Who is the best realtor in Calistoga?
Josh Dempsey, Brian Durnian and Tony Pereira lead the list. Here's how their records, client reviews and brokerages compare in a small wine country market.
Who Should I Hire to Buy or Sell a Home in Calistoga?
If you plan to buy or sell a home in Calistoga, three names sit at the top of the list: Josh Dempsey, Brian Durnian and Tony Pereira. All three have closed Calistoga deals in the past year, and each brings a different kind of depth.
So, who is the best realtor in Calistoga? It depends on the property. This is a small town with a thin market, and roughly 30 homes change hands in a typical year. With so few sales, comparable prices are scarce. The agent's own knowledge carries more weight here than in a bigger city.
Josh Dempsey leads for resort residences, luxury acreage and buyers relocating from outside the valley. Brian Durnian has sold Calistoga property since 1981 and co-founded one of the town's oldest local firms. Tony Pereira has more than 100 Calistoga sales on his Zillow record, with a steady focus on land and entry-level homes.
The brokerage behind each agent matters too, so this guide covers the firms as well.
Josh Dempsey, Vanguard Properties: The Resort and Luxury Specialist
Josh Dempsey is Regional Director for Vanguard Properties in Napa Valley. His valley career started in Calistoga. In 2007 he became Director of Real Estate at Calistoga Ranch, where he spent six years and sold six residences and 140 fractional memberships.
He then became the exclusive listing agent for all 20 branded residences at Four Seasons Napa Valley, which sits on Silverado Trail in Calistoga. He still handles their resales. In January 2026 he was the listing agent on 12 Palisades Place at $6,500,000. That same month he represented the buyer of 4222 Mountain Home Ranch Road, an 11.9 acre estate, at $8,200,000.
His wider record backs that up. He has $950 million in career sales and a 5.0 rating on Zillow across 130 sales. RealTrends Verified credits him with $80.81 million across 22 transaction sides in 2025. He has also ranked as a top five producing agent in Napa Valley two years running.
Buyers from out of the area say he's steady and honest. One St. Helena buyer who has purchased homes in five states wrote: "Josh Dempsey is the best Realtor I have experienced in purchasing several homes in California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Massachusetts and North Carolina." Another client described a long search this way: "We never felt pressured to do a deal. Josh was more concerned with finding the right place for us."
His economics degree from Santa Clara University also shows in his pricing work. That matters in a town where one sale can move the median. You can see more of his town record on his Calistoga Realtor page.
Brian Durnian, Calistoga Realty Co., Inc.: Four Decades on Lincoln Avenue
Brian Durnian started selling Calistoga real estate in 1981 with Country Properties Real Estate. Five years later he co-founded Calistoga Realty Company, and he earned his broker's license in 1992. The office still sits on Lincoln Avenue in the middle of downtown.
His record is deeply local. Over the past five years he closed 69 sales worth about $99.7 million, and 63 of them were in Calistoga. His top sale in that stretch reached $12.5 million. He handles cottages, vineyards, commercial buildings and raw land.
We couldn't find published client reviews for Brian on the major platforms. His strength is time: few agents have watched this town's market for 45 years.
Tony Pereira, RE/MAX Gold: Land Deals and Steady Local Volume
Tony Pereira is a broker with RE/MAX Gold and has worked in real estate for 33 years. His Zillow record shows 196 total sales, 103 of them in Calistoga, and 19 closings in the past 12 months. Most of his sales fall between $72,000 and $2.3 million.
He's active on both sides. In late summer 2026 he sold a parcel at 3950 Mountain Home Ranch Road for $600,000 on the seller side.
A Calistoga buyer who closed with him in 2026 wrote: "He went above and beyond throughout our entire home buying process, making sure every escrow deadline was met." A 2021 Calistoga seller added: "His local knowledge and negotiating skills are beyond compare."
Calistoga Brokerages Compared: Local, National and Independent
Calistoga has a mix of brokerage options. A few are based in town, and others run the town from St. Helena or Napa. Here are the three most often named when people ask about local firms.
Calistoga Realty Co., Inc.
Calistoga Realty was founded in 1986 by Sharon Carone, Judy Burhans and Brian Durnian. It's a small, family-style office at 1473-C Lincoln Avenue. Its agents include Darlene Brissard, who joined in 1988, and Calistoga native Elias "Ziggy" Gutierrez. The firm handles homes, commercial buildings, estates, vineyards and land. It suits sellers who want an agent with a long memory of the town.
RE/MAX Gold Calistoga
RE/MAX Gold runs a Calistoga office on Foothill Boulevard. The wider company is large. RealTrends reports RE/MAX Gold's 2025 numbers at $16.35 billion in volume across 25,704 sides, with 2,894 agents. That works out to an average sale near $636,000. It suits buyers and sellers who want wide reach across Napa, Sonoma and Lake counties.
