Hartmann believes in picking a niche you know well and working it hard to build business. She began her career going after FSBOs and expired listings. But after doing a few deals on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, the Jersey native decided the key to her success lay in becoming a specialist in riverfront properties across from Manhattan. 

INFO SOURCE: Buyers in this market come armed with data from the Internet, so Hartmann decided the best way to get their attention was to become a major source for them. She created a Web site that includes school reports, mortgage information, and local community resources. Her closed volume jumped from $3.9 million in 2006 to $16.7 million in 2007 with transactions up from 12 to 47. Her area work attracted attention. In late 2006, she and a partner snagged a $300 million listing from a developer marketing 300 waterfront units.