Since childhood, Amanda Bell Ruddy has been fascinated by home design and architecture.

Ruddy, a broker associate with Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty, began a career in real estate working in luxury rental high-rise buildings, mostly in the West Loop, River North, Gold Coast, Old Town and Streeterville. As she expanded into sales, she branched out into more neighborhoods and gained a solid grasp of the downtown Chicago and suburban areas in which she assists buyers and sellers.

Responsive and helpful at every step of the process, Ruddy makes sure all of her clients know what to expect from the process and can reach her anytime with questions. “Buying and selling a home can be stressful and emotional,” she says. “Whether it’s good or bad news, my clients know they can call, text or email me anytime and I will talk through the situation.”

Assisting many first-time buyers, Ruddy thinks it’s important for them not to feel pressured to quickly decide on a property. Nonetheless, she’s honest with them about market conditions. If they need to write up an offer quickly to secure a home, she lets them know that, too.

Ruddy honed her skills as a broker working for the No. 1 group in Illinois by sales volume for two years, gaining a lot of experience with new developments and single-family homes. There, she learned all aspects of transactions: paperwork, professional pictures, showings, inspections and communication with luxury sellers in a high-volume listing office. “It made me more confident in how to handle certain situations,” she shares. “It helped me grow and know how I want to do business in the future, on my own.”

In this competitive market, she searches for properties every day and knows what’s coming on the market, to get buyers into showings early and help make their dreams come true.