James Steele

Growing up in Palo Alto, he was always enamored of houses, whether the mid-century modern home he grew up in or the gracious historic properties in Old Palo Alto he'd walk by. He went to USC and got his degree in Business Administration with the express goal of selling real estate, and while there he interned as an assistant for a prominent agent in West Los Angeles during his summers.

Hitting the market in 2009, however, was a challenge indeed. He saw that many in the real estate community were unfamiliar with short sales, which were a growing phenomenon in the wake of the financial crisis. He got certified to both list and represent buyers on short sales, and he carved out a niche for himself in the market as many agents referred their short sale clients to him. He is proud to say that he did not see a single client of his go-to foreclosure and he got every single short sale approved by the lenders, which more than made up for the late nights and 500+ pages of lender paperwork compiled for each client.

Entering the market in this way helped him develop a passion for getting people out of tough situations, and it led him to realize the enormous importance of having a relentless and thorough advocate in your corner during any type of real estate transaction. It framed the way he works with his clients to this day and cemented his belief that any client he works with is owed honesty, relentless negotiation, rapid and thorough communication, and innovative marketing.

Before joining Carol, Nicole, and James in 2020, he was ranked amongst the top half of the top 1% of agents in both California and the nation by sales volume by Real Trends. While he is proud of this, what he considers most important to him is the relationships, many over a decade strong, with long-term clients and the way they’ve welcomed him into their families and friend groups.

When he's not selling real estate, you can find him in the Crescent Park neighborhood of Palo Alto where he lives with his wife Brooke, daughters Aoife and Alice, and his two dogs Petal and Indy. He'll likely be grilling with a glass of Zinfandel on the side, reading a print copy of the Wall Street Journal, and drinking a cup (or two!) of black coffee after running his dog early in the morning or spending a rare Sunday off watching the San Francisco 49ers or Formula 1.