John May
Realtor® | Austin Real Estate
Experience Means Nothing If Your Agent Stopped Showing Up.
Buying or selling a home is personal. It's your money, your family, your next chapter. Most people go into it hoping their agent actually cares about getting it right. I've been licensed since 2002 and I still treat every deal like my reputation depends on it, because it does. If you want someone who prepares you before every decision and tells you the truth even when it's not what you want to hear, that's what I'm here for.
Every client’s timing is different. Whether you’re ready now or still figuring it out, I’ll meet you where you are, with patience, clarity, and a plan that fits your life.
My Story
About John
I grew up in Houston, spent time in Galveston chasing waves and weather, and landed in Austin in 1996 to build a staffing franchise from scratch. Running that business taught me something that stuck: if you take care of people the right way, everything else works itself out.
On July 31, 2002, I got my real estate license. I remember the exact date because it changed the direction of my life. I wasn't chasing a paycheck. I had found something that let me combine the parts of work I actually loved: solving problems, reading people, and being the calm voice in a high-stakes situation.
Austin was a different city back then. I watched it go from a mid-size college town to one of the most competitive markets in the country. I stayed through every cycle because I never wanted to be anywhere else. This place shaped the way I think about real estate, and I think it shows in how I work.
Repeat Client Sells and Buys in West Austin on a Tight Timeline
A past client came back to John years later for the hardest move there is: selling one home and buying another at the same time in a competitive market. John ran both transactions in parallel, handled every inspection and lender curveball, and kept the whole thing on schedule. The client said he "went above and beyond" every step of the way.
What Working With Me Actually Looks Like
No rushing. No glossing over the details. No finding out the hard way.
Most agents want to get you into a house. I want to make sure you understand what you're getting into first. I explain contracts line by line. I prep you for inspection findings before they hit. If the numbers don't add up, I'll say so before you're too deep to walk away.
I've been through enough market cycles to know that the deals that go sideways are the ones where someone skipped a step or made an assumption. I don't let that happen. Between offer and closing, I'm the one managing every moving piece so nothing catches you off guard.
Teach, Then Move
I explain every step before you take it. No jargon, no assumptions about what you already know.
Eyes on the Ground
Detailed video walkthroughs for buyers who can't be here in person. I show you everything, not just the highlights.
Always Available
Call, text, or email. I pick up and I follow through. You'll never wonder where things stand.
Steady Under Pressure
22 years through booms, corrections, and bidding wars. I don't panic and I don't let you make a decision out of fear.
Thinking about your next move?
More Than Real Estate
Beyond Real Estate
When I'm not working, I'm usually chasing something. Surfing off the coast, jumping out of a plane, or finding a line down a mountain on a snowboard. That side of me is the same reason I got into this business. I like committing fully to something that matters.
The quieter side is photography. I'll spend an hour waiting for the right light on a landscape shot. Growing up, I wanted to be a weatherman because I was obsessed with understanding why storms behave the way they do. That curiosity never went away. I still spend my mornings studying patterns, just different ones now.
What Guides Me
I have walked away from deals that would have paid me well because they weren't right for the client. I have told buyers the house they loved had problems they couldn't see. I have talked sellers out of overpricing when I knew it would cost them later.
My family grounds everything I do. When I sit across the table from a client, I think about what I would want someone to tell my own kids if they were making this decision. That filter has never led me wrong, and it never will.
Let's Start a Conversation
The best way to find out if we're a good fit is to talk.
I read and respond to every message personally.
Frequently Asked Questions
I've been licensed since 2002, which means I've worked through booms, corrections, bidding wars, and slow markets. That kind of experience changes how you advise people. I've seen what happens when someone rushes a decision or skips a step, and I don't let my clients do either. Beyond that, I take on a manageable number of clients so I can actually be present for each one. Past clients have said I "went above and beyond" and that working with me "took the worry and fear out" of the process. I take that seriously.
More than okay. First-time buyers are some of my favorite clients to work with. You're supposed to have a lot of questions. That's the whole point of having an agent who's done this hundreds of times. I walk you through every step: what to expect from a lender, how inspections work, what the contract actually says, and what to watch out for that most people don't think about until it's too late. A first-time buyer from Chicago told me the thing that mattered most was that I never made her feel rushed or uninformed. That's the standard.
This is one of the things I do best. I've helped clients move to Austin from the Bay Area, Chicago, and other parts of the country. For people who can't fly in, I do detailed video walkthroughs of every property and the surrounding area. Not just a quick pan of the living room. I walk you through the commute, the grocery stores, the school zones, and the things you'd only notice if you were standing in the driveway. I've had buyers close on homes they hadn't set foot in and feel confident doing it because we covered every angle before they signed.
The thing I hear most is that I'm "always responsive and dedicated" and that clients felt like they were my only priority. One client who bought her first home with me came back years later for a much bigger purchase because she never considered working with anyone else. Another described the experience as having someone who was patient enough to answer every question but experienced enough to catch problems before they became expensive. That's what I aim for: you should feel informed, protected, and confident from start to finish.
I've lived in Austin since 1996 and I've closed deals across the metro: downtown Austin, West Austin, Leander, Cedar Park, Spicewood, Lakeway, and everywhere in between. I know which streets flood, which school zones are rezoning, what's being developed nearby, and the things that don't show up on a listing. If you're not sure which part of the city fits your life, that's one of the first things we figure out together. My local knowledge is one of the biggest advantages I bring, especially for buyers who are new to the area.
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