She lists homes for a flat fee rather than a percentage, a move that has helped her business flourish during tough economic times.
"I think the younger generation of agents is well situated for the future," says Presley, who earned an academic scholarship and a journalism degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She incorporates technology into all parts of her business, from house signs with numbers to text for more information to a toll-free number that offers prerecorded details of the listing. She gets an SEO bump by asking clients to leave reviews on Zillow and Trulia—and says that’s the only advertising she needs to do now. Her advice: Travel widely if you can. It makes you more open to others’ perspectives.