OUR STORY

The Rufus Group began with Jimmy when he started buying properties at 23 years old. Jimmy describes himself as a serial entrepreneur who specializes in the Real Estate industry. Not only has he built houses, he has built entire real estate teams and brokerages. Jimmy specializes in all things real estate, including, buying, managing, flipping, and selling commercial and residential properties for individuals and investors. Jimmy has a diverse investment portfolio of properties that range in value from 3,000,000 to 6,000,000, depending on buying and selling strategies. He is energized by finding good deals, seeing potential, and ultimately building lifelong relationships with clients.

Jill joined the team when she married Jimmy in 1993. Jill specializes in staging, marketing, finding great deals, and building relationships. From a small single family home to an entire neighborhood or community of new construction townhomes, Jill has marketed and sold it all.

When their son, Drake, was born he was immediately thrown into the real estate market After watching and learning from his parents for decades, Drake got his license and has been helping people buy and sell property since….

THE TEAM

A seasoned real estate entrepreneur, Jimmy Rufus began investing in properties at just 23 years old. With decades of hands-on experience, he has built and led successful real estate teams and brokerages. Jimmy specializes in identifying and transforming opportunities through buying, flipping, managing, and selling both residential and commercial properties. His sharp business instincts and deep market knowledge have helped him grow a personal and client portfolio valued in the millions. Driven by results and passionate about real estate, Jimmy is committed to creating wealth-building opportunities for investors and delivering exceptional service to clients.

Jill Rufus is the heart behind the client experience at The Rufus Group. As a former social worker turned entrepreneur, she has leveraged her training to build successful ventures, including managing 25 rental properties and running an online reselling platform. Jill brings a unique blend of empathy and business acumen to the real estate world, providing personalized, people-focused strategies to help buyers and sellers secure their most valued investments. She thrives on creating customized real estate journeys tailored to each client’s goals, and her commitment to service has helped The Rufus Group close over 200 homes in the past year. Jill also plays a key role in managing their $8 million investment portfolio alongside Jimmy.

As a recent graduate of Liberty University, Drake worked at The Blu Market, a social media agency promoting iPhone apps like Angry Birds and Clash of Clans. He co-led growth campaigns and grew his own Instagram page to over 1 million followers, eventually selling it to a California media company.
Combining his marketing expertise with our real estate background, he offers tailored strategies for effective and efficient marketing campaigns. He is also an excel spreadsheet genius.

Real estate concierge and event planner extraordinairre, Larkin makes our lists and checks them off. She manages our 25 short, mid and long term rentals, handles our complimentary staging jobs for sellers, and furnishes our existing portfolio of properties. Larkin creates special events for our team as well as curates unforgettable experiences for our clients.

As a Realtor with over 17 years of experience in real estate and accounting, Jessica brings expertise in property valuations, coordinating listings and manages the post contract process. Jessica also manages many of the details of The Rufus Group projects including renovation properties and our personal portfolio of rentals.

Our secret weapon for a smooth and stress-free home-buying experience, Nikki expertly handles all the behind-the-scenes details-managing communication between buyers, sellers, agents, lenders, and title companies, ensuring paperwork is accurate, and meeting every deadline. Keeping everything on track and providing personalized support, this makes a journey to closing both efficient and enjoyable.

As our preferred lender at Freedom First Credit Union, Courtney is a lifelong Lynchburg native with 25 years of banking experience, including a decade in mortgage lending. Her passion for helping clients achieve their dream of homeownership shines through her expertise in Conventional, FHA, VA, VHDA, USDA, and construction loans. In 2023, Courtney was honored as Central Virginia HOME Magazine's Platinum Reader's Choice for Mortgage Loan Officers, reflecting her exceptional service to her clients.

Why should you hire a team?

When it comes to buying or selling a property, having a real estate team on your side is game-changer. Not only will they always be available to take calls and show properties, but they'll also bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the table.

When it comes time to take your largest asset to market, it's vital to have a variety of perspectives to build your specific marketing plan. As a team we build a plan just for your home and each listing is vetted through the team, which ensures we don't have any holes in our marketing.

Our job is to get you the best deal and often times that is through leveraging our combined skillsets...and NETWORKS.

While we personalize our marketing approach, we systemize our approach to paperwork, ensuring you always know what's coming next.