I can't continue to say how happy my partner and I are with this company! A year ago, we knew we wanted to be in a new home by Summer 2020 but we had no idea that the world would be in a pandemic (nobody did). The home buying process was therefore a lot different but Lee, from Big Shoulders Realty was there to guide us the entire time. He is incredibly knowledgeable, calm, and diligent. He talked us down from decisions when it was necessary and talked us into decisions when it was necessary as well. We our so excited about our new home and the memories that will come with it! read more

Big Shoulders Realty - Real Estate Services Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Carrie Weston was knowledgeable, absolutely pro and a dream to work with as a first time buyer. Compared to other agents I dealt with she really understood the needs and preferences of an 'artist type' looking for a home. Plus, Carrie is just a great hang while you're out there shopping for shelter! read more

Carrie Weston at Big Shoulders navigated us thru the most important decision we have made together - buying our first property in Chicago. Her experience, professionalism and dedication to helping us find our dream building made us feel at ease every step of the way. She was always available to answer questions large and small. She helped make referrals for our lender and attorney, who we established life long relationships with. If you are a first time buyer or someone buying for the tenth time, I couldn't recommend Big Shoulders enough. We experienced first hand what makes Big Shoulders one of the best in the Chicago real estate market. read more

My partner and I did a quick search and found this real estate company less than a block away from our apartment. As clueless first time buyers with a limited budget, we had a lot of ridiculous questions and strange beliefs about real estate. Lee Diamond was incredibly patient and non-judgmental. He explained the whole process and provided guidance throughout the search. He weighed the pros and cons of each property while letting us decide what worked for our needs. At our budget, it took several months of venturing into some bizarre and mind-searing properties to find the perfect condo. In the end, we absolutely love the place we purchased. Lee was right--patience is so important! I cannot imagine what our lives would look like right now if we went with a different company. read more

I have worked with Lee at Big Shoulders twice over the past 10 years. He helped my buy my first condo several years back. I was a first time home buyer and was hesitant to make a decision. We went out 2 to 3 times a week for a couple months before I finally pulled the trigger. Lee never pushed me to buy before I was ready and never tried to push me to buy above what I was comfortable with. He made thoughtful comments about each condo, but never tried to influence me...even when I really wanted him to make the decision for me! The second time I worked with Lee was to sell my old condo and buy a new one. It was quite a challenge for a couple of reasons. First, the market in the neighborhood I lived in was pretty terrible when I tried to sell. We didn't get much traction so it sat on the market for awhile so Lee gave thoughtful advice on pricing without telling me what to do. The second issue was as soon as I did accept an offer I needed to find a new place to live. We had 2 weeks to find me a new place to buy and Lee was great about setting up a bunch of showings for me. He couldn't make one of them, so one of his partners stepped in and took me around, since it was such a time crunch. Lee also helped to coordinate the closings because I needed every single cent from my closing to go toward the new condo. My Lee-recommended lawyer walked the check from one closing to the other and Lee was there to make sure everything went smoothly...which it did! Buying a house is stressful and buying/selling at the same time is even more so. Lee is very calm and laid back. He doesn't push you into any decisions, makes you think about things for yourself and really helps to keep you calm during what can be a stressful life change. I would highly recommend working with Lee and the team at Big Shoulders! read more

Following the suggestion of two of our friends, we contacted Carrie Weston at Big Shoulders when we wanted to purchase our first home. We had actually contacted her once about a year earlier but it just wasn't the right time for my husband and me to buy. Carrie was really understanding and ready to work with us again when we came back to her in about March of 2015. The two things that make Carrie such a fantastic realtor are: a) She made what is normally a stressful and difficult process much, much easier on both my husband and me; and b) We both also felt like she was really trying to find the right house for us not just some place that she could make a commission from. My husband and I began the home-looking and home-buying process knowing NOTHING about what we were doing. We must have asked Carrie 1,000,000 questions by the end of the process but she just kept smiling and answering them in terms that we rookies could understand. She was honest (but not discouraging) when a property wasn't that great or had too many insane upgrades; all of her recommendations were spot-on; and her sense of humor was right in line with ours so all of our home-looking excursions were fun. We worked with her for about three months before we made our first offer. She walked us thorough that process and explained every detail of the contract, answering all of our questions along the way. Though that offer didn't work out, we ended up making a second offer on a property three weeks later and that ended up becoming our first home. Carrie was great about communicating with our lawyer, our mortgage broker, and the seller's realtor and attorney. She emailed and called in a timely manner and even checked in with us to ensure the process was churning along smoothly. When all was said and done, Carrie helped us find our dream home. We could not be happier where we ended up and we have Carrie to thank for that. She's a wonderful, knowledgeable realtor and she works in all price ranges all over the city. She'll make you feel comfortable and solid in your choices and she is looking out for your interests throughout the whole process. read more

