In the airline industry, we have a continuum of time vs money. We can trade more of our time for more money via WS, GS, etc.

In the world of real estate investing there is a similar balance. An investor with loads of time can invest that time to generate a higher return on the invested capital through self management and sweat equity in value add property. They think they are getting the best possible return. The mistake is that time is finite, but money is not. You can create more money with good investments, but you cannot create more time. Be careful with your most valuable and limited resource.

If you don't have the time to invest, you may be getting a lower percentage return by paying for property management and property improvements, but you have more of your time available to find more property. Some investors have a hard time letting go of the reins and get stuck at the limit of their own time and ability vs expanding their team and focusing time on the most productive areas.