Title: 
Broker-associate
Company: 
Century 21 Maselle & Associates
Location: 
224 Key Drive
Madison, MS 39110
United States
Mississippi US

“I’m single. My career is my life right now.”

Gardner’s personal sales volume of just under $10 million last year placed her at the top of her 90-salesperson company and second among all Century 21 associates in her state for 2003.

Making herself visible: She sends monthly mailings to two subdivisions and fellow alumni of Delta State University. “You get known and referrals happen faster if you concentrate on specific areas and groups,” she says. She attributes 70 percent of her business to these mailings, which bring her repeat business and new buyers alike.

Don’t forget to laugh: Gardner uses attention-getting ideas, such as shocking pink paper for Valentine’s Day and her own funny drawings of houses. Each mailing is different, whether it’s a holiday postcard, flyer, or her 10 reasons to live in a certain subdivision.

School ties: She’s president of the local 1,500-member alumni association of her college, located two hours away. Her involvement brings her referrals—she even sold a home to the past president of her college—as well as relocation business because Jackson is a hot job market now, she says.