Client Reviews
From local home sellers & buyers

Simply put, my wife and I could not have been happier to have James Cottrell as our realtor. We could see immediately from his thoroughness, professionalism, and cordiality that we were in great hands. James was always on top of how things were going - how many showings we were getting and so on, letting us know things we should consider, and keeping us on track for those tasks we needed to complete. He continually offered to help accomplish any tasks he could, reach out to others, and to find information that would be useful. We enthusiastically and without reservation recommend you reach out to James to help you sell or buy your next home!

James has helped us for a second time and as always he is a pleasure to work with. He makes everything so easy and goes over every step of the way. Highly recommend!

James worked hard for us, he paid attention to every detail. Was kind and made sure our needs were metz.

I had the pleasure of working with James during a recent transaction where I was the borrower's loan officer. I couldn't be more satisfied with his professionalism. He was incredibly cooperative and a team player throughout the entire process. I look forward to working with you again in the future!

James helped my husband and I buy our dream home. James is very professional, a hard worker and is great at listening to what the buyer wants. James has done an outstanding job every step of the way. We're extremely grateful for James's knowledge and expertise, he made our buying experience easy and seamless.

I cannot say enough good things about James. He is not only knowledgeable about the market but also demonstrates integrity and honesty in all interactions. James goes above and beyond to ensure client satisfaction and is a true asset in the real estate industry. I highly recommend James to anyone in need of a reliable and trustworthy agent.

James Cottrell is not only a superb agent/broker in his service area of Inland Empire, he is also a great real estate coach and team player! I'm grateful for his support in growing my business!

James if very knowledgeable about the market.

We are so grateful for all the hard work you did, not only to help us to buy a home but to find our dream home. We are endlessly grateful to have you and could not be happier with the way you worked out. It has been a pleasure to have you as our agent and would not hesitate in recommending you to others. Your level of customer service is exceptional. You're the BEST!

James was great to work with. He showed us a very nice presentation and showed us his professional statistics, and let us know that he thought he could have our house sold within a week. We honestly did not believe that was possible... but within two days, we had 2 full price offers. I honestly don’t know how he does it! I’m only sad that we moved out of state and won’t be able to work with him on our future home purchases.

James made us extremely confident from the very beginning. He and his team were very informative and accessible through the process. We followed his advice to the letter and our condo sold in 4 days. We were blown away. He went above and beyond to make sure the transaction went smoothly and was there for us the whole time. He knew his stuff!! We are so grateful we were paired up with James!

James was awesome! He communicated promptly and frequently; kept the entire process organized and on track; and guided us with options and recommendations throughout the entire process. He even predicted the outcome of bids after numerous showings (we had over 20 showings, received multiple bids, and sold the house in less than a week). We highly recommend James.

I’ve purchased a lot of real estate and he is the most gratuitous and knowledgeable I have ever been involved with. The best!

James was very patient during my house search. He was always on time when we went to look for houses & very flexible. His knowledge with helping me write up offers were outstanding. I was a very picky/needy client so it was very nice and refreshing to have a realtor who was there every step of the way that was not bothered by my million of questions I had. Thank you again for an amazing experience with buying a home!

