James brings a wealth of experience in building and construction to his real estate career, having previously operated his own business. A lifelong Ballarat local, he combines strong industry knowledge with a friendly, approachable style. Known for his honest communication and strong work ethic, James focuses on building lasting relationships while delivering outstanding results for his clients.

What’s your personal connection to the neighbourhood?
I’ve lived in Ballarat all my life and am deeply community-oriented. I’m heavily involved in fundraising for charities and proudly support multiple sporting clubs throughout the region. I also enjoy attending local events and functions whenever possible, as they provide a great opportunity to stay connected with the community and build genuine relationships.
What do your clients commonly say you do differently?
Clients often say they appreciate how easy and transparent I make the process feel. They value my strong market knowledge, honest communication and willingness to be available after hours when needed. I take a conversation-based approach and genuinely invest time in understanding each home and the people behind it, ensuring every appraisal feels thoughtful, personalised and never just another transaction.
What are some core values you live by?

Reviews

4.92

James has a 4.92 star rating, according to realestate.com.au.

Last updated: July 2026

Quick and professional James was very professional and had no trouble getting us the result we wanted after just one open house. He was courteous, friendly and knowledgeable. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend James for all of your real estate needs.

David Nevins

James made selling our property a breeze. He made both my partner and I very comfortable. If we needed anything he was there to help or answer questions that we had. All in all made for a very pleasurable experience.

Steve Border

Knowledgeable, Professional agent James was fantastic to deal with- had a great knowledge of the property he was representing and was always available to answer any questions etc we had in regards to the property! Thanks James for being such a fantastic agent to deal with, we would highly recommend you to anybody wanting to market their property.

Katie & Dean Paten

We had such a good experience with selling our investment property. We were not from the area, so it was stress free to have James taken care of everything. Our property sold within a week with James advice and we were so glad because we really needed to offload financially. We are really grateful to James and his team. Thank you

Febe J

Knowledge of the market was great . Understanding what I was looking was also great , and helpful also easy to contact

Jedd C

Very Professional, great Feedback all thru the Selling process.

Neil and Myrna M

James worked wonderfully well to get the sale done. Kept us informed every step of the way.

Glen K

James would be your go-to buying a house! We are very lucky to have James’ expertise buying our first house at Ballarat. He made sure communication was good and attended to all our questions without any delays. The whole process is really smooth, we couldn’t recommend James enough!

Xin Z

He is very supportive ,His work are clear and straight forward work

Dissanayake D

Honest and realistic real estate agent. Definitely worth going too.

Jay M

From our first interaction, James was amazing. He kept me informed with every aspect of the sale of my land and even rang me whilst he was on holidays to congratulate me when the property sold! James was down to earth and knew what the market value was around the area.

Antonia M

James is very knowledgeable in the Real estate business. My situation was a little different to most sales but he navigated the correct way and sold my home in a very short time frame, I was so pleased at how easy he made this process. Thank you James.

Jackie D

James was great to work with, reliable, professional, high integrity and a great communicator.

Ian S

We were very happy with our Purchase & Sale dealing with James. He was prompt, reliable and kept us up to date from start to end. He is very professional and knows his stuff! Would definitely recommend him to others looking to purchase or sell.

Sharon & Matt L

James from Buxton was fantastic throughout the whole sale process which, as an interstate client James was my eyes and ears throughout the repairs process on the property prior to sale then throughout the entire campaign he kept me up to date with inspection numbers, interested parties and ultimately offers put forward. Would be happy recommend as well as sell with James again!

Kelsey H

James is amazing, he’s so down to earth, the experience shows ,nothing was too much trouble we bought and sold with James and he’s always one step ahead ,I had some health issues and I knew I didn’t have to worry I trusted him 110%,I would and have recommend him ,if in the future we need to sell or buy I wouldn’t go anywhere else ,thank you James and Burton’s

Sherryn B

James was fantastic to deal with in purchasing our first home. A really honest and genuine guy that made the process so easy for us. Highly recommended!

Phoenix N

James Montana ,you can tell the experience, I had some health issues and he handled everything that needed to be done ,he went far beyond his job role to help ,he is kind and honest as the day is long ,his colleagues all had good things to say about him, we sold 2 houses and bought one ,no matter what the hiccups were it was here that his experience kicked in with no problems ,we trusted him 110 percent he is an amazing human being ,I’d never work with any else, Thank you .

Sherryn S

James was always very prompt in reply and extremely knowledgeable of the current market and area.

Sue S

Thanks was really pleased with James helping me secure the house and helping me find a good first home to buy.

