Jim is probably one of the best agents out there. Period. You won't go wrong working with him to find your next home. This review could easily turn into a mini-book but I will try to keep it short. Jim treats you like family and makes your home search his personal business. Right from the start, he makes an effort to truly understand you and your needs and gets on a passionate mission to find a home that you will absolutely love. We found our home after two years of search with Jim and fell in love with it right away. There were many occasions on which we liked the home but Jim was firm in saying that it wasn't really our home and steered us away from - in retrospect, thank god he did. He understands that home searches can be a frustrating de-spiriting experience especially in the San Francisco Bay Area and ensures that his clients don't choose homes out of desperation making compromises. For any given home, Jim takes a lot of effort to assess not only the surface level condition but also the under the hood condition (plumbing, termites, roof, and so forth). You can trust him to ALWAYS be transparent with you about all the issues with the home and give you detailed information to help you make decisions. You can always expect absolute undivided attention from Jim when he's with you. We never saw his phone out when he was with us! He is completely and absolutely present for you and will go out of his way to answer your questions. Additionally, we never ever ever saw him get impatient with us, our questions, and our ever-changing requirements during the two year long search. At the end of our search, we not only found our dream home but also gained a life-long friend. Thank you Jim! read more

I got to know about Jim from my former colleagues. He has 35 years of experience. He lives, breathes and dreams real estate - one of the most knowledgeable real estate agents we've met and we've met a few before we came to know him. Things we loved about working with Jim: - He went through the reports of each house we liked, diligently, and pointed out which issues we can take on and fix ourselves and which will be just absolute no no. - He was ruthless in preventing us from buying lemons, which are more than common in Bay Area housing market and we are grateful for that. - He did handhold us throughout the whole process - we were first time home buyers. He explained every little terms that we didn't know, understood our needs and successfully found a place we just couldn't help falling in love with. - He has a great sense of humor that kept us going during our long house hunt process! Now, we are happy that we found a place we both love and also closed the deal in time - but we actually miss talking to Jim, visiting houses with him and learning a ton from each visit!! We would recommend Jim any day to our friends and family! read more

Jim was recommended to us by a local agent and he helped my brothers and I sell our childhood home. He did an extraordinary job for us at every stage of the process. He performed above and beyond the call of duty coordinating painters, carpet installation, ground clearing and repairs. He even did some pool cleaning for us before our first open house! We appreciated all of this help as we live in different cities and have different travel schedules. He was very responsive to all of our needs. We appreciate all he did for our family & would highly recommend him! read more

Jim is incredible. We loved working with him so much! Anyone would be so lucky to have an agent like him! Not only was he immensely patient with me and my husband on our yearlong home search, he also kept us from making big mistakes, and held our hands as we purchased our dream home in our dream neighborhood. I have seen other people pay WAY too much for homes and Jim never once pressured us to pay more than we were comfortable with. He kept us from taking on a mortgage that we couldn't handle and taught us how to purchase a home that would increase in value over time. Best of all, I always felt like I was his only client. Once, he even flew home last minute from LA just because I wanted to see a house where the owners were accepting offers right away. Jim is SUPER hardworking, dedicated, knowledgeable and professional. I have a demanding job so I'm up at all hours and he's right up there with me, answering my emails at 1am. I also liked being involved so I often trolled Redfin for homes I liked, sending him lists of homes on Sundays and holidays. He never once batted an eye, checking out long lists of homes and writing endless offers for us until we found THE ONE. And boy did we get a great deal on our house. I don't even know how that happened in this heated market! We absolutely love our home. Even after we closed on the house, Jim was there helping us resolve last minute issues and offering advice on how to renovate the house. Jim also worked with several of my coworkers and they all highly recommend him. Not one person I talked to was ever less than thrilled with his work. If you're looking for a home, go see Jim. You won't regret it. read more

We loved working with Jim. As first time home buyers we had constant questions but Jim was always patient and supportive. The home buying process was much longer and much more complex than I expected. If not for Jim we would have been lost. He values clients as if they were close friends or family. I truly appreciate the extra mile he goes for his clients and the personal touch that he adds in every step of the long and tiring process. I appreciate the time you spent with us. Most importantly i appreciate you. Thank you! read more

