James Brinkman

Realtor, Broker, CRS

2 Listings 172 Past Sales 20 Client Reviews

My family moved to Austin from Houston in 1976, when I was just 4 years old, and I have literally grown up with the town. Folks always joke with me that I'm about as native an Austinite as it gets, and in a town with 110 people moving to it every day, finding someone with the breadth of knowledge I have on Austin becomes an ever increasing rarity. When my parents bought their home in the Spicewood/Balcones neighborhood, 183 (Research Boulevard) was only two lanes; now it's a highway!

From Spicewood Elementary all the way through The University of Texas (BBA, Finance/Real Estate, 1994), Austin served as my home for education. Over the 25 years since graduating college and getting into real estate, Austin has remained the backdrop as I continue to learn, grow, and pass on the knowledge that I've accumulated.

To the point: I know Austin.

I understand and have lived, and worked, through several Austin real estate cycles. The oil and S&L crisis and downturn of 87-92, the tech (stock option) run-up at the end of the 90s into 00, the downturn of 01-05 as a result of the tech bubble, the boom of 05-08, the national recession pushing into our economy in 08-12, and our latest iteration of Austin truly becoming a progressive city in the US. I have researched and followed the local economy, and the real estate market, since my initial step into the real estate business as a market/site selection analyst at Brock Consulting Group in 1992.

Having been licensed since 1995, I've helped hundreds of people with their real estate needs and, due to my unique perspectives and knowledge, guided them towards making smart decisions. Being a licensed Texas Broker since 2002, I hold myself to a higher standard and understand that the most important thing I can provide to my clients is knowledge and information. In 2005 I earned the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS®) designation, a designation awarded to only 4% of Realtors.

Any real estate agent can say they will help you sell or buy a home, but not every real estate agent will help you make the best, most informed decision, so that you can, as a seller, sell your home for the best price and in a timely manner, or, as a buyer, make a smart choice and get the best value on your new home.

You are smart. You don't need me to point out where the kitchen is in a home. I get that, and understand that in a world where information regarding homes is readily available, the value of the Realtor is that of knowledge. Knowledge of the market, of neighborhoods, of the city, of construction, of the most effective marketing tools, of repair issues, of the contract and transaction process, of how to best fight for you. Incidentally, I was one of the first people in the country to work for the first company, eRealty, to put homes online (in 2000) because I have always believed that providing you, the consumer, with more information and knowledge is always the best policy.

For as far back as I can recall my clients have been telling me, as a compliment, "you don't seem like a real estate agent". What I've grown to understand is that

implicit within that compliment is the thought of "you don't seem like someone just trying to sell me on something". That is true. I am someone who will share my insight, experience, and knowledge, who will advocate for my clients, and who will work diligently and professionally on my client's behalf using the best tools available.

I can't wait to do that for you too.

James's MLS® Listings

Price, High to Low
2 Properties Found.

11806 Johnny Weismuller Lane

$425,000

Austin, TX
3 Bed, 3 Bath, 1745 Sqft, 0.11 Acres
Residential
AustinRealEstate.com

11400 W Parmer Lane 115

$359,990

Cedar Park, TX
3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1203 Sqft, 0.04 Acres
Residential
AustinRealEstate.com

Client Testimonials

"My husband and I were quite pleased with James Brinkman. We found the perfect home but discovered there were many obstacles to overcome. James worked very hard for us. He was always very professional and resourceful, and provided the guidance we needed to properly close a complicated purchase. His manner of marketing the home that we were selling went beyond industry standards as well. Our home sold quickly for a good price while others on the same street sat dormant. James is quite tech savvy, which also served as a plus in today's market. We will use him again!"

- Rafi & Linda Baddour

"James is a very easy and open person to work with. He is knowledgeable about his profession, gave us advice when we asked for assistance, and most importantly, he was very patient with us. Being a first time home buyer, it can't be expected that we would know what we wanted just by looking at some pictures and visiting one or two houses. James gave us the time we needed -- his time, to look at all the homes that fit our criteria in order to find the perfect home. We are extremely happy with his service, his responsiveness, his personality, and his understanding of what it is to buy and own a home."

- Kenneth and Mandy Hayden

"When my fiancé and I were shopping for a house James Brinkman was an invaluable resource. He seemed to very quickly develop a sense of what we were looking for as well as when to give us the help we needed and when to back off and let us take the reigns. In addition he was very flexible and capable of working around our hectic schedule, and constantly available to help us. Throughout the financing and closing process he was there to answer all of our questions and concerns and helped us avoid several potential disasters. We have been very happy with all of the help James has given us and would highly recommend James to anyone looking to find the home of their dreams. James is not only an incredible Realtor, but has become a good and trusted friend as well."

- Alex & Kathryn Newton

"James was a great real estate agent. We looked at many houses and never at any point felt any pressure from James. He made the whole experience fun too."

- Shelley Brand & Brian Thies

"I hired James as my realtor when I first started looking for a house in Austin in the fall of 2003. I wasn't in a rush to buy a house, but did want to start my search with ample time.

James was great to work with. He provided me with any information that I needed with a very balanced view; I never felt like he was trying to sell me on a house just so that he could collect his commission. As a first-time home buyer, I really appreciated that.

Ultimately, James got to the point where he knew exactly what I was looking for....he called me up one day and asked me to take a look at a house that he admitted was missing one of my so-called "must haves" because he knew that I'd like it. I walked in the front door and fell in love with the house. I've been living in it ever since.

James' no-pressure (yet still well-educated) approach to real estate is a breath of fresh air. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending him as a realtor to anyone."

- Sam Thomas

"James found my wife and I a great house in a great location and was more helpful than we could have ever expected. I would highly recommend James to anyone looking for a new home."

