At the tail end of the real estate boom, Chris Trapani launched a boutique brokerage with a seasoned crew of salespeople and a commitment to giving back to the community.

Mutual respect, family values, and staying ahead of the technology curve have allowed Leonard Kaiser's company to ride out 30 years of volatility.

John Plocher has managed to stay on top of a shifting real estate market by diversifying his business. His team of sales associates, property managers, and maintenance workers has grown during some of the industry’s roughest days.

Joe Moshé attracts top sellers to his high-volume business with his 100 percent commission model and very low associate fees.

Jennifer Bunker has learned a great deal about social media and communicating with clients since starting her own virtual brokerage, but she insists that her greatest teacher was cancer.

Armando Tam's success in lower-income neighborhoods shows how speaking the language and understanding local culture can make all the difference.

Kimberly Dotseth walks the walk at her "green" brokerage, using recyclable office products, putting closing documents on  CD, and preparing energy profiles for every property she sells.

Scott DeNeve thought real estate brokerages were making it too hard for sales associates to tailor their services to the needs of each client, so he designed a company with an innovative hands-off approach.

Gregg Leiss saw the slowdown coming and adapted by offering cost-conscious buyers an affordable substitute: mobile homes.

Dick Sinapi offers potential buyers the convenience of brokerage, mortgage, and title services under one roof—and at a discount.

Broker-owners who’d like nothing more than to get in front of the 38 million readers of Better Homes and Gardens magazine and the 5 million unique monthly visitors to the magazine’s Web site will have that chance in July when Realogy Corp. rolls out its newest franchise brand, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.

Who says nice guys finish last? Since he came on board as broker-manager of RE/MAX Unlimited, REALTORS®, in Palatine, Ill., Lee Bialek, considered an all-around nice guy by his sales force, has helped his office grow its sales volume 64 percent, from $101 million in 1999 to $166 million in 2001. Now the company ranks No. 1 in its market.