Real Estate Virtual Assistants: An Entrepreneur's Guide

Hiring a Real Estate Virtual Assistant can be one of the best decisions you can make for your business. Not only do you gain more leverage and win back more time but you cut down on operational costs as well. The buck does not, however, stop once you hire your Real Estate Virtual Assistant. They are not an easy solution or software that installs itself. Having a Virtual Assistant in your team is just like any business partnership. There are steps you need to take to ensure that it thrives.

So, we’ve prepared a how-to guide of sorts to outline what we’ve found works best. After 11 years of providing excellent services and high value to our client’s businesses, we’ve gleaned a lot of wisdom from them on what works well. Once you’ve chosen the best company and Real Estate Virtual Assistant to work with, this guide can help you win and continue to do so.

1. Delegating- The first crucial step is pinpointing exactly what you need your Real Estate Virtual Assistant for. Even if it is just a few tasks, to begin with, like managing emails or handling your social media. If you can identify which tasks you want off your plate so you can focus on the things that only you can do, you have an excellent place to start. We always recommend that you try out something called the Sticky Challenge. For a few weeks, spend time writing down each job you accomplish within your business, note how long it takes you and identify whether it is directly revenue producing or not. Now, calculate the time it takes to do these tasks. From here you will be able to determine which areas you can delegate to your Virtual Assistant.

(Related: Here’s Everything A Real Estate Virtual Assistant Can Do For You )

1. Training- Taking the time to train your Virtual Assistant is so necessary. During this time, you will set the pace and tone for what your partnership will be like. You will also be able to establish exactly how you want things done. When training your Real Estate Virtual Assistant on specific tasks, keep the 30x Rule in mind. (inline link 30x Blog) When you are training your Virtual Assistant on a task that takes 10 minutes, multiply it by 30, and that is the time you should take to train them on that specific task. Not only will this ensure that they are getting it done exactly as you would, but it ensures that you get back that 10 minutes from your day-to-day to focus into something else.
2. Setting Expectations- For your partnership to work, you need to set clear expectations and goals. Letting your Virtual Assistant know precisely what you expect and what their purpose will help encourage their excellence. Let them know what your personal goals are for your business and explain how they fit in achieving those goals. By setting your expectations, you establish exactly what you need from your Real estate Virtual assistant and therefore, set yourself up for success.
3. Having the right tools- Equipping your business with the best tools is a given, just as it should be for your Real Estate Virtual Assistant. Acquiring the best systems in order to ensure that productivity is maximized is another way you can ensure that your expectations and goals are met. Give them access to your CRM, provide a communication platform where they can message, video call and make regular phone calls, etc. Providing the tools that work best with your business ensures that you are giving your Virtual Assistant all they need to succeed.
4. Communication- Communication is another crucial aspect of your success with your Real estate Virtual Assistant. Just as you would with your other team members, set-up at least a weekly check-in with your virtual assistant, use this time to talk about wins for the week, any roadblocks that you may have advice for, etc. A quick daily huddle of about 10–15 minutes works too, just so you are aware of their regular pulse and what they have on their agenda. This will not only build on your rapport and relationship, but this will ensure that you are aware of what is going on with them and allow you to focus on what you need to do with peace of mind.

Lastly, be prepared. Doing things like asking your Real Estate Virtual Assistant to create manuals on how they accomplish their tasks, recording their calls, etc., can also help you in case you want to build a team of virtual assistants, they can now pass on what you have taught them by taking over training for you and make it easier for you as well. If they have to leave whether it is going on vacation or perhaps moving on to different opportunities, you have insurance that any transition will be smooth.

There is no formula that can be applied to every situation. We understand that each business has a unique set-up. However, we also know that there are robust strategies that can work for everyone.