After graduating from James Madison University in 2004, James Strum knew he wanted a career that would allow him to help others. At first he didn’t know exactly what that was. He worked part time for the local schools here in the Richmond area helping with fundraising and he also worked part time in the “Kids Zone” at American Family Fitness. After a couple of years, James knew exactly what he wanted to do.
James’ father, Sherwood Strum, was a long time realtor himself here in the area, co-owning his own company in the 70’s called Strum and Dunnington and then also working for many years thereafter with Porter Vaughan. Sherwood passed away in 1989 after a long battle with cancer, and surely left a legacy behind pertaining to Richmond real estate.
So in 2006, James had made up his mind. He would follow in his father’s footsteps, or as he refers to it, his father’s “Big Ole Boots” because of the tremendous impact his father left behind. James met with several firms before deciding on Long and Foster in July of 2006. There, he learned all about the residential real estate world from the ground up and in his very first full year in 2007 he was named “Rookie of the Year” for his branch. By 2012, James was the “Top Individual” agent with Long and Foster out of 1000+ agents in 18 offices throughout the region.
With continued success, James had to ensure that each client was getting exactly what he built his book of business on…providing the highest level of customer service through honesty, knowledge base, and making sure the clients best interest was his first priority. And in 2013 THE STRUM Group was born!! James knew that creating something that was bigger than him required a special team model in order to maintain the correct level of service for each client, every time.
We pride ourselves in our core values, proven results, and team excellence.
“My wife and I purchased our first house recently with Cole as our realtor and he made the entire process as easy as possible for us. With his help and knowledge of my profession as a contractor we were able to submit a creative offer that ultimately was accepted by the sellers. We will be using Cole when we move again!”
“After working with Cameron on our first day of showings, we knew we wanted to work with him throughout the process. We never felt like he was steering us wrong, and he always was realistic with us about our options, about the homes we'd looked at, and about what we should expect. He was patient and understanding with us, even when we asked the same … question 10 times. It took us two years and a pandemic, but we recently closed on a home! The experience of home buying can be arduous and frustrating, but Cameron helped to make the process less painful. I'd absolutely recommend working with The Strum Group, and would doubly recommend choosing to work with Cameron if you're able” Read More ▾
“James was great to work with. He listened to the things my wife and I both wanted as far as type of house, location, etc... and paid a lot of attention to the things that arent part of the house, but part of the area that comes with the house. There were never any surprises, and he was very good about answering any questions we might have in a t … remendously timely fashion. He definitely had a great feel for the areas (specially the areas we wanted to end up, and made the entire process about as painless as could be. Id definitely recommend him to anyone” Read More ▾
“My partner and I came across The Strum Group by chance while we were researching agents and saw they had a wealth of knowledge in different areas around Richmond and great reviews. We were paired with Jamie because she has experience working as a Buyer's Agent and with first time home buyers, which we are! Jamie worked … with us to pin-point what was most important and we ended up loving the very first house we went to go see as a team. We had been looking at houses for about a year casually so we were ecstatic to find a perfect match. Jamie gave us expert advice on how to submit an attractive offer and negotiate fast turnaround times. After our offer was accepted, Jamie walked us through each step in the process and recommended excellent professionals for when we needed inspections, lawyers, and movers. Communication was priority #1 for our family and Jamie was thorough, patient, and speedy. We would recommend Jamie to anyone who is looking to have both independence and security in the home buying process as she was never pushy but was always willing to research with us to find answers. And lastly, on our closing day, Jamie helped with our day-of nerves and we felt she was truly excited for this next step for our family! ” Read More ▾
“Cole and the team at The Strum Group have been a pleasure to work with. Cole is very responsive and easy to get in touch with. He was on top of things throughout the way and proactive to ensure things were handled so that we had a smooth closing. We looked at quite a bit of homes due to the size of the area we were looking in and Cole took it in s … tride and was always ready to show us another home if we saw something we were interested in. The knowledge of the area and the real estate market was evident while working with Cole and the team, they are a top notch group” Read More ▾
“James was very professional, attentive and just the realtor we needed! He got our home sold and was there to answer questions and walk us through every step of the process. We will gladly recommend him to anyone and he is the only realtor we will contact for any real estate needs we have in the future!”
“We chose James based on his excellent reviews on Zillow. James has a vast knowledge of the area and what to look for in a home. He would never let us settle on anything until we found the home that we loved. He never made us feel like an inconvenience, even unusual times. I will highly recommend to anyone looking for a realtor in the Richmond area … ” Read More ▾
“This was my first time buying a house and I knew nothing about the process. Jamie took the time to explain every single step and detail to me, and answered any questions I had, regardless of how minute and small and silly it may have been. He knew the area of town that I was looking in and he knew what I was looking for. He had his ear to the grou … nd for any properties that met my parameters. The day that my house went on the market, he made an appointment for that afternoon and we put an offer in and it was accepted that same day. He knew exactly what to offer that the sellers would respond to and he fought for a real good deal in closing costs and upgrades that the house needed. My first house buying experience was simple and painless thanks to Jamie” Read More ▾
“James is a consummate professional and is a very knowledgeable resource. He made the selling of our home a stress-free experience. I highly recommend James and his team.”
“James Strum and his team exceeded our expectations. We've bought and sold 7 homes over the past 20 years and have experienced good and not so good experiences with various Real Estate partners. James offered guidance, suggestions, and practical tips throughout the process from pre-listing phases to contract conclusion and closing. He had a genui … ne interest in us, our family, and stayed in close contact with us at every step. We had two contracts in less than 20 days, one of which we accepted and successfully closed at a price we are happy about. James "stands out" from his responsiveness, loyalty to your best interests, and demonstrating authentic care and professionalism. If we need to sell another home, we will definable engage James.” Read More ▾
“James was great to work with in selling my home. I can't imagine anyone else getting the results I needed than James. He had a great knowledge of the market and worked hard to get our listing just right and at a great price. Our house went under contract in 11 days at full list price. I would highly recommend this realtor to anyone in the Richmond … area.” Read More ▾
“We stumbled across Cole and quickly realized we could not have dreamed up a better realtor. He is incredibly knowledgeable, and even more important - was very honest with us. There is no doubt that we would not be moving into our dream home if it wasn't for his intelligence and enthusiasm. We highly highly recommend Cole !”
