Testimonials and reviews

Jim (James Streff) is very knowledgeable in what he does. He was able to show us a number of properties and walk us through the entire home purchasing process. He would always pick up when I called or text back to answer any questions I may have. Jim was willing to travel any distance to look at a home. Working with him was great. He was genuinely interested in our wants and needs as well as a great source of knowledge. I'm glad we got to work with Jim and look forward to working together again in the future. If you're looking for an agent, do yourself a favor and work with Jim.

Without Jim's representation, I would have never sold this particular property for a very long time IMHO. He worked very hard in every single aspect associated the sale of my property, was efficient and open in his communication, and was on top of the process, all why having to deal with a nightmare of a non-cooperative property manager in my building whose only concern seemed to be what she was having for dinner the next night. I would highly recommend Jim (and his colleague Michael T.) for real estate representation as his impressive results/stats alone speak for themselves, and I can attest to their exceptional delivery as they had positively, exceeded my expectations of the recent sale of my downtown condo.

This is the second time I have used James and his team. James and his team are excellent. James is available 24/7, 365 for any needs you may have. James is always concerned for the client in lieu of himself. He has been nothing but professional throughout this whole process and is highly recommended. I will for sure be using James and his team again in the future.

Very knowledgable and great marketing plan. Very professional in negotiations. Great from start to finish. Thanks for all your HELP!!!

Really struck gold when we came across Jim. What an incredibly knowledgeable, easy to work with, and patient guy. As first time home buyers we had a question about everything and Jim was always ready with a response. He listened to what we were looking for, understood our budget, and showed us places that matched both. Jim knows the city well and doesn’t waste time. We had a great experience with Jim and would recommend him when looking for a house.

He was great, always quick with a response, takes the time to answer any questions. He was very confident and knows the areas well. Will definitely use James Streff again. Takes the time needed. Very pleased.

James Streff is an absolute pleasure to work with. He is not only incredibly knowledgeable in all aspects of of his job, but was also attentive to all of my needs during the process. From the moment we talked to begin the sale of my property, I had no concerns and was able to relax knowing my interests were being looked after. I highly recommend James Streff and BHHS Chicago - Bucktown to anyone for their real estate needs.

Jim made selling our place a breeze! He took the stress out of the process and had great local knowledge, recommendations, and had our condo under contract in less than 48 hours. I would highly recommend Jim for buying and selling in Chicago!

Jim was great to deal with! Buying a foreclosure was a headache, but he was definitely in our corner each step of the way.

James is a great friend and a great professional agent. My wife and I have always had a great relationship with Jimmy and always will. I also knew how great of an agent Jimmy was. He knows what he is doing. We will use Jimmy again when we decide to list and buy another house. Thank you, Jimmy!

Jim Streff was exceptional in all areas and truly made our purchase enjoyable. He was very diligent, responsive and attentive. He made the process very easy and we would definitely recommend him!

As first time home buyers - James was extremely patient, knowledgeable and responsive throughout the home buying process. He was genuinely motivated to find us the perfect home and he thoroughly answered any questions we had. We trust his feedback and his attention to detail surpassed all of our expectations. All around excellent. Smooth, easy, stress-free process. We will always use James Streff/ Chicago - Bucktown! Best in the business!

James Streff is by far one of the most knowledgeable and personable agents I have had the pleasure of working with. Jim is always available to talk and discuss new strategies for selling your home. As many know, the process of selling your home can be stressful but with Jim, the process felt easy and as if I were in control the entire time. Jim has a way of fostering positivity and creating a good environment for all parties involved. There was a doubt that I would have a negative outcome with Jim by my side. Overall, I had a great experience with Jim and the team. Would certainly recommend Jim to anybody looking for a true asset through this process.

Jim is awesome. He's a total straight shooter, which is really helpful when thinking through an emotional purchase. He knows the city extremely well, has great connections in the community and will work incredibly hard to make sure clients are comfortable and informed.

Jim was a steady hand that led us through listing to closing smoothly. We had previously listed with another broker and it hadn't gone well and he came in and confidently did all the make up work to get our place ready and sold quickly.

Having never sold a home before, James Streff offered clear and encouraging information which was so helpful to our family. Start to finish, there was never a question that we had chosen the correct sales person.

We just completed our 3 rd real estate transaction with Jim Streff and couldn't be happier with both the process and Jim's service. Jim's knowledge, experience and contacts were extremely valuable in gaining us our desired result in all of our transactions. We have recommended Jim in the past to our friends and family and will continue to do so.

The decision to buy a new home is obviously always going to be a little anxiety-inducing, but working with Jim Streff made this about as stress-free as I think it can be. It might sound like hyperbole, but throughout our purchase (and the sale of our condo), Jim basically did everything right. I don't think that anything speaks to his abilities better than the fact that we basically got our offer accepted (over a potentially better offer) simply because the seller's realtor was so impressed by Jim's acumen and responsiveness and trusted him to get the deal done better than the competing realtor. Likewise, by the closing, our attorney was also raving about Jim's willingness to go above and beyond for the deal when it was necessary, and his incredible capacity to get things done. If you want a realtor that will do everything they can to make sure you have a successful and positive experience and to make you feel like you're the most important thing they're working on at any given time, Jim and his team are the people to go to. I promise you won't regret it!

Selling a condo can be a complicated process - even more than I'd anticipated when we started. However, Jim Streff is legitimately the most knowledgable and confident realtor I've ever worked with, and even when we encountered the occasional bump in the road during our sale, he was always quick to hop on the phone and walk us through everything we needed to know. We had a limited amount of time to get our place sold because we had a contingent offer on another home, but we did it! Jim leveraged his vast knowledge of the markets to adapt to our needs in real-time and made this complex transaction basically seamless. He's also just a great guy and very easy and fun to work with. Can't recommend him enough!

Jim Streff is wonderful agent. He is patient, knowledgeable, and and answered every question and went above and beyond to make sure that I was in a place I loved. He also is very responsive and keeps you updated every step of the way.

I worked with James Streff on a previous purchase. He is excellent at communication and always follows through. No stone left unturned! I consistently felt like I was his number one client. Also, I appreciated that he was well connected with other brokers and had great negotiation skills. He helped make the selling and buying process fun and easy. My partner and I couldn’t be happier with the house we now call home!

Jim, Thank you very much for everything you did to get our home sold. You did much more than we would have ever expected and you handled a difficult situation very well.

Mike Tye was excellent and is part of James team. Excellent service. Very knowledgeable and dedicated to getting listings to you.

James Streff made the selling experience so easy. The whole thing was a pleasure experience..... and during Covid -19.

I have had several friends and family members use James in the past and they all highly recommended him. James Streff was extremely patient and always made sure to check in with us. Being first time home buyers we had a lot of questions. James answered all of them in a timely manner and really made us feel like we were a priority. When we found our dream home and put in an offer there were 10 other offers on the table. We were not the highest in terms of money but thanks to James’ outreach, our offer was selected. I truly believe that he is the sole reason we got this home over the other offers. I will be recommending James Streff to all of my friends and family who are looking to buy a home. We had the best experience and we are completely satisfied.

Jim makes the selling and buying process a piece of cake! He was always responsive to our questions and needs while also going out of his way to make us comfortable through the whole process. Buying a new home is a big deal and I wouldn’t do it without Jim!

Jim Streff really exceeded all of my expectations. I had a unique situation with selling my condo and I had to make some hard decisions on whether to list it or not. Jim was willing to help me every step of the way even if it meant I would not list the condo. His advice was based on logic and his assessment of the market, not salesmanship. Jim always returned my calls and texts within minutes. If Jim had someone interested in the condo, he made it an immediate priority to accommodate the interested party. He initiated communication whenever there was an update. I did not feel that I had to 'check in.'. I'm very happy I went with someone I researched carefully and felt good about, instead of several referrals some friends sent to me. Call Jim Streff and you will see what I mean.

Jim was great throughout the whole process. Great communication, always available and accommodating. I would recommend to all my family and friends.