I recently bought my first house in Cali via Jim. I started with one agent, before switching to Jim who had been recommended to me by 4 other coworkers. The contrast couldn't have been more different. I hadn't made a single offer after visiting dozens of homes, but the first home Jim took us to we loved. We didn't win the bid, but that trend continued. Jim did his homework and we only saw homes that were worth seeing. Now we are living in the perfect home for us. In most cases, this is where the relationship would end. Not with Jim. He has been very generous with his time, helping us deal with contractors and helping us settle in. He's been known to fix things in the house along the way! Jim is now a friend of the family. A remarkable individual whose generosity, knowledge and kindness differentiate him and have resulted in extraordinarily word of mouth. I know 7 people at work just like me who have bought via Jim. It's my turn to now pass on the favor to others. Hire Jim. read more

Jim is, hands down, the best agent we have worked with - and we worked with several in our two-year search for a new home. He is very responsive, and he is great when it comes to execution, but that's not what makes him such a great agent. Where he really stands out is that he always keeps the client's best interests at heart. Never once did we feel pressured to put in an offer or raise our price; in fact, Jim talked us out of making bids on several houses that we now realize would have been mistakes, on account of either extensive repairs needed or layout issues. He always made sure we felt comfortable with what we were doing. Even when our final deal started unraveling at the eleventh hour, Jim told us to walk away if the deal didn't feel right to us (in the end, we reached a workable compromise with the sellers). I can't say enough good things about Jim. Up front, we shared our location, size and price requirements, and we all knew it would be a slog. When we were exhausted and decided to look at less expensive housing, Jim was there with us. When we doubted that we could ever find a home that met our parameters, Jim reassured us that we would, with enough patience. And guess what? He was right. The best part is? I have a new friend in the real estate business. Even today, he is still the first number I call if I need advice with anything home-related. read more

When we decided to settle down in the Bay Area, we were so fortunate that a colleague recommended Jim to us as a realtor. Jim's resume speaks for itself, and we were impressed from the beginning. But it wasn't until we got into the house hunting process with Jim that we realized what a comfort it was to have Jim by our side. This is our second house purchase, and Jim is by far the most knowledgeable realtor we've met. For every house we asked him about, Jim would give us detailed opinions on matters like whether its foundation may be a concern, if parts of the house needs expensive updating, if it's within a gas transmission line impact zone, or if its neighborhood is too affected by noise sources. Jim read through the disclosures and inspected the houses in person. If there was a house that wasn't worth buying, Jim was very candid and informative about it. Jim is very knowledgeable about housing inspectors and lenders, too. Relying on Jim's recommendation for these agents made our closing so much smoother than we anticipated.  Many reviewers have said that Jim goes above and beyond, and they are definitely not exaggerating. Besides patiently and happily answering our emails/calls/texts at all hours, I also remember how much Jim worked on our first offer. The seller was unclear on a part of the disclosure.  Because of that, Jim spent a whole day in City Hall with me double checking the blueprint and the drainage system of the house, making sure we weren't getting into something we weren't sure about. It's clear to see that he's very passionate about what he does. He sees his clients as family, and he watches out for our interests with a paternal protectiveness that's so valuable both for finding that perfect house and for making good friends in the area. After our house closed, we still ask Jim for advice on things like renovations or inspections. We can't say enough about how much we appreciate him, and would resoundingly recommend him to anyone. read more

Jim came highly recommended through my wife's coworkers...and having worked with him now over the last few months, it would be impossible not to see why. FOR THE SKIMMERS: Jim just gets it. He understands that real estate is about actually building relationships and tailoring solutions, not just moving property. FOR THE READERS: Now, I'm not going to lie: if you don't want to end up with a highly ethical friend with a great sense of humor and a diligent work ethic, Jim is not the agent for you. He took all our preferences and concerns into account and doggedly chased down every possible home to meet our needs until we found the right fit. More importantly, he kept us laughing through the whole process. And even though I know he has other clients, it's never really felt like it. It's been more like having a trusted advisor who adopted our home ownership goals as his own. We've worked with a number of other realtors in the last 2 decades but from now on, Jim will be our agent for as long as he can stand us. He's like part of the family now. read more

An update - Once again, Jim pulled out all the stops to help I and my wife sell the house we bought in 2012 and buy a new one in this challenging environment. Jim gave us good advice when looking for a house based on what we needed for our growing family and essentially coached us on what to look for regarding foundation, electrical, plumbing and many more. Throughout the sale process, Jim kept us up-to-date on how many potential buyers we had at open houses and gave us excellent advice regarding any offers. The house sold within two weeks of being put on the market. When buying our new house, Jim adapted to our style of sending some houses to him that we found online with him pulling the inspection reports and going through them, in addition to looking for places himself. When in contract, he explained each document to us and made us feel comfortable throughout the whole process. Jim will always be our choice for real estate needs, not to mention, advice on life :) read more

Jim helped me find my dream home and I absolutely could not have done it without him! He is the most dedicated and patient agent I have ever met. As a first time home buyer, I had no idea what to expect: what's a reasonable price, what to watch out for, how the mortgage process works, etc. Jim was there to walk me through the process step by step. Because of his strong connections in the industry, he was able to get a lot of info for me that I would not have access to otherwise. He was unbelievably patient with all my rookie questions and genuinely wanted me to find the right home. He spent countless hours driving over an hour each way to help me search in the area I wanted. When I couldn't make it to certain open houses, Jim would still go and then update me on how it went. Before we went to see places, Jim would talk to all the sell-side agents first and get helpful information that could help screen the homes upfront. Even though I knew Jim was very busy, his responsiveness made it feel as if I was his only client and only focus. He's extremely reliable and always was there to take care of anything that came up. Even months after the closing, I'm still texting and emailing Jim with random questions (house-related, tax-related, mortgage-related, etc.) and he is always there to help! Jim's passion for his work shows in how much he cares for his clients. I have been recommending Jim to everyone around me. You will be in good hands if you work with Jim! He is truly the best! read more

Jim worked with my husband and me to find the perfect home in Los Gatos, during a time of low inventory and typical bidding wars. Due to his reputation with the seller's agent, our contract was accepted over another bidder's full list price offer. Jim's professionalism and dedication did not stop there. He has helped us locate experienced professionals for various home improvement and maintenance needs for our new home. As my husband and I are new to California, we would have been lost without Jim's guidance as to electricians, plumbers, and other connections to essential craftsman. I will recommend Jim without hesitation to anyone in need of a sophisticated and experienced agent. read more

Jim is the best. He goes above and beyond (promptly responding to emails/calls/texts at all hours of the day, looking tirelessly at listings, previewing houses so you don't have to go to each one) to find a home that you love and then does everything he can to help you get it. Due to Jim's efforts we ended up getting the first house we put an offer on. He saved us a ton of time and effort. The relationship with Jim doesn't end after you buy your home. We now consider him a friend and continue to turn to him when we have questions about various projects around the house. He's incredibly knowledgable about the industry and market, and very generous with his time. Jim came recommended to us by several of my husband's coworkers, and we have already referred him to friends of ours who are searching for a home. We would recommend him with absolutely no hesitation. read more

I wish I could give Jim 10 stars! He is not only an extremely knowledgable realtor he is an extremely amazing person as well! We just recently bought a house through Jim. He made sure he looked at every single house that we were interested in first and he would make sure it was worth looking at before he would take us there. He didn't just look at the house but he would also check if the houses were on a busy street or if the neighborhood was kid friendly. Once we bought the house he even found contractors, painters and a Gardner for us. Well it didn't stop there every time I needed anything at all wether it was fixing a faucet or installing a fire alarm he had been there. He has done much much more than that the list is endless! He is amazing! If you want a realtor who truly cares and who will give his 150% look no further! JIM IS THE MAN!!! read more

I am grateful Jim and I crossed path. The journey of finding a home in the current house market can be a strenuous task, but partnering with Jim made the whole process much easier and pleasant. Jim is there through out the whole process, even after the transaction is finalized; he has an amazing patience; answers every questions; validates filed permits to the county; gets contractors lined up; helps you paint; answers more questions... At the end, I got an amazing house in the mountains in Los Gatos and a great friend. He looked out for me through my transition from Canada to the US, and from US back to Canada. He truly had my best interests at heart. He cares. read more

Jim Hamilton (Alain Pinel) was our realtor when we moved from Colorado to Los Gatos, CA earlier this year. Jim showed utmost professionalism and extremely quick and accurate responsiveness, all along from finding the proper home to a successful closing. After the months of the closing Jim has stayed closely in touch with us. Through his expertise in homes he has helped us deal with many items that a newly purchased home in a new area of the country brings. read more

Jim Hamilton is one of the most amazing real estate agents I have ever dealt with. He has great connections, and really goes the extra mile to meet his customer's needs. My husband and I were new to the Bay Area, and Jim held walked us through the entire process. We never felt rushed, and Jim did most of the work for us including checking out most of the houses for us. He knew the history of the different neighborhoods we looked at, the different school districts, and how safe each neighborhood was. He was Google Real Estate in human form. Most important, Jim is a trustworthy guy. Next time we buy a house, we are giving Jim a call. He is the epitome of what a quality real estate agent is. Thank you Jim!!! read more

Jim is wonderful! He came highly recommended, and he exceeded our expectations. He was incredibly responsive, knowledgeable, and friendly. I don't know when the guy sleeps or takes time off!You will not find a better advocate in your housing search than Jim. read more