Lee is--hands down--the best realtor one could ask for. My husband and I were tired of pushy realtors (or ones that didn't answer our calls!). Lee went to bat for us. We are a lower income family by Chicago standards, but Lee didn't push us to buy above our means or make us feel at all inferior. He was respectful, helpful, responsive and patient. Lee--THANK YOU! read more

My fiance and I had a great experience at Big Shoulders Realty working with Carrie Weston. We are finally homeowners and we owe that to Carrie helping us find our perfect place! Carrie started the home search with us back in April 2012. Now, let's fast forward to September, we FINALLY found a house that we could call our own. I appreciated Carrie's honesty, patience, and experience -- all excellent things since we were first-time home buyers. Carrie was great from start to finish and really helped us navigate the offer, negotiation, and closing aspects of purchasing. I never felt pushed into making a decision that wasn't right for us, and that allowed us to be picky and wait it out until we found the best home for our budget and other criteria. I always found Carrie to be responsive and work with us on our schedule. She was even willing to put in marathon days of home viewing since coordinating 3 schedules was always a small miracle. I love that Big Shoulders gives you access to their MLS listings. Carrie simply put in our search criteria and I could view at my own leisure. She also was helpful in pointing out things on listings that I didn't notice (but she knew would be a deal killer) so we wouldn't waste our time looking at that home. Her attention to detail was impressive! I would highly recommend Carrie to anyone looking for a Realtor to help them buy or sell a home! read more

Lee was hands down the best real estate agent I've ever met and went so far above and beyond for my wife and I that it would take me an hour to sit here and type out every detail. Most agents just want their commission. Lee showed us a bunch of houses that we choose from the lists, pointing out lots of things at every house that we would have never noticed or known to look for. We saw a house that we liked on the 3rd day of looking and told Lee we'd take it and to put in the paperwork to get it rolling. He could have taken his commission right there and called it a day. Instead he tells me, "you know what, I think I can find you something even more perfect, let me take you out one more time and if I don't, we'll put in your offer on this house." Sure enough, he takes us out the next day and one of the houses he chooses to show show is was *amazing*. Huge step up from the one we were ready to buy for the same price. Every step of the way, he spent lots of time walking us through every detail of the whole buying process and spent a huge amount of time answering our questions and laying out all sorts of different options for every different aspect of the financing/buying process. We were so happy with him that we have stayed in touch over the years, and still call him about every 6 months to ask advice on all sorts of different issues. Just a few months ago (4 years after having worked with him on buying the house) he happily spent over 2 hours on the phone explaining a bunch of re-financing type questions I had. Seriously, I can't stress enough how above and beyond Lee is. Big shoulders gets 5 stars plus from me. read more

Can't say enough about what a great experience my wife and I had with Lee. He was incredibly patient with us as our search for a home dragged on and on. Lee is very knowledgeable and forthright. He always told us he would never tell us where we Should live but would absolutely tell us where we shouldn't. He made an extremely difficult process as easy as we have hoped. Highly recommended! Thanks Lee! read more

Several years ago, I decided I wanted to buy a house. And I had no idea what I was doing. Luckily, Carrie Weston was enthusiastically recommended to me by numerous friends and acquaintances. I contacted her and she got down to business immediately. After weeding through a butt ton of listings that met my basic criteria, she cherry picked the ones that were worth scoping out. Within a week, Carrie and I had a date to look at about a dozen eligible houses. And the last house we looked at that day ended up being the one I bought!!! Carrie made the process of buying my first home an incredibly pleasant one. She is absolutely amazing! read more

Carrie Weston at Big Shoulders is amazing! My wife and I were first time home seekers and knew absolutely nothing about the process. We are also broke and picky. Carrie drove us all around town on multiple weekends, evenings, mornings, she was completely accommodating and fun to hang out with. After searching with Carrie for a few months we found and purchased a home that we are completely in love with, it far exceeds our expectations even though we are picky and broke. When we decided to purchase our home Carrie guided us through the process (which wasn't that bad). Highly recommended! read more