I’m very happy to give Mr. James Cottrell an excellent review. Out of a possible 5 stars, he is a 10. Due to ‘special & stressful circumstances’ I have doubts that even 1 in 100 realtors would have ‘stuck-it-out’ with me. This sale was difficult. Yet from the beginning contract to the finishing signatures, more than a year later, James was always happy to explain anything I needed help with; all was explained and transparent. This property was in a Trust and nearly in foreclosure - (renters not paying rent). James was great at working with a Trust … possible foreclosure … eviction options … and even emotional support (I had many questions ;-) He has a kind heart & he never ‘loses-his-cool’ (even if I did! ;-) James was so very knowledgeable and patient with the many ‘issues’ or seeming roadblocks preventing the sale …. like the eviction process for 5 individual bedrooms- renters refusing to show those bedrooms- renters diligently showing prospective buyers where there was perceived damage- (notes taped to walls) or any possible action to prevent a sale- like stealing the ‘For Sale’ sign! And I’m certain there are many more skills in James’ wheelhouse! With renters finally evicted, a family member moved in with 4 other people and changed the locks. Longer story shorter and due to James’ good counsel, we were finally able to have a successful ‘Open House’. James is a true professional, an expert Realtor-Broker, he knows how to price your house, not too high, not too low, real estate basics on up … so I got a good final price. He always kindly offered to have a 3-way call with the attorneys or the bank. He wanted my decisions to be mine … yet with all the information needed for good ones :-) When I was signing paperwork with the Escrow specialist, after I said how much I respected James, he said: “All realtors are NOT created equal, when James says he’ll DO something, he DOES it and usually earlier than expected; he’s a professional, he follows through.” Yes, he ‘follows through’ … he’s honest, has integrity … he’s a very knowledgeable & stellar Realtor/Broker. I will recommend James Cottrell for anyone needing help with selling their house- land- even a commercial property. So many thanks & my very best to James. Robin Rymer Lake Elsinore, CA

I have recommended James to everyone I know currently looking for a home to purchase! He constantly went above and beyond while keeping me informed (and calm) through each step of the process. As a first time home buyer, so many of the details can be overwhelming. James was very responsive and led me to make the best, most informed decisions. 10/10 would recommend him to any and everyone!

James was wonderful. Very professional, knowledgeable, and supportive. He made this a great buying experience for me. I bought my Riverside house while living in North Carolina. James was great working with me and my family as I virtually toured homes. My friends still can't believe I bought my house this way. My response, my family and James made it possible!

James did a fabulous job selling our condo. He is very professional, very knowledgeable, very cooperative, has great insight, and gave us great advice. He is by far the best realtor we have used in the Riverside area. We had multiple offers at above-asking price and sold the condo within a few days, We highly recommend James and his services.

The best knowledge and support one could imagine !

James was helpful and easy to work with, and walked me through every step in buying my home. I highly recommend him and his services.

James is a professional! Not only does he have a great insight about the market but he also wants to ensure he understands your needs and situation and will do his best to meet. If your a buyer in these crazy times, James is the one to help you navigate these real estate waters. Highly recommend him.

What can I say but, FANTASTIC. Buying a new home. A bit of anxiety with such a large purchase but one thing that helped my through the process was having James in my corner. He was with me every step or the way and I literally could not have done it without him. Any questions I had, he was quick to get me the answers I needed to make all the decisions that were required to get the process completed. I will certainly be calling James if I decide to upgrade in the future. He is simply the best in my opinion. Thank you, James. A+A+A+A+A+A+ Aaron Harrison

James is a "10" on a 5 star list. Professional and knowledgeable. Very responsiveness to calls and questions. Call him and see for yourself. Ms Bose Upland and Corona properties serviced

I made a good choice when I picked James 😊👍 He was always there to answer my questions and calls.. This was my first time selling a house and he made the entire process easy! He knows his stuff..You can’t go wrong if you pick him for your agent. Thank you James you took the stress off my shoulders and carried it all the way to the finish line. I couldn’t have done it without you 👍

Had it not been for James Cottrell I would not of made it through buying and selling a house at the same time! He took so much weight off of my shoulders and took care of everything for me. He listened to my needs ,and found exactly what I was looking for and under budget! He took care of all the paper work . Very conscientious. Very professional. I will do business with James again. I am not easy to please so this is a real compliment coming from me. Sharon Williams

James assisted us in the sale of a property in Lake Elsinore. I don't live in the area and he went above and beyond to help us prepare the home for sale; coordinating contractors, providing estimates and ensuring the work was done well. James was readily available when I had questions and always very responsive. I was expecting it to take quite a while for our property to sell, but we soon had mulitple offers. James was very helpful in sorting through the offers and very patient with all of our questions. The process was smooth and pain-free; not what I had anticipated. I would highly recommend James Cottrell as a knowledgeable and responsive agent.

James was very professional and patient throughout a lengthy house hunting process to meet our budget and expectations. I recommend James if you want specialized attention to meet your real estate needs.

