James is a 35+ year veteran of the real estate industry. In addition to specializing as a listing broker, buyer broker, and valuation analyst, he continues to own a full-service valuation and consulting firm. His involvement as an industry leader within the corporate relocation sector, as well as his experience as an expert court testimony witness in a multitude of valuation dispute cases, create a unique skill set - combining a high level of detail and analysis to his brokerage services.
James's clients range from first-time buyers, empty nesters, builders/rehab projects, to upper-bracket and complex properties, with a special emphasis within the luxury market. Additionally, he has represented many relocating transferees and new construction clients. He provides a unique overall skill set, both from a technical aspect and personality standpoint, which has proven very adaptable to a wide-ranging client base. His vast experience and knowledge of real estate have created a distinctive and effective ability to analyze, problem-solve, and negotiate successfully on behalf of his clients. As a member of the top Naperville team - The Alice Chin Team - his clients also benefit from their full-service support. James negotiated just over 30 million dollars in transactions in 2022 alone, and approximately 26 million dollars in transactions in 2025. This past year, he surpassed a milestone, with over 100 million dollars in transactions since joining COMPASS approximately 5 years ago.
James and his wife Patty have lived in Naperville over 30 years, and have three children, Ally, Christina, and James. When he is not busy at work, James is an avid sports fan following all his favorite teams.
Testimonials
★★★★★
Working with Jim was an amazing experience! His professionalism and
attention to every detail of the sale process made this experience 100%
positive. He and Alice came well prepared to convey the value of our
home and their strategy of our home sale. Jim was always reachable and
attentive and took considerable stress away from us as we navigated
buying, selling, moving and family emergencies all at the same time.
His knowledge and experience of the appraisal side for our transaction
allowed us to maximize our value and get to closing successfully. Jim
and the Alice Chin team have a great network of contractors when needed
and their behind the scenes team of professionals make working with them
the premiere real estate brokerage in Naperville. If you're
looking for the best team that can maximize your real estate experience,
either buying or selling, look no further than Jim and the Alice Chin
team! - Tim & Monica
★★★★★
Jim and Alice handled the sale of our house and did a great job. Jim's
appraisal background was helpful and both Alice and Jim were very
detail-oriented and involved in every aspect of our deal. I've been a
commercial real estate attorney for 38 years and have dealt with a lot
of brokers but met Alice and Jim for the first time on our sale. Alice
and Jim are among the best brokers I've worked with and I would highly
recommend them." - Mike & Holly
★★★★★
If you’re looking for a realtor that will walk you through every step of
selling or buying a home, it’s Jim Gargano. Jim recently helped us sell
our “forever home” and assisted in securing another beautiful home as
we entered the phase of downsizing! Jim was a tremendous help during an
emotional process as he provided guidance on how to get our home ready
and helped to navigate every step of the selling process. For the many
questions we had, Jim was always quick to respond and provided accurate
information. The team assembled is as excellent as Jim and also helped
to coordinate the many details you don’t even think about! Although
selling our home was emotional it was not stressful due to Jim’s
guidance, reassurance and expertise!!! Thank you Jim Gargano and team
for a wonderful experience! - Eric & Nancy
★★★★★
Buying
our very first home felt overwhelming at times, but we truly could not
have asked for a better broker than Jim, (or in my case, Dad! )
He was incredibly patient with us throughout the entire process, taking
the time to explain every detail and making sure we felt confident in
each decision. His knowledge in all areas, from the market, to
negotiations, and even the smallest contract details, was so reassuring. What
stood out most was how comforting and supportive he was. He never made
us feel rushed or pressured, and he always had our best interest at
heart. He made what could have been a stressful experience feel smooth
and manageable. And
no, I’m not just saying this because he’s my dad!! Truly, anyone who
works with him will quickly see how dedicated, professional and easy he is to work with. We are so grateful he helped us secure our very first home!" -Christina & Austin
★★★★★
After 25 years in
our family home, we were empty-nesters and made the move from Naperville
to Dallas. The single best decision we made that helped the selling
process of our home go smoothly was to choose Jim Gargano and the Alice
Chin Team! Jim was personable and relatable, yet highly
professional in every aspect. Jim not only helped
us through all aspects of the process, he also helped us understand
what to consider and ultimately helped us make more informed choices
along the way. Jim always went above and beyond in every aspect -
examples included finding contractors we needed, helping us strategize
on how to market our home, pricing, and perhaps most of all Jim was able
to get our home sold for the list price!! If you want to choose a
reliable, smart, highly engaged realtor who will get the job done and do
more than you can even think of, choose Jim Gargano!" - Dan & Chrissy
★★★★★
“We
were looking for a good-sized home to raise our two boys in Naperville. We had
a list of must-haves in mind which included our favorite neighborhood. We
thought that for sure we would have to compromise somewhere, and most likely
would not be able to get all we wanted.