“Fair, honest and hard working. I will use James again. He took the time not only to answer my questions, he was available nights, weekends and just about every time I wanted to view property.”
“James Strum was beyond excellent to work with! I would highly recommend him to anybody looking for a Realtor who really gets involved with his clients and finds them exactly what they are looki ng for! This was my first home purchase and he was extremely responsive to all of my 10 million questions at all hours of the day and night, he has extensiv … e knowledge of the area, and he fought extremely hard for six months to get my short sale to closing when most Realtors would have thrown in the towel. he dealt with multiple lien holders and he really went above and beyond his job description to get me what I wanted. He really educates you on the entire home buying process and in the end makes you feel a lot more comfortable with it all. Not only did I find the best Realtor, but I gained a great friend in the process! There is a reason he is #1 with Long and Foster for 2012 and 2013! Thanks James” Read More ▾
“Drew took the time to become familiar with what me and my husband were looking for. And he was always available to us at any time of the day which made working with Drew a pleasure. I can’t thank him enough with helping us find a newly built move-in ready home in just a week.”
“James has been a pleasure to work with. James was our selling agent and he sold our house for us within 45 days, which is really good! He took time to create great views of each of our rooms that truly reflected the spaciousness of the house! The listings in various websites looked great and we got a lot of showings for the house. He was able to n … egotiate with our eventual buyers for a fair price! James is easy to work with and he is definitely a people person! He can sometimes come across as being a little tough but he has your best interest at heart and is willing to do what it takes! Thanks for everything James” Read More ▾
“An amazing agent, and an amazing team! We have had a terrible past two years, and are having to short sell our house. Once I met with James, I felt better about the process. James told me what to expect, and that he would sell the house within the month. Within 6 weeks, our house was under contract in spite of major problems and issues includi … ng foundation problems and such. He has been very encouraging in a difficult situation, and continues to be pro-active and supportive as we move forward with the sale of our house. I have already recommended him to several friends, and greatly encourage others to use his agency” Read More ▾
“James was very helpful in my home search and knew what I needed immediately. I was unfamiliar with the area in which I was purchasing a home and he informed me of the most desirable locations, even eliminating places before I wasted time looking. The first and only house he showed me was the one we purchased and he negotiated into the night for … a great deal. Before and after closing he was helpful in providing specialist that I needed to complete the purchase. He is personable, professional and I highly recommend him for real estate needs in Richmond VA.” Read More ▾
“Awesomely amazing experience! The house I wanted was in demand. It was an extremely emotional purchase for me, but Jamie protected me from myself and saved me at least $3k. Not only that, she was a veritable directory of resources. I would highly recommend The Strum Group - especially Jamie!”
“We are so lucky to have met James at a property back in September. New to the home buying process, he really impressed us with his knowledge of properties, school districts, renovation costs, and so much more. He responded immediately to all of our questions and concerns and made our home search so easy and convenient. When we finally found the ho … use we wished to make our home, he was very helpful and available asap when we needed to make a move on putting in our bid. James is a killer at negotiations as well! We ran into some things after receiving the inspection report and he fought for us the whole way through. The only reason we got exactly what we wanted was because James was on our side as our realtor. We truly feel that if it weren't for James we would still be renting. Thanks to him we are living in and loving our new home” Read More ▾
“Cole is the best! He went above and beyond! Can't thank him enough. We went through a lot but he helped get the house! He was there for any questions we had no matter what they were!”
“He knew what would be a good fit for me, in a suitable area, but was willing to show me a number of other places to help me compare and make up my own mind.”
“We couldn't be more pleased with the sale of our home on 2205 Oakhampton Ct. James strum is hands down the BEST Realtor in Richmond. James is extremely knowledgeable, professional, and dedicate d. He was there for us every step of the way and did everything in his power to make sure we were satisfied. i will recommend James to everyone I know that … is looking to buy or sell a home. Thank you James we appreciate everything you have done for us” Read More ▾
“James helped us find our first home -- driving to numerous homes on his own while we were at work -- so it was an easy decision to have him sell the same home. James worked the phones for us while he was out of the country on his honeymoon and faxed documents just before his wedding. He is incredible at his job and always available. We wish we cou … ld have brought him to Georgia with us” Read More ▾
“James was an amazing realtor! He was super helpful every step of the way during our home-buying process! We used all of the inspectors that he recommended and were very pleased with them as well. We would highly recommend James to any of our friends or family! We didn't feel like we had to do very much because he did it all! He exceeded our e … xpectations! Thanks, James” Read More ▾
“Drew was an absolute pleasure to work with! He was very detailed and precise with his information in which was required for a smooth transaction on the sale of my first home. Drew made me feel like I was his top priority and that gave me a sense of comfort with every decision made. He is also not afraid to roll up his sleeves, get a little swea … ty and do what it takes to get the job done! This quality client care can be hard to find but Drew’s integrity carries in everything he does. Drew will not disappoint you!” Read More ▾
“This is our second time using James as our realtor. He did such a fantastic job the first time around that there was absolutely no question in our minds about using him again. His extensive knowledge about real estate, the market and the area are hands down the best. He is a tuff negotiator and fights hard for his clients during the negotiating … process. James and his team did an outstanding job both in helping us sell our house and finding our dream home. Within 48hours of listing our property, we had an offer on the 2nd showing for full asking price, including closing costs! He also went above and beyond in helping us find our new home. He was open and honest with us in regards to the properties we previewed and helped us find exactly what we were looking for and much more. He was always available, courteous and gave his honest opinion when asked. We love our new home, had a great buying and selling experience and are extremely pleased with James as our realtor. We would highly recommend him and his highly qualified team to anyone wanting to buy or sell” Read More ▾
“James is extremely thorough, knowledgeable, and professional real estate agent. He has a vast knowledge of the Richmond market, negotiation, suggesting improvements, staging, etc. James kept in constant contact with us throughout the selling process and we never waited longer than an hour for a return call, day or night. By no fault of James, we w … ent through 3 purchase contracts before finally closing on our home. Through all of the challenges, James' enthusiasm to sell our home never faltered and his positive attitude kept us encouraged. We sold our home while we were out of town e and James' handled all of our repairs, maintenance and inspections. His professional contacts and willingness to handle the details was invaluable especially since we were 100’s of miles away. There wasn't a challenge we faced that James wasn't willing to tackle. By the end of our sale experience, we truly felt like we'd found a friend in James. I would recommend James to anyone looking for a first class realtor.” Read More ▾