After clicking on a Facebook ad that promised to send me a link, I was instead met with several questions by James. I was fine to answer them but I wanted to view his inventory before going too deep into the conversation. I asked several times to simply see the link his ad said I would get. He kept asking additional questions despite me trying to set a boundary that I wanted to view what he had, and let him know of any interest. I never got the link and told him that if it was this hard to get basic info, then we should part ways. He seems more interested in getting what he wants than servicing customers.

James was really great at helping our family find our very first home. He was readily available and always made sure we understood the process of home buying before and during our purchase. It was a great pleasure working with James and would highly recommend him to family and friends.

James is very attentive, always maintained communication and was clear with the steps of selling a property. Finally we sold the property and his team made is smooth and easy. Recommended!

James is AMAZING! He’s personable, fun and made the home buying process super easy and smooth. He was patient with us while we took our time trying to find a home we would love, and answered all our questions no matter when we asked! He was wonderful to work with, and I'll recommend him to everyone looking for a new home!!

Real Estate James Cottrell has a deep understanding of the local market and was able to provide valuable insights throughout the entire process. truly went above and beyond to ensure a smooth and successful transaction. even helped connect with lenders, inspectors, and other professionals.

James is the most experienced, professional and generous real estate agents I know in Riverside. And I know a lot of Realtors!

If you're in the Riverside area and have real estate needs, I highly recommend you get in touch with James! He's a great leader in the real estate industry and you will benefit greatly from his years of experience and expertise. Thanks for everything James!!

James is extremely professional and a terrific realtor. He helped us with our house search through 2023 and has been extremely helpful during the search, the closing and after the closing of the house. He is easy to get along with and great at adjusting to the client’s personalities and needs. He is ready to make long drives (we found later how far he lived) as soon as he can to show us the properties we were interested in. Most of the time we scheduled properties to view the same day or the day before. He is very knowledgeable about what things are right/wrong in a house and what issues that can come up. There are lots of things that need to be addressed during/once the house closes. He was always available and extremely helpful in scheduling the things that needed to be addressed during escrow and afterwards. The contractors he introduced were also professional and extremely competitive in pricing. He is not the one to leave you hanging once the house closes. As first-time home buyers we did not know several things that needed to be done before, during and after escrow or the strategies that could be used during negotiations. He is very experienced at this and uses this experience for the client’s best interests. We really appreciate that. Thank you very much James!

James is absolutely wonderful! I was under a tight timeline to close the house because of my fixed move-out date from my previous house. James was able to close within the timeline and accommodate my various needs! He also set up the house in a perfect way on our day of move-in for proper celebration. You will be in safe hands with James. Highly recommend!

We enjoyed working with James to purchase our first home! He was always available, even on short notice, and co-ordinated the process really smoothly. My wife and I kept waiting for the buying process to "get hard", but it never did. We would absolutely recommend James to work with, and would hope to work with him again if we purchase another home in the area.

James went above and beyond our needs. He was very patient and answered any crazy questions we might have as first-time home buyers. If he didn't have an answer he could take the time to find it and get back to me. He was also available which worked for me and my wife with our busy schedule. Whenever I buy another house I would definitely use him again.

I don’t know where to begin about James, a wonderful and experienced realtor that we got to work with. We finally closed a house with James help. It was worth the wait. James has been immensely helpful, and patient during our entire house search process which lasted for months, especially in a sellers market when it is not so easy to find a home with competitive prices and high interest rates, and us being first time home buyers. He never pushed us and was accommodating of our needs. He was there with us and helped us right from the start through the end till the closure, including all the paper work and booking contractors that were well priced. He is also really good at estimating house sale prices based on the market competition. Many of the houses that we saw got sold at the price that he indicated to us. I recommend James to anyone looking to buy/sell a house. Hopefully we get to work with him again in the future.