- Alex Newton, CFA

"James has helped us purchase our current condo in downtown Austin, and our previous home in Southwest Austin. He is knowledgeable about a variety of properties in Austin, and is always patient when we want to view multiple types of properties while we decide what we want next! He is very personable and easy to work with and I can easily recommend him to my friends and family who need to buy or sell in Austin."

- Amie Nemec

"James did a great job selling our house in Texas. He was always friendly, courteous, and always gave great advice. James was very professional, and hired great people to both stage the house and photograph the house so that it both listed well and showed well.

We followed James' advice on making repairs and getting the place ready to show, which really paid off. We got an offer for full asking price from the very first couple to see the house! Houses were typically on the market for 3-4 months before coming under contract at the time, but our house sold the day after it was listed.

I highly recommend James to anyone looking for real estate in the Austin area. If I still lived in Texas, I would not hesitate to use him again."

- Carl Dietz

"I had a wonderful experience with James Brinkman as my real estate agent. I found him to be a man of integrity and honesty, which is something we don’t seem to find too often these days. James was very professional and really seemed to know the various Austin neighborhoods and what each had to offer. A true gem! "

- Edith Baker

"James helped me buy the home that I am currently living in a few years ago and we are now getting ready to start the process of selling and buying another home. Love the automated searches he is able to provide and he is very responsive and knowledgeable whenever I have questions. He makes the whole process easy!"

- Geri Castanon

"James is very knowledge about everything Austin. We were looking for a lake house and he found us a beautiful property on Lake Austin. We looked for almost two years and he never grew impatient with the process. We love our new home and credit James for finding it for us! "

- Roberta Anding

"James Brinkman helped us to buy our first house. He was extremely patient finding the right house for us. He knows the Austin area very well. We would wholeheartedly recommend him to those who needs a good real estate agent. "

- Gurcan Bicken

"I recently worked with Mr. James Brinkman. James was very professional and hard our best interest in mind. We used him during the purchase of a brand new home. He guided us through the process and helped us save money in several areas. We were very happy with his services and will continue to recommend him to others."

- V F

"First of all, James helped us to find our current house. He has been so patient with us for more than a year. Focus on what we need and keep looking for the house that meet our criteria. At a point, I feel bad if I didn't buy the house he showed me. Because he is just so patient with us. 10 years later, we decided to sell our rental house. The first person I think of is James again. I like to work with James because 1) he is so patient and understand what we need. 2) He is willing to spend his time with us even though we just ask his professional opinion on what is his estimation on how much our rental house and we are not actually putting the house in the market. After months later we decided to sell the rental house, 3) he gave us the advice where we may want to spend money to enhance our house before putting in the market. He also helped us how to determine our selling price based upon the recent house selling in our neighborhood. 3) During the option period, he gave us his view whether the credit requested by the buyer is reasonable or over estimated. This helps us how to counter back with the buyer. Overall, I am really happy with James. I definitely will recommend him to others who looks for house to buy or plan to sell their house."

- Winnie Chan

"James was referred to us by a friend who had recently sold and purchased with him. Once we were ready to sell James help stage and show our home. He facilitated us accepting an offer in 48 hours! When we were ready to buy James helped locate and negotiate an awesome deal on our new home. I would highly recommend James to anyone who is in need. When we are ready to sell and buy again James will be my one and only call."

- Daniel Hutlock

"James helped our family buy a new home for our extended family - which was not an easy task! It took us almost a year to find something suitable. During this time, he was always cheerful, easygoing, knowledgeable, optimistic, practical, trustworthy - I can't say enough nice things about him! He understands his client's needs very well, and goes the extra mile to help them find what they want. He is never pushy, which we really appreciate. He builds rapport and trust easily. There were times when I felt like throwing in the towel and settling for less, but James was a rock of reassurance and determined to help us find what we really wanted. We LOVE our new home! I would highly recommend James"

- Sharanya Rao

"James helped us sell and buy a house. The whole process took just over a month. James was knowledgable, helpful, responsive and acted with complete honesty and integrity. He made the process quick and seamless. I would highly recommend James to others. He knows the market and works hard for the seller or buyer he represents."

- Keith Abbott

"My mother had passed away I was in need of selling her home very quickly. I had never been through the process of selling a home before and I was a little intimidated. James was very attentive and thorough through the process and he was there to answer every little question I had. He made a great presentation to perspective buyers and my home was sold for the price we were asking for and very quickly. I send him with the highest recommendation to anyone wanting to buy or sell a home."

- Mike Boudreau

"James helped us sell our house. He also helped us buy the house we are in. He is a skilled realtor and knows the Austin market very well. It is easy to deal with him and I would recommend him to anyone looking to buy/sell/rent their house."

- Suresh Venkateswaran

"When it came time to list my family’s home of 30+ years, I had a tough choice to make.  Several agents had already contacted me but I felt obligated to properly interview and compare a handful of realtors before I chose my partner on this endeavor.  James was one of the agents with whom I met, showed the house, and discussed numbers.  He was prepared; armed with data and extensive knowledge of the area as well as the market, he had done his research.  He was professional, enthusiastic, and thoughtful.  He asked questions about my hopes, goals and timeline for selling the house, and he listened to my answers.  It was no contest, James became the listing agent, and the professionalism, enthusiasm, communication never waned.  He remained true to all the traits that gained my trust in the beginning throughout the entire process.  I would never think twice about working with him again or recommending him to someone else."

- Candi Stanley

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The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.

Based on information from the Austin Board of REALTORS® (alternatively, from ACTRIS) from March 29th, 2024 at 2:33am CDT. Neither the Board nor ACTRIS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. The Austin Board of REALTORS®, ACTRIS and their affiliates provide the MLS and all content therein "AS IS" and without any warranty, express or implied. Data maintained by the Board or ACTRIS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.

All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified.