For Debra Dobbs, real estate is about balancing the complexities of a deal while understanding the emotional component to a residential transaction. “I am inspired by structuring the business side of the transaction while honoring the emotions my clients have invested in the process,” she explains. Her negotiating skills, precise attention to detail, and superior client service are why Dobbs enjoys tremendous success in the industry more than three decades after making real estate her career.

Dobbs ranks as the No.1 individual agent in the @properties Lincoln Park office, a Top 50 Chicago agent and among the top 1 percent of agents citywide. She is also the recipient of multiple Chicago Association of Realtors Platinum awards for outstanding achievement. Dobbs is seen as a fierce advocate and trusted advisor by those who rely on her.

Dobbs supports a wide range of clients, leveraging her specialized knowledge in renovation and construction to
help buyers visualize how to improve a home to add value and personalized finishes. For sellers, Debra brings a keen eye for design, and knows how to stage a home to its best advantage. Much of Debra’s success can be attributed to her entrepreneurial spirit. “Before real estate I trained in Italy to learn the fine art of making gelato and opened Chicago’s first gelateria in the heart of Lincoln Park. I produced a David Mamet play when I was 30!” she says. Through it all, Dobbs honed her skills in creative, ‘outside-the-box’ marketing, project management and perhaps most importantly, patience.

Dobbs recently represented a seller who first became her client in 1988 in their sixth transaction together. “It means so much that clients work with me not only over the years, but across a century!” she laughs. In 2015 Dobbs closed a deal on behalf of her clients to purchase 12,000 square feet of condos in the Water Tower Place. The first of five units was just completed and is, as Dobbs describes, “an extraordinary example of thoughtful design and exquisite attention to every detail.”

A former two-term president of the Women’s Council of Realtors, Dobbs also holds multiple industry designations, including Certified Commercial Investment Member, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist and Graduate of the Realtor Institute.

Dobbs is the mother of a teenage daughter and three beloved dogs. She enjoys growing fig trees, making Limoncello and Sunday supper with friends, a time-honored Italian tradition. Dobbs supports charitable causes focused on the issues of mental health, homelessness and at-risk youth. Her life certainly reflects a unique set of experiences, all of which have led her to the professional accomplishments she enjoys today. “Everything comes at the right moment. Be patient,” she says, adding, “and there is no force equal to that of a determined woman!”