This post comes to us from the Market Leader blog:

The differences between productive agents and average agents are stark. Top-producing agents tend to start work earlier and end later in the day than other agents. They aren't afraid to spend the money required to promote their businesses – money that average agents cling to for dear life. Agents making less than $30,000 a year never socialize with clients and never give gifts to clients, whereas successful agents claim to "always" do both.

If your aim is to join the ranks of the super producers, adopting some of their habits is a good way to get started. Perform these five tasks every day and you'll be on your way!

1. Lead Generation

Leads are the holy grail of every real estate business; without them, there is no business. Productive agents get this and spend time every day capturing leads.

Unlike their counterparts of the past, however, this task doesn't need to be labor-intensive. Sure, agents still call FSBOs, knock on doors and hang flyers, but today's technology allows them some powerful lead generation tools that are almost completely hands-off.

Start with a website. A site designed to capture prospects is a must and may just turn into your most valuable tool. Debbie King, an agent in Newport, N.C., claims that without her website, "real estate would be pointless."

Throw in an integrated MLS search function, some compelling neighborhood data, and you've got a potential gold mine full of leads.