Tip: Develop a system for every phase of the real estate transaction.

Scott Shine, ABR®, isn’t letting life, or potential clients, pass him by. The Killeen, Texas, sales associate is out every day trying to rustle up business for Coldwell Banker Richard Smith, REALTORS®.

Last year, Shine closed $15.1 million in sales as part of the Shine Team, headed up by his mother, Jean, a top area salesperson. He attributes his success partly to the pavement pounding he did at a local 1,000-unit apartment complex. Shine walked the complex, writing down addresses. He later mailed each renter a package containing information about the costs of renting versus buying; the local housing market; the benefits of homeownership, including tax benefits; and, of course, information about the Shine Team. “So many renters were amazed they could afford to buy a house,” he says.

To market to other areas of his community, Shine and his team offer their moving van, featuring the Shine Team logo, to nonprofit organizations to use free of charge. “That’s been a huge hit. We actually have a waiting list to use the van,” he says.

Shine gives clients at closing a certificate for $100 to $200 off their next transaction with the Shine Team. The beauty of the certificate is that it’s transferable, so clients can give it to friends or family.