Michael Salois, REALTOR®

The top real estate agents in San Diego are the ones who consistently close deals in specific neighborhoods, answer their phone, and have transaction histories you can verify — not the ones who buy billboard space. In a county with over 20,000 licensed agents, the difference between a top producer and a seat-warmer comes down to three things: recent closed sales in YOUR target area, a communication style that actually works for you, and pricing accuracy backed by data, not guesses.

Michael Salois has closed 250-plus transactions across San Diego County over 20 years — from Coronado waterfront properties near the Hotel del Coronado to La Jolla estates overlooking La Jolla Cove and Torrey Pines, Del Mar coastal homes near the Del Mar Fairgrounds, and urban markets near Balboa Park in North Park and Hillcrest. Direct-access availability means you reach your agent, not a call center.

San Diego Lineup tracks every real estate agent in 10 active neighborhoods with ratings, reviews, and verified contact information — browse Pacific Beach near Mission Bay, Point Loma near Cabrillo National Monument, or Ocean Beach near Sunset Cliffs to compare agents side by side.

San Diego is one of the most competitive housing markets in the country. The median home price countywide sits well above the national average, and in coastal neighborhoods like Coronado near Naval Air Station North Island and La Jolla near UCSD and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the median exceeds $2 million. First-time home buyers in San Diego need to understand three things before starting their search.

First, get pre-approved before you look at a single property. In a market where well-priced homes receive multiple offers within days, sellers will not entertain offers without a pre-approval letter. VA-eligible buyers should coordinate with a lender experienced in VA financing — Kory Kavanewsky at CMG Financial specializes in this.

Second, know your neighborhoods. A $650,000 condo in Pacific Beach near Mission Bay and Belmont Park is a completely different lifestyle than a $650,000 townhouse in Hillcrest walking distance to Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo. A starter home near Liberty Station in Point Loma feels nothing like a beach cottage near the OB Pier in Ocean Beach. Walk the streets. Eat at the restaurants. Talk to people who live there.

Third, choose an agent who will tell you NOT to buy a property when the numbers do not make sense. The best agent for a first-time buyer is not the one who writes the most offers — it is the one who protects you from overpaying.

Since the 2024 NAR settlement, real estate commissions in San Diego are fully negotiable and no longer follow a standard percentage. Listing agent fees typically range from 2% to 3% of the sale price, and buyer agent compensation is now negotiated separately rather than automatically offered through the MLS.

On a $1,000,000 home in Coronado, the difference between a 3% and 2.5% listing fee is $5,000. On a $2,500,000 home in La Jolla, that half-percent difference is $12,500.

What matters more than the fee is what you receive for it. A listing agent charging 2.5% who provides professional photography, staging consultation, targeted digital marketing, and aggressive pricing strategy will net you more than a discount agent charging 1.5% who throws your home on the MLS with iPhone photos and waits. Michael Salois offers a 2.5% listing fee backed by 20 years of experience and a track record of most listings sold within 30 days.

The best listing agent in San Diego is the one who can accurately price your home, market it aggressively, and negotiate the highest possible sale price on your timeline. Here is how to evaluate them.

Ask for their last 10 closed listings. Look at days on market, list-to-sale price ratio, and whether the properties are in YOUR neighborhood. An agent who sells 30 homes a year in Carmel Valley may know nothing about the micro-market dynamics in Del Mar or the HOA complexities in Coronado Shores.

Ask how they price. The best listing agents use recent comparable sales, active competition analysis, and absorption rate data — not Zestimates. Overpricing by even 5% in a market like Point Loma can mean your home sits for 90 days while correctly priced homes sell in 15.

Ask who answers the phone when a buyer agent calls about your property. If the answer is a call center or an assistant, that is a lead that may not convert. Direct-access agents close more deals because they do not let opportunities sit in a voicemail queue.

Yes — and thousands of military families do it every year. San Diego is home to Naval Air Station North Island, Naval Base San Diego, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Camp Pendleton to the north, and multiple other installations. PCS moves into the area are constant. The challenge is the compressed timeline. Most PCS buyers need to find, finance, and close on a home within 30 to 60 days, often while still stationed elsewhere.

The keys to a successful PCS purchase in San Diego: start your VA pre-approval 60 to 90 days before your report date. Know your BAH rate for the San Diego zip code you are targeting — it varies significantly between Coronado (92118), Pacific Beach (92109), and inland areas. Work with an agent who understands PCS contingency clauses, VA appraisal timelines, and the specific challenges of buying near a military installation.

Michael Salois has worked with military families throughout a 20-year career in San Diego real estate and coordinates VA financing through Kory Kavanewsky at CMG Financial. If you are PCSing to San Diego and need an agent who answers the phone, call directly.