“I have so many positive things to say that I'm struggling to squeeze it all in a review! James Strum not only listed and sold our previous home, but simultaneously found and handled the purchase of our new home. I have 3 key themes to share: (1) James is exceptional at his job. James is 5 star … s on all of the above criteria. His local knowledge is immense, is process understanding is masterful, he is unbelievably responsive at all hours, and negotiated for us very well on all counts. He has great local connections for everything you need in the home buying and selling process and understands all of the intricate inner workings of real estate. (2) James is creative, pragmatic, and persistent in getting the job done. He was extremely pragmatic in situations of what seemed like insurmountable obstacles that came up along the way during our simultaneous home sale and purchase. I am still amazed that it all worked out and I hold James personally responsible for the success of both deals. Without James, the deal on all fronts would have likely fallen apart. He bridged the gap not only for us as his clients, but also really helped inform and support all parties involved. To say that he went above and beyond is a major understatement. (3) James is truly a one-stop shop. He provided great advice to us on all fronts - including how to get our house ready, what to negotiate, how to follow the whole process from beginning to end, and reassurance and real advice when things were tricky. No detail fell through the cracks. I could sleep better at night when things were complicated with the deal knowing that James had our back. Don't waste your time with any other realtors. There are a lot out there who try to sell themselves as knowing the game. James Strum should be your first call. He will sell your house and/or get you the house that you want - Call him” Read More ▾
“Jamie is the best realtor I have worked with -- responsive, very knowledgeable, a real personal touch. She helped me through a difficult personal time and negotiated a solid contract for our new house. I told her I wanted to clone her. Have told everyone what a great experience we had and highly recommend her!”
“James Strum is a consummate professional and working with him to sell our house and buy a new one was a fantastic experience. He has an unbelievable knowledge of the market, he priced our home perfectly, gave us great staging advice, had a wonderful photographer take great photos to help market the home, and got the word out to realtors in the are … a. We had four showings within 24 hours of being on the market, and in less than 72 hours we had a full price offer. Throughout the entire process of selling our home James was available and happy to answer our questions and concerns. After selling our home, James helped us search for a new home, and even though he did an amazing job selling our old house, it was in this area that his skills, knowledge, work ethic, and dedication to his clients shone. He showed my wife and I houses whenever we saw something that interested us - he answered all of our questions, had a great eye for properties and a deep and thorough knowledge of the area. The thing that stood out about James service was that he did not push us towards a house that he didn't think was right for our needs. He quickly adapted to the wants and needs of our family and after a few showings was showing us only properties that had the features we wanted. My wife and I trusted his judgement implicitly and he showed great patience in helping us find our dream home. His knowledge of the area and the market meant he was also a great negotiator on our behalf, making sure we got the house we loved at the price we needed! We moved into our new home this past weekend and we couldn't be happier. Working with James made the stressful business of buying and selling a home a fun and exciting experience for my wife and I, and by the end of the process he felt like a member of the family!” Read More ▾
“Drew was amazing from start to finish. He helped us find the home of our dreams and we couldn't have done it without him. Drew made us feel comfortable, always responded to our calls/emails right away, and truly cared about finding us the right home for our family. We are so glad we found Drew and will be recommending him to anyone we know looking … to buy a home! He truly went above and beyond for us and we are so grateful to him! Thanks Drew for everything!!! You are the absolute BEST!!!” Read More ▾
“Our experience with Jamie was incredible! We were first time home buyers who had no idea what we were getting into. He was so helpful with answering all of our questions and always made himself available. His relationship with the lender made our loan process easy. He was so open and honest about each house we looked at - what he knew to be good or … bad. Jamie never hesitated to look at any house we wanted to and always made time. In fact, the day the house we bought went on the market, he went above and beyond to get us in to look at it that same day, we made an offer that night and it was accepted the next day! We couldn't have asked for an more knowledgeable realtor. The horror stories you hear about home buying can be intimidating, but Jamie made it an effortless experience! We refer him every chance we get, knowing that he's going to treat every person he works with like family!” Read More ▾
“James Strum was beyond excellent to work with! I would highly recommend him to anybody looking for a Realtor who really gets involved with his clients and finds them exactly what they are looking for! This was my first home purchase and he was extremely responsive to all of my 10 million questions at all hours of the day and night, he has extens … ive knowledge of the area, and he fought extremely hard for six months to get my short sale to closing when most Realtors would have thrown in the towel. he dealt with multiple lien holders and he really went above and beyond his job description to get me what I wanted. He really educates you on the entire home buying process and in the end makes you feel a lot more comfortable with it all. Not only did I find the best Realtor, but I gained a great friend in the process! There is a reason he is #1 with Long and Foster for 2012 and 2013! Thanks James” Read More ▾
“James helped us find our first home. James was very knowledgeable and extremely helpful. With his guidance we were able to find a house that not only worked within our budget, but for our family size and in our desired location. James steered us clear of houses that we liked, but would've been far too much work for us as first time homeowners (and … I'm so grateful for that now that we're in our new home). He helped us stay focused and precise in our search so that we weren't overwhelmed or looking at houses that would't fit our needs. James helped us navigate not only finding the house, but our mortgage, and the company for the home inspection. One thing I heard a lot from other people was "don't use the inspector your realtor suggests because they will just try to help them get the house sold". James absolutely suggested a great inspector that saved us from buying a house that needed major repairs. I felt completely supported in walking away from the first house we made an offer on when the owners wouldn't budge on the repairs. James gave us realistic goals of what to offer and what to ask for throughout our home buying process. The process through the closing was seamless and easy and he was available for questions whenever and was whenever we needed him. After the inspection he was able to get us what we needed to get some major repairs completed, and we even had enough left over to fix some other things as well. It was a long process from beginning to end, but James made it as easy as possible. I would recommend him to anyone who's looking for a new home and we will definitely use him again if we need to purchase our next home” Read More ▾
“Eric did a great job helping us finding the perfect house for us. He made sure to negotiate to a price we were comfortable with. We can not sing enough praise about Eric and The Strum Group!”
“We have purchased a few homes through Jamie over the past few years. His level of knowledge, expertise, dedication, and follow through are amazing. He was highly capable of guiding us through the purchase of our primary residence as well as investment properties. He has a great relationship with a local loan officer which ensures that proce … ss is as smooth as possible. I have and will continue to recommend him to family and friends . Simply put he is really good at his job” Read More ▾
“I am going to keep this short and sweet. I echo the positive comments made by previous reviewers. James and his team were able to sell our home twice (first buyers loan fell through) in only 10 days for top dollar! Before choosing James and his team, we had an offer from another real estate company who estimated the sale price of our home for $20, … 000 less than what James was able to sell our home for. We had a fairly rough closing, but James went above and beyond to close on the home on time for us to be able to buy our new home. His sense of urgency as if it was his home and situation made us feel at ease during the entire process! We are more than pleased with the service James gave us before, during, and after the sale of our home. If you are looking to sell your home in the Richmond area, I would highly recommend contacting James and meeting him. Even if you have another agent and company in mind, it's worth 30 minutes of your time to talk and meet with him before you choose someone else. Random side note... We have two young kids, and he was great with them whenever we met. VERY personable, and was sensitive to their sleep schedules as far as lining up the viewings. Kid approved” Read More ▾
“James helped us to sell our house and negotiate into a new one. His knowledge and expertise allowed us to set the right price and sell quickly. I would recommend James to anyone I the Richmond area in need of selling and/or buying a home.”
“I contacted several realtors at the end of 2012 and chose James due to his professionalism, courtesy and responsiveness. James immediately did his due diligence by conducting a thorough market analysis and developed an appropriate listing price that I agreed to. He listed the property and we received 2 competitive offers (thus allowing for full l … isting price) in 8 just days. This was a short sale transaction with numerous challenges, and he efficiently and effectively negotiated with the first and second lienholders and closed it in 83 days. James gets 6 stars on a 5 star rating scale! I would use his services again and I highly recommend him to others in need of these services” Read More ▾
“After interviewing several agents, we chose James without reservation. His responsiveness and professionalism surpassed his peers. During our first meeting, James' knowledge of the area and overall world of real estate was immediately apparent. He provided practical, yet honest feedback about the process, our home, and the market conditions. James … never pressured us and always explained each option in full detail. James worked with us to develop a step by step plan that would meet our timeline while still keeping our monetary goals at the forefront. James has a welcoming demeanor that put our children at ease. Our toddler even asked for Mr. James to come back to see her. However, James is easily able to transition from an agreeable disposition to a businessman who will represent your interests to the fullest extent. He negotiated a top price for our home when compared to market conditions. He was also able to keep the requests from the other side extremely reasonable/necessary. James kept us informed of feedback from showings immediately and advised us on any appropriate changes. He was reachable by various means and responded immediately. James made our first selling experience worry free and successful. We recommend James Strum without reservation” Read More ▾
“James was excellent from start to finish. He was always very professional and really knows the market, as well as how to close. He was able to get a full price offer for me, which was above my initial expectations, in less than two weeks and get the deal closed quickly. He handled all of the details with very little headache for me. I will def … initely work exclusively with James in the future.” Read More ▾
“I've heard nightmares of being a first-time homebuyers, but Cole made the process very stress-free and was very knowledgeable on the area we were looking in. He will look out for your best interest at every corner! He helped me find contractors at great rates and actually helped me make a good decision on my first home by identifying common pitfal … ls and even explaining why he didn't recommend certain properties. Even after I bought the property, he's continued to give me advice and help me settle in. I'll 100% be calling him in the future, and you should too” Read More ▾
“Sean is very professional, supportive and humble person to work with. He has been very patient throughout the purchase process and he is knowledgeable to get advice. I have purchased 3 houses through Sean in 2 years.”
“James and his group were awesome. We were moving to Richmond with no local knowledge at all, and James made the process as easy as it could have been. We gave him a list of our priorities, and he took that list and gave came up with a list of potential candidates. We did not find anything on the first weekend or even the second that was a homer … un (we saw 40 houses with him in 2 weekends but none were quite "it"), and James was not deterred or pushy at all and even had the idea to go back to his office quickly to adjust come criteria before we had to leave town. We ended up finding the house that we both knew immediately was "it" in that last group, and if it would not have been for James and his tenaciousness we would have never found it. James and his entire group also made the negotiation and subsequent post contract processes a breeze, and went out of his way to go to bat for us on several occasions. I have bought and sold several houses in my career, and I can say without a doubt that James and his group made the entire process as fun and painless as possible.” Read More ▾
“What a great experience! Jamie was knowledgeable, patient, and so professional. We never felt for one second like she had anything but our best interest at heart. I would definitely use her again and recommend her to all my friends in the market for a new home.”
“Great and attentive agents. Always going above and beyond for their customers. Our realtor was a knot he above the rest. We knew exactly what we wanted and didn't waste any time finding us the perfect house. Can't thank them enough.”