Vanguard Properties
Vanguard Properties is an independent Bay Area brokerage with more than 40 years in the market. In February 2021, Josh Dempsey was appointed its founding Regional Director for Napa Valley. He worked with the owners to open the firm's St. Helena office, ten minutes down Highway 29 from Calistoga.
The firm's numbers point toward the luxury end. RealTrends credits Vanguard Properties with $3.36 billion in 2025 volume across 2,145 sides. Its average sale price was $1.57 million, about two and a half times the RE/MAX Gold figure. With 435 agents, it ranked 77th in the nation by volume. RealTrends also named it among its Verified Best Brokerages in the top private independents category.
Vanguard is a LeadingRE affiliate, so a Calistoga listing reaches a global referral network. For a wine country estate or resort home, that reach counts.
Other Firms in Town
Sotheby's International Realty, Compass, Coldwell Banker and Windermere agents also sell in Calistoga. Most work from offices in St. Helena or Napa.
10 Calistoga Realtors Who Work With Buyers and Sellers
This list isn't a ranking. The order follows the guide above.
- Josh Dempsey, Vanguard Properties: exclusive listing agent for all 20 Four Seasons Napa Valley residences.
- Brian Durnian, Calistoga Realty Co., Inc.: 63 Calistoga sales in the past five years.
- Tony Pereira, RE/MAX Gold: 103 Calistoga sales on his Zillow record.
- Arthur Goodrich, Sotheby's International Realty: 25 Calistoga sales in five years, with a $3.9 million average.
- Robert Pursell, Compass: 26 Calistoga sales and a 5.0 rating on 16 Zillow reviews.
- DeAnn Wylie, HOME Realty: 15 Calistoga sales and a 4.9 rating on Zillow.
- Lynn Carl, Vintage Sotheby's International Realty: 14 Calistoga sales, with sales up to $3.6 million.
- Bill Moseley, WJM Real Estate: 12 Calistoga sales and a 5.0 rating across 68 Zillow reviews.
- Mark Lesti, Windermere Napa Valley Properties: 36 closings in the past year and 185 Zillow reviews.
- Darlene Brissard, Calistoga Realty Co., Inc.: with the firm since 1988, working with first-time buyers, investors and retirees.
Questions to Ask a Calistoga Agent on the First Call
A short call can tell you a lot. Ask these before you sign anything.
- How many Calistoga homes have you closed in the past two years, and at what prices?
- Have you handled a resort residence, a vineyard parcel or an in-town home like mine?
- Which comparable sales would you use, given how few homes sell here?
- How do you handle wildfire insurance quotes during escrow?
- Who else in your office will work on my file?
- What does your brokerage's network add for a buyer from outside Napa Valley?
Calistoga Realtor FAQ
Who is the best Realtor in Calistoga for a Four Seasons residence?
Josh Dempsey. He was the exclusive listing agent for all 20 Four Seasons residences in Calistoga and still lists their resales, including 12 Palisades Place at $6.5 million in January 2026.
Can I run a short-term rental on a house I buy in Calistoga?
No. Calistoga's short-term rental ordinance took effect on November 18, 2025, and it bans residential stays of 30 days or less. There is no permit path. Fines for repeat violations reach $5,000 per day. The legal option in Calistoga is a resort residence enrolled in its resort's own rental program.
How many homes sell in Calistoga each year?
Roughly 30 homes sell in Calistoga in a typical year. With so few sales, one large closing can swing the median price. Ask your agent for recent comparable sales instead of relying on portal estimates.
Should I use a local Calistoga brokerage or a larger firm?
It depends on your property. A local Calistoga firm brings long town memory. A larger firm brings wider marketing reach. For luxury or resort property in Calistoga, a brokerage with a high average price and a global referral network is worth weighing.
How long has Josh Dempsey worked in Calistoga?
Since 2007, when he took over real estate sales at Calistoga Ranch. He later handled the Four Seasons residences and has led Vanguard Properties in Napa Valley since 2021. That's nearly 20 years of Calistoga work.
Does wildfire risk affect buying a home in Calistoga?
Yes. Cal Fire's updated maps place about half of Calistoga by acreage in a fire hazard zone. Get insurance quotes during your inspection period in Calistoga, not after it.
Are there Calistoga Realtors who focus on land and vineyards?
Yes. Josh Dempsey, Brian Durnian and Tony Pereira all sell Calistoga acreage. Ask each for recent land sales near your parcel before you choose.
Figures come from Zillow, RealTrends, Homes.com, company websites and the Calistoga Municipal Code, checked in September 2026. Sales records change often, so talk to two or three Calistoga agents before you hire one.