I have worked with Jay for years. The firm is straight forward and provides excellent service. I plan to use them for all of my real estate transactions. read more

Jay and his team just helped me through my latest home sale and purchase, neither of which were as straightforward as they should have been. Jay is even-keeled, responsive, strategic, and good-humored -- everything you need in a real estate attorney (especially if things start to go awry). While I hope not to move again anytime soon, I will absolutely turn to Jay for help if I do. Thank you Jay, Haley, and Kat for all your hard work! read more

Jay Collins represented us in a potential house purchase and was so honest and responsive. Even though the actual purchase ended up not going through for various reasons, Jay was upfront, knowledgeable, and helped us throughout the entire process. I would definitely recommend Jay and will use him for our next purchase! read more

The best decision I made in the home buying process was to hire Jay Collins! Unfortunately, the selling of my home and the purchasing of another did not go smoothly. The process went on for over 8 months and involved several properties, but Jay never gave up on me. He made sure I was protected in every contract and I relied on his counsel while dealing with crafty developers over and over again. Without Jay I would've been screwed! If you need a real estate attorney, call Jay. You'll be happy you did! read more

Jay Collins was recommended to us by our real estate agent. Jay was outstanding and exceeded our expectations. As a first time home buyer, he was patient and explained everything to us. Sometimes two or three times =) Jay broke it down to 'lay-mans' terms, to us non-real estate attorney folks. Our transaction happened to be a nightmare, but we finally made it to closing. During this whole ordeal, he was on top of things, thorough, and kept us informed of everything. Communication is huge in my book and I appreciated every second of it. We felt completely at ease with Jay as our attorney and would highly recommend him. The Burton to this Collins&Burton is actually his wife. She can cover you in Estate Planning, Wills, etc. read more

I can't give Jay six stars, so five will have to do. I've been a real estate agent in Chicago for over ten years and whenever clients of mine choose Jay as their attorney I breathe a sigh of relief. He's intelligent, funny, patient, is a real problem solver, and a great communicator. He would be a stellar asset on anyone's real estate team. Carrie Weston Big Shoulders Realty read more

I utilized Collins and Burton for my home purchase. Jay has handled some work for family members in the past and came highly recommended. After what I went through, I can agree with them 100%. Jay is completely in his clients corner making sure we were protected at all times. He is focused on getting the deal done. I had some issues with my mortgage company, Jay didn't hesitate to call them and get it straightened out. Often during the process I would call and get the response from his assistant that he was in a closing. However, calls and emails were always returned in a timely fashion, I never had to call a second time to remind them I needed to talk. Hopefully I won't be buying another house for a while, but when I do, Jay's the first person I'm going to call. read more

Jay was recommended to us by our real estate agent. My fiance and I are very happy to have worked with him. He was very knowledgeable, responsive, and great to work with! He explained everything so well and in a way that we could understand everything that was going on. He also worked so well with our agent and lender so that made everything so efficient. We will definitely recommend him to our family and friends! read more

It is a complete pleasure to work with Jay Collins and Stacy Buton. They are always very responsive to any question I may have and could not be more professional. I recommend Collins and Burton Each to all of my clients whether they are buying or selling. Their depth of knowledge and patience is greatly appreciated. I wholeheartedly recommend them without reservation. Monique Sandberg, Broker Prudential Rubloff www.AllChicagoLofts.com read more

Not sure what the issue was the other reviewer had, but couldn't have imagined a better experience working with Jay! Jay was recommended to me by my real estate agent during the purchase of my second condo. I could not have been happier. The quality of service, responsiveness to questions and overall professionalism was more than I could have expected. Especially when comparing him to the real estate attorney I used for my first condo purchase! Jay navigated me through both the sale of my current condo and the purchase of the new one. Also, the condo I was buying was NEW CONSTRUCTION. If you're not familiar, that's code for incredible nightmare. Despite the additional time and wrangling that were involved dealing with the developer and their attorneys, no additional fees were charged and he did all he could to assist in the process. Oh, did I mention that the developer tried to get me to pay the entire real estate tax for the 43 unit building a year later? A couple of phone calls to Jay and he took that off my hands, working with their attorneys to get the matter resolved. In short, I would recommend Jay without hesitation to anyone looking for a real estate attorney. read more

I don't give five star reviews....ever. If a service is worthy of five stars then there isn't anything they could have possibly done better. However, in this case five stars is well deserved. We've used Jay four times over the previous 3 years and he has always been outstanding. Almost all the feedback hits the nail on the head. When so many reviews mention that this business was a recommendation then it speaks volumes to the level of service provided. We have recommended Jay multiple times over the past 3 years and will continue to do so in the future. Good job! read more

