Title: 
Sales associate
Company: 
Strano & Associates Better Homes and Gardens
Location: 
207 N. Main Street Suite 101
Columbia, IL 62236
United States
Illinois US

Giving thanks

Early success—she did $4 million in volume in 1995, her first year—left Tammy Mitchell Hines wanting to express her thanks to the community.

So last year she funded two $1,000 college scholarships at the local high school. The scholarships will be an annual program. “It’s a way to give something back. I was so young when I started, and I felt the community really supported me.”

Hines, who did $7 million in volume last year, is the youngest real estate salesperson in Monroe County. “I don’t do a lot of fancy marketing,” she says. “Most of my leads come from manning the office phones.

“I always try to be down to earth. I give the same attention to someone buying a $30,000 house as I do to someone looking for a $200,000 house. I feel that everybody deserves a home, and I want to help.”

As for technology, the more the better, she says. “I was the first salesperson in my office to have a laptop and a scanner, and it’s made my job a lot easier. If I need information about a property or about financing, I can pull it up instantly. It’s a big help.”