Jenny Pruitt, an icon of Atlanta real estate market, died Sept. 27 after a battle with cancer. Pruitt was 85.
Pruitt’s influence on the Atlanta real estate market, particularly in Buckhead, spanned 40 years. Pruitt carved her own path in the Atlanta market before founding Atlanta Fine Home – Sotheby’s International Realty, which grew to include more than 500 agents with over $3.7 billion in sales in 2023. Pruitt also served as Director of the Buckhead Coalition and was a dedicated philanthropist.
“Jenny was a true pillar of our city as a third-generation Atlantan, but she was also a prominent and legendary force in the real estate community at-large and genuinely made a difference in our city’s growth, development, and prosperity,” a statement from Atlanta Realtors Association (ARA), said. “Jenny Pruitt was so many things to so many of us.”
Pruitt paves her path to success
Pruitt’s self-made journey had humble beginnings. Her father died when Pruitt was a child, and her family scraped by while living with relatives. In a 2022 ARA interview, Pruitt said she gained an interest in real estate through her mother, who was in sales but “never very successful.” With limited means and encouragement from her mother, Pruitt saved enough money to attend business classes at Georgia State University. With a newly established business acumen, Pruitt began her real estate career in 1968 and quickly found success. Pruitt worked as an agent with Northside Realty, founded by late U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, before serving as a manager with Buckhead Brokers for five years. The firm was the top brokerage for sales in Atlanta during Pruitt’s tenure with a staff of 90 associates.
In 1988, she established Jenny Pruitt & Associates and furthered her indelible mark on the Buckhead real estate community. The company, founded along with her husband, Bob, specialized in the Buckhead market and its upscale residences. Founded ahead of a recession, Pruitt said the company continued to grow despite its inauspicious start. It continued to be a top firm in Atlanta real estate market with annual sales of over $1.5 billion with six metro Atlanta offices.
After catapulting her own brokerage, Pruitt sold the company in 2001 to a company under the umbrella of billionaire investor and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett. Despite starting over, Pruitt’s second venture proved to be even more successful.
Pruitt founded Atlanta Fine Homes- Sotheby’s International Realty in 2007, chosen by Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. as its exclusive Atlanta affiliate, with business partner and son-in-law David Boehmig. Atlanta Fine Homes has nearly 600 sales associates in four offices in metro Atlanta. According to the company’s website, it is the metro’s top brokerage with $3.7 billion in annual sales.
Pruitt earned a bevy of awards throughout her career. Pruitt was selected as an E.A. Isakson Award recipient for “upholding the highest standards of integrity and professionalism,” the Sally Washburn Lifetime Achievement Award, Georgia Small Business Person of the Year and Realtor of the Year. She was also inducted into the Business Hall of Fame at Georgia State University, the YWCA Academy of Women Achievers, and Junior Achievement Hall of Fame. She was named a Four Pillar Award winner in 2016 by The Council for Quality Growth, which recognizes the pillars to be quality, responsibility, vision, and integrity, and celebrates her philanthropic endeavors as well as significant contributions to economic development in Metro Atlanta.
Pruitt’s philanthropic efforts and personal life
Pruitt and her husband, Bob, were married in 1966. Pruitt credited Bob with giving her the push that ultimately led to the founding of Jenny Pruitt & Associates. The couple had two daughters, seven grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.
In 2015, Pruitt penned “Beneath His Wings,” a memoir in which she discussed the struggles of her youth to her rise to prominence, through which she was driven by her faith. Pruitt’s faith and business success drove her numerous philanthropic efforts. She founded a scholarship for students at Georgia State University and founded the Buckhead Girls Club, which provided local community and cultural funding.
“Jenny was truly legendary in Atlanta real estate, but more than that, she was a woman of deep faith and kindness,” Atlanta Fine Homes Realtor Thomas House posted on Facebook.
Pruitt was also an active community member. She is the former Director of the Buckhead Coalition and served on various leadership boards, including for the Carter Center, the Atlanta Police Foundation and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
“At her very core, Jenny was the embodiment of a servant leader and always ensured that other people’s highest needs were being served before hers,” a statement from ARA said.