Eighteen months is a considerable expanse of time to be in throes of a housing search, in the company of one foot soldier in the fight not to be homeless. If I could choose a solitary foot soldier in arms, unequivocally it would be Carrie Weston, of Big Shoulders Realty. Yes, a year in a half, I was in her care, and uItimately I was able to retire what I thought was my insurmountable MLS queue of never ending homes in the greater Chicagoland metropolis; and I won, winning BIG. Carrie is the inveterate professional- the quintissential agent, possessing encyclopedic knowledge of all codes and specs; easily negotiating neighborhoods, from Bridgeport to Edison Park, from Pullman to Portage Park, and beyond borders. In addition, she is keenly able to read your aesthetic in your first encounter. Her hours are flexible, which will further endear her to you, as you meet to hand over your earnest money check at the Streetside cafe at 11 PM, or grab coffee and pound pavement at 7:30 in the early morning. Carrie made a special trip to my place of business in the northern burbs to help me place my first bid on a contract, without hesitation. In the arduous task of establishing your humble home, you want someone who will work with you, not just for you, and Carrie is just that advocate. She is very circumspect about reviewing contracts, and is tenacious in light of delinquent correspondence. In addition, she is aligned with a superlative ancilliary team of players, from mortgage brokers to lawyers, who will as capably assist you in realizing your alloidal aspirations. Oh, and prepare to have your mind blown by her musical stylings, while you envision crystal blue persuasions in the car.... never a dull moment block-rock beating it with Carrie Weston. read more

Carrie Weston made my life better. No Joke. A few years back, I had the wild dream of owning a home in Chicago. Not owning a condo, but owning a HOUSE. I had gone to another realtor in the Chicago area that didn't seem to "get" me or my dreams. I was shown cookie-cutter condos in Rogers Park and showing after showing I felt my dreams kind of go down the drain. I decided to wait it out a bit, as a condo was not what I imagined in my pipedream. When the time was right, I decided to contact Carrie after hearing numerous recommendations from buddies that had done what I wanted to do: find a cool-ass old house that was still spitting distance from the city. From then on, the process was magical. We first sat down over some beers and talked about what I wanted and didn't want. Carrie didn't even flinch at my crazy dreams and actually encouraged them. I had a slight time constraint, as I was renting in Logan Square and didn't want to renew my lease 2 months later. After revealing that my dream was do-able, Carrie hooked me up with the online MLS to preview pictures and details of houses. It was obvious that Carrie had seen many of the houses, as she would always reply to my selections with comments regarding the condition of the homes. We got together one day to go through houses and it was super relaxed and honest. It was obvious that Carrie had a genuine interest in finding a diamond in the rough. She was very knowledgeable on the internal structure and always offered comments on things I didn't even think about looking for. She always stated her opinions as if she were the one looking to buy a house-I never felt like she was trying to convince me to buy something that wasn't absolutely worthy. The process already felt magical and almost TOO easy, but then out of nowhere there was my dream house. Yes, on the very first day of looking at houses. It was a house that had a malfunction with the lock box (and I'm kind of convinced it's why the house was still available.) Carrie jumped through hoops to contact the listing agent to get into the house. I was ready to give up and go home, as it was the last house to look at for the day, but we got a call in the late afternoon that the lock box had been fixed. I don't need to go crazy and list all the details, but that was the one! The perfect first house for me. I love love love it and I owe it all to Carrie Weston for being a superstar! I am in a neighborhood just West of Logan Square, and can ride my bike to work like always before without feeling like I live in the burbs. I love my hood and am always trying to get my buddies to contact her because she will make your dreams do-able! Also, as magical as it is, my story is not alone. I know 4 other couples that have found amazing houses they can afford and found them through Carrie Weston. I've seen them and they are adorable! Each person has nothing but GREAT things to say about the entire process. Big Shoulders Realty is a great local biz that cares about you. I heart Carrie for making the process of buying my first home a total breeze and delight. It really was way easier than I ever imagined thanks to Carrie and Big Shoulders Realty! read more

Now this review is not for the service since I didn't even get to experience what it would've been like to work with them but I was interested in speaking with someone about house hunting for the first time. I left two voice mails on their main line and one in Lee's voicemail asking to call me back and that I was interested in learning about their services. I NEVER heard back from them....if this is the way they treat prospective clients....then despite the good reviews...their lack of business ethic speaks volumes read more