“Working with Jamie was quite a pleasure for myself and my husband - it was just like working with a close friend. We were very nervous about the home buying process since we were first-time home buyers but he was great every step of the way. Going the extra mile for us, ensuring that all of our requests were met quickly, and answering our hundred … s of questions. All of which made it much less stressful that we thought it would be. He even came to our closing to congratulate us! Since then, I have recommended him to a family friend of mine who has also already found a great home. I would highly recommend using Jamie for buying a home. I know we will be contacting him once we are ready to sell and buy again” Read More ▾
“I was a first time home buyer with not much knowledge of the Richmond area and not knowing where to look for my exact price range with what i wanted. But James definitly knows what he is talking about and definitly cares about what the buyer wants. He doesnt care if he has to turn in 20 different offers he will do it so that you feel like you reci … eved the best one. I knew what I wanted and he took that and ran with my idea and found me a great home in a great location” Read More ▾
“Bottom Line: If you don't go with James, your doing yourself a disservice. My wife and I were very happy with the service James Strum provided in the recent sale of my home in Richmond's Northside (Rosedale). He was able to sell a home I had owned for almost 10 years and hadn't lived in for 7 years. He was there for me when I returned from an … Iraq deployment in 2009 and helped me find a tenant to occupy the home when it got slow. Then when the opportunity came to sell, when it was financially right for me, he was there to market, price, advise, help, befriend, negotiate, and sell the home. James is a class act, honest, a man of integrity, and, in my opinion one of Richmond's finest real estate agents. He's not only served me, but my closest family members, and his service has transformed into friendship. I can honestly say there is no other agent in Richmond that I will ever do a real estate transaction with unless their name is James Strum. Please consider this to be a frank and honest assessment of a great agent; you need not look elsewhere for a greater professional for this industry.” Read More ▾
“Stop right here, this is the best agent you will find! James Strum was incredibly insightful and intuitive about the market and was honest with me about what to do and what to expect. Everything he told me was right! He sold my home quickly in Glen Allen, and one of his agents, Jamie, helped me purchase a home in Short Pump, and she was awesome as … well. James also works with an incredible network of vendors, and I used his contacts to make some repairs before we put my house on the market” Read More ▾
“I would highly recommend James to anyone looking for an excellent agent. James was extremely helpful from the moment he introduced himself. In addition to information on the listing and sale, he helped arrange contractors in instances when scheduling of our usual ones proved difficult. He was always available for questions or information. He w … as exceptionally knowledgeable about the market and our area. In our circumstance, he found a qualified buyer who committed to a strong contract. For reasons unrelated to James' work with the negotiations and/or contract the buyer indicated that he might breach the contract. Despite not being able to put the house back on the market, James still found another buyer within just days. And not just any buyer, but one that offered the full asking price for the home. James constantly followed up on details and made sure everything went through smoothly. I would certainly recommend him to my family and friends” Read More ▾
“My wife and I lived in Monacan Hills on Briarcrest Dr. in Chesterfield, VA from 2011 to 2016. When the time came to move, 3 of our ex neighbors that we keep in contact with, HIGHLY recommended James as he is known around our neighborhood as the go-to realtor. When I contacted James, he was on vacation with his family in Chicago, but still took m … y call. He scheduled a visit to our house and walked us through the staging/selling process. My wife and I listened and followed his every instruction for preparing our house to be sold at maximum asking price. Our house was on the market for around 52 days and we sold at our asking price, just as James had predicted! James was amazing at answering every one of my phone calls the entire time our house was on the market. He is quick with solutions and very clear with his instructions. James made the sale of our house VERY stress-free. His contacts are unlimited and his actions mirror his words, a skill very hard to find in salespeople today. I highly recommend James Strum and his team! They truly care about their customers and their actions are proof!” Read More ▾
“Cole was a great help to us purchasing our first home. His knowledge of the area, comparable prices and willingness to find what we wanted instead of selling us something is one of his greatest assets. I've already started telling people about him! My kids are happy, my wife is happy and i'm happy with the process of s … hopping around and coming to the final decision to purchase. Forever grateful, The Brown” Read More ▾
“Cole is an excellent realtor who took the time to get to know me, my girlfriend, and the members of my family who occasionally came along to view homes. I had extremely limited knowledge when it came to buying a home and Cole helped me to narrow down the type of house and the location, as well as suggest some alternate locations that I hadn't tho … ught of prior to starting my search. Additionally, Cole suggested that I view some homes that met what I was looking for that I may have otherwise missed without his assistance. Cole is extremely patient, knowledgeable, hardworking, and would willingly adjust his schedule to accommodate the times we could view homes. Furthermore, Cole was straight up with the information he shared and he told us exactly what it would take to have an offer accepted on a home. His insight was invaluable and it ultimately led to us getting a home in an extremely competitive market. I highly recommend him to anyone purchasing a home and I will definitely call Cole when I purchase a home in the future. ” Read More ▾
“I moved from out of state with my girlfriend and we did not know anything about the Richmond Area. James was very helpful in our search for a home as well as showing us the Richmond area. We were also first time home buyers and James went above and beyond answering our questions and explaing items we did not understand. Both my girlfriend and I … enjoyed our experience with James. 1/14/13***Just want to take some time to update my review of James, and again say that I would recommend him to anyone I know. After I had purchased the home above with James as my relator I was transfered 6 months later and needed to sell the same house. After I talked with James about this situation he called me back 1 day later and said he had the perfect people to buy my house. After that he took care of everything and sold the house before it was even on the market and for more $ than what I had paid 6 months prior. James always told me he brings buyers and sellers together for the best deal possible and that is exactly what he did. You can't find anyone better in the Richmond area to buy or sell a hous” Read More ▾
“I cannot say enough about James, or his knowledge and his persistence to achieve his goals. I was in a short-sale situation and had listed with another agency... during the entire listing agreement, they had few to no showings. I re-listed with James, people were coming to see the house almost immediately, Considering the market conditions, he h … ad an offer for me in a very short period of time. This is where his work really began. Because this was a short sale, he had to deal with the banks negotiator regularly. Normally this would not be impressive, but we'll simply say the negotiator was "challenging" he knew short sale regulations and procedures better than they did. He was meticulous providing documentation and answering their questions almost immediately. I never once needed to call him or his office, he kept me completely updated on all aspects of the process. Even when the banks negotiator dropped the ball and missed several deadlines (no fault on our part), he and I worked together and were persistent and successful in getting decisions reversed to continue the process which led to the sale. While speaking with the legal team assisting me with the closing, they identified they have worked with him on past short sales and were extremely impressed with his knowledge of short sales and his negotiating ability and persistence to close on his listings. I highly recommend James.... you will not be disappointed!!” Read More ▾
“Drew and his team did an outstanding job for us from start to finish. We interviewed a number of agents before we found Drew. He is an excellent listener and showed genuine interest in our historic home’s details and features. Rather than viewing our property as just another product to put on the market, he took the time to study the overall potent … ial and then put together a very creative marketing plan that attracted a huge amount of buyer; far beyond what we ever imagined. We were also very impressed with his professionalism, attention to detail and wonderfully calm demeanor while orchestrating the various elements as we prepared our home for market. He provided us with excellent stagers, painters, photographers and made suggestions that helped sell our home. With all of these aspects combined, in addition to negotiating hard on our behalf, Drew was able to get us 9 enthusiast offers. The end result was incredible, as we got $61,000 over asking!!! Not only did he work diligently throughout every step of the process, he made it a pleasant experience that we will always remember fondly. Selling a home can be a daunting challenge to undertake, but when you are working with a quality individual who employs an experienced team, the effort transforms from overwhelming into exciting. Drew and his team are not just outstanding, they are good people. We are so grateful we went with our instincts and selected him as our agent; the rest is history, in a wonderfully good way” Read More ▾
“Jamie was very helpful!! She showed us several homes on multiple occasions, including homes in distant counties. She stayed in touch and was very responsive to questions and made sure all the information was correct and updated. I would recommend Jamie in a heartbeat!!”
