Most real estate agencies have been forced to reduce their staff due to the drop in sales. In many cases, only the partners and a secretary are employed.
In the United States, more accustomed to working as independent agents, they use the figure of the virtual assistant, a freelancer who, without needing to work in the real estate office, can perform administrative, technical or creative tasks, with the consequent cost savings.
In issue 14 of the magazine Inmobiliarios, I published the article ” the role of virtual real estate assistant “, which I reproduce below:
What is a Virtual Assistant?
Also known as a cyber assistant or virtual secretary, they help with office tasks (the services that can be expected from a person working in the office) and specific functions such as communicating with clients or executing marketing plans.
With a virtual assistant you save on hiring staff (taxes, insurance, office space and equipment), in addition to receiving invoices only for the time spent on each task requested and completed.
It is not a temporary contract, but rather long-term support to solve business needs.
Furthermore, it is not necessary to make a great effort to train the assistant, but rather to indicate the objectives of his tasks and give him basic information; the assistant is trained in specific subjects, especially in marketing tools, technology and the Internet.
The assistant is also used to working part-time, not only during weekdays and not only during office hours. You can ask him to write a report on a convention you attended on Saturday and have it ready to publish first thing Monday morning.
Having an expert, for example in the technological area, means savings in cost and time.
In the United States, the Real Estate Virtual Assistant (REVA) is a well-known figure used by real estate agents.
They have been using it for several years, in fact there is an association “International Real Estate Assistant Association, or IREAA™” that promotes its proper functioning.
There they have the same amount of time available as here, but they do more tasks during the day. The difference is that they outsource specific, non-critical management and communication tasks to specialized people, who are dedicated to carrying out these tasks on behalf of the real estate agent, more quickly and at a lower cost.
The real estate agent does not have to be an expert in the use of tools and technologies, which is why they often decide to start a project due to a lack of time to learn how to use a tool, or if they start, they give up because they cannot maintain a daily pace of execution or do continuous monitoring.
The Virtual Assistant is the one who can perform these tasks on a regular basis, in addition to knowing technological tools that reduce execution times and improve results.
Also Read: A Virtual Assistant For Real Estate Companies
Also Read: The Complete Guide to Starting a Virtual Assistant Business
SERVICES OF A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
Coordination of real estate listings
– Introduce new listings in the MLS, in the real estate association program, or in the programs of the real estate portals,
– manage updates and modifications,
– request and supervise photographic work, videos and virtual tours,
– design brochures or flyers,
– create and send email lists to clients,
– generate weekly internal activity reports,
– generate market reports (price evolution, supply and demand in the area) and disseminate them to the media,
– prepare the material for an Open House,
– create ads and publish listings on classified ad portals,
– updating of listings on the web and monitoring,
– advice on innovative strategies aimed at improving productivity.
– Design of brochures, posters and multimedia presentations about the company’s services,
– Information search,
– Creation of content for the web and blog,
– Search for agreements with other websites in the area,
– Design and print advertisements for print or internet press,
– Manage communication with website users, respond to emails and blog comments.
Online marketing and technology
– real estate website redesign,
– web and blog optimization for search engines,
– certification in usability and user experience,
– creation and distribution of online magazines (eZine) or newsletters,
– use of content management systems for dynamic websites,
– optimization of landing pages from search engines (landing pages) to get more valid contacts (leads),
– get external links and references on other websites and blogs,
– generate corporate identity on social networks, such as LinkedIn, Xing or Facebook,
– manage messages on Twitter, such as new properties listed or sold,
– inform about new tools, technologies and websites that can improve the company’s work,
– publish corporate information on Google tools: maps, local businesses, Google Base,…
Other services
– Editing digital photos and videos
– Creation of texts for advertisements, claims or the copy of the real estate website
– Contact and customer management
– Management of reminders and gifts for clients
– Brand image dissemination
The technological factor
According to IREAA data, more than 80% of home buyers begin their search on the Internet. To be competitive, you need the support of independent professionals who know the latest technology and how to apply it to the real estate business.
The real estate agent must be an expert in his or her intermediation tasks, but he or she does not have to be an expert in the use of real estate management programs, web content managers, the creation of real estate blogs, the publication of properties on real estate portals, the import and export of data files, etc. All of these tasks can be performed by the virtual assistant.
The virtual assistant is useful both for advancing specific plans and for the development of long-term strategies. One of the great advantages is that it provides the organization with a flexibility that is not usually available, at a fair price: you only pay for the services provided.
One of the tasks that a real estate agency must carry out is to spread the word in its area of influence, sending valuable information to the people around it, data on housing prices in the neighborhood, and on new properties for sale.
This task, which requires perseverance, can be carried out by the assistant, always under the premises indicated by the broker. This work can be carried out