In the Know: For Skylar Haskell, success isn’t about Internet lead generation or scooping up domain names by the handful. He swears by the time-honored method of personal referrals. "Most of my clients are people I already know or people who have been referred by someone I know," says Haskell, 28, associate broker with The Group Inc.

Brothers, business partners: Being well connected is clearly paying off for Haskell and his brother Matt, 32, who were born and raised in Ft. Collins and have been in business together for four years. Last year, Team Haskell closed 104 transaction sides worth nearly $26 million. The bulk of their business comes from local home builders; the duo earned accolades as the No. 1 team for new construction in northern Colorado last year.

Redefining retail: Haskell is also betting on their new "retail store" for driving future traffic. The storefront office offers a welcoming destination for people who want to browse through listings and ask questions on the spot. The store sports a digital interest-rate ticker and multiple flat-panel, touch-screen TVs that showcase properties in high-resolution glory.