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Jim Van Zanten

Manhattan Beach, CA

Vista Sotheby's

About Jim Van Zanten

Jim Van Zanten is a seasoned real estate professional with 43 years of experience and well over $1.4 billion in personal sales. Jim has operated several real estate companies in the South Bay Area. He founded South Bay Brokers Inc. in 1985, and after attaining 1 billion dollars in annual gross sales....

Jim Van Zanten’s reviews (32)

Client review

Jim helped my wife and I buy a home in MB after moving here from Northern California. The thing about Jim isaEUR"there are some agents who are just working for a pay check. Jim is one of those people who legitimately enjoys getting to know you and help you get into your home. And you can tell by how he treats you, and how he goes about doing his job. He was patient with us we changed our mind on our needs. He knows everyone locally, so has such great local insight. He is a class act, so has a good reputationaEUR"and that ultimately led to us being chosen over bids at the same price. And once we bought the homeaEUR"he kept checking inaEUR"and was able to hook us up with lenders, builders, and architects when we chose to do a tear down. Jim is the man. You would be lucky to have him as your agent.

Client review

Jim and his team were the best in town to work with. Jim always picked up the phone and answered the text, regardless of the time of day or what he was already working on. He and his team were nimble and wouldn't hesitate to jump in the car and meet you at a potential property or go preview one before it came out. There were days that we viewed 2-3 properties unannounced because a new location came online, and we were there within the hour. He always came prepared with detailed knowledge of the area and the property we were looking at, print-outs of the details, and an initial inspection/assessment of the property before I arrived. When it came to putting pen to paper, I typically had a DocuSign document in my inbox within the hour after the property viewing (if it was something we wanted to consider), and Jim never hesitated to negotiate hard and call on any of his relationships to get the "inside scoop" on your behalf. It is clear that Jim takes great pride in creating long-lasting and trusting relationships - real estate is not just another transaction for him; as such, you are not "just another client" or another commission to be made. As a first time homebuyer, he was able to support me with all aspects of the deal and help connect me with the people I needed to know. Jim was honest, attentive, always available, and always had my best interest as his focus. Would strongly recommend Jim and his team to anyone looking to buy in the South Bay.

Client review

Jim was easy to work with and super knowledgeable. He knows the South Bay Area really well. He helped us with a lot of different issues that popped up. He was very responsive every time we had questions. His assistant, Helga, was also really good. They were able to help us access workers for a rental property we own as well. I highly recommend him!

Client review

Jim has been with us since we bought our first home in 2013 and recently helped us purchase a new home and ran a successful sale process on our previous house. He and his team have been tremendous partners throughout and Jim is someone we rely on for honest feedback and good advice. As an added bonus he has lots of connectivity with local contractors and service providers which takes a lot of the guess work out of hiring home professionals.

Client review

Jim is a real pro. His local knowledge and his relationships he has built were crucial to us buying a home. It was a sellers market and Jim navigates it successfully. He is very responsive and truly looks out for his clients. He never pushed us into a home but guided us to make our own decisions. You wont go wrong with Jim.

Client review

Jim is the best in the business. My family and I have gone through Jim for our two home purchases in Manhattan Beach, and he has helped a countless number of family and friends as well. His relationships, market knowledge, and personality are the reasons hes so successful!

Client review

There are just no words to describe! The most professional, intelligent, efficient and available! He made the impossible possible, in no time! An absolute joy to interact. It is fascinating to see how much Mr. Van Zanten cares for his clients and is devoted to provide them what they need and even more! Absolutely caring and, simply gets the job done! We were trying for years to find a household to raise our young children and if it was not for him, we would have never gotten our dream house! Lucky to have met him!

Client review

Jim was truly a pleasure to work with during our first home purchase. He was patient, knowledgeable, and always had a good sense of humor! We accidentally became his clients, because he randomly showed us a house, and we are so glad he did.So many times realtors have more allegiance to the sellers real estate team rather than you and will try to downplay your concerns, but he knew exactly how to support us in every request to get what we needed. We trusted his expertise immediately, and he continued to have great advice and opinions. Thank you, Jim, for the wonderful experience, and we will highly recommend you to everyone!

Client review

We have been working with Jim for over 25 years on the sale and purchase of multiple properties -- and we keep coming back for more! Jims extensive knowledge and expertise go far beyond that of your typical real estate agent. He has helped us with creative approaches to financing purchases, finding dependable resources and is always willing to advise us on many matters in the real estate realm. Most importantly, he is a man of utmost integrity and always does what he promises -- and more. He navigates all the difficult details (and people!) that are part of most real estate transactions with great skill and experience, always with our best interests at heart. We dont trust anyone but Jim with our real estate needs.

