping them learn the business the right way.

Her advice to sellers is simple: you only have one chance to make a first impression. To buyers, she says do not rush. Read every inspection report and disclosure. Ask questions about anything that raises concern.

Colleen has been a top producing agent in her office year after year, but what keeps her going is the relationships she has built along the way.

Lydia Buchanan: A Contractor's Eye in Southern California Real Estate

Lydia Buchanan sees homes differently than most agents. After nearly four decades in construction, she walks through properties looking at load bearing walls, foundation integrity, and renovation potential rather than just cosmetic details.

Raised in a small farming community in Arizona, Lydia earned her Accounting degree from the University of Arizona in 1978 and moved into real estate work with developers in Yuma and later Oceanside, California. By 1986, she had her contractor's license in Arizona. Two years later, she became a licensed General Contractor in Oregon at a time when women in that role were uncommon.

She spent years managing job sites and coordinating crews while raising a child on her own. The male builders in her community became mentors who supported her work. She also leaned on a close group of working mothers. "Yes, sometimes it does take a village, and a glass of wine and pizza," Lydia said.

After returning to California in 1999, she continued renovating homes before obtaining her California Real Estate license in 2021. She is now affiliated with eXp Realty of Southern California Inc.

For buyers, Lydia helps distinguish between properties with genuine character and those that are simply outdated. She discusses construction possibilities and future equity without overwhelming her clients. "I believe in being upfront," she said. "Remodeling can be messy and stressful, but the long term result and increased value are worth the effort."

The Jacobs Family: Three Generations of Client Focused Real Estate in Orange County

Real estate runs three generations deep in the Jacobs family. Jim Jacobs' father operated the largest domestic real estate office on the peninsula in the early 1970s, managing sales, property management, and vacation rentals. His mother ran the only escrow company in the area. Jim himself has 40 years of experience in the business and once built the second largest property management company on the peninsula. Now, he works alongside his two sons, Jason and Joshua, in a partnership that has tripled their property management clients and increased sales volume tenfold.

The family built their reputation on trustworthiness and reliability. Some of Jim's clients have stayed with him for over 25 years. When Jason joined after obtaining his broker's license, those same values carried forward.

"Do the work, and the money will come," Jason explained. That philosophy has led the team to advise clients not to buy certain homes, to pull properties off the market and return with a better plan rather than simply dropping the price, and to choose the harder path when it produces better results.

The Jacobs team is entirely referral based. They currently manage 67 doors and add roughly five per year organically. In 2025, they closed above $31 million in gross sales, their best year since the partnership began. Their retention rate is nearly 100 percent. They have lost just two management clients in the last five years outside of those who sold properties.

Clients send holiday cards. They attend Lakers games together. They stop by the office unannounced. For the Jacobs family, that is the point.

Summary

Real estate is personal. It involves family decisions, financial stress, and the vulnerability of inviting someone into one of the most important moments of your life. The agents featured here understand that.

They have worked with clients who felt overwhelmed, misled by previous agents, or unsure where to start. They have taken on homes that failed to sell with others and turned them around through honest pricing and careful preparation. They have refused kickbacks, advised clients not to buy certain properties, and chosen the harder path when it led to better outcomes.

Some have served the same families for over 25 years. Others have built their entire business through referrals alone. What connects them is a commitment to clarity, patience, and doing right by the people who trust them. In a market that moves fast, that kind of care still matters.