Selling in Mountain View, Sunnyvale or Los Altos?A flat fee, not a commission.
Licensed local agents who list, negotiate and close your Silicon Valley home for one flat fee set by its price. Set before you meet your agent. Non-exclusive. Cancel anytime. Paid only at closing.⁶
Not locked in until your home is listed. Cancel from your dashboard.
Mountain View (about 85,000 people), Sunnyvale (about 157,000) and Los Altos (about 31,000) are neighboring Santa Clara County cities between San Francisco Bay and the foothills, in the middle of Silicon Valley, and Landian works across all three with licensed local agents. Sellers list on the MLS with a licensed local agent for one flat fee set by the home's price, not a commission: $14,999 flat for a home around $1,500,000. $19,999 flat for a home around $2,000,000. $19,999 flat for a home around $3,000,000. The fee is shown before you meet the agent, written into your agreement, and paid only at closing. Buyers get a buyer's agent on the same schedule, based on the price of the home they buy, usually covered by the seller's contribution; anything the seller contributes above it comes back as a rebate or closing credit where allowed.⁶
Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Los Altos at a glance
Three cities, three ways to own. Most homes in Mountain View and Sunnyvale are rented, while owners live in 81.7% of Los Altos homes. The Census caps its median home value at “$2,000,000+”, so the Los Altos figure below is that ceiling; Zillow put the typical Los Altos home at $4,591,005 in September 2026. Santa Clara County as a whole: 1,914,391 residents and a $1,490,600 median.
Mountain View
Santa Clara County
Residents (2025 est.)
85,438
Median home value*
$1,927,000
Homeowners
38.6%
Average commute
23.3 min
Sunnyvale
Santa Clara County
Residents (2025 est.)
156,577
Median home value*
$1,801,800
Homeowners
43.8%
Average commute
23.0 min
Los Altos
Santa Clara County
Residents (2025 est.)
30,965
Median home value*
$2,000,000
Homeowners
81.7%
Average commute
22.3 min
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: residents are the July 1, 2025 population estimate; *median value of owner-occupied homes, homeowners (owner-occupied share of homes) and mean travel time to work are American Community Survey 2020-2024 figures, so recent sale prices can run higher.
Living in Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Los Altos
Three neighbors between the Bay and the foothills that share one job market and feel very different: a station-to-El Camino downtown, a railroad town rebuilt around its old main street, and a village with big lots.
Pioneer Park and the public library, Mountain View
Mountain View
Castro Street, Shoreline and the campuses north of 101
Mountain View was incorporated in 1902, and its downtown is seven blocks of Castro Street, from the Caltrain and light rail station to El Camino Real. On October 25, 2022, the City Council made the 100, 200 and 300 blocks a pedestrian mall, so the restaurant blocks nearest the station stay closed to cars. City Hall, the Center for the Performing Arts and the public library share a plaza, with Pioneer Park, the site of the town’s first cemetery, behind them.
North of US 101, Shoreline at Mountain View is a 750-acre wildlife refuge and recreation area on the Bay, open since 1983, with a sailing lake, Shoreline Amphitheatre, a golf course and the Rengstorff House, Mountain View’s oldest home, lived in by the Rengstorff family from about 1867. The city lists Google, LinkedIn, Intuit and NASA’s Ames Research Center among the organizations headquartered here, and the Computer History Museum is on North Shoreline Boulevard.
Sunnyvale began as Murphy’s Station: in 1861 Martin Murphy Jr. let the new San Francisco to San José railroad cross his ranch and stop there. Developer Walter Crossman built a town around the station, which took the name Sunnyvale in 1901 and became a city in 1912. Historic Murphy Avenue is the Murphy Station Heritage Landmark District, which the city calls the last structures of the old downtown; most of its buildings had been rehabilitated by 1994, and the historic downtown now hosts art festivals, concerts and a year-round farmers’ market.
Around it, downtown has been rebuilt. The Sunnyvale Town Center mall, opened in 1979 on the old shopping streets, came down in 2007; Redwood Square reopened as a park in 2017, and a Whole Foods Market and an AMC multiplex opened in October 2020 at CityLine, which is still adding homes and shops. The city keeps 772 acres of parks and open space, and next to the Community Center a 10-acre orchard of about 800 Blenheim apricot trees, saved in 1994, beside the Heritage Park Museum.
