Building wealth requires a plan for earnings
During the Wealth Building Summit at the 2026 Florida Realtors Convention & Trade Expo, CPA Greg Antipoff outlined ways agents can use earnings and explore tax advantages as part of a long-term wealth plan.
What an agent earns matters. What happens to that money afterward matters more.
“It’s what you do with what you keep that’s more important,” CPA and financial educator Greg Antipoff told attendees during “Tax Strategies for Wealth Builders” at Florida Realtors®’ Wealth Building Summit.
Antipoff called his framework the financial EKG: earn, keep and grow, with giving also part of the equation.
Give your earnings a job
Antipoff offered a “4-3-2-1” formula for dividing commission income as it arrives:
- 40% for personal expenses
- 30% for the business
- 20% for tax savings
- 10% for investments
Antipoff also reviewed IRA and 401(k) options. Simply opening and funding an account is not enough, he said. The money must then be invested rather than left sitting in cash.
He said professional advice from an attorney or accountant can help agents get answers and find a path forward.
Keep only what is working
Agents can also find money to invest by reviewing 90 days of bank, credit card and profit-and-loss statements. Antipoff’s “go, grow or no” test sorts each expense by purpose:
- Go: Does it keep the business operating or compliant? Licensing fees, insurance and association dues may fall into this category.
- Grow: Is it an investment that can produce a return? Marketing, branding and coaching are examples.
- No: If an expense does neither, consider cutting it.
Know the tax advantages of ownership
Investment property can build wealth through more than rent and appreciation. Tax advantages tied to ownership may also help investors keep more of what they earn and put it back to work.
Antipoff highlighted depreciation, cost segregation and bonus depreciation as strategies that may help property owners claim deductions sooner. The right approach depends on the property and the owner’s tax situation.
Agents who own rentals may see another advantage if they meet the IRS definition of a real estate professional, which is separate from licensure or association membership. Antipoff said the criteria generally include at least 750 hours a year in real estate, more than half of total working time in the field and material participation in the investment.
He said the designation can change how rental losses are treated for tax purposes. Agents should ask a tax professional whether the status applies to them.
“The goal today is zero to one," he said. "I just want you to get started.”
© 2026 Florida Realtors®