For Kristin Hurd, success is in her blood; her grandfather ran one of the largest real estate firms in Ohio in the ‘70s. But it was her own hard work that drove her to the top of the New Jersey real estate scene. In 2003, Hurd became the top Hudson County seller for Weichert Realtors, capitalizing on what she saw as the living potential of Jersey City, and won rookie of the year. In 2004, at age 31, she was asked to open her own real estate branch for the firm.

“I love helping couples find their homes,” Hurd says. “I love helping gay couples, knowing it’s important for people in our community to have a safe home and feel safe with who they’re working with.” In 2006, she was awarded manager of the year, and in coming years Hurd is looking forward to several green real estate projects. In the meantime, she supports Lambda Legal, the Human Rights Campaign and Garden State Equality. “You gotta take care of your people,” says Hurd. —LF