Los Altos began in 1906, when railroad executive Paul Shoup’s Altos Land Company bought 140 acres from Sarah Winchester and named the town for “the heights”. The first lots sold at a barbecue in March 1907, the city incorporated on December 1, 1952, and the rail line, closed in 1964, became Foothill Expressway. Downtown is a six-block triangle of more than 150 shops around Main and State streets, and its merchants’ association, active since 1963, runs more than three dozen events a year, from the farmers’ market to the Arts & Wine Festival.
The city describes itself by its tree-lined streets and small village atmosphere, and its zoning keeps the lots generous: the main single-family zone, R1-10, sets a minimum lot of 10,000 square feet (11,000 on a corner) with at least 80 feet of frontage. Redwood Grove, a 5.9-acre nature preserve on Adobe Creek, and more than 25 public sculptures are part of town.
The area runs from salt marsh to foothills. Sunnyvale’s Baylands Park adjoins a 105-acre protected wetland, the San Francisco Bay Trail passes through on Caribbean Drive, and the John W. Christian Greenbelt crosses the city for 2.7 miles on the Hetch Hetchy right-of-way. Mountain View maintains 45 urban parks and 9.95 miles of trail along Stevens Creek, Permanente Creek and the Hetch Hetchy line; the Stevens Creek Trail follows the creek for nearly its whole run through the city to Shoreline.
On the Los Altos edge, Rancho San Antonio pairs a 2,180-acre open space preserve with a 293-acre county park: more than 25 miles of trail, a climb toward 2,800-foot Black Mountain, and Deer Hollow Farm, a working farm with turn-of-the-century ranch buildings. One trail climbs to a quiet meadow next to Hidden Villa, the organic farm and wilderness area on upper Adobe Creek in Los Altos Hills, founded in 1924 and now a nonprofit for environmental education.
Sunnyvale Baylands
San Francisco Bay Trail
John W. Christian Greenbelt
Stevens Creek Trail
Rancho San Antonio
Deer Hollow Farm
Hidden Villa
Why buyers want in
Jobs, trains, downtowns and schools within a few miles of each other, and homes that sell quickly. On Zillow’s September 2026 figures, homes went to pending in about 11 days in Los Altos, 12 in Sunnyvale and 15 in Mountain View, and typical values were up 8.4%, 1.0% and 2.5% over the year.
Jobs
Mountain View lists Google, LinkedIn, Intuit and NASA Ames among the employers headquartered there; Sunnyvale counts almost 8,000 local businesses and calls itself the heart of Silicon Valley.
New neighborhoods
In June 2023 Mountain View approved Google’s North Bayshore Master Plan: up to 7,000 homes, 15% of them affordable, and about 26 acres of parks, under a 30-year development agreement.
Electric Caltrain
2025 was Caltrain’s first full year of electrified service, with trains every 30 minutes at every station; express trains reach San Francisco from Mountain View in about 46 minutes.
Downtowns
Castro Street’s pedestrian mall, Murphy Avenue and CityLine in Sunnyvale, and the Los Altos triangle of more than 150 shops.
What homes here look like
Three markets side by side. Owners live in 38.6% of Mountain View homes and 43.8% of Sunnyvale homes, against 81.7% in Los Altos (Census, 2020-2024). Both Mountain View and Sunnyvale have Eichler neighborhoods, the post-and-beam modern houses with walls of glass, open plans and, in later models, an open-air entry atrium. Sunnyvale’s Eichler Design Guidelines count more than 1,000 built in the city between 1949 and 1972, starting with Sunnymount Gardens in 1949-1950, and Monta Loma in Mountain View has about 200 from 1954.
Your fee follows your own home’s price, not the town’s.
Mountain View
Census median value $1,927,000; Zillow’s typical value $1,929,681 in September 2026. Eichler tracts such as Monta Loma, and Google’s planned North Bayshore neighborhood north of 101.
Sunnyvale
Census median value $1,801,800; Zillow’s typical value $2,007,452. More than 1,000 Eichlers, and new apartments downtown around CityLine.
Los Altos
Census median value in its top bracket, $2,000,000+; Zillow’s typical value $4,591,005. Lots in the main single-family zone start at 10,000 square feet.
