Michael Baynes is the best broker I have worked with in my 25 years in the real estate business. His background as an owner and developer gives him a unique insight into the needs of his clients before, during, and after the transaction. His integrity and strategic approach to all facets of the acquisition process truly set him apart.  Owner, Abbaye de la Bussière October 2022

Michael Baynes found my dream vineyard property, after listening intently to the qualities I valued, and helping me to better understand what would be the best fit.  His patience during this process, which took us several years, was gracious and kind.  His sound advice on everything from the purchase price to the scope of construction included pragmatic tips and invaluable referrals.  Michael and his team continue to be helpful, as we adjust to our new home, and my new career as a winemaker. I cannot recommend Michael Baynes and Maxwell Baynes Real Estate highly enough.

Dear Michael – we can’t thank you enough for all of your time, patience, guidance and thoughtfulness through the entire search for and transaction of Clos de la Barbanne. The thought of leaving corporate America started out as wishful thinking during Covid-19, but you expertly helped us navigate this huge move and we are forever grateful for your trustworthiness, practicality and kindness. Merci beaucoup! Sincerely Marisa + Patrick (USA Summer 2021)

Less than a year ago, while reading the New York Times, I happened upon an advertisement for a lovely stone house set in the countryside outside of Bordeaux. The house itself was impressive, the land upon which it sat extensive and serene. I was caught by both, and quite astonished when I saw the relatively modest listing price. I am accustomed to the high prices of real estate in Manhattan and the Hamptons, but having investigated, and invested in properties elsewhere in the U.S. as well as abroad I was happily surprised, upon further research, to discover what surprisingly good value the region of Bordeaux has to offer. The beauty of the homes and the land, from simple farmhouses to magnificent chateaux: the city itself; the villages and hill towns; the sense of history one feels at a every turn, the proximity to the pristine Atlantic coast, and but of course - the superlative wines and cuisine. To say nothing of the speed with which the TGV takes one from Bordeaux to the heart of Paris within 2 swiftly comfortable hours.This was, and remains, quite an important factor in our choice of this region of France. I made contact with what I knew to be the most reputable, prestigious realtors- Maxwell-Baynes Real Estate, the names of which I had from agents of note in New York. As I was not familiar with that particular region of France I was determined to be thorough in my investigation prior to making any commitment to purchase property, price notwithstanding. Michael Baynes, with the able assistance of his assistant Sandra Kiel, together with Jerry Green, are, without question, the reason I am now the delighted owner of an historic, beautifully restored stone “manoir” in a village with a 12th Century Chateau a short bike ride away through fields of sunflowers, plum trees and, of course - acres and acres of vineyards. On a practical level, Michael personally returned every one of the many calls I placed in the 2 months of research I did before booking my trip. He was patient, knowledgeable and unfailingly personable. He, or Sandra, replied in great detail to my every question on every property, complete with the pluses and the minuses of each i. e. state of repair, proximity to services, cost of maintenance. All very key points of concern. I was provided with maps, points of interest, information about accommodation and transportation. Sandra even personally intervened when I was having difficulty communicating with the rental car company to insure the exact model I sought for the trip. We then set out on a meticulously planned, fairly exhaustive 5 day tour of the properties of interest we had identified together.It is no exaggeration to say that this selection had been so carefully prepared, I had difficulty leaving many of them…. Having made my decision, I was assisted in the process every step of the way. On a personal level, I enjoyed making the acquaintance of Michael and his office staff and his regional agents. On a professional level I can unequivocally state that the services of this firm were quite above and beyond expectation. Further, I have no doubt, whatsoever, that should I encounter difficulty of any kind in the future, I would be able to count on this firm to assist me in any way possible. That is rare indeed.

I wanted to thank you and Karin for all the work you did in finding my wife and I the wonderful property in the Entre Deux Mers. We cannot say enough good things about the professionalism and expertise which Maxwell-Baynes Real Estate brought to this project. In particular, I would like to thank you for the many days you spent driving us around the region showing us different kinds of property which helped us immeasurably to refine exactly what we were looking for. Equally and perhaps more important, particularly for my wife, was the comprehensive introduction to the region as a whole which we picked up in your company. It makes a great difference for those of us coming to Bordeaux from the other hemisphere that we have a good sense of the restaurants, markets and stores of our neighborhood even before we arrive. In any case, this purchase and physical move to Bordeaux turned out to be the least stressful event in our rather stressful lives. I suppose it goes without saying that the actual negotiations and closing were handled masterfully. I cannot recall being at a closing before this one which I actually enjoyed. What struck me throughout the process was the quality of the team which you helped us put together, the notaire, the accountant, and the entire expert community which you seem to have access to. Now that we are well into the renovation of the Chateau and the landscaping I am impressed that all the people who have become involved in the project are people you either introduced us to or we met through you. My wife and I have no doubt that we have the best people in Bordeaux on the project as a result of your efforts. I could go on in this laudatory vein for considerable length. My only regret is that the consummate skills of Maxwell-Baynes Real Estate do not exist in the United States real estate market – as far as I am aware. Obviously, I look forward to recommending you and Karin to others who are looking to buy in Bordeaux and indeed I have already done just that. It is quite clear to me that it would be foolish to look for property in Bordeaux without Maxwell-Baynes Real Estate leading the way. Many thanks and warmest regards."