Thanks to Lee I am the proud owner of a first home that I love, and I have a mortgage that I can afford on my meager budget. I trust Lee completely, and can't recommend him enough. I started looking for a home in January 2012 and closed on August 31. The even though I originally found my house in February, it was a two lender short sale which involved a lot of ups, downs, and waiting. When the bank rejected the first offer due to a problem on the seller's side, we resumed our search for a few months.Finding nothing that compared, i resubmitted the offer in June, and it finally went through in August. Lee was solid throughout the process, serving not just as a realtor but an invaluable adviser, counselor, and resource. Because of my meager budget, and the fact that I wanted a house and a yard on the near northwest side, my house hunt was a long and tedious process that included days where the first place we viewed was terrible, we both agreed it couldn't get any worse... until we saw the next one. Partway through the search there was also a break in at my apartment that made me freak out and want to buy something outside of my budget just because i wanted to move immediately. Lee was kind, sympathetic and wise, and kept my spirits up throughout our misadventures. He also strongly advised me to stay within my budget and be patient rather than making a decision I would later regret which was sound advice. I also know that Lee is genuinely interested in finding clients the right home, rather than just a house. After visiting one place that I liked, and looked great to my inexperienced eye, Lee said that if I tried to sign a contract he would leap in front of me and do a barrel roll to get the pen out of my hand because there were so many structural and potential problems That's the kind of guy you want looking out for you in this process! Lee Diamond is a genuine gem. On a scale of 1-5 he deserves 10 stars (seriously!) read more

Lee Diamond was instrumental in our first home purchase, and made a very challenging experience as painless as possible. Like any good realtor, Lee has a wealth of knowledge and experience, but what makes him exceptional is how he treats his clients. My then-boyfriend and I initially came to Lee in February 2013. Lee was patient and kind and took us on several showings, even though we had a very limited budget and weren't in the best financial situation. We looked at some truly awful properties, and Lee was honest but never judgmental or discouraging. After a sudden job loss, we had to put our plans to buy a home on hold. We came back to Lee in 2015 after we got married and were on stronger financial footing. Despite abruptly dropping of the radar for two years, Lee was happy to help us again and appreciated that we came back to him. Our budget was higher, but so were home prices, so we were once again looking at some pretty terrible houses and were feeling doubtful we'd find something. Lee wisely encouraged us to keep looking and not to settle for a condo, (although he could have easily sold us one to collect a commission). We're so glad we followed his advice and are now living in our first home. That fact is a testament to Lee's skill as a buyer's agent, and he excelled every step of the way. When evaluating properties, Lee used his extensive knowledge of home construction to point out potential mold growth, moisture intrusion, mechanical issues, shoddy workmanship and other red flags. When we finally found a house that was 'not gross', Lee shrewdly negotiated our offer with a difficult seller. The deal took almost 3 months to close and Lee took great care to make sure that we were treated fairly, all our questions were answered, and any issues were addressed as soon as possible. I am very fortunate to have found a company in Big Shoulders Realty that really values their customer relationships, and to have worked with an agent who embodies professionalism and integrity. Thanks! read more

Lee and his team over at Big Shoulders were a godsend when helping us find our first home. They specialize in unique properties for seriously down to earth people. I never thought finding a home would be such a rewarding and fun experience -- we have recommended them again and again. read more

An agent is not a sales person; An agent empathizes with you, advocates, earns trust, and always has your best interest in mind. I think people forget that your real estate agent should be working on your behalf, rather than simply trying to push a sale (often against a buyer's interest) in order to make a commission. Lee is the epitome of an honest agent who cares about his clients. We worked with Lee for three months and at no point did we we feel that he had a motive other than helping us find a home in the neighborhood we wanted, within our budget, and with all the specifications we were looking for. At times we actually questioned whether he really wanted to make a sale because he would honestly advise us to steer clear of several homes. He explained that we should be patient, should learn the market, and get the home we truly wanted, rather than making large compromises that we would regret. He could have easily pushed us to buy something that wasn't the right fit, made his commission and been on his way, but Lee truly made it his job to understand our needs and keep them as the focus of our home search. In the end, we found a home that is as near to the dream we had envisioned at the beginning of our home hunt. This was in large part to Lee being a pillar of support. This is no surprise because if you view Big Shoulders website and if you get to know Lee, you will find that he represents what we hope small business owners should be: caring people, who love what they do and who want to connect with people by providing a great service. His business is obviously rooted in a philosophy of respect for his clients and the homes that he shows, and the realty business in general. I couldn't recommend Lee and Big Shoulders any higher. read more