“James grew up in the Richmond area and knows this town like the back of his hand. His patience through the process was amazing and his negotiation skills got me the deal I was looking for! I would recommend James to anyone!!!”
“I chose James as our buying agent based on the reviews that I found here on Zillow. He was very prompt to return my initial call and began looking for properties immediately. When we started looking at properties, he was very straightforward with what he thought was good or bad about the homes. As first time home buyers, we were very inexperienced … in the home buying process and James always made us feel comfortable with our decisions. He made sure we didn't rush into a purchase, and in the end we got exactly what we wanted. When we went into contract, James did an excellent job negotiating terms and ensuring that those terms were met. For example, the sellers had work done on the crawl space which did not meet our standards. James worked with the sellers' agents, the company who completed the work, and a company he trusted to correct it to quickly find a solution and allow us to close on the home. We would definitely recommend him to anyone looking to purchase a home” Read More ▾
“I would highly recommend James to anyone wishing to sell their home at the highest possible price and in the shortest length of time. He exhibited the utmost in professionalism and far exceeded my expectations. James is very knowledgeable of the real estate market and demonstrated this as he reviewed comps with me and patiently explained the hom … e selling process. James has a keen eye for what it takes to sell a home and a knack for home staging. The pictures that he took of my home were beautiful and really showcased the positive features that the home had to offer. When we discussed list price, I recall James saying, “If we price the home appropriately, it will sell quickly and at top dollar….trust me”. Well, James earned my trust many, many times over. He was able to sell my home in 3 days and at top dollar as he promised!! The purchase price was nearly spot-on with his recommended list price!!! James was always readily available to answer any questions that I had and did an outstanding job keeping me abreast of the process. From the beginning, I felt as if James had my best interest at heart and valued me as a client. He’s truly among the best of the best in real estate” Read More ▾
“Cole is very knowledgeable about the Richmond area and its real estate market. He took great care of us when we decided to buy a house in Richmond; his service is genuinely top-notch! He drove a hard bargain and got us a great deal on our home. Overall, he made everything about the entire process super easy and we love our new home and neighborhoo … d” Read More ▾
“If you are searching for the perfect realtor to help you find your new home, James Strum is the best match. We started working with James in 2/13 to find our first home. We found James to be responsive, professional, affable, and knowledgeable. James possesses the skills to make this whole process relatively painless. He was able to set us up … with a website immediately that allowed us to preview homes that were specific to our budget, location, and needs. We felt confident with his guidance and resources that we would find the right home. In a very limited market, we eventually found a home that exceeded our expectations and met our budget. James is an excellent negotiator and tenaciously fought in our best interest. I am not exaggerating when I say that James is available almost 24/7 by phone, text, and email. He even met us on Easter Sunday to put in a contract because he is that dedicated. Overall we are thrilled with the outcome and have been enjoying our new home. Thank you James for your hard work and paying us a housewarming visit! We would definitely work with James again in the future.” Read More ▾
“James sold our house after we had been working with a realtor that just didn't know how to market our home. James came over and knew exactly what to do and got us the right visibility, good strategy and strong showings. James took our expired listing and got us the price we wanted! His experience, honesty, level of engagement and professionalism a … llowed us to quickly transition from the stress of selling a house to new beginnings. His team is A-1” Read More ▾
“James Strum is an outstanding realtor! I could tell when working with him that he truly listened to what we were looking for and wasn't just trying to sell us a house but was trying to help us find a home. I will be recommending James to anyone I meet who is looking to buy or sell a home.”
“Experience with Cole was great from start to finish. It was a bump road but Cole make sure everything was staying together! Had work with another realtors before Cole and it wasn’t the same knowledge As Cole had and the effort he put in to make his customer be happy and successful. Thank him for getting the deal down in two months and having m … e in a fresh new remodel home!” Read More ▾
“AAA+++ Jamie is a fantastic realtor!!! She made our house-buying experience easy and very focussed to our needs and wants! Even though we were sure she had many clients, we were made to feel her #1 priority and answered all of our questions and concerns on a timely basis. She has an awesome network of professionals to attend to some repairs that w … e needed prior to move in and was efficient and effective to find the people we needed. Her warm personality made the process pleasant but was eager to find the best home and get us the best price! We highly recommend her for all of your buying and selling needs!” Read More ▾
“My husband and I used James to purchase and sell our old home. The new home we purchased was for $425k and the home we sold was $205k. He was was always contacting us with updates and feedback and made us comfortable through both the buying and selling process. He not only became our life long agent, but we now look at him as a friend. Thank y … ou James for you knowledge, your understanding, and your responsiveness” Read More ▾
“Response time is great. Knowledge of the area is outstanding. Will work tirelessly to find you the perfect deal.”