It is with great pleasure to share our personal experience of working with Mr. Michael Baynes. Mr. Baynes’ extensive knowledge of the industry and his extraordinary commitment to detail resulted in a pleasant experience from beginning to end. Michael has a unique ability to offer direction and suggestions whilst maintaining and respecting your personal preferences. He restored our faith in customer service, and it is with complete confidence we recommend him for your real estate needs. He will anticipate your every need and surpass your expectations.

Michael was timely, professional and very good at “follow-through”. His positive attitude was infectious….. We formed a relationship with Michael that went beyond business. We would recommend him to anyone who desires a professional, who will work tirelessly to satisfy your individual needs.

We have known Michael Baynes and Karin Maxwell for over ten years now. We have purchased two properties and sold one through their firm and with each had a most professional and agreeable experience. The words trustworthy and ethical come to mind when we think back at these real estate transactions. Michael... has been the standout broker in all of our years of buying and selling properties (approximately 20 properties over 25 years = at least 15 different agents). Michael has always worked tirelessly to make sure we are happy with every step of the process and is excellent at evaluating each properties’ potential. He is equally wonderful at being creative with renovation and financing options. Michael also has an abundance of resources for construction projects, vintners, architects, lawyers, bankers, etc. It was also very helpful to have been able to work with the firm’s English speaking notaire and their in-house insurance broker. Being Americans, we have deeply appreciated the level of customer service that Maxwell-Baynes provided and were especially impressed how they rendered the buying and selling process seamless from beginning to end. It is with great pleasure that we highly recommend the Maxwell-Baynes team to anyone buying or selling a property.

My wife and I had experienced the charm and beauty of St Emilion a few years ago having visited from our home in the US to celebrate a friend’s wedding. We loved St Emilion and the surrounding area so much that it became a dream to purchase a property there at some day. Having been recommended by my US broker, I first made contact with Michael Baynes in 2018; we held a series of conference calls and exchanged a number of emails as we tried to gather information about the market and the properties for sale in the Bordeaux region of South West France. Michael has spent much of his career on the client side of the real estate industry as a real estate investor and developer, so speaking to him as our agent, we felt that he identified with us well and made us comfortable from the outset. With a very full business and family schedule, rarely do we have time to follow up and write a testimony, however, we were so impressed with the advice we were given and the way that we were guided through the purchase process that we feel compelled to endorse Michael and his team. Some of the things that we particularly appreciated included: Michael’s in depth command of his market, attention to detail, a solution oriented leadership style that was both confident and humble but never abrasive in getting things done; his willingness to put our interests first advising us against decisions that may have benefited him more, his patience and above all his professionalism in every aspect of what we experienced. For example, we fell in love with the concept of looking at properties with a “hobby vineyard”, yet after understanding our needs Michael advised us to pick the property we loved and then take time to learn about the pros of cons of managing vines. We are grateful that at the time we took his advice – To his credit, vines/land can be acquired easily in the secondary market. The bottom line is that we totally trusted Michael to look after everything correctly allowing us to relax and enjoy what could have been a stressful experience in a foreign country. I cannot emphasize this point enough as the complexities of paperwork, banking, etc. were no small task but Michael and his team organized and executed everything flawlessly. Looking back to those early conversations with Michael as we told him our criteria for a purchase, in fact, we really did not know what we wanted, we just knew that we liked the area. Michael carefully qualified us and understood what we needed better than we did ourselves. Putting our trust in him to guide us, he led us to something we never would have imagined at the outset and today, we cannot exaggerate enough how much we love the chateau that we purchased through Maxwell-Baynes Real Estate. We consider Michael a friend and perhaps the greatest testimony of all, is that we will be making a second and more significant purchase through Michael later this year.