I was also referred to Jay Collins by my real estate agent, Victoria Thomas, to manage the closing process of my first home. I would rate him 10 stars if there were that many. It is clear that Jay has been doing this for over a decade (~15 years) as he not only understands the subject matter clean, but he is also excellent at explaining the "why?" on all items. He makes sure you understand what you are getting into and that you are comfortable with the associated risks . You can tell Jay is handling a lot of closings, but each time you speak, he makes you feel like you are his only client. I would recommend Jay to anyone without doubt knowing that they will be in good hands. It feels good to have someone like this on your side knowing that Real Estate transactions can often get messy and high stakes. Job very well done, Jay. Thank you!! read more

I'm a first time home-buyer and Jay was recommended by my agent. Jay is great; personable, knowledgeable, efficient, and just an all-around great guy. Jay was always available by e-mail before the closing in case I had any questions. Since I'm an e-mail addict I appreciated the availability in that mode of communication. At the actual closing he was quick and efficient while still explaining every document in terms I could understand without any overwhelming legal jargon. I would definitely use Jay's services again and absolutely recommend to others. read more

I first met Jay Collins at a Chamber of Commerce meeting several years ago after moving to Chicago. I was in need of legal assistance for my newly launched retail business, as well as personal estate planning. It was immediately clear to me that Jay possessed all of the desirable qualities of a good attorney (professional, courteous, efficient, honest) without any of the negative qualities I encounter with most people in his profession. Jay and his partner, Staci Burton, are definitely NOT the stereotypical shady lawyers. Fast forward a few years. After starting a real estate career, I've had the pleasure of working with Jay Collins again on some transactions. Once again, he handled each deal in an exceptional manner. I've recommended Collins and Burton countless times and will continue to do so. read more

Jay Collins represented us in a house purchase that just closed. We live in another state so were not familiar with any Chicago real estate lawyers, but Jay was recommended to us by our real estate agent. Before hiring him I had a lengthy phone conversation with him about Illinois real estate law. I was impressed and satisfied with his ready knowledge of the law, and with his experience in the field. (I am a retired real estate lawyer.) He did not disappoint. He answered calls and emails promptly and paid attention to every detail. He spent a lot of time listening to and answering my questions and requests and never cut me short. He worked closely with our lender, real estate agent, and the closer to make everything go smoothly. He is a gem. read more

I have used Jay Collins for 3 transactions over the last 10 years and could not be more pleased with the level of service Jay and his team provides. In my most recent transaction, Jay went the extra mile fighting for me to make sure my deal went through dealing with unreasonable requests from the buyers side. Jay is quick to respond via email/phone and always made me feel comfortable through the entire process and patient through all my questions. I cannot recommend Jay highly enough! read more

We had nothing but issues buying our condo, and Jay went far beyond our expectations to help us out. He was responsive, reliable, and extremely effective. He negotiated a better deal for us than anyone else in our new-build condo, including neighbors with a law background. I cannot imagine a better experience with a lawyer and have recommended him to anyone who will listen. read more

Jay Collins was referred to me by my real estate agent and acted as my attorney for the purchase of my first home, a condo in Chicago. He was very responsive to all of my questions, and explained things in very practical, understandable language. Jay was very approachable, easy to work with, knowledgeable, and professional. I would highly recommend him to anyone seeking a real estate attorney. read more

Jay was level headed and efficient through the sale of my condo up to closing. We had unexpected and sometimes unreasonable requests from the counter party that Jay resolved with practicality. Additionally, Jay was very prompt with all communication requests from me. I would highly recommend Jay in any property closing. read more

I had a negative experience in a real estate transaction with this firm. My deal was not handled to my satisfaction.

Jay is a fantastic real estate lawyer. I have used him for years and my clients are always extremely satisfied with his knowledge and professionalism. I would definitely highly recommend using him and his staff. read more

We were buying our first home, and I was grateful when our real estate broker suggested Jay (as I had no clue who to hire). Thankfully, he was amazingly personable - knowing when to crack jokes to lighten a situation or when to get heavy-handed in negotiations when things were getting serious. I know he must have had several other clients, but I always felt like he was working just for me. Katherine at the Collins and Burton office was also very helpful, getting us information we needed when we needed it. When a last-minute seller disclosure almost negated my mortgage contract, Jay called me and talked me through options we hadn't considered. He was a bit of a terrier in getting everything in writing as "he'd prefer we knew if there was a problem earlier rather than at closing." So of course - my closing was a breeze. He explained every document in ways that were easy to understand, and he let me know that if we had questions about anything, we could contact him. It was great working with him, and - though I hope I won't HAVE to use him again - I most certainly will turn to Jay again if I ever need a real estate lawyer. read more