By far the best person to have on your team when it comes to making possibly the most important decision in your life. His attention to detail, commitment to succeed, and everyday guidance all along the process are unmatched. With James on our side we were able to place a winning bid within a week! He was always available, enthusiastic, and willing to try new ideas. The whole team was a joy to work with. Personally I knew 5 minutes into meeting him in person that we made the right choice. Five stars and beyond recommended!!!

James was always available to show us properties, even if they were not realistic for our budget, or if he knew they would not be quite right for us because of their location or features. He never made us feel like we were wasting his time--he seemed to thoroughly enjoy showing us every property we visited. He was extremely patient with us, and worked with us until we found the perfect house that suited all of our needs, and helped us through the entire process until the home was ours. I would highly recommend James to anyone looking to purchase a home. He has extensive knowledge of the area and is willing to support his clients in their search for their new home.

Very professional approach was taken by James from the beginning. James made sure we placed the correct offer and he communicated with the seller agent to make the buying process. He went the extra mile to meet our requests for additional viewings and negotiated credit from the seller for missing appliances. We could not wish for a better agent. Thank you James.

James was an absolute delight to work with. I am extremely picky, so I knew it would take me a while to find the right house. He had total patience with me through the whole process. He would occasionally send me houses he thought I might like, but he was never pushy about it. Once he got to know my style, he offered to go to houses that I was interested in. I’d recommend James to anyone!

We were fortunate to work with James as our real estate agent. He helped us secure our new home in Riverside's attractive neighborhood, in a highly competitive market. His expertise, responsiveness, and dedication were invaluable throughout the process, and we could not have navigated the challenges without his guidance.

James Cotrell is a very professional and knowledgeable realtor. He is very tuned into the clients needs, is a great listener and is helpful with financial advice. He doesn't try to tell a customer what is right or wrong for them. He lets them make up their own mind.

James is amazing. He explained everything in a way that was easy to understand from listing to the final offer, James worked directly with the buyers team to insure our home sale went smoothly. Thank you James!!

James rocks! He is a world of information and a true source to turn to with all things Real Estate.

Nothing but great things to say about James! He made the buying process so smooth and quick! James was friendly and willing to answer all of our questions, Never kept us in the dark! You will not be disappointed with him!

It was a fantastic experience working with James!! He sold 3 properties for our family, in record time. He was thorough from start to finish with every single property. It was a very smooth process, we were in constant contact, and he went above and beyond in every way. I highly recommend him for any Real Estate needs.

James at Exp Realty was very professional. Always took the time to take my phone calls and answer all my questions. He guided me step by step through the whole home buying process and put me in contact with contractors for home upgrades. Would definitely recommend.

Jame was very helpful and responsive throughout this whole process. He was always willing to answer any questions, provide infromation and go the extra mile to be helpful. Always had a good attitude even when things didn't go smoothly. I would definitely recommend him.

I was forced to sell my home during a very stressful personal time in my life. Thanks to James, every detail of the sale and negotiations were handled with my best interest in mind and James kept me informed on a regular basis of the process and status of the sale. James is very professional and knowledgable and on a personal note, very kind, honest and helpful. I am grateful for how James handled these details on my behalf and would recommend him to friends or family for any future real estate needs... Thanks for everything James!

My wife and I hired James on a referral from our usual realtor, who works in a different market and who did research on our behalf and found that James was highly recommended. From the moment I called James, I was very glad I did. He was responsive and friendly and helped us sell an investment property we had purchased in Riverside some years previously. He did a very competent and professional job, preparing the property for sale, getting the listing posted with high quality and attractive photographs, working with us patiently despite our many questions, and -- most important of all -- correctly assessing the market value of the property and giving good advice. The property sold quite promptly and our overall experience with James was excellent. There is a big difference between a good and a bad realtor, and James is a good one. We have other investment properties in Riverside and will contact James when we are ready to sell them.

I worked with james and it was the WORST experience ever !!! He didn't protect me when it came time to purchase a home. He allowed the seller to leave trash and Debre all over the home towards the outside yard . He never did a full walk through of the home when we closed . He also represented the seller and didn't honor parts of the contract. Never again - c u

As my seller's agent, James was in contact with me almost daily as the sale moved through the escrow system. He was straight forward in answering any questions I may have had. He really is a very knowledgeable Real Estate Agent.I enjoyed very much having James as my Real Estate Agent.