Lee is the closest thing you'll find to a super hero in a real estate agent. He's extremely honest and professional, and he was very attentive to what I was looking for in a house/condo, even as my priorities changed over time. I especially liked that he was totally candid about what he thought was wrong with a property, and his background as a handyman lends itself well to this. For example, we looked at a number of properties with mold, asbestos tiles, DIY remodeling gone bad, you name it. He always spoke up and kept me informed of what I was potentially getting myself into. I will definitely recommend Lee to friends and family in the future, and I'm positive you will have a great experience with him too. read more

My wife & I worked with Carrie at Big Shoulders when we bought our bungalow in Jefferson Park. What we appreciate the most about our experience working with Carrie, is that she was the exact opposite of most other realtors we had been introduced to previously. We really felt that Carrie was genuinely interested in finding the right home for us that fit our budget, location, etc... We never felt any pressure to make a decision or that we were viewed as 'commissions', but that she always had our best interest when she presented potential properties to us. Practically speaking, I was amazed at how much Carrie knows about construction as well, which we found very helpful as we were looking at older homes that required a fair amount of rehabbing. We highly recommend Carrie and Big Shoulders Realty! read more

My wife and I are relatively new to the Chicago area and were renting in the west suburbs. We found Carrie Weston with Big Shoulders Realty and liked the idea of using a smaller company with more personalized service. We couldn't have found a better Realtor. Carrie met with my wife to talk about our needs and wants for our new home. That weekend and several more weekends after that she showed us over 50 properties. Carrie had great unbiased information in all areas we looked. One of the best things we liked about Carrie is that her personality just "clicked" with ours. It didn't take long for her to know exactly what we were looking for. If we could give more than 5 stars, we would. read more

Don't let Johnny Balmer's retro avant-garde style fool you. He is as professional, thorough and knowledgeable as they come. The difference in our cultural and ethnic background was a none factor. He is a professional beyond reproach. I have great confidence moving forward that he will have my best interest at heart. read more

Lee Diamond was an absolute pleasure to work with. I started the home-search process in October of 2011, and through thick and thin, Lee was solid. We looked at probably 6 dozen places, as I hemmed/hawed/freaked out/ prematurely celebrated/despaired/ and finally, after 6 or 7 months found my perfect little home. Lee made this experience fun, educational, humorous, but most importantly, he helped me make the absolutely best decision for me. I love my new home! Lee is the best real estate agent. Hands down. Even my parents loved him (and they are tough). Bonus: he will do showings by bicycle! If you are like me and use your bike for transportation, fear not: Lee will take you around by bike! read more

Trust. That's really what you want in a realtor, right? When it comes to the largest purchase you will probably make in your life, there's a lot of trepidation. But when it came to looking at houses, we had lots of fun. Lee was completely professional, always showed up on time, was courteous to the other realtor even when they were not, and asked all the right questions. We had so much fun that we've joked about looking at houses just for kicks. At our closing, everyone thanked us for such a smooth and laid back process. It wasn't until afterwards that we heard all the horrible things that could have gone wrong: being sold a house out of your price range or with hidden pitfalls (we love our house and got a good deal), getting a mortgage that was different from what you thought it was (nothing could be further from ours), losing all contact with your realtor after closing (we talk with him all the time). I would whole-heartedly recommend Lee Diamond to everyone, you must get to know him! read more

I am really particular, and as a first time buyer it took me a looooong time to find a place I liked. Lee had the patience to help me through it - from condos to houses, over 6 years as the market changed radically. He helped me patiently figure out what I wanted and where, and in 2012 we found it. He's so incredibly real and honest. If I showed interest in something that he didn't think was a good idea, for sound and long term reasons, he let me know before I could get carried away. He's an expert critic of housing and he goes way out of his way to take care of your interests. My friends in the music business have bought places with Lee and Carrie and their thumbs up approval meant a lot to me. As a first time buyer my parents asked me if trusted my agent and at that point I so thoroughly did, and took it so for granted, that I was amazed to think of what it would be like if I didn't. You see the salesmen out there, and man, Lee is not a salesman. He's just an awesome guy. read more

When our daughter started looking for a house in Chicago we said do NOT buy anything until we have seen it. We are 300 hundred miles away. Then we met Lee and signed off completely as we knew he would never let her make a bad decision. After looking at some pretty terrible and smelly properties they found a hidden gem. But because it was a short sale, and given the current inane banking system it was a long and arduous process to complete the deal. Lee was great throughout the long 7 months from when they found the house to when it became hers. He is a very honest person and always helped her look at properties that were with in her meager means. He never tried to get her to invest in something she could not afford. He spent lots of time with her, and i feel he spends however much time is needed regardless of the value of the properties or how much he stands to make on the deal. He's the best. read more