Eichler houses, Sunnyvale
Schools
Elementary and middle schools: Mountain View Whisman School District runs nine elementary schools (TK-5) and two middle schools for 4,638 students (November 2025). Most of Sunnyvale is in the Sunnyvale School District, about 5,600 students in eight elementary and two middle schools, with parts in the Cupertino Union, Santa Clara Unified and Mountain View Whisman districts. Most of Los Altos is in the Los Altos School District, about 3,500 students in seven elementary schools (TK-6) and two junior highs, which also serves parts of Los Altos Hills, Mountain View and Palo Alto; a portion of Los Altos is in Cupertino Union.
High schools: the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District (Mountain View High and Los Altos High) serves Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. Most of Sunnyvale and part of Los Altos are in the Fremont Union High School District, five high schools with just over 9,000 students, Fremont and Homestead among them, and parts of Sunnyvale feed Santa Clara Unified’s Wilcox High. Boundaries follow the street address, so check a specific home with the district.
Caltrain stops at San Antonio and Mountain View stations in Mountain View and at Sunnyvale and Lawrence in Sunnyvale. On Caltrain’s posted weekday timetable, express trains reach San Francisco in about 46 minutes from Mountain View and 50 from Sunnyvale, and locals in about an hour; San José Diridon is 14 to 29 minutes south of Mountain View, depending on the train. Los Altos has had no station of its own since its line closed in 1964.
VTA’s Orange Line light rail starts at Mountain View station and runs through north Sunnyvale, with stops at Moffett Park and Lockheed Martin, toward Milpitas and Alum Rock. US 101 and SR 237 cross the north side, I-280 and Foothill Expressway the Los Altos side, with SR 85 and El Camino Real in between. The Census puts the average commute at 23.3 minutes in Mountain View, 23.0 in Sunnyvale and 22.3 in Los Altos, against 26.2 for the county (2020-2024).
Electric Caltrain at Sunnyvale station
What you'd keep in Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Los Altos
Three example prices for a Mountain View, Sunnyvale or Los Altos home, and the listing side at each against a traditional 2.5%. One flat fee instead of a percentage: $14,999 flat for a home around $1,500,000. $19,999 flat for a home around $2,000,000. $19,999 flat for a home around $3,000,000.⁶
On a home around $1,500,000
Traditional listing side (2.5%)$37,500
1% service (about $3,000 minimum)$15,000
Landian flat fee$14,999
$22,501⁵⁶
more in your pocket than a traditional listing
On a home around $2,000,000
Traditional listing side (2.5%)$50,000
1% service (about $3,000 minimum)$20,000
Landian flat fee$19,999
$30,001⁵⁶
more in your pocket than a traditional listing
On a home around $3,000,000
Traditional listing side (2.5%)$75,000
1% service (about $3,000 minimum)$30,000
Landian flat fee$19,999
$55,001⁵⁶
more in your pocket than a traditional listing
Landian flat fee⁶1% of the price$19,999 flat for a home around $2,000,000. That’s 1%, and it never becomes a percentage.
Under $500,000, the fee you see is final. From $500,000, an agent may propose a different fee before you choose them, with a reason and always under 1% of your expected price. You can say no and wait for an agent who accepts.
How Landian works in Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Los Altos
The same three steps as everywhere on Landian, with licensed agents who work Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Los Altos.
1
Book online
Enter your address and expected price. Your flat fee shows right away; pick a consultation time.
2
Compare agents
Licensed local agents who accept your fee answer. You compare their cards (rating, experience, response time) and choose.
3
Meet and list
Meet your agent, then decide. Nothing is exclusive until your home is listed, and you can cancel from your dashboard.
Shoreline Lake, Mountain View
Moving to Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Los Altos?
Moving for the jobs, the trains or the schools? Tell us which towns you are watching and you are matched with a licensed buyer’s agent who works this part of Santa Clara County. On Zillow’s September 2026 figures, homes here went to pending in 11 to 15 days, so it helps to have your agent before you find the house.
A licensed buyer's agent for a flat fee from the same schedule, based on the price of the home you buy. The fee is usually covered by the seller's contribution, and anything the seller contributes above it comes back to you as a rebate or closing-cost credit where allowed.¹
Questions about Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Los Altos
How much does it cost to sell a house in Mountain View, Sunnyvale or Los Altos with Landian?
