At Benchmark, we believe in all agents' capacities to become top performers for both themselves and their clients. While there's no one path or secret to success, these five fundamental principles can help you build and grow your business.

1. Manage Your Time The most important resource all agents have is also the one thing mediocre agents waste: Time. Productivity is essential in growing your business, but if you're not using your time wisely, you'll never be as productive as you could be. Your business can suffer as a result.

There are 24 hours in a day. No more, no less. Begin each day with a plan-a roadmap for how you intend to use your time-and get started early. It's hard to sell a house if you roll out of bed at 9 a.m. Allow for flexibility in your schedule, but do your best to accomplish regular tasks at the same time each day. This routine will help you stay in control of your productivity. Consider Time Blocking to get the most out of your busy schedule.

2. Prospect Daily Just what are those tasks that you should be doing every day? Prospecting should be at the top of the list. If you're not actively seeking new business, your business can never grow. But don't just seek new clients, nurture your existing relationships, too. By establishing yourself with people who are most likely to recommend you to potential buyers and sellers-attorneys, accountants, doctors and past clients-you can maintain a steady stream of business.

From there, create prospecting plans for for-sale-by-owner properties, expired listings, investors, international buyers, neighborhood farm areas and more. If you really want to be a top agent, we recommend dedicating three hours each day to prospecting efforts.

3. Delegate The more successful you get, the busier you'll become. Consider hiring a licensed assistant who can take handling the details of client transactions off your plate. You'll find you have more time to grow and give your clients the attention they need when you have someone you can trust to take care of the paperwork.

4. Make Yourself a Market Expert If you don't know your market, then you can't expect to succeed. Plug yourself into top real estate publications and local news, and put in the time to get to know the communities you serve. As an agent, your clients turn to you for advice and insight to guide them through buying and selling a home. You need to be ready to answer their questions with the knowledge of an expert.

5. Put the Client First You can't only focus on how much money you can earn from a sale if you want to be a top agent. As professionals bound by the REALTOR code of ethics, we must always put our client needs above our own.

If you feel like these basic principles should guide your real estate practice, you might be a fit for the Benchmark team. Take a quick online assessment to find out!