However,
James Gargano, our Realtor, was phenomenal. He found absolutely EVERYTHING in
our list. EVERYTHING!! Not only that, but it was also a quick, smooth, painless
process. He guided us through the whole thing including financing, inspection,
lawyers, and all that was needed to make our dream of homeownership come true.
We followed his advice in everything and within 3 months we were moving into
our forever home. We highly recommend The Alice Chin Team. They are extremely
professional, experienced, and friendly. Working with them was absolutely the
best decision we made.” - Marhiel
★★★★★
“Jim
was a great asset in helping us find our new home. He made our cross-country
house hunt smoother and easier with his knowledge and advice. The entire Alice
Chin team provided a seamless experience from start to finish.” -
Beth
★★★★★
I have worked with Alice and her team multiple times over the years,
both buying and selling, and my most recent experience was excellent, as
usual. Jim Gargano, my agent, is great - he really got to know me and
what I was looking for (sometimes knowing better than I did!) and his
communication skills are 1st rate. It's a challenging market right
now, but I was in the right hands, and true to form, they found me the
perfect home. Would strongly recommend Jim, Alice and the entire team
if you're looking to buy or sell a home!
- Steve
★★★★★
"Alice/Jim's
professionalism and the whole team provide top notch service! I sold my home
and bought a new home in a matter of a little over 2 months in this crazy
market. Couldn't have done it without their great service and support! Would recommend
to anyone!" - Jaewon
★★★★★
"We
engaged Jim Gargano and The Alice Chin Team of Compass Real Estate to sell our
family property earlier this year. We could not have been more impressed with
Jim's overall analytical ability, level of detail and responsiveness during the
entire process. He helped us navigate through various challenges, from the time
we sold the property all the way to closing. We went under contract within 3
days and we sold for over $25,000 above list price! I would encourage anybody
who has any real estate needs to contact Jim Gargano and The Alice Chin Team." -
Sanjay
★★★★★
“We
decided to relocate to Illinois so that we could be closer to our daughter and
her family. After our initial investigation we had concerns about finding a
home that would meet all our needs, especially in such a HOT housing market.
Then we found James Gargano at Compass. Jim listened to ALL our needs and
desires we had for our new home. We cannot imagine going through the process
without Jim’s help and guidance. Thanks so much Jim for helping us to find our
forever home. " - Pat & Bill
★★★★★
“Jim
Gargano from the Alice Chin Team has a great feel for the market. The entire selling process
was seamless and handled professionally. Thank you, Jim and your team.” -
Vic
★★★★★
“We wanted to understand the full scope of what the process would
entail, so we invited Jim and Alice over for an introductory meeting. From that
meeting, it was obvious a lot more goes into selling a home than great photos
and an open house. It takes professionals who can anticipate challenges with
your home and the current market and provide the knowledge and coaching on how
to navigate them.
Jim's years of experience in the home valuation industry were so
vital in ensuring our home appraised for the highest value possible. We were SO
ecstatic and surprised that our house ended up appraising at value - over
$100,000 more than we paid for the house just 12 months prior!
We
are so happy we decided to work with Jim and Alice on our home. They are kind,
professional, honest, and responsive; and we truly believe we would not have
sold our house in the time or for the price we did if we had done so ourselves
(or with any other Realtor, for that matter.) Thank you again!” -
Ashley
★★★★★
“We
chose Jim personally because of our past experience with him as a certified
real estate appraiser for our law practice. We knew that the listing price we
decided on would be based on Jim's background, knowledge, and expertise - and
it was spot on. We chose The Alice Chin Team because of their approach to a
plan for selling our home. It
was a very modern perspective, making use of social media and aerial drone
photography.
Jim
and his team took so many burdens off our shoulders so that we could focus on
other matters. There's no way we could have dealt with everything while still
working and moving. It was such a relief to hand those details off, knowing it
would all be handled professionally and safely.
Our
home sold immediately and at our listing price to excellent qualified buyers. The whole process was so
quick and so easy and Jim was involved every step of the way. We are very grateful to Jim
Gargano and The Alice Chin Team for everything they did for us. We would definitely recommend
them to anyone -- buyer or seller. Thanks, Jim!!!” -
Russ & Kathryn
★★★★★
"Jim
Gargano and Alice Chin know their business! Everyone I dealt with at the Alice
Chin Team was extremely professional, helpful and polite. I especially want to
thank Jim Gargano for ALWAYS being available and ALWAYS willing to help me deal
with all the issues that came up. Jim Gargano made the process of selling my
home seem almost effortless. Thank you to all of The Alice Chin Team, and a
huge thank you to Jim Gargano for his knowledge, professionalism, politeness,
kindness, wonderful suggestions and negotiating skills!!" – Laurie
