North Country Realty, 22883 Agate Shores Rd, Deerwood, MN 56444, US

In 1955, a housewife Emma Rovick borrowed $2,000 and bought a struggling real estate firm in order to make enough money to buy a piano for her daughter. She hired three hired and managed to sell $2 million worth of real estate in the very first year. Today, Edina Realty has annual sales of more than $8.3 billion. It is one of the largest real estate companies in the United States with more than 3,000 realtors and 80 offices throughout Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Its family of companies includes Edina Realty Title, Edina Realty Mortgage and Edina Realty Relocation. Edina Realty deals in the buying and selling of land lots, multifamily homes and commercial properties. It also offers rental and property management, mortgage assistance, insurance and title services. The firm is a part of HomeServices of America, which is one of the largest, full-service independent residential real estate brokerage firms and brokerage-owned settlement service providers in the United States. Edina Realty maintains an office in Crosslake, Minn.