When Tara Ruppelt decided to re-enter the workforce after taking a few years off to focus on her young family, she began by taking a part-time sales role with a local high-end builder in Southeast Wisconsin. It didn’t take long for the former middle school teacher to see the potential in a full-time real estate career.

“It quickly became evident that even though I didn’t need a real estate license to sell new construction in Wisconsin, securing my license would be crucial to my success because most clients needed assistance finding land to build on, and once their new home was complete, they also needed assistance listing and selling their existing home,” she explains. Ruppelt was thrilled to offer her clients a seamless transition through multiple transactions.

Today, Ruppelt’s knowledge and expertise in new construction set her apart, especially when working with higher-end clients. She finds her understanding of the ins and outs of new construction to be invaluable when working with buyers of high-end homes, where she can point out unique features and speak intelligently about their costs. “This also gives sellers of high-end listings confidence in my ability to truly showcase the value in their home and the cost to rebuild something similar in today’s market,” Ruppelt confides.

The Wisconsin native believes in letting client relationships grow organically by taking a low-pressure approach. This has resulted in business that stems largely from referrals and open houses, and she has earned Coldwell Banker’s International President’s Elite status and been recognized by Real Trends and Tom Ferry as one of America’s best real estate professionals, among other honors. “People work with me because they seek me out, not the other way around,” she confirms.

When she isn’t working, Ruppelt can be found homeschooling her kids and supporting them in their sports. That said, even when she’s at the baseball diamond or the soccer field, her laptop is always close by.