Reposted with permission from Matt Bonelli.

“Time is money” — Benjamin Franklin made this phrase popular long, long ago.

The intention wasn’t to create a buzz-worthy catch phrase but to highlight the opportunity costs of the decisions we make and the actions we take.

Real estate agents are famous for spending extraordinary amounts of time on “work”-related tasks while ultimately achieving a relatively low income per hour. By taking a closer look at how you organize your activities and make decisions, you can increase your income per hour while providing more value and building a better business.

I already hear the excuses rolling in. “My clients need me available 24/7.” “I should put together that CMA on the property that’s half a million over budget, again.” “It’s only the 100th house, they need to see everything to make an informed decision.” “As long as I secure the listing, I can get them to reduce the price later.”

Stop it.

These may be some extreme examples, but the point is that it’s not your clients consuming your time, it’s you. You need to set expectations, manage your activities effectively and qualify opportunities before walking down a dead end street.

Here are a few things you can do right now to take your time back.

  1. Control your calendar.
  2. Do more work up front.
  3. Set expectations.
  4. Bulk your non-productive activities together.
  5. Know when to shut it down.

For the detailed explanation of those items, be sure to watch the video above.

There are a lot of topics to cover as it relates to taking your time back so you can increase your income per hour, build a better business and live a better life. In subsequent posts and videos. we are going to cover these topics one by one.

Hey, it’s your time. Why not own it?

Matt Bonelli is a manager and broker associate for Turpin Realtors’ Chatham office in Chatham, New Jersey. You can follow him on Twitter or learn more about him on LinkedIn

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×