“The thing that surprises me the most about James is that he has 8 years of experience. After my first phone call with him, I would've guessed that he had 28 years instead. I've dealt with several realtors through my years, and they all could have used some lessons from him. His relaxed style, vast knowledge, and superior professionalism sets him a … part from the rest. He made what can be a highly stressful process almost effortless for us. I wouldn't recommend anyone BUT James for one's real estate needs.” Read More ▾
“James was partly in this deal of my home buying process. He was representing the seller and did a overall good job handling the deal well for both parties. Linda Elmore was representing us during our home buying process. She was deligent, honest and prompt in her approach throughout the process. Was patient and answered … all my queries and was able to follow up with her associates when needed to clarify. Made us help purchase our dream home in a efficient and timely fashion. She got the whole process of application, offer, inspection, appraisal, home insurance and closing as smooth as it could be..... As a first Ike home buyer I definetly recommend Linda to anybody who is in the market and of course James strum has been a good team player in this” Read More ▾
“James was an outstanding realtor. He made us feel like we were his only clients and was extremely quick in responding to any communication we had with him. As first time home buyers, James was patient and took the time to explain to us any procedural and clerical inquiries we had. He has a great eye for houses, and was quick to point out any flaws … homes we were looking at had. James is extremely honest, and he completely looks out for the best interests of his clients. Instead of pushing a subpar home to get a sale, James will point out deal breakers and try to find you the best home in your budget. James and his team also took care of a lot of the legwork that most others realtors will not once the home is under contract. He stays with you the whole way. His negotiation skills are excellent and he provided us the house at the exact price point we wanted. James Strum is an outstanding realtor and shows true concern and compassion for his clients. He is a refreshingly honest person who I would use again in a heartbeat. Highly recommended.” Read More ▾
“He is a great and experienced realtor that will listen to your needs. It was apparent from the beginning that he is extremely trustworthy and ethical. His goal is to get you into the home YOU want. You are going to feel comfortable with him and you will not be disappointed. Thanks to James Strum I was able to find the home I wanted. The steps bet … ween finding the home and moving into the home were so easy because of James' help! I recommend him to everyone! If you want a great experience with a realtor, then you should definitely consider James Strum” Read More ▾
“James was very professional, he knew the market very well and was great to work with. He researched our home to determine the perfect list price and it sold, above list, in less than a day! He made selling our home so easy!”
“Eric has been awesome throughout the whole process. From helping us find our perfect house to giving us referrals for furniture, painters, and inspectors. He responds to any of our questions and emails very quickly. We have had several issues come up (none related to Eric) during our home buying experience and Eric was always right there to reso … lve the issue for u” Read More ▾
“Sold house in just a few days. I'm certain the excellent virtual tour played big part. That, and plus Jaimie's winning personality. ”
“James Strum recently assisted with the sale of my home which was a phenomenal success. James walked me through each stage of the process and was highly engaged from a leadership and listening standpoint. His planning and strategic vision helped secure an offer, above asking price, within 24 hours of the listing. James was a fair and keen negoti … ator and held firm to our requirements while also balancing his experience with market standards. Given the opportunity to work with James again, I would not hesitate. I HIGHLY recommend James Strum!” Read More ▾
“I had a fantastic experience using James Strum to sell our house. I was extremely happy with the price and we were able to get full asking, and on top of that the process moved very quickly from list to close. Even beyond those important factors, he was extremely helpful and responsive throughout the entire process, from getting the house ready … for listing, recommending high quality and fair priced contractors, and coordinating all the steps along the way. Not surprisingly given his Richmond background and years of experience, it's very apparent that he knows everything about the greater Richmond market and that alone I think is extremely valuable. No doubt I'll be recommending James to friends and family, but on top of that I'll definitely be using James again myself when the time comes” Read More ▾
“I would strongly recommend James Strum to anyone looking to buy or sell a property. He is knowledgeable of the market, area, process, and is willing to do the homework necessary to ensure a perfect fit! I had the privilege of working with James on both sides of the table and was impressed with his ability to answer questions and provide honest … feedback about what was realistic and would be best for me. When looking to buy my new home, James was willing to screen my home searches to ensure I was looking at homes that would meet my needs and interests. His advice and feedback were helpful when I was unfamiliar with certain locations or homes. I always felt as though James was looking out for my best interest. James was willing to give me his professional opinion and the options that were available so I good make informed decisions for my family. Throughout the process he painted a clear picture of what to expect. The day I closed on both the house I sold and bought there were no surprises! I feel that James assisted me in making the best choice for my family both now and for the future. I am very please and feel confident in my home choice. This level of comfort and excitement can be attributed to our outstanding agent, James Strum” Read More ▾
“James was highly recommended by several of my fraternity brothers who have used him along with the Prosperity Mortgage team. From getting us staged to sell, having an amazing photographer, many showings, and a couple of offers, we sold our house on a nice but busy street. On the buy side, we couldn't be happier. We didn't have many options in Bon … Air but James came through with our Forever Home. The place wasn't even on the market and the man convinced the owner it was time to sell. One of the easiest, most seamless transactions I've ever done. We love our new home and hope anyone else in the market to buy or sell in the Richmond area wants to take the easy road and signs with James.” Read More ▾
“Jamie Strum, Cole Atkins and the entire Strum team are the best in the business. My husband and I met Cole when we found the home of our dreams in April of 2019 and the Strum Group helped us purchase this home in May. Not only did they know the area extremely well but they referred us to the best closing attorney, inspector and an entire team of we … ll qualified folks who helped us along the way. My husband and I had not bought a home for over 20 years so needless to say we had lots of questions throughout the process. Jaime and Cole were extremely patient, knowledgeable, accommodating, thorough and, in my opinion, they are the master negotiators! They made us feel like we were their only clients and that helps...especially when you haven't done this in 20 years! To this day, months later, we still keep in touch with Jaime and Cole and I know for a fact they would do anything for us (and we would do anything for them!). Simply put, the Strum Group is the best of the best” Read More ▾
“Jamie went above and beyond with every detail of the entire process. He was extremely knowledgeable and gave me several excellent tips, pieces of advice, and recommendations. I have told all of my friends and family how great he is.”
