If the thought of making it big in real estate intoxicates you, look into Brandywine. A self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT), Brandywine buys, leases, sells, and manages commercial properties. It owns more than 200 office properties, about 20 industrial properties, a handful of mixed-use properties, and some 500 acres of undeveloped land. Its portfolio comprises more than 25 million sq. ft. of rentable space, located mainly in urban and suburban areas of the mid-Atlantic region, as well as California and Texas. Jerry Sweeney, who founded Brandywine in 1986, remains president and CEO of the company.