Client review

Professional, knowledgable, personable, and eager to find the right property for us. Guided us with patience and a sense of humor through a process that could have been overwhelming. 5 stars in every respect.

Client review

I highly recommend Jim Van Zanten and Team. Jim provided world class advice and service during the sale of my home. Mr. Van Zanten navigated all the technical issues associated with selling a 1947 build home. Jim recommended the personnel required ( Electricians, Handy Man, and contractors ) to close the sale. A masterful job. A true professional. Thank You Jim!

Client review

He had knowledge and information to share about the area we were interested: He spent time and came up with plentiful listings and were always eager to accomodate us with his time as we were out-of-towners. He respected our own opinions and did not unduly try to influence our choice. He was prompt and timely in responding to our questions and did everything he said he was going to doaEUR"including checking up on missing window handles and personally delivering some missing keys after the closing. Most of all, he was professional, friendly, approachable, and had easy going(yet hardworking) manner that served him and us well.

Client review

He had knowledge and information to share about the area we were interested: He spent time and came up with plentiful listings and were always eager to accomodate us with his time as we were out-of-towners.He respected our own opinions and did not unduly try to influence our choice. He was prompt and timely in responding to our questions and did everything he said he was going to do--including checking up on missing window handles and personally delivering some missing keys after the closing. Most of all, he was professional, friendly, approachable, and had easy going(yet hardworking) manner that served him and us well.

Client review

Jim is a knowledgeable, experienced professional who provided us with fantastic service in our search for an investment property. He always responded immediately to our queries by phone or text. Our transaction seemed complicated to me, a 1031 exchange with a chain of contingencies, and Jim kept on top of it all, staying in touch with the other parties on our behalf. He made it easy for us.

Client review

Jim was wonderful to work with. He was extremely organized and knowledgeable. He also has been a great resource for contractors for the remodeling we are doing. We had a short escrow with some issues on our end, and Jim was helpful and had resources for us throughout the process. Jim was so on top of things that we even closed a week early. Jim has a great team and also works with a fantastic escrow company. He knows that its more than a real estate transaction - its all about service. I highly recommend Jim!

Client review

What an awesome experience! Working with Rob and the Van Zanten Depaoli Group is an amazing experience. Rob is extremely knowledgeable in his profession and knows the South Bay extremely well. All that combined with Robs humble, enthusiastic and amazing communication skills makes him an extremely valuable agent to collaborate with on such an important decision. The Kitagawa family owes so much gratitude to Rob and the company!It is clear that the Van Zantena Depaoli Group offers a lot of experience and is well connected in the industry. When meeting various team members, its clear that they all love what they do. From Partners/Agents/Assistance/Contractors/Plumbers/Architects and Designers are all amazing!

Client review

It was great working with him, he goes above and beyond of his duties. He did an amazing job and it was overall a pleasant experience to work with him.

Client review

This is the third time Jim has helped me with real estate transactions over the last 30 years. In each instance, his knowledge of the area, the market and what it takes to get the maximum return on investment, all the while setting reasonable expectations, were invaluable. From pre-listing work to marketing plan to negotiations, Jim kept me informed in real time. He has also assembled a team that reflects his worth ethic, honesty, candor and sense of humor. Jim is the consummate professional and a delight to work with.

Client review

Jim knows the South Bay. The South Bay is a very competitive market and because of his years of experience and connections in the area, we were able to buy a beautiful home. He was readily available through every step of the home buying process. As busy professionals and parents he made sure the process was as painless for us as possible. So painless, in fact, that he just helped us to buy another property.

Client review

Jim and his crew were with us every step of the way during a tender time of selling my dear friend's home as successor trustee. There were improvements to be made and his advice and years of expertise shined in the beauty of this property. Jim's attention to detail, excellent marketing, and professionalism made our experience an outstanding one!! We had multiple offers beyond any expectation imagined and felt comfortable with negotiations. Thank you Jim!!

Client review

Jim Van Zanten and his team were real pros! Their attention to detail and follow-up from publicity, house inspections, and expert advice on the transaction as a whole was phenomenal! We had a contract in 4 days of listing on the MLS.

