Marketing expenditures are one of the top three factors that contribute most to a real estate agent's success, according to a survey conducted by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® of over 5,000 of the nation's top sales associates.

It's no surprise, then, that the agents who had the largest incomes were also the ones who invested the most money into their own promotional marketing.

For example, among sales associates identified as "top producers," those who spent less than $100 a month promoting their listings earned a median gross income of $75,600 in 1995. But those who spent at least $2,300 a month on marketing campaigns earned more than $280,000 during the same period.

Here's how monthly marketing expenditures actually affected income levels:

Monthly Marketing Expenditures		Median Gross Income
Less than $100		$76,000
$100-$299		$86,000
$300-$499		$109,000
$500-$799		$126,000
$800-$1199		$143,000
$1200-$1499		$172,000
$1500-$1899		$185,000
$1900-$2299		$225,000
$2300 or more		$280,000