When his family moved from St. Louis to Frederick, Md., Muren became smitten with the idea of “driving around and looking at houses” for a living. He was 11 at the time. Six years later, Muren was hired as an administrative assistant at Mackintosh Inc., REALTORS®. The next year, he received his real estate license but found many prospective clients were leery of doing business with a fresh-faced kid. 

FORGING AHEAD: Initially discouraged, Muren considered enlisting in the Marine Corps. Instead, he tenaciously networked with local home builders and focused on connecting with real estate pros and nonprofit groups. What jump-started his career was his becoming exclusive agent for four builders, resulting in the sale of about 180 homes in four years, he says. New clients come primarily from steady word-of-mouth referrals. In 2007, Muren’s sales totaled $10.9 million on 32 transaction sides.