Brokerages run on a mix of independent agents and hourly staff. Track the hours you are responsible for, wherever the work happens.
Agents usually work on commission as independent contractors, while support staff are employees. Mixing the two in one process blurs the line, and the classification itself depends on the facts, not the title.
Assistants staff open houses on weekends, meet photographers at listings and run errands between showings. Paper sign-in sheets at the front desk miss most of that time.
Spring markets and closing deadlines push support staff into long weeks. Without a running total, overtime surprises show up on payroll day.
EZTime handles the employee side of the brokerage. Staff clock in from the mobile app with GPS when they are at a listing, or at the office kiosk when they are at the desk. Managers build the weekend schedule for open-house coverage and see who is working right now.
Agents who are independent contractors do not need to be in the time system at all. Keeping them out of it helps you keep the employment relationship clear.
| Need | How EZTime handles it |
|---|---|
| Hours at listings and open houses | GPS clock-in from the employee’s phone |
| Weekend coverage | Weekly schedules with shift swaps managers approve |
| Overtime visibility | Running hour totals and labor rule alerts before thresholds are crossed |
| Hours by listing or team | Tag hours by job or client for internal cost tracking |
| Onboarding paperwork | Send and sign forms with digital HR forms |
A brokerage with 30 agents employs four support staff. The listing coordinator tags her hours by listing, so the broker sees which listings take the most admin time. Two assistants share weekend open-house shifts and swap them in the app. When one assistant reaches 36 hours by Thursday of a busy April week, the manager gets an alert and moves Saturday’s open house to the other assistant.
The business in this example is fictional.
Write down how hours work for employees before you roll out a system. A one-page policy is enough, and it should be reviewed by a qualified professional because overtime and break rules differ by state.
| Measure | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Overtime hours per month | Shows whether support staffing matches the season |
| Weekend hours by employee | Keeps open-house load fair |
| Admin hours per listing | Shows which listings or teams need more support |
| Missed punches per week | Shows whether clocking in is easy enough |
Look at these once a month with the managing broker. If admin hours per listing climb, it is usually a process problem, such as repeated document requests, rather than a people problem.
Most real estate agents are not employees for federal tax purposes. Under the Internal Revenue Code, a licensed real estate agent is a statutory nonemployee if substantially all of their pay for sales is commission-based on output rather than hours, and they work under a written contract stating they will not be treated as an employee for federal tax purposes. California’s ABC test also has a specific exception for real estate licensees who meet those conditions.
Everyone else in the office is usually different. Transaction coordinators, showing assistants, marketing staff and receptionists employed by the brokerage are generally employees, and most are non-exempt. They are owed minimum wage and overtime, and their hours need records, even when an agent directs their day.
| Role | Usual status | Time records |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed agent on commission | Independent contractor, statutory nonemployee | Not required for pay; useful for activity tracking |
| Licensed assistant paid hourly | Employee | Required |
| Transaction coordinator on staff | Employee, usually non-exempt | Required |
| Office manager | Employee; exempt only if salary and duties tests are met | Required unless exempt |
| Agent’s personal assistant | Depends on who hires and pays them | Required if an employee |
Home sales usually peak in spring and early summer, when families want to move between school years, and slow in late fall and winter. Showing assistants and transaction coordinators feel the peak first, with evening and weekend showings and many closings at month end. Plan extra assistant hours from March to July, and watch overtime in the last week of each month, when closings bunch up.
Agents who are properly classified as independent contractors generally do not. Employees, including salaried staff who are not exempt, need accurate time records. See independent contractor vs employee.
Yes. Employees can clock in with GPS from the EZTime mobile app wherever they work.
Travel during the workday between job sites is generally working time for non-exempt employees. Check travel time pay rules and your state’s rules.
Yes. Employees can tag hours to a job or client, and you can report on them.
A licensed agent whose pay for sales is substantially all commission and who works under a written contract saying they are not an employee for federal tax purposes. The IRS treats them as self-employed.
If the assistant is an employee, yes. Driving between listings during the workday is work time, and it counts toward overtime. The first drive from home to the first showing is usually a normal commute.
If the brokerage hires them, sets their hours and directs the work, they are usually employees and generally non-exempt. Independent transaction coordinators who run their own business and serve several brokerages can be contractors.
How classification works
When travel is paid
Run the office with less admin
Time tracking for property teams
Book a short demo and see how EZTime fits the way your team works.
Note: This page is general information, not legal or payroll advice. Rules differ by state and city. Examples are fictional.