Kealey M

Always quick to answer any queries I may have, and straight to the point - no games or messing around, just the truth of whatever matter I was enquiring about. As a first home buyer there were plenty of uncertainties that I encountered, so to have an agent in your corner who cuts straight to the heart of any issue or question you may have is invaluable. Would recommend James in a heartbeat for anyone looking to buy or sell 🙌

Nathan L

My wife and myself bought a property from James 3 years ago. So we had no hesitation in having James help us selling our home. We found him very professional, helpful and honest. He was always available to talk to 7 days a week and that was very comforting if we had any concerns or questions. During the sale process we had the property tenanted and James did a great job dealing with tenants and prospective buyers. Considering the current market we achieved a sale price close to what we wanted.

John L

James went above and beyond to sell our property. Communication was fantastic.

Daniel G

James worked well with Brayden. Good communication and got back to us quickly.

Robert N

Great at highlighting what would help sell our place.

Fiona H

I contacted James on a Saturday morning prior to the property's first inspection, which I couldn't attend. Although this was a long weekend, James agreed to meet me on the Monday (public holiday). By the end of that week, I was advised that the property was mine. I couldn't be happier with the result & highly recommend dealing with James for his efficiency & professionalism.

Brendan E

James was an excellent agent. He was available to talk to me any time of the day, with continuous communication and engagement. Highly recommended.

Monica X

James helped us achieving what we thought would be the impossible! He managed to sell our house within 16 days. He knew we had a tight deadline and ensured he did as many opens as possible. And he continuously kept us in the loop. He was professional, on time always, and a great person to work with during this process

Jessica S

Very helpful and organised everything promptly and efficiently.

Gill and Leigh D

James is a hard working man , never settled for anything less but the best. Always on time and kept us informed at all steps of the selling of our properties Would highly recommend James to anyone in the Ballarat Region

Belmir V

James was fantastic to deal with! He helped us secure our new property and sell our current home. Would recommend him to anyone! We can’t thank him enough!!

Grace M

Thank you James for all your kind support during our purchasing! Fast response for the offer we give, keep us posted for each step, and help us arrange the inspection again and again. It can be said that without James' professional assistance, we cannot get our dream house this soon! Highly recommend him if you would like to buy.

Xiaolin M

Clear communicator, helping myself and my fiancé through the process as first home buyers. Helped to achieve a fair negotiation and terms.

Landon C

James was professional and exceptional in his advice, knowledge and in showing potential buyers through our home. We are happy with the outcome of the sale.

Ron S

James helped with the sale of my property. Answered any questions i had and has great knowledge of the area. Got the price i was after and within the time granted. He has great back up support which helped with the journey

Adrian J

We purchased our new home and sold our current one with James Montano from Buxton Real Estate-Ballarat, and we couldn’t be more satisfied. James was professional, knowledgeable, and kept us informed throughout the process. From securing our perfect home to expertly marketing and selling our property, James and his team provided exceptional service. We sold our house quickly and for a great price. We highly recommend James and the team for a seamless buying or selling experience!

Bridie R

Good

Gary M

James was very good to deal with,we would recommend him to anyone buying a home.

Judy A

In the most stressful situation, James was there for us every step of the way with his professionalism and knowledge. Always happy to take our calls and answer our questions with his honestyand expertise. We achieved the outcome we were after and cant thank him enough.

Michelle V

Knowledge of the market spot on gave pricise information that l felt confidant in my decision to sell at the appropriate time

Helene L

Market knowledge was excellent. The price achieved was at the lower end of the price range but above the initial figure we though our property was worth. Finding a buyer in 3 months was a good achievement in the current climate.

Dennis R

Very good in a very slow market

Dennis S

Approach and knowledge of market was very good.Great attention to introducing /prospective buyers . Good follow up on market expectations.

Graeme C

James was super helpful and nothing was an issue. He was super clear about everything and no stone was left unturned. His communication was awesome. Thanks James

Brad O

James and team provided great advice and communication. Worked hard to get the sale completed and worked with us to get the best price we could. Highly recommend James and the Buxton team

Joanne A

Very upfront with everything I needed to know to secure the property. Fast, efficient and great communication between myself and James. Fast acting to retrieve answers for me from the vendors made the whole process smooth and great for me being a first home buyer. Thanks again James.

Mitchell L

James is an awesome agent.Very accommodating and easy to transact with.He is quick in replying to messages.He has a broad knowledge when it comes to the real estate market.

