Insights · South Bay Services
10 South Bay real estate agents worth a call.
An editorial guide to the agents actually closing South Bay deals — Manhattan Beach, Hermosa, Redondo, Torrance, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. DRE-verified, unpaid, based on RealTrends rankings, brokerage tenure, and public transaction records.
By Breakwater Editorial · April 24, 2026 · 10 min read
TL;DR
For a Peninsula listing, call Chris Adlam(Vista Sotheby's). For a Manhattan Beach Hill Section or Strand listing, interview Ed Kaminsky, Dave Caskey, and Jen Caskey. For a pricing-first analytical take on MB, Dave Fratello. For a boutique Beach Cities option, Richard Haynes. Every agent on this list has a verifiable California DRE license.
How we built this list
License, production, and whose comps actually set the market.
Four filters. First, an active California DRE license verifiable at dre.ca.gov under the same name and brokerage the agent publicly claims. Second, verifiable production — RealTrends The Thousand / America's Best rankings where available, brokerage-reported top-producer status, and trailing-12-month sold-listing counts on realtor.com and Zillow. Third, sub-market coverage: the South Bay is not one market, and the Peninsula, Beach Cities, and Torrance corridor each need real representation. Fourth, editorial distinctiveness — agents whose approach is clearly different from the others on the list.
We deliberately left off agents whose online visibility is driven primarily by paid lead-gen platforms (Opcity-style Realtor.com purchased leads, Zillow Premier Agent zip-code exclusivity) without a corresponding closed-listing record. The South Bay already has plenty of active agents; the bar here is production, tenure, and whose comps actually set the market.
Nothing on this page is sponsored. No agent was contacted for approval and no one paid to appear. DRE licenses, brokerage affiliations, and rankings reflect public information as of April 2026 and should always be verified at dre.ca.gov before signing a representation agreement.
The list
Ten South Bay agents, ranked.
Ordered by a weighted composite of production, tenure, sub-market coverage, editorial distinctiveness, and whose closed comps we'd cite in a pricing conversation without caveat.
Chris Adlam
Palos Verdes luxury · single-agent production leader · Vista Sotheby's International Realty
DRE #01135890 · RealTrends The Thousand 2025 (#96 individual agent in the U.S., top of California) · #1 agent at Vista Sotheby's for 12 consecutive years
Palos Verdes EstatesRolling HillsPalos Verdes PeninsulaThe most-decorated individual agent in the South Bay, full stop. Twelve consecutive years as the #1 producer at Vista Sotheby's and a RealTrends The Thousand ranking puts him on an extremely short list of California agents by production. If the house is on the Peninsula, Chris is the reference point.
Chris has been the dominant Palos Verdes Peninsula agent for longer than most brokerage partnerships survive. The posture is quiet competence, not billboards — the RealTrends recognition (#96 in the entire U.S. for 2024 production) does the talking. His listings consistently run in Palos Verdes Estates and Rolling Hills, and his buyer clients get earlier looks at Peninsula inventory than most.
For sellers of Peninsula homes over $3M, Chris is the default call you interview first — not because he's the cheapest or the most aggressive marketer, but because the comps in his closed file genuinely set the market.
Best for
- Palos Verdes Estates and Rolling Hills listings $3M+
- Peninsula buyers wanting early access to inventory
- Cross-border Peninsula ↔ Manhattan Beach moves
Ed Kaminsky
Beach Cities team · lifetime sales volume leader · Kaminsky Real Estate Group · eXp Realty
DRE #00958114 · 35+ years in the South Bay · team volume leader across Beach Cities
Manhattan BeachHermosa BeachRedondo BeachSouth Bay Beach CitiesThe Beach Cities team that shows up in almost every Manhattan Beach sale comp list. Ed's group has been the highest-volume South Bay team by lifetime numbers for years, with a media apparatus (podcasts, YouTube, local segments) that competitors don't bother to match.
Ed's differentiation is scale plus tenure. The team is large enough to run a Manhattan Beach listing with the kind of staging, photography, and syndicated media support usually reserved for national-brand luxury firms, and he's been at it long enough that the Caskey / Kaminsky / Adlam triumvirate is basically how South Bay buyers benchmark listing agents.