VA loans allow eligible active-duty service members, veterans, and surviving spouses to purchase a home with zero down payment, no private mortgage insurance, and competitive interest rates. In San Diego — where median prices push well past $800,000 countywide — the VA loan is one of the most powerful purchasing tools available.

San Diego County has no VA loan limit for borrowers with full entitlement, meaning you can finance above the conforming loan limit without a down payment. This matters in neighborhoods like La Jolla and Coronado where entry-level prices start above $1 million.

The most common mistake military buyers make is choosing a lender who processes VA loans as a sideline rather than a specialty. VA appraisals have unique requirements — Minimum Property Requirements, termite inspections, and specific timelines that conventional lenders often fumble. Work with a VA-focused lender before you start looking at homes. Kory Kavanewsky at CMG Financial handles VA pre-approval and rate-lock strategy for San Diego buyers.

The 80/20 rule in real estate refers to the widely observed pattern that roughly 20% of agents close 80% of the transactions in any given market. The remaining 80% of licensed agents split the leftover 20% of deals — many closing fewer than 3 transactions per year.

In San Diego County, there are over 20,000 active real estate licensees. That means roughly 16,000 of them closed fewer than a handful of deals last year. When you hire one of those agents, you are their test case. When you hire an agent in the top 20%, you are working with someone who has seen every scenario, negotiated through every complication, and knows exactly how to handle problems before they kill your deal.

Michael Salois has averaged 20 to 30 closed transactions per year for 20 years — consistently in the top tier of San Diego producers. That volume means your transaction is handled by someone who has done this hundreds of times, not someone figuring it out as they go.

Michael Salois covers coastal and urban San Diego County, with deep experience in the neighborhoods where San Diego Lineup maintains active business directories:

Coronado — Village homes near Orange Avenue and Spreckels Park, Coronado Shores oceanfront condos, Coronado Cays waterfront properties, and military-adjacent homes near Naval Air Station North Island. The Hotel del Coronado, Coronado Ferry Landing, and Coronado Golf Course anchor the island market.

La Jolla — The Village, Bird Rock, Muirlands, La Jolla Shores near Scripps Pier, and La Jolla Farms estates above Torrey Pines State Reserve. Home to UCSD, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the Salk Institute.

Del Mar — Del Mar Village, Olde Del Mar near the Powerhouse, Del Mar Heights, and properties near the Del Mar Fairgrounds and Torrey Pines Golf Course.

Pacific Beach — Beachfront properties along the boardwalk, Crown Point homes on Mission Bay, and north PB near Crystal Pier and Belmont Park.

North Park — Craftsman bungalows, condos, and multi-unit investments near Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, and the North Park entertainment district along University Avenue.

Hillcrest — Urban condos, historic homes, and mixed-use properties walking distance to Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, and Hillcrest Farmers Market.

Point Loma — Sunset Cliffs oceanfront homes, Fleetridge mid-century estates, Point Loma Village, Liberty Station, and properties near Cabrillo National Monument with panoramic harbor views.

Ocean Beach — Beach cottages near the OB Pier, investment properties along Newport Avenue, and the Dog Beach corridor near Sunset Cliffs Natural Park.

For complimentary market analysis or property valuations in any of these neighborhoods, call Michael directly at 619-417-1954.

The decision to sell depends on your specific situation, not on market timing predictions. That said, here is what the San Diego market looks like in practical terms.

Inventory remains tight across most coastal neighborhoods. In markets like Coronado and Del Mar, there may be fewer than 50 active listings at any given time. Low inventory means sellers with well-priced, well-marketed homes continue to see strong demand. Properties that are professionally photographed, correctly priced from day one, and aggressively marketed still sell within 30 days in most San Diego neighborhoods.

Where sellers get hurt is overpricing. A home that sits on the market for 90 days in a neighborhood where comparable properties sell in 15 becomes stigmatized. Buyers assume something is wrong. Price reductions signal desperation. The best time to sell is when you are financially ready and working with an agent who will price it right from the start — not one who inflates the number to win your listing and then reduces it every three weeks.

Michael Salois provides complimentary market analysis for sellers across San Diego County. No obligation, no pressure — just data to help you make an informed decision. Call 619-417-1954.

When you hire a large real estate team, you typically meet the lead agent during the listing presentation or buyer consultation. After that, your day-to-day contact is a showing assistant, transaction coordinator, or junior agent. The lead agent may not see your file again until closing — if then. Your calls go to a shared line. Your questions get triaged.

When you work with a solo agent like Michael Salois, every call goes to the same person. Every negotiation is handled by the person who knows your situation, your priorities, and your property. There is no hand-off, no phone tree, no hoping that the person who answers has read your file.

The trade-off is capacity. A team can handle 100 transactions a year. A solo agent handles 20 to 30. That means a solo agent is more selective about the clients they take on — but the clients they do take on get the full weight of their experience on every call, every showing, and every negotiation.