Penny says she’s led a “very entertaining” life. That’s one way to describe it. Another might be miraculous. While in college, Penny suffered catastrophic injury when, hurtling down a hill in an inner tube, she slammed into a tree. Penny needed nine surgeries over three years to recover. “I really think that helped shape me into the person I am today,” she says. An internship with a local practitioner in 2005 propelled her into real estate. “I like the mix of working with people, working with contracts, negotiating with other agents, and the whole marketing side of it,” she says. 

VERSATILITY COUNTS: In her small yet competitive market, she realized early that representing various types of real estate would be crucial to her success. In her first year, she sold everything from an 880-acre ranch to commercial multiuse properties to vacant land. CONDO BOOM: Last year—just her second in the business—Penny became sales manager for a condo conversion project, selling 52 units worth $10.7 million.