The Benefits Of Hiring A Real Estate Virtual Assistant

There’s no doubt that real estate can be a lucrative business which is why real estate professionals always have their hands full. 

Chasing and closing deals are just part of a real estate professional’s responsibilities but if you want to take things to the next level you’re going to need some help.

This is where real estate virtual assistants come in handy.  By having a knowledgeable and reliable person to help you out, you can focus on the tasks that require your expertise.

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What is a Real Estate Virtual Assistant?

Virtual assistants can help save a company up to 78% of their normal labor costs.

A real estate virtual assistant is an outsourced professional who provides administrative and clerical support to real estate agents and brokers from a remote location.

Real estate virtual assistants are often responsible for tasks such as prospecting for new clients, scheduling appointments, conducting market research, and preparing presentations.

These virtual assistants are important for helping to scale your business quickly while maintaining quality.

What Can A Real Estate Virtual Assistant Do?

A real estate virtual assistant can do a lot of things to help your business which is why it’s important to know beforehand which tasks you’d want them to handle so you can maximize their efficiency.

Below are some of the tasks they can help you with.

Research

It’s not unusual for potential clients to have lots of questions before they buy real estate.  

• How are taxes reassessed in this area?
• Is the community safe?
• What are the advantages of living in this location?
• Do you have anything that fits my requirements?

These are just some of the most common questions you’ll get from prospective buyers, and if you’re not ready to answer each of them, there’s a big chance you’ll lose the deal altogether.

It pays to have all the information you need ready when you need them and a real estate virtual assistant can make it happen by conducting in-depth research.

They can help track market trends and pricing points for a variety of locations, keep you up to speed by carefully analyzing your competitor’s strategies, and find property details that will suit your client’s needs.

While it is true that you can do all of this on your own, it just makes things a lot easier when you have a real estate VA providing you with all the vital information you’ll need.

Appointment Scheduling

To say that a real estate professional has a hectic schedule is a complete understatement.  As a realtor, your calendar must be loaded with appointments with several clients from different locations.

It’s crucial to stay on top of things so you won’t miss any of these appointments but that’s easier said than done considering your list of responsibilities.

You’ll need someone who can help manage your calendar so you won’t run the risk of appointment conflicts and for you to be able to prioritize as well.

A real estate virtual assistant can actually do more than just manage your calendar.  They can also answer calls and reply to emails to make your calendar more organized.

Lastly, real estate virtual assistants are there to send you timely reminders so you won’t miss not just an appointment, but anything that’s considered urgent.

Clerical Tasks

It’s safe to say that working on real estate requires a ton of paperwork.  From client details, financial records, and property information, it can get quite exhausting, to say the least.

As overwhelming as they may be, unfortunately, these tasks are essential but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to deal with them yourself.

By outsourcing your data entry and bookkeeping tasks to a virtual assistant, you can become more productive by focusing on the more crucial aspects of the business.

You shouldn’t have anything to worry about because most real estate virtual assistants have years of experience in handling these kinds of tasks.

They know their way around spreadsheets and numbers and they’ve got the skills required to perform these tasks efficiently.

Social Media Management

There’s no question that social media has become more than just a place to “hang out” and reconnect with old friends.

Today, businesses rely heavily on social media and it doesn’t matter whether your business is online or offline.  Having a social media presence has become a necessity for a business to compete and survive.

While it’s easier said than done, social media marketing can take a lot of time, something a realtor like you doesn’t have a lot of.

The good news is, real estate virtual assistants can help you improve your social media presence.  They can run social media campaigns, engage prospective clients, come up with marketing materials, and even perform SEO and write blogs when you need them.

Perhaps more importantly, they are aware of what’s going viral in the world of real estate.  You’d definitely save a lot more money hiring a real estate virtual assistant than getting the services of a blogger, social media marketer, and SEO expert.

Prepare Monthly Reports

Making sound, logical decisions is crucial to the success of a real estate business.  

You need to track your goals against some of your key performance indicators (KPI) and the best way to do this is through regular reporting.

Real estate virtual assistants can help generate reports that would show you all the important numbers relevant to the business.

They can also present these to you in higher detail by adding charts, images, and videos, making data analysis and interpretation faster and easier.

How Much Does A Real Estate Virtual Assistant Cost?

The truth is, paying a real estate virtual assistant isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.  How much you’ll pay depends on several factors.

First, location matters.  If you’re hiring someone from the United States, then you can expect to pay higher hourly rates ranging between $30 to $70.

If you’re hiring someone outside of the United States like someone from the Philippines, the hourly rate is something between $5 to $15.  This can go higher depending on the experience and the qualifications of the virtual assistant you’ll hire.

Benefits of Hiring A Real Estate Virtual Assistant

So, why should you hire a real estate virtual assistant?  What are the benefits you’re bound to get by hiring one?

Save More Money

One of the biggest benefits of hiring a real estate virtual assistant is the amount of money you’ll save.  Unlike having a full-time employee, a real estate virtual assistant gets paid for the work they do (usually at an hourly rate).

You’re not obligated to get them insurance or any other government-mandated benefits usually afforded to a regular employee.

Since they work remotely, you also don’t need to pay for electricity, internet connection, and office space which can save you a lot on overhead expenses.

A real estate virtual assistant also allows you to save on training costs because they no longer require one.  Keep in mind that most real estate virtual assistants have extensive industry experience which means you can instantly assign them tasks without much training or guidance.

Every business looks for ways to save money and hiring a real estate virtual assistant is definitely an excellent way to achieve that.

Increased Productivity

It’s been said that two heads are better than one and that couldn’t be any more true when it comes to running a real estate business.

As a realtor, you’ve got a lot of tasks on your plate.  While most of them are considered essential, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be the one to perform them, especially when you have a real estate virtual assistant to delegate to.

Updating databases, making phone calls to clients, and sending follow-up emails are essential but they can all be managed remotely as well, right?

Having a virtual assistant will allow you and your in-house team to concentrate on core tasks like closing deals as well as several other business-related activities so you can grow the business faster.

Better Work-Life Balance  

All work and no play make one a dull person, so to speak.  While working hard and living busy lives is essential to the success of any business, so is some time off away from work.

This, however, is easier said than done when it comes to running a real estate business.  Constant phone calls and a never-ending flow of messages can make it difficult for a realtor to find some time off or some “me” time, at least.

Having a real estate virtual assistant can somehow make this possible.  By having them take care of routine and repetitive tasks like data entry or email management, you can find some time for yourself and your family.

This will also allow you to sleep better at night without interruptions because you have someone to attend to your customers even while you sleep.

Why Hire a Real Estate VA

Running a successful real estate business requires a lot of hard work and patience but you don’t have to do it all when you have real estate virtual assistants who can make life easier and make you more productive in the process.

If you’re still on the fence on whether to hire a real estate virtual assistant or not, all you have to do is look at the information provided because the benefits of hiring one can make a huge difference not only in your business but your personal life as well.

If you’re ready to grow your real estate business, FreeUp is here to help. All of the freelancers on our platform are highly vetted so you can feel confident in the process. Sign up today to take the first step towards hiring a real estate virtual assistant.