SAN DIEGO, November 2, 2026. Darin Triolo, founder of Triolo Realty Group at Keller Williams Carmel Valley/Del Mar, has been named a 2027 Five Star Real Estate Agent in San Diego. It is his 19th consecutive year, with a win every year from 2009 through 2027.
Darin is featured among San Diego's 2027 Five Star Real Estate Agents on Five Star Professional. Five Star evaluates individual licensed agents, and this award is Darin's. He works alongside the Triolo Realty Group team.
Nineteen years, starting in 2009
His first Five Star award came in 2009, during the US housing crash.
"We won this for the first time in 2009, in the middle of the crash. A lot of our clients that year were selling in the worst market of their lives, and they still rated us well. Every year since, Five Star has asked the people we worked with to grade us on ten things, including how we treated them after closing. Nineteen years of their answers says more than anything I could write about us."
Darin Triolo, founder of Triolo Realty Group
How the award is decided
Five Star Professional has run its real estate award program since 2003 and researches more than 45 major markets in the U.S. and Canada each year. Agents cannot nominate themselves. A third party sends surveys to recent homebuyers and sellers, who rate their agent on ten criteria, including market knowledge, negotiation, post-sale service and overall satisfaction.
To make the final list, an agent has to clear five checks:
- A qualifying evaluation score
- An active real estate salesperson license
- At least five years working as a licensed salesperson
- A favorable review of regulatory and complaint history
- Minimum production over one-year and three-year periods, in transactions and/or dollar value
Five Star caps the list at no more than 7% of agents in each research area. It also says agents pay nothing to be researched or named. Agents can pay for a profile in a print special section or for tools to promote the award, and Five Star states those purchases do not affect who makes the list.
The full process is in Five Star's current published award program summary and research methodology (accessed November 2026). We go through each step in our explainer on the Five Star Real Estate Agent award.
Why a client survey matters when you pick an agent
Agent awards measure different things. Some track Google reviews and some track sales volume. Five Star starts with ratings from recent homebuyers and sellers, plus peer evaluations, then checks the license and complaint record behind them.
The team reports that about 85% of its new business comes from past clients and their referrals.
You can see Darin's and the team's other recognitions on our awards and recognition page. Five Star's award disclaimers read:
The Five Star award is not indicative of the real estate agent's future performance.
The inclusion of a real estate agent on the Five Star Real Estate Agent list should not be construed as an endorsement of the real estate agent by Five Star Professional.
Talk to Darin about your home
If you're selling or buying in San Diego County, ask Darin for a free home valuation or a consultation. Call 619-207-4005 or contact the team online.
About Triolo Realty Group
Triolo Realty Group is a San Diego County residential real estate team led by Darin Triolo, REALTOR®, a licensed California real estate salesperson (CA DRE #01376927), representing buyers and sellers for more than two decades. The team is affiliated with Keller Williams Realty (CA DRE #01524589), Keller Williams Carmel Valley/Del Mar, 12750 High Bluff Drive, Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92130.
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