Worth knowing: Ed is not a solo agent anymore; the team handles much of the day-to-day. For a seller that values team depth and media reach, that's the feature. For a seller that wants one specific person in the room, interview Ed alongside the boutique options lower on this list.
Best for
- Manhattan Beach Sand Section and Hill Section listings
- Sellers who want full media + staging treatment
- Buyers relocating into the Beach Cities
Dave Caskey
Top-volume Manhattan Beach team · 30+ years · Caskey Real Estate Group · eXp Realty (independently affiliated)
DRE #01198999 · Wall Street Journal / RealTrends top 75 U.S. teams (2018) · $400M+ 2021 team volume · eXp ICON Award 2024
Manhattan BeachHermosa BeachPalos Verdes EstatesTorranceThirty-plus years in Manhattan Beach real estate and a 2021 team volume of over $400 million — the kind of number that, in any single year, is within a rounding error of topping the South Bay entirely. The Caskey team's specialty is The Hill Section and The Strand.
Caskey's team is structured around high-end Manhattan Beach and Hermosa listings, but the roster is deep enough to pick up Palos Verdes and Torrance work where clients have relationships. The firm's own cited track record — #1 broker in the South Bay and top 11 in greater LA — puts him in the very narrow group of agents whose closed comps you'd cite without flinching.
Interview alongside Kaminsky for MB listings $3M+, and alongside Adlam for Peninsula crossover work. In practice, a seller who talks to all three walks away with a much better sense of where the market actually is.
Best for
- Manhattan Beach Hill Section and Strand listings
- Sellers interviewing multiple top-three teams
- Cross-market MB ↔ PV buyer searches
Jen Caskey
#1 Compass team in the South Bay by sales · Jen Caskey Group · Compass
DRE-licensed California broker · #1 Compass team in the South Bay by closed volume · decades of Beach Cities experience
Manhattan BeachHermosa BeachRedondo BeachPalos VerdesThe dominant Compass team in the South Bay. Where Kaminsky and Caskey-the-group anchor the eXp side of MB, Jen Caskey anchors Compass — which matters because the two brokerages genuinely market inventory differently, and a seller interviewing only eXp-side teams is missing half the listing universe.
Jen's team runs a Compass-standard marketing engine (national agent network syndication, Compass Coming Soon, private exclusive inventory) stacked on top of a deep South Bay Rolodex. The combination matters most on sellside for homes where the buyer is as likely to come from the Bay Area or New York as from Manhattan Beach.
For a Manhattan Beach seller, interviewing Jen alongside Dave Caskey (eXp) and Ed Kaminsky is the right shortlist. For a buyer, Compass's private exclusive inventory is a real channel — you won't see some of it on MLS.
Best for
- Manhattan Beach and Hermosa listings where the buyer may be out-of-market
- Compass private-exclusive inventory access
- Sellers who want a brokerage-diverse interview slate
Edward Barrios
Cross-market Peninsula and Beach Cities veteran · Vista Sotheby's International Realty
DRE-licensed California broker · Former President, Palos Verdes Peninsula Association of REALTORS® · former #1 Shorewood Realtors top producer (7 consecutive years in PV)
Palos Verdes EstatesManhattan BeachHermosa BeachRedondo BeachPalos Verdes PeninsulaThe rare agent who's credibly top-tier across the Peninsula and the Beach Cities. Edward's past role leading the Peninsula Association of REALTORS® is the kind of industry position that doesn't get handed out to someone who doesn't close.
Edward is based in Palos Verdes Estates and works the Peninsula hard, but also takes Beach Cities listings and has done so for decades. That cross-market fluency matters on the move many South Bay families make over time — kids-era in Redondo or Hermosa, empty-nester on the Peninsula.
A sensible interview alongside Adlam for a Peninsula listing, and alongside Caskey / Kaminsky / Caskey for a cross-market buyer search.
Best for
- Peninsula sellers who also need Beach Cities buyer advisory
- Families moving up from Redondo/Hermosa to PV
- Relocation and estate-sale crossover work
The Cari & Britt Group
Long-tenure South Bay team · cross-city coverage · Vista Sotheby's International Realty
DRE-licensed California brokers · 37+ years as a team · top-reviewed on Yelp for Hermosa/Redondo listings and negotiation
Hermosa BeachRedondo BeachManhattan BeachPalos VerdesTorrance37 years as the same team — longer than most agents have been licensed. Based out of Vista Sotheby's and known for consistent quality across the full South Bay Beach Cities footprint, not just one city.
