Marin County · LGBTQ+ buyers and sellers

LGBTQ+ Realtors in Marin County

We are Naomi and Katherine Thorne: a married lesbian couple, a two-Realtor team based in Greenbrae, and parents raising two kids in Marin.

We help LGBTQ+ buyers and sellers the same way we help every client, with careful attention to the property, the numbers and the details of the transaction. The difference is that you will never have to explain your family to us.

Talk with Naomi and Katherine
Naomi Thorne Katherine Thorne
Naomi Thorne and Katherine Thorne, Coldwell Banker Realty

Our story

We know what it feels like on the other side of the table

Buying a home means sharing your finances, your plans and your family with lenders, escrow officers, inspectors, agents and sometimes the sellers themselves. For a lot of LGBTQ+ people, that also means deciding again and again how much to explain.

California law protects you. But a legal protection is not the same thing as feeling comfortable, and the biggest purchase of your life is stressful enough without wondering how you will be received.

Read our post: I'm LGBTQ. What's the best way to house hunt?

“Naomi and I began house-hunting as an unmarried couple in Los Angeles in 2011, and I remember the awkwardness and discomfort. There was a lot of ‘Are you sisters?’ and ‘Which one of you is buying?’, which meant coming out over and over again.

Same-sex marriage wasn't yet legal, so we filed a domestic partnership to buy property together.”

Katherine Thorne

Marin County

A lot of Marin families look like ours

Marin has one of the higher concentrations of same-sex couples in California, and its LGBTQ+ households are more likely than most to be raising children.

1,403
same-sex couples live in Marin County: 13.5 per 1,000 households, above California's 12.1.
51%
of Marin's same-sex couples are female couples, compared with 46% statewide and 25% in San Francisco.
19%
of Marin's same-sex couples are raising their own children, compared with 7% in San Francisco.

Source: Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, 2020 Census Snapshot: California (September 2025), based on 2020 U.S. Census data.

Before you buy

Practical things to sort out early

Most of buying in Marin is the same for everyone. A few questions are worth raising early with the right professionals, so they do not surface in the middle of escrow.

How you will take title

How you hold title affects ownership, inheritance and taxes. In California, registered domestic partners have the same property rights as spouses, while unmarried partners have different options. Talk with your title officer and an estate-planning attorney before you close. We are Realtors, not attorneys, and we can introduce you to people we trust.

Names that match

If a name has changed through marriage or transition, your identification, loan file and escrow documents need to line up. Tell your lender and escrow officer early, and a paperwork mismatch will not delay your closing.

A team you are comfortable with

You will work closely with a lender, an inspector and often contractors, designers or organizers. Our network includes LGBTQ+ and LGBTQ+-friendly professionals across the county, and we are glad to make introductions.

Knowing your rights

California law prohibits housing discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and marital status. If something in a transaction feels wrong, tell us, and you can contact the California Civil Rights Department directly.

Comparing towns

Marin's towns differ in housing stock, lot size, commute, weather and price. We help you compare homes and places on the things you care about. We do not steer anyone toward or away from a neighborhood based on who lives there.

Selling, too

Selling a home brings its own decisions about preparation, pricing and timing, and we handle them the same careful way for every seller. How we help sellers.

Local resources

Where to find community and help

Last reviewed: October 8, 2026. We check these links regularly; tell us if one stops working.

Thorne Home Team · Naomi Thorne, CalRE #01988116 · Katherine Thorne, CalRE #01988117 · Coldwell Banker Realty. We are committed to the Fair Housing Act and equal opportunity for every client.