Jim Barclay--The REal Estate Group

Jim was accommodating and patient as we kept searching through all of the homes that were not quite right. Probably Jim's only weakness was the online property tracking system that he was using, but he is with a realty group now and should have access to better tools. We finally found the right home though and have enjoyed it since. Jim recommended and excellent attorney and inspector. He has great judgement in these support professionals. The lender who Jim referred us to was also great, but we needed to use another lender because of some student loan issues. Jim was also patient through what turned out to be complicated closing process, with the sellers taking a long time to get us documents and Bank of America being nearly incompetent. Over the past year Jim has maintained contact with us to make sure that we have been happy with the purchase process and our home. We even receive free coffee every month.

When I first met with Jim, he answered all of my questions and set up an initial profile to send me listings. He's been doing this for many years and really enjoys working with buyers, particularly first-time buyers. He helped me modify my profile multiple times as I found that I was not getting the listings I wanted. Jim took me on viewings and provided referrals to other real estate team members as wanted (lawyer, inspector, mortgage broker). He was good at listening to what I wanted and asking questions to make me consider whether a certain feature was crucial or not. He, and his "team" really came through when an unexpected and unusual event caused some complications with an already quick closing. One caveat: Jim is not a 24/7 no-holds barred real estate agent - he has a life and is not going to pick up your call at 10PM to discuss that fabulous property you just drove past. But he'll get back to you and is happy to have another staff member from his group (the Real Estate Group) fill in for him if his schedule does not allow him to be where you need him to be for a showing etc. He's also fairly laid back and will not be hammering down your door with properties he thinks you "simply MUST see," nor will he try to pressure you into a decision or a price range that you are uncomfortable with. In short, he is straightforward, ethical, and a decent guy who will help you figure out what you want and is a great choice of agent for a first-time buyer.