Chicago’s commercial real estate market is seeing a new approach in its emerging neighborhoods, led by brokers who combine traditional deal-making with a developer’s perspective. Brittany Ramsey of Keller Williams ONEChicago exemplifies this trend by helping clients identify overlooked opportunities and approach transactions with a long-term, value-driven mindset.

A Media Background Shapes Real Estate Vision

Ramsey’s entry into commercial real estate began in the media industry. After relocating from Detroit to Chicago in her early twenties, she worked with major brands such as the Chicago Tribune and NBC Chicago, serving as an account executive with a focus on hospitality and restaurant clients.

“Working for big brands like the Chicago Tribune and NBC really catapulted me in terms of creating a very savvy and confident business person,” Ramsey says. Her experience in media, combined with an interest in Chicago’s food scene, laid the groundwork for her later focus on hospitality real estate.

Ramsey started her real estate career in 2012, initially working part-time in luxury rentals. “I really started on the ground floor of just understanding rentals,” she says, describing her progression from leasing individual units to managing lease-ups for entire buildings and working with private investors.

The Evolution to Commercial Focus

Ramsey’s pivot from residential to commercial real estate followed her clients’ growing ambitions. “I grow with wherever my clients’ appetite grows,” she says. A connection in commercial construction encouraged her to enter the field, noting the opportunity for women and the potential for greater efficiency: “You could do that same volume in two transactions.”

Today, Ramsey leads the Norwell Collective, a group specializing in residential and commercial retail as well as mixed-use developments. Her portfolio now includes about 100,000 square feet of commercial listings, from retail spaces to institutional properties such as a 41,000-square-foot school in South Chicago.

“I am a real estate agent that thinks like a developer,” Ramsey says. “I help a lot of my clients with buying properties that they ordinarily would not be interested in.”

Bronzeville’s Rapid Price Growth

Ramsey’s developer mindset is especially evident in her work in Bronzeville, a neighborhood that has seen dramatic market changes in the past five years. Prices for condos and multi-unit buildings have risen sharply, making the area a focal point for investors and institutions.

“When I first moved to Bronzeville, you could get a condo for under $150,000 easily. Today you’re looking at $200,000 just to get in the door of something that may be semi-distressed,” Ramsey notes. At the upper end, condos now approach $600,000, and multi-unit buildings that sold for $300,000–$350,000 five years ago are reaching $1 million.

These increases are driven by significant institutional investment. Northwestern University recently opened a medical facility along Cottage Grove, and large-scale developments are reshaping the corridor from McCormick Place down the lakeshore and along 43rd and 47th streets.

The Hospitality Opportunity Gap

Despite this growth, Bronzeville’s retail landscape lacks sufficient dining options, according to Ramsey. A recent survey by her office found that residents often travel to Hyde Park, the West Loop, and Pilsen for dining experiences.

“We have great restaurants, such as Bronzeville Winery, Sip and Savor for coffee, Ain’t She Sweet Deli and Cafe, as well as Sean Michelle’s ice cream. But we need more,” she says. “We need more on the fine dining side, because I think the neighborhood calls for it based on the demographics and the spending in the neighborhood for home prices.”

Ramsey views this gap as a direct opportunity for clients. She connects aspiring restaurateurs with experienced hospitality consultants to create “strategic partnerships” that turn concepts into viable businesses.

“It’s not a matter of not being able to make something happen. If you have a dream—‘I’ve always wanted to open a fudge shop’ or ‘I’ve always wanted to open an ice cream shop’—you can execute if you bring on the right advisors and keep your capital stack growing,” she says.

Market Dynamics and Adaptation

The hospitality sector continues to face economic pressures, including prolonged unemployment among high-earning professionals. However, Ramsey points out that consumer demand for dining and experiences remains steady.

“Food is one of those things that can be interchangeable. Hospitality and an experience and escapism in an experience is something that people are always going to crave,” she says. The challenge for developers and operators is to create concepts able to withstand changing market conditions.

The pandemic underscored the need for adaptability. Chicago restaurants that survived did so by quickly modifying their business models—installing walk-up windows, building enclosed patios, or launching delivery services. “Those who are willing to adapt early and often are the ones that can survive the pitfalls, no matter what the economy is doing,” Ramsey says.

Recent Market Activity Surge

After a quiet summer, Ramsey has seen a substantial increase in market activity in the fourth quarter. “There’s just been a significant uptick, not only with my own listings and just interests and inquiries, but also with investors and developers eager to try to get deals done,” she reports.

This renewed activity spans both small investors and institutional players, with particular momentum in hospitality-focused properties. Ramsey attributes this to recent improvements in interest rates and investors seeking to deploy capital after gains in the stock market.

“A lot of people have benefited from the ebbs and flows in the stock market this year. I know my clients, they’ve seen some nice windfalls. And so they’re like, ‘Okay, I’m ready to play ball. What can we put together?’”

Expanding Geographic Reach

While Chicago is Ramsey’s primary market, she is expanding into Michigan, motivated by Detroit’s long-term development plans and substantial infrastructure investments. “There’s so much infrastructure coming to the city, and just the state of Michigan in general, on a federal level, from parks and recreation to major monuments to museums to stadiums and arenas.”

Ramsey’s strategy involves building a team in downtown Ann Arbor’s KW Commercial office, focusing on the corridor from Ann Arbor to Detroit. She believes the four-and-a-half-hour drive between Chicago and Detroit presents opportunities for coordinated regional development. “I’m carving out a niche for myself and my team as kind of like the group of the Midwest. That’s what we want to be known for.”

A Philosophy of Possibility

Central to Ramsey’s approach is helping clients move beyond traditional limitations. “You can lead people to water, but you got to show them how to drink,” she says. “That’s through education, market analysis, data, and also confidence and conviction.”

This philosophy has allowed her to work with clients from as far as Malaysia and Bulgaria, with 80% of her transactions involving remote clients. For example, she has assisted international families buying condos in Chicago for their children attending university, guiding them through the process and helping them see the value of ownership over renting.

For real estate professionals and developers seeking to capitalize on emerging market opportunities, Ramsey’s model offers a clear strategy: combine in-depth market knowledge with creative problem-solving, build partnerships that add value beyond standard transactions, and remain flexible to adjust as conditions change. In rapidly appreciating neighborhoods like Bronzeville, this approach is proving essential for sustainable success.