Client review

We just sold our old townhome ($1.5m) and bought a new home ($3.1m) through Jim. The purchase of our new home was contingent on the sale of our townhome so it was complicated to begin with. To make it worse, a lot of my pay is not salaried so it was a ton of work to get the financing done. Topping it all off, we had a very difficult seller we were working with. Jim was ALL over it. He got our townhome sold without a hitch. Then successfully managed the seller while we grappled with lenders. We ended up getting the loan done right on the day of closing and buying the new house without ever releasing our financing contingency! Anyway, Jim has a few more gray hairs because of us, but he did an amazing job and i am convinced anyone else would not have been able to successfully complete both transactions simultaneously. His wealth of knowledge, his customer service and his relationships are unmatched. Thank you!

Client review

This is our second time using Jim and his team in a local real estate transaction. We are amazed at how fast and easy it was to close the deal. Jim is a pleasure to work with as we are completely satisfied and happy with the outcome. Would highly recommend him.

Client review

Jim and his team has been working with my entire family for the past several years. We all live in Manhattan Beach in houses that fit our custom needs. His knowledge and connections are amazing and he's so friendly. Not aggressive at all and really listens to your wants and needs and helps you find the best fit and value for what you're looking for -- without sacrificing quality. Over the years, Jim has become not only our go to realtor but also a dear friend.

Client review

I have known Jim for over 20 years and he has always been very helpful with his knowledge and expertise of real estate in and around Manhattan Beach. Given his network of painters, contractors, landscapers, he is always good for a referral if needed.

Client review

Jim is one of, if not THE, best realtors in southern California. He's helping us get into our 2nd home now and he's more than just our realtor, he's our friend. I would recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell a home.

Client review

Jim has my 100% trust and respect as a person and as a real estate professional. I've worked with him personally for many years and now my son is as well. I strongly recommend Jim to guide and support your real estate interests whether that be personal, commercial, or philanthropic.

Client review

Jim spearheaded a sale of my mother's home. His expertise and understanding of the market is remarkable. He walked us through this difficult process with compassion. Jim and his team had the house market- ready, listed and shown via open house in a matter of days. The house received multiple offers in a short time. Jim vetted the offers, found us a wonderful sale and completed the transaction in a matter of weeks.

Client review

Jim helped my wife and I buy our first home. After that, he helped a good friend of mine buy his home, and then helped my sister and brother in law buy their home. That says a lot about what my family and I think about the quality of work provided by Jim and his team. Negotiation Process: My wife and I were so anxious to purchase our first home in Manhattan Beach (and we were doing so from New York at the time) that I was about to overbid for an offer in order to get the house. Jim would have done pretty well had the sale gone through. Instead, he told me that he couldn't let me bid that number. He told me to let the house go and he would find something that worked for our family. And true to his word, Jim showed us another house (which of course we loved even more than the one we lost) that we ended up buying for 10% less than the first house. Escrow: During the entire escrow period, we were still living in New York. No matter. Jim and his team coordinated all the inspections that we would need and all I needed to do was fly out here for one day and sign some papers. Jim was able to negotiate with the sellers on our behalf that they take care of all of the repairs except for one minor one. The seller left the house in pretty bad shape but I never saw it that way because Jim had the entire place cleaned and ready for our arrival. Only reason I knew this even happened was because my Dad told me. Bottom line, we couldn't have had a better experience. The best part is that whoever we have recommended Jim to has had an equally fantastic experience. His knowledge of the local market, his relationships with builders, agents, contractors, business owners, etc is reflective of the time and effort he has spent here. Highly recommend Jim and his team.

Client review

Jim and his team helped us buy and sell our homes in Manhattan Beach. They were always available, quick to respond and got us exactly what we needed. Some of the nicest people we've met and never made us feel pressured. Jim and Rob still continue to follow up with us to make sure we're settling in nicely. They're also the first people we turn to when we need referrals. All of which have been completely reliable. I would recommend them to anyone looking to buy or sell in South Bay.

Client review

Jim and his team helped us buy and sell our homes in Manhattan Beach. They were always available, quick to respond and got us exactly what we needed. Some of the nicest people we've met and never made us feel pressured. Rob continues to follow up with us to make sure we're settling in nicely. They're also the first people we turn to when we need referrals. All of which have been completely reliable. I would recommend them to anyone looking to buy or sell in South Bay.

Client review

Jim is truly a pro! He sold our home in Manahttan Beach and made the entire process (almost) painless. We had a few challenges, but Jim's problem solving abilities are amazing. Also, he's a really funny guy and his calm and practical approach made selling our home much less stressful. We highly recommend Jim and his team if you are looking for a competent, organized and professional agent.

Service areas

Bellflower, Compton, El Segundo, Gardena, Hermosa Beach, La Mirada, Lawndale, Manhattan Beach, Norwalk, Paramount, Redondo Beach