The Cari & Britt Group is the team to interview if you want the Beach Cities without the MB-only orientation. They list and close across Hermosa, Redondo, and Manhattan at real volume, with a negotiation reputation that shows up in Yelp reviews specifically (a signal that survives the reviews that are written for other reasons).
For Hermosa and Redondo sellers specifically, Cari & Britt deserve a seat on your interview list alongside the big-team brands. You may end up picking the team that feels right, not the one with the biggest marketing apparatus.
Best for
- Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach listings
- Sellers who want a team that's genuinely multi-city
- Buyers balancing Hermosa / Redondo / Torrance searches
Dave Fratello
Manhattan Beach market blogger-turned-broker · boutique · MB Confidential · Edge Real Estate / Edge Real Estate Agency
DRE-licensed California broker · publisher of MB Confidential since 2007 · the definitive MB market commentator
Manhattan BeachHermosa BeachRuns MB Confidential — the closest thing to an independent market-maker in Manhattan Beach. Has tracked every MB transaction publicly since 2007, then went and got his license. Boutique, opinionated, and specifically good at pricing strategy.
MB Confidential is the market blog every Manhattan Beach agent reads, whether they admit it or not. What makes Dave unusual is that he actually represents buyers and sellers — so the pricing analysis that lives on the blog feeds into his client work. That makes him the right broker to interview if you want an honest, non-cheerleader take on list price.
Not the right fit if you want a big-team marketing operation. Exactly the right fit if you want a sharp pricing conversation and a sellable listing strategy — especially in a market where the difference between $3.4M and $3.7M pricing can be the difference between 7 days and 70 on market.
Best for
- Manhattan Beach sellers who want pricing-first advice
- Buyers who appreciate a data-first analyst
- Anyone who reads MB Confidential
Richard Haynes
Independent boutique · weekly blog + podcast · Manhattan Pacific Realty
DRE-licensed California broker · owner-operator of Manhattan Pacific Realty · publishes a weekly Beach Cities market blog and podcast
Manhattan BeachHermosa BeachRedondo BeachThe boutique independent option. Richard has quietly built one of the most consistent independent Beach Cities brokerages in the South Bay, and publishes the kind of weekly blog and podcast most agents promise but never ship.
Manhattan Pacific Realty is small on purpose. The business model is deep per-client attention, a strong written content operation, and a reputation for candor in a market where most agent communication is polished to the point of saying nothing. If you've read Richard's blog and liked the voice, that's the experience you get as a client.
For a seller in the $2M–$4M MB/Hermosa/Redondo range who doesn't want to be client #40 on a mega-team's list, this is a serious option.
Best for
- Boutique, owner-operated representation
- Sellers in the $2M–$4M Beach Cities bracket
- Clients who specifically value written market analysis
Suzanne Dyer
Negotiation specialist · Peninsula and MB crossover · Strand Hill Christie's International Real Estate
DRE-licensed California broker · Strand Hill Christie's International Real Estate top-reviewed agent · 20+ sales in trailing 12 months
Palos Verdes EstatesRolling HillsManhattan BeachConsistently cited by clients specifically for negotiation — a quality most agent reviews gloss over. Strong volume (20+ trailing-12-month sales per realtor.com) and the Christie's international affiliation for higher-price listings.
Suzanne is the right interview if the transaction is going to come down to terms as much as price — an estate sale, a tight inspection window, a complicated buy-side negotiation against a developer. Strand Hill's Christie's International Real Estate affiliation also gives the firm a legitimate cross-border reach for luxury inventory that doesn't fit the Compass/Sotheby's lanes.
A good alternative interview to Adlam or Barrios on the Peninsula, and credible on MB work as well.
Best for
- Palos Verdes Estates luxury listings
- Transactions where terms and contingencies matter as much as price
- Christie's international reach for hard-to-market homes
Gabrielle "Go Gabby" Herendeen
20-year veteran · cross-Beach-Cities generalist · Estate Properties
DRE-licensed California broker · 20 years of Beach Cities experience · active sold-listing record across the full South Bay footprint
Manhattan BeachRedondo BeachHermosa BeachPalos Verdes PeninsulaThe credible generalist. Nearly 20 years of consistent production across all four Beach Cities plus the Peninsula, a well-reviewed client experience, and Estate Properties — a South Bay-native brokerage — as the house.