Karen D

Good knowledge of the market

Robert B

Working with James was an absolute pleasure from start to finish. As a real estate agent, he combines deep market knowledge with excellent communication and a genuine dedication to his clients. Whether it was answering questions promptly, arranging showings efficiently, or providing honest advice, James always went above and beyond to ensure a smooth experience.

Imelda M

Great knowledge of local market, was clear and listened. Didn't engage in sales pitch talk, straight talker. Professional and great communicator.

Tania B

James has been very straightforward in the process of buying my first home. He is down to earth & easily contactable!

Eliza H

It was an absolute pleasure dealing with James and the team. He answered my initial call immediately and was able to assist me with my questions. Our purchase was smooth and stress free, we had constant communication from his admin team so we always felt updated throughout the journey.

Stephanie C

James knowledge of the market and area was great. He kept great communication throughout our sale which reduced all the stress of selling. I would recommend James to my family and friends looking to sell or purchase in the future.

Michael H

Very upfront and helpful thru out the whole. Would definitely recommend to anyone wanting to sell their home.

Tom N

On first meeting with James I felt very at ease and new straight away we would choose him , when u know u know , he was very knowledgeable with knowing exactly what we were after , he treated us like he already new us which made the meeting so right . He explained everything very simply . Was not expecting to settle on the first agent , but thanks to James we could relax and leave it in his capable hands thank u James , Keep up the good work . Thank u again Chris , Buxton are very lucky

Christine W

James provided a professional approach to the sale. Given the flat state of the semi rural property market the sale of the property was a great success Happy to deal with James in future.

Sandy H

Allendale

James very helpful and accommodating with inspections when he was unable to meet he made sure he had a colleague available.

Paul H

James worked very well with the team at Buxton to find a buyer for my house super quickly. House was sold towards top of range within a week! Good knowledge of the local market and communicated with me through the process.

Claire B

Spot on. Had a lot of experience from working with the vendor on other projects.

Melodie T

Allendale

James has been extremely helpful and positive from initial enquiry through to listing and selling, with some extra assistance along the way. Nothing too much trouble, awesome person to deal with.

Kathleen A

James made the sale of our investment property very easy and quick, achieving the result we wanted.

Anna G

I bought my property off James, he was lovely and personable easy to communicate with when making offers.

Tess D

Prompt and easy to deal with, highly recommended.

Jason W

Very quick to advertise and sell the property couldn’t of asked for anything better very professional well done and thanks

Alice M

Fairly good.

Rob M

Knew the local area market well.

Phil R

James was professional, responsive, and kept me informed throughout the entire selling process. Communication was always easy, and he handled negotiations with the buyer confidently and professionally. Like with any sale process, there were a few small things along the way, but overall the experience was very smooth and positive. Most importantly, the final sale price exceeded my expectations, and I’m very happy with the outcome. Thanks again, James.

Mikhail S

James was extremely helpful from finding our home, submitting an offer to purchasing. He was prompt with his service, and knowledgeable about the current market. His assistant Emma was also amazing and very helpful.

Marcus R

James had an extensive knowledge of the real estate market. James was very quick to get back to me with my requests and if he couldn't full fill my wishes he had others get things done quickly for him.

Megan B

James supplied me with a realistic price guide and achieved the maximum price. Properly was sold in the time frame that was given to me by James

Peter M

James was always ready to answer any questions, he advised us regarding the purchasing procedure.

Alan F

James was absolutely fantastic, fast communication, easy and reliable. Would recommend to anyone.

Brittany C

James knows his work well but must admit to be honest needs to slow down, very popular man l would say, as to me always appears to be to busy. But great guy did in the end always answer anything l wasn’t certain of when he got time.

Wilhelmina Q

Frequently Asked

Here to help

Your Buxton agent will cover the details - here’s a clear view of what an appraisal involves.

We approach appraisals as a practical conversations, grounded in real data, local insight and what matters most to you.

Speak to us

Your Buxton agent visits your property, considers its features, location, and market conditions, and combines that with recent sales data to give you a clear, realistic view of its value.

We analyse comparable properties, current market trends, and your home’s unique qualities. From there, we provide a considered range that reflects what buyers are likely to pay.

Not at all. An appraisal is simply insight - a way to understand your home’s value and your options before making any decisions.

Typically, we recommend an in-person appraisal so we can assess your property fully. In some cases, a virtual appraisal can provide a helpful initial guide.

Agents weigh factors differently - recent sales, market conditions, and property features. At Buxton, we combine local insight, data, and experience to provide a balanced, realistic appraisal you can trust.

Get in touch

Reach out to James for property advice and local support.

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