Fred L Owens

James did an exceptional job as our agent in not only helping find our home 5 years ago but also help us list and sell it 5 years later for an exceptional price to help us relocate out of state for a new opportunity. James took care of everything and was always professional and gave us expert advice to help us get everything out of the sale. We would definitely advise anyone needing a real estate agent to contact James!

I have bought a home and I have sold my recent home with James Cottrell, Riverside Ca.| Exp Realty of California Inc. His attention to detail and knowledge and experience shows in his work. James always says he’s on your time and never have I felt pressured in any way with him representing me. He’s always working behind the scenes making sure everything is happening the way it should happen and if you have questions, he will answer all of them until you feel comfortable with things that may arise. When you are buying a home, you definitely need a realtor on your side. I recommend the best, James Cottrell.

James is awesome he helped every step of the way always answer's any questions you had and is very knowledgeable and patient. Thanks James for helping us get into our first home

James is great. Very professional and very knowledgable. I would highly recommend him to anybody looking to buy or sell a house.

James did a superb transaction in completing the sale of the property. Will enlist his service in the future. Prompt and responsive.

A dedicated professional! I have had the privilege of working with James for a few years now. James knows real estate. Whether representing the seller, buyer (or both) James always uses his skill and vast knowledge of the transaction for the benefit of his client. I consider myself lucky to call James a trusted friend and colleague.

As a fellow realtor, I've seen firsthand how James Cottrell surpasses expectations. He goes above and beyond for his clients, ensuring their needs are not just met, but exceeded. James's expertise and dedication make him a standout in the industry. His coaching isn't just about success; it's about empowerment, helping realtors like myself thrive. If you're seeking exceptional service and results, James Cottrell is the realtor you need.

Easy to communicate with, James is very professional provided help to me and my fiance in finding homes and rentals. Would 100% recommend anyone to give James and his partners a try.

It was a pleasure working with James! He is very knowledgeable and ensured that we were well informed about the process of selling and how to make the best decision on listing price based on the market. The entire process went really smoothly. With his dedication and hard work, we were able to get 3 offers in 72 hours and close within 30 days of listing. He had great communication throughout the entire process and made us feel that we were his main priority. I highly recommend his services.

James was amazing to work with. He is professional, very knowledgeable and always responsive. He gave me valuable advice regarding the Market and pricing and as a result my house sold quickly and I'm happy to say for my full asking price. Everything went forward without a hitch. James earned every penny of his commission and I would absolutely recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. Thanks again James for all your help.

James was fantastic throughout our home buying process. He was fast in getting us locked into house tours when we were in that phase and then once we were under contract he was a huge advocate in negotiations and in my opinion went above and beyond in meeting contractors and inspectors on my behalf. We highly recommend James!

James and the team helped us present the house in the best light and got it sold for a price higher than the estimate made in the initial consultation. The owner dashboard laid out the tasks to be completed in a clear fashion and helped us stay on schedule with our responsibilities prior to closing. In the end the overall experience was a positive one. We would be open to using him again in the future when the need arises.

James was absolutely wonderful to work with. He was very patient as we looked at so many houses. He was also professional and extremely helpful going above and beyond. Another thing that we really appreciated was how well communication occurred whether email, phone or text - he always responded very quickly with plenty of needed guidance and information. James also took the time to learn what we were looking for in a house and to start sending us suggestions of houses to consider which really helped our process in narrowing down and finding our new home. We will definitely be recommending him to our friend when he starts looking in about a month or so!

James is great. Knowledgeable, Kind and Patient. Definitely will refer James to friends and family.

James was the best! He started out our client/ realtor work by meeting me on a Saturday before he headed out of town for vacation that day! That is dedication! He kept me informed every step of the way! The whole process to list, sale and close took about a month! I am definitely going to use him when I begin my search to buy as well as recommend him to all my friends and family! I also want to thank his team as they were awesome as well!