One flat fee set by your home's price, not a percentage: $14,999 flat for a home around $1,500,000. $19,999 flat for a home around $2,000,000. $19,999 flat for a home around $3,000,000. It is shown before you meet your agent, written into your agreement, and paid from your proceeds at closing. Nothing upfront.
Is the fee the same in Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills?
Yes. The schedule is set by the home's price, not by the town, so a home at the same price pays the same flat fee anywhere in California. Under $500,000, the fee you see is final. From $500,000, an agent may propose a different fee before you choose them, with a reason and always under 1% of your expected price. You can say no and wait for an agent who accepts.
Does Landian have agents in Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Los Altos?
Yes. Landian has office pages for Mountain View and Sunnyvale and matches you with licensed local agents within about 75 miles of your home, so Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and the rest of Santa Clara County are covered. Agents who accept your fee answer, and you compare them before anyone calls.
What is a typical home value in Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Los Altos?
Zillow put the typical home value at $1,929,681 in Mountain View, $2,007,452 in Sunnyvale and $4,591,005 in Los Altos in September 2026. Your Landian fee is set by your own home’s expected price and shown before you meet an agent.
Which school districts serve Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Los Altos?
For elementary and middle school, mainly Mountain View Whisman, the Sunnyvale School District and the Los Altos School District, with some homes in Cupertino Union or Santa Clara Unified. For high school, Mountain View-Los Altos Union and Fremont Union, plus Santa Clara Unified in parts of Sunnyvale. Zones follow the street address, so check the specific home with the district.
How long is the Caltrain ride to San Francisco?
On Caltrain’s posted weekday timetable, express trains take about 46 minutes from Mountain View and 50 from Sunnyvale, and local trains about an hour. Los Altos has no station of its own, so riders there use a station in a neighboring city.
How big are lots in Los Altos?
The city’s main single-family zone, R1-10, requires at least 10,000 square feet for a lot, 11,000 on a corner and 15,000 for a flag lot, with at least 80 feet of frontage. Some older pockets of smaller lots, from 4,000 to 9,000 square feet, are kept as they are.
What is an Eichler, and where are they here?
Eichlers are the modern post-and-beam houses Joseph Eichler’s company built in California after World War II, with glass walls, open plans and often an open-air atrium. Sunnyvale’s Eichler Design Guidelines count more than 1,000 in the city, built between 1949 and 1972, and Monta Loma in Mountain View has about 200 from 1954. In Sunnyvale, exterior changes that need design review are checked against those guidelines.
How does buying a home in Mountain View, Sunnyvale or Los Altos work with Landian?
You get a licensed buyer's agent for a flat fee from the same schedule, based on the price of the home you buy. The fee is usually covered by the seller's contribution, and anything the seller contributes above it comes back to you as a rebate or closing-cost credit where allowed.
Your Silicon Valley home. One flat fee.
Set before you meet your agent. Non-exclusive. Cancel anytime. Paid only at closing.
⁶Flat listing fee by expected price: $5,999 from $600K; $6,999 from $700K; $7,999 from $800K; $8,999 from $900K; $9,999 from $1M; $11,999 from $1.25M; $14,999 from $1.5M; $19,999 from $2M; lower below $600K. Based on the higher of the price you enter and a third-party estimate of your home’s value, and written into your Client Agreement before you meet an agent. If your listing price falls in a higher step, the fee follows the schedule; it never rises after your home is listed. Under $500K the fee you see is final; from $500K an agent may propose a different amount before you choose them, always under 1% of your expected price. Payable only at closing. Buyer-side fees use the same steps on the price of the home you buy and are usually covered by the seller’s contribution.
⁵Seller savings are estimated against a 2.5% listing-side commission on the final sale price. Commissions are not set by law and are negotiable, so actual savings vary by market, agent and property. The fee shown is the flat listing-side fee for the home’s price, set on Landian before the seller met the agent.
¹Rebates available where jurisdictional laws permit. Excludes AL, AK, KS, LA, MS, MO, OK, OR, TN. Seller credits may be requested as an alternative to rebates in restricted jurisdictions.