If the top-three teams feel too big and the boutiques feel too narrow, Gabby is the middle. Deep enough production history that her comps are credible, but small enough that you'll actually talk to her. Estate Properties itself is a legitimate South Bay independent with a long local history, and the brokerage carries more than enough marketing infrastructure for a $2M–$4M Beach Cities listing.
Good fit for a cross-market family search — particularly when one spouse wants Manhattan Beach and the other wants the Peninsula.
Best for
- Beach Cities families still deciding between MB, Hermosa, Redondo, and PV
- Mid-bracket ($2M–$4M) listings
- Sellers who want a veteran without a mega-team
Also worth knowing
Five more agents worth knowing.
Not top-ten picks for every transaction, but worth a spot on your interview list in the right sub-market or price bracket.
Lauren Forbes
Compass · luxury specialist · Hermosa, Manhattan Beach
Top-15-producer in trailing 12 months in the Beach Cities and a genuine luxury specialist within Compass's LA network. Worth interviewing specifically on Hermosa Sand Section and MB Strand adjacent properties where the buyer pool is international.
Visit ↗
Kelly Evans
Estate Properties · South Bay full-footprint
A top-producing Estate Properties broker (18+ sales trailing 12 months, per realtor.com) who anchors the non-Compass / non-Sotheby's / non-eXp option for clients who specifically want an independent South Bay brokerage.
Visit ↗
Keith Kyle
Vista Sotheby's · Hermosa specialist · Hermosa Beach
One of the most visible Hermosa-focused agents and a heavy content publisher (Hermosa Beach-specific market blog). Worth interviewing for Hermosa listings where neighborhood-specific positioning matters more than cross-city reach.
Visit ↗
Marcus & Helen Ibrahim
eXp Realty (Greater LA) · Palos Verdes, South Bay
A Peninsula-focused eXp team with consistent production (14+ sales trailing 12 months). Worth interviewing for Rancho PV and Rolling Hills Estates listings where the Adlam / Barrios / Dyer slate is already booked or conflicted.
Visit ↗
Michael Majid
Vista Sotheby's · Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills Estates
A consistently top-ranked agent within Vista Sotheby's Peninsula office, with a focus on Palos Verdes Estates and Rolling Hills Estates. The right interview if you want a strong Vista agent not named Adlam or Barrios.
Visit ↗
If you're reading this for a reason
How we'd actually use this list.
For sellers
Interview three agents from at least two different brokerages. On the Peninsula, that means Chris Adlam (Vista Sotheby's), Edward Barrios (Vista Sotheby's or your alternative), and Suzanne Dyer (Strand Hill / Christie's). In Manhattan Beach, Ed Kaminsky (eXp), Dave Caskey (eXp), and Jen Caskey (Compass) is the default slate. Compare pricing, not promises.
For buyers
Pick an agent whose active listings include homes in your target price band and sub-market. A Peninsula agent who's listed three homes in Malaga Cove this year is better for a Malaga Cove buyer than a Beach Cities team with bigger volume but no PV listings. Compass private-exclusive inventory (via Jen Caskey) is a real channel worth accessing.
If you're a South Bay agent reading this
The pattern: the agents highest on this list are the ones whose closed comps set the market, whose written output (blogs, podcasts, listing copy) is consistently honest, and who have been under the same DRE license for a decade or more. That's the actual product. Most agent websites still lead with photography and bury the production.
Frequently asked
About this list.
Questions we hear a lot
Frequently asked
Is this list sponsored or paid for?
How do I verify a South Bay real estate agent is properly licensed?
Why isn't my favorite agent on the list?
Should I interview multiple agents before signing a listing agreement?
How do commissions work in California as of 2026?
What's the difference between this list and the South Bay real estate influencers list?
I'm a South Bay agent who thinks I should be on this list. How do I get considered?
Will Breakwater Digital work with real estate agents and teams?
Part of the South Bay Services Hub
One of five South Bay service guides.
This is one post in a growing, editorial-only series on the South Bay's home-services ecosystem — roofers, plumbers, real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and (as a bonus) boba shops. The full index lives on the hub.
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