James went ABOVE AND BEYOND in every sense of the phrase to ensure that my husband and I were comfortable with our first home buying experience. He worked with us during our challenging schedule conflicts and took the time to thoroughly explain all aspects of buying a home. We felt so confident in using him as our agent and would absolutely recommend him to friends/family. We were so grateful to have such a knowledgeable professional by our side as we ventured into homeownership. Thanks James!

Fantastic working experience. James was always professional, courteous, and patient. Despite showing us houses every Sunday, he always came prepared with a smile and made us feel welcomed. He was also meticulous in his paperwork, never missing a beat, and always kept us informed throughout the buying process.

He’s on top of it if you are looking for property he has sent me many homes to view for myself as well as my family. Thanks

We had the pleasure of working with James to purchase our first home. He listened to what we were looking for and found us the perfect house. He also connected us with a great lender and made the whole experience seamless. I recommend James to anyone looking to buy or sell property, he's the man!

Where should I begin with James. From the very beginning when we spoke to James about selling our house he was very professional and trustworthy. He was always there when we had questions and concerns. He was always positive and reassuring. James made our house sale very smooth. Even though we had a hiccup because some buyers fell through he was on top of it and had our house sold very quickly. James knows how to communicate and makes you feel comfortable during the whole process. We can’t thank him enough for the wonderful job he did. James really makes you feel like family!

I recently closed an escrow with James Cottrell. I was completely impressed by his level of knowledge, professionalism and attention to detail throughout the transaction. I really appreciated that James was easy to communicate with and that I he was always available when we needed to talk. He had an excellent working relationship with his buyer and his lender, which makes a huge difference in making an escrow go smoothly from opening to closing. A big thank you!!!! It was a pleasure working with you!

We are glad we met James when we are thinking about selling our home. He listen to our questions and give us an honest and concise answer. He streamlined the selling process and got our house sold quickly. The process was quick and a lot less stressful for us. Thank you James.

James was able to get multiple offers and 20% increase over asking price for vacant land in Lake Elsinore. Quick sale! Highly recommended!

Thank goodness we hired James Cottrell to not only sell our home we lived in for over 20 years, but also to help us find our new forever home. James is knowledgeable and always took the time to answer our 100 questions. We braced ourselves for a rocky road on selling and buying a new home, but James made the experience fun and stress free. James marketed our home and sold it in about 7 days and negotiated far more than what we dreamed on a selling price for our home. It’s a sellers market so buying a house was a bit trickier. Thankfully James helped us navigate the shopping targets and when we fell in love with our forever home, James skillfully negotiated to make us the obvious winning bid. Thank you James for all of your hard work and helping our family find our dream home.

James was always good in giving me the information I needed, and always returned my calls in a matter of time. He is very professional and was always a step ahead. I highly recommend James to be your realtor.

Very helpful and good with following up on issues. Was knowledgeable about the area, and helped with the many details that go into buying a home. He was able to negotiate with the sellers of the home to get me what I wanted.

Often we are faced with the frustration of dealing with people who perform badly and deliver poorly. But then suddenly we are blessed with an individual who appears in your life to lift a heavy burden off your shoulders,provide you with much needed guidance,bring comfort and even joy, Such a person is James Cottrell. My wife and I will never be able to express adequately our appreciation and gratitude to James for all his help in making possible the purchase of our home. He goes beyond the call of his duties and performs in a manner one could only describe as exemplary, maintaining at all times a pleasant and calm demeanor. James will always be the person I will consult on all matters concerning real estate, and I would hope for him to remain a family friend. My wife and I will have no hesitation in recommending Mr James Cottrell. Sincerely Anandha and Gloria Pillay

Worked with James for over a year in multiple cities, as I shifted jobs midway. Always was very helpful and willing to offer services in anyway possible. Easy to reach with quick responses. James has great expertise of the local market trend and all aspects of the purchase process. We were given a very short closing window by the bank and James helped facilitate the process in a timely manner. Would recommend James to anyone in the Inland area who is looking for a smooth real estate transaction.