Working with Jim Streff on the purchase of our new home was a wonderful experience! As first time home buyers, the process could have been very overwhelming but Jim made us feel confident and informed. He was extremely knowledgeable and guided us through what to look for in a new home and was always very available and communicative throughout the entire process. He also connected us to extremely helpful resources throughout the purchasing process. Overall, working with Jim Streff and his colleague, Michael Tye, was fantastic and we would recommend them to anyone look to buy or sell!

This is my third real estate transaction that Jim Streff has guided me on. He is simply the best. He is very knowledgeable, easy to get ahold of, and cares about what’s best for his clients. I’d be lost without him. You can put 100% trust in Jim that he has your best interest in mind.

This is my second time using James Streff for real estate purposes and he’ll be my go to agent every time. He’s simply the best, most attentive, and hard working agent I’ve ever come across. He’s constantly working and scheming for your real estate needs.

Expertise in the area

Jimmy was all around fantastic to work with. 5 years ago, my wife and I used him to buy our first house. This time, my siblings and I were selling my father's house, and I knew to go to Jimmy because of my previous experience. He is so prompt, always returns calls, texts and emails faster than anyone I know. And he is to the point, he doesn't leave overly lengthy emails/texts/VMs. And most of all that is hard to quantify, you get the sense that Jimmy genuinely cares about you and your expectations with your buy/sell. He made the process so much smoother and took the worry out of selling a house.

Jim always responded whenever I reached out. He proactively assisted to help resolve matters that came up during the inspection by recommending and arranging solutions. He also recommended a real estate attorney to save me time trying to find a good one.

We worked with James Streff on the purchase of our condo 5 years ago, the sale of our condo this year and finally the purchase of our new home. James worked tirelessly to find our dream home for well over a year. James was knowledgeable, not only about the houses themselves, but about all the neighborhoods and schools we were interested in. He made us feel comfortable and confident that the right house was around the corner, and it was! I can not thank James Streff and his team enough for all their help and would highly recommend anyone trying to buy or sell in the Chicagoland area.

Jim was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and responsive. He was on time for all the showings and answered all my questions quickly and accurately. He was very respectful and knew about the areas and buildings. He was on point and through with all communications between my team and the sellers team, which made the buying process very smooth. As a first time buyer, I am very pleased with Jim's work and will definitely work with him again when the opportunity arises. Michael Tye was the other broker I worked with and he was equally reliable, thorough, and responsive. They are both great people!

James was very knowledgeable,professional and respectful during the process

James worked tirelessly to ensure the success of our sale, and our ongoing search for a new home. He was available to answer any and every question we had and was able to explain the process to us in a clear and concise manner. It’s not easy to find a realtor with the personal touch James brings. I will be a life long client of James and would recommend James to anyone looking to buy or sell!

If any type of relationship no matter what it may be communication if very important. I think James displayed some of the best communication skills I’ve experienced with the sale of this property. His replies to my questions whether through text or a phone call were always answered almost immediately. There wasn’t a week that went by where I didn’t get any communication from James, Whether it be a text message or a phone call from him letting me know what was on his mind or the next step we should take for the sale of the property. A lot of the little things is what most people miss on, but I think he covered a lot of the things most people let fall on the waist side. Attention to detail. For as long as he is in real estate I will recommend or use him in the future.

jimi came highly recommended and exceeded all expectations with utmost professionalism after listing went live we were flooded with showings. received an offer after 10 days, after negotiations we accepted and the rest is history. top notch realtor across the board! magic mike came stepped up to the plate when needed, also very good at his job. very happy with his overall performance. walked us through every detail with patience and professionalism.

For someone so young he brings a lot of years of experience and professionalism. Courteous on time returns calls and texts immediately. All the above things are very important when communicating with your real estate agent. Wouldn't hesitate to hire Jimmy to represent me in the future.

Jim is great to work with! Our purchase/sale had some last minute curveballs that Jim helped us navigate. A true pro!

Jim’s knowledge of value and guidance in the whole process. Someone you can get a hold of when you have questions He doesn’t overwhelm me with listings that are over priced. Great support staff. Peace of mind. He takes all the stress out of my buying experience. Thanks, Jim my family appreciates all your hard work.

Mr. Streff is a perfect agent. He was always in close touch with me. We collectively made all the decisions. I am currently in India since last 4 years and if I could sell both my US houses - in Skokie and Hoffman Estates, it is just because of the excellent cooperation from James Streff.