“I was referred to James by a relocation company. I picked him out of 3 agents because I am very impressed by his openness, honest, passion about what he is doing, and excellent records. As a first-time seller, I was clueless and nervous, after meeting him the first time, I feel like my house will be in good hand. He gave me clear instructions on e … xactly what I need to do to prepare for the house ready for market. When the house is ready, he took pictures and put it on market the same day. There were a lot of showings,I believe he did a good job marketing the house on internet. We only had one open house, and got an offer 15 days after the house is on market. The offer was a little lower than we want. James help negotiation with the buyer and we finally got a deal that we are happy about” Read More ▾
“This was my first purchase of a home. There is no other agent I would have rather worked with. This guy HUSTLES. Due to this being my first home, we had a moderate budget. Cole treated me like I was a million dollar buyer. He would find time last minute if there was a property that we wanted to see. If we stepped into a house and it didn't fit … my criteria, Cole was the first one to say, "NEXT!". He knew exactly what we were looking for. Cole's responsiveness, dedication to his clients, and humor are what sold me on him. All he cared about was making sure that I got what I wanted. If you want someone to understand your needs, work around the clock, and get you a great deal, this is who you need to work with. Thank you for a phenomenal first time home buying experience. We will definitely be working with him when it is time to sell and buy” Read More ▾
“We had a great experience with James as our agent. He gave us great tips on what needed to be done to sell our house while keeping the costs to a minimum. He was able to sell our house in a down market in less than a month for our full asking price. When it came to looking at houses James was hard working, very patient with us, was able to confo … rm his schedule to when we were available, and was very attentive to our needs. After a couple tours of houses, James knew exactly what we were looking for and eliminated any houses he knew we wouldn't like and was able to pick out the house we ended buying within 2 hours of it being listed. He handled negotiations like a champ and got us a great deal on our house. Overall we had a great experience with James and look forward to working with him again in the future” Read More ▾
“I reviewed James back in 2016 when he was with another agency (I actually joined Yelp just to write that review); it is worth repeating the review now that James has started his own company. Here is what we said: James Strum found our dream home. We contacted James after several months of researching the Richmond market online and presented … him with an impossible, multi-page list of requirements. When he told us at our first meeting that he had found our dream home, we looked at one another dubiously - but he was right! Furthermore, while the house was out of our price range, new to the market, and experiencing a great deal of interest, he was somehow able to negotiate our dream price as well. The house is still our dream home nearly two years later, and we remain grateful to James. We also appreciated the knowledge James was able to impart along the way. For example, he pointed out the "pros and cons" of various features in every home - knowledge that extended beyond that of a layperson. Finally, he was always available and went "above and beyond" in countless ways. We recommend James highly to anyone” Read More ▾
“Sean is a great realtor! He showed us many great properties! Super nice, knowledgeable, quick to respond to my calls and emails. Definitely recommend Sean! Strum group is great!”
“We feel so lucky to have found Cole in the home buying process! As first time home buyers, our knowledge was very limited. Cole did an amazing job helping us understand the entire process. He has a great store of knowledge on the market and on the general construction of homes. Wh … en we went to view homes he inspected them top to bottom. He even got in the crawl spaces under the house to see what kind of condition the structure was in. He was incredibly responsive getting back to us all times day or night on questions and concerns. Cole did a great helping us structure our bid for the house we wanted. There were 2 other competing bids for the house, and he set up our offer in a way that we ended up winning the bid with very little back and forth. The entire process we felt like Cole had our best interests in mind and we couldn’t be happier with how everything worked out. Cole is a huge asset to have on your team in the home buying process, and we highly recommend working with him!” Read More ▾
“By far the most impressive realtor I've ever worked with. His negotiation skills are second to none and his customer service is outstanding making the client "me" feel as if my house is the only house he's working on. Highly recommended”
“Eric is a very professional and knowledgeable realtor. He also displayed great patience with my many questions as a first-time home buyer. He is responsive to questions and I never felt like he didn't have time for me and my concerns. I recommend him highly, and plan on working with him on any future home sales or purchases!”
“Jamie Richardson's real estate service was a totally wonderful, efficient and rewarding experience. She was very prompt to all requests and quickly arranged showings of all the properties in which I was interested in the order of my interest. I was able to find the home of my search in one afternoon and secure an offer before the end of the day de … spite of competing offers. Jamie ushered me through the entire sales process with expert knowledge and I am delightfully settled into my new forever home” Read More ▾
“Working with James is a pleasure. James has been my realtor on 2 purchases and 1 sell. All 3 transactions were more than I could hope for. He is honest and hardworking. He is extremely knowledge about the area and I would trust to use him again. His was able to make the home buying process easy and fun. He never push me beyond my budget. Hi … s is a firm negotiator with excellent people skills” Read More ▾
“Cole worked really hard to find us a great house. He spent time with us to know exactly what our needs were and tailored his search for the same. He responded to our calls and changing needs quickly and effectively.”
“James was awesome to work with. He helped us list and sell our house and find and close on the purchase of our new house. We were able to complete both transactions in just a few short months. James knows his stuff and will work hard for you!—if you listen to him, you will sell your house. He will tell you what needs to be updated and fixed … to make your home more attractive to potential buyers. He is a great negotiator on both sides of the deal. I would highly recommend him!” Read More ▾
“I would highly recommend Jamie Richardson as a realtor. She was an excellent resource when I bought my home in Richmond. I was buying while living in another city and needed a short closing, and Jamie successfully guided me through the whole process!”
“We couldn't be more pleased with the sale of our home on 2205 Oakhampton Ct. James strum is hands down the BEST Realtor in Richmond. James is extremely knowledgeable, professional, and dedicated. He was there for us every step of the way and did everything in his power to make sure we were satisfied. i will recommend James to everyone i know that … is looking to buy or sell a home. Thank you James we appreciate everything you have done for us. Ossama & Fara” Read More ▾
“After struggling to find someone to help us short sale our condo, I found James Strum via Zillow. I sent him an email and he responded to me within twenty four hours. The day after that he called me and we started the selling process. I had never sold a house before, and to top it off was short selling after losing my job. James was incredibly … patient with all of my questions. I never felt rushed, and I always felt like James cared about teaching me as we went along. He was very clear on the paperwork I needed to gather and the communication I needed to submit to out bank. He explained how he wanted me to show the house, and helped me move furniture to make it look even nicer. He put our condo on the market while we were on vacation, and he got a contract within seventy two hours!!!! I was so excited I didn't even want to believe it at first. We had discussed that short sales were a long process, but getting a contract do quickly was a huge first step. Following the act of getting the contract, I did everything James told me as quickly and accurately as possible, as he was very knowledgeable on what we needed to do. As it turned out, our efforts payed off and the closing was moved up. All in all it took about forty five days to sell and close on our house. I could not be more impressed with how if all worked out and truly believe it was all because of James. He was AMAZING to work with. Confident, efficient, attentive, timely, responsible, dedicated, and personable. I can't wait until we are able to buy one day because he will be the person I trust to help me” Read More ▾
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