James was very patient and professional throughout the entire process. He got us a great deal considering that in 2018 the rental market, city and assessors office was against us the entire time.

Jim is a great broker! He has completed work for me in the past and for my children. Will definitely continue to use him for our future real estate needs.

Jim was excellent to work with on sale of our condo. He communicated well through every step of the process and worked through closing while we were moving across country. He ensured we were always completely up to speed and were well informed throughout the process. I'd highly recommend Jim and would engage his expertise again in the future.

Do to the fact that many units in the building were taking months to sell. I needed someone with knowledge and the ability, to get the sale done over the other agents with listing in the building. BAM contract in 3 days and at the highest price.

Highly professional and attentive.

Jim Streff comes highly recommended as a professional Realtor. He not only performed his job well, he went above and beyond for me with a situation involving my mortgage company. Jim is professional and very approachable. He is respectful and communicated well. My home was sold in a short period of time and I received full asking price. I have recommended Jim to family and friends who are planning to sell their homes in the future.

Jim went above and beyond. Purchasing a home, especially your first home, can be stressful and overwhelming. Having a realtor that genuinely cares about their clients and works in their best interest is critical to a great buying experience. Jim did all of that and more. He knew exactly what I was looking for, showed me relevant places, and provided the guidance needed to make an offer that took into account the current market, unit features, local comps, and growth potential. Even after the closing, he continues to follow up on how things are going and is a great resource for all things a new homeowner would need to know. Jim is knowledgeable, patient, thorough, and overall great to work with. I'd recommend Jim to anyone looking to buy or sell their home.

Jim is a great agent - knows the area and knows his stuff. He offered unbiased opinion on the condition of the houses we visited and helped narrow our choices to a best available outcome. Has great people skills.

Great experience working with Jim!

From the first text and phone call, Jim was on top of everything. He listened to our wants and needs, perfectly orchestrated the purchase of the new home and sale of the old. He patiently answered the million questions we had and did a fantastic job setting the correct expectations. It is important to fully understand the reality of a home sale/purchase and while he was upfront, he did so in the most positive and professional way. This interaction had many moving parts and Jim was on top of every single one. He was able to immediately answer any question. We are most grateful, this has changed our lives and we now live in our dream home. Thank you Jim!!!

Jim is an excellent broker; his service level & market knowledge went above & beyond all my expectations. He was extremely helpful through every step of the sale process, from listing my unit all the way through closing. A few things that I think set him apart is the advice he provides, his responsiveness, his transparency, and his ability to execute. I would recommend him to anyone looking to sell or buy.

I could not be more satisfied with the service provided by James Streff. He was prompt, responsive and knowledgeable in all my inquiries and requests throughout the buying process. He went above and beyond my expectations time and time again. Finally, the advice James provided was well-informed and rooted in industry experience. I would recommend James to anyone considering purchasing a home, condo, or building.

Jim, We like your attitude, patience, Persistence in closing this deal for us. I am sure we will work again to dispose my second home too.

Jim did an outstanding job with the sale of my condo in Lincoln Park. He fully understood my objectives with my sale effort (i.e. realistic pricing expectations and quick sale timeline) and exceeded my expectations on all counts. As a real estate broker myself, some of the attributes I associate most closely with a successful broker (and subsequent successful transactions) is responsiveness and market knowledge. Jim knows the market cold and is one of the most responsive people I've ever worked with. You'll never be left in the dark working with Jim. I would highly recommend him for any real estate needs.

James Streff was the hardest working agents. He was available 24/7 and did the job to the highest standard. He made purchasing my first home a breeze and there was nothing he could not do. I would recommend James to anyone and everyone I know for their real estate needs. If you want a hassle free experience, use James. He has contacts for everything you need and they are also the best you can get. Thank you to James for everything he did for us. Next time I move, I will be using James Streff.

James Streff was flawless in his execution of our home purchase from the day he showed us properties to the end at our closing for our dream home at a dream price. Sellers accepted our offer presented by James due to his negotiation skills. Very sure we would have spent more money without James on our side. If we were to text James a question about a property, location, price, etc. at 3am - we're confident we'd receive an immediate response. Regardless of being our broker, pretty sure James is one of the most reliable, patient, professional people we've ever met!

we had not dealt with sale of real estate in 41 years. lots of changes happened since then. Jim helped us through a very painful part of our family's history

Jim jumped on looking for listings for me really quick even when I was a little pushy as soon as we would walk into a house he would start pointing out things that I needed to look at he helped me with the furnaces the hot water tanks the structure of the houses if it had enough room for my entire family if the neighborhood was dog friendly. He stayed within my price range he was just very helpful and looking out for my best interest. He also was awesome with looking for everybody that I needed the inspector the lawyer the the contractor to come fix the roof of the house.Even at our last walkthrough he was very helpful I had a couple issues and he went above and beyond and calming me down and ensuring me that everything will be okay I am really grateful for him he made me feel like I knew him for years even though we just met when I was started to purchase the house

Very knowledgeable about value, neighborhoods, school districts, construction and price negotiation. He taught me patience to get the best price. Always there to answer all my questions. He has a great team of a home inspector, an attorney and construction company.

My condo sold in 3 days thanks to Jim's knowledge, hard work, and ability to set expectations. Jim's work exceeded my expectations. He was friendly, patient and and went above and beyond to answer questions as quickly and effectively as possible. I have referred Jim to friends and I would continue to do so. He is the best realtor I have worked with to date!

Searching and purchasing my home was a great experience thanks to Jim Streff! I thought living out of state and searching for my home long distance would be extremely difficult, but Jim went above and beyond to take video walk throughs and FaceTime of properties. Really worked out well. I would recommend Jim because of his attention to detail, excellent communication and his attentiveness to everything we wanted in our home. He was respectful and friendly and never backed down from any request!

Hands down Jim Streff is our go to broker in the Chicagoland area. He's business minded but approachable. Proactive without being pushy. Kind but confident. He has great insights into the local market and we never missed a milestone throughout the entire sales process. As a client, I felt informed, in control, and relieved Jim was on my team! Get him on yours today!

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE TIME AND PATIENCE UPON ASSISTING US WITH FINDING OUR HOME. SHOWING US THE MANY HOUSES AND INFORMING US OF WHAT WE NEEDED TO OBTAIN OUR HOME. YOU HELPED IN MORE WAY THAN ONE. OUR FAMILY APPRECIATES ALL THE HELP YOU GAVE AND WE'RE ENTIRELY GRATEFUL. OUR NEXT ADVENTURE COULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT YOU. THANK YOU.

James is extremely thorough in what he does. Definitely goes the extra mile to achieve client satisfaction, and is always responsive when called or emailed. Will continue to work with him directly for all of our real estate needs.

Jim was great! He went above and beyond to make our home buying and selling process a breeze for us. Jim worked tirelessly to find us our dream home. He took his time and really made us a priority. We would never work with anyone else! Jim was so accessible, it was surprising. He returned phone calls and emails almost instantaneously. Jim provided the best customer service I've ever experienced!! Jim sold our home in 5 days for over our asking price! His hard work and dedication are beyond words.

I was so pleased with my experience with Jim Streff that I introduced him to a neighbor of mine who's going to be selling his condo at the end of the year. I know my neighbor was pleased to meet Jim, especially after hearing that my condo sold in such a short amount of time.

James Streff was referred to me by my coworker who is 20 years older than James. I knew that my coworker's respect for James Streff was extremely sincere and well deserved. From my first meeting with James, I could tell that he was very knowledgeable of the entire Chicago area, sincere, honest, and would be dedicated to finding us the perfect place for our specific needs.

From my initial phone call through closing, Jim was the absolute best to work with! He carefully listened to my needs and wants and set out to make it happen. My circumstances were different than most peoples, and he went above and beyond to get the information for me including reaching out to various people to ensure that the places would fit my needs before we even went to view the property. He was always available and answered all of my questions quickly with expert knowledge and professionalism. Jim went above and beyond what I ever expected anyone to do for me and made the entire process from start to finish the absolute best! I would highly recommend Jim to anyone for his promptness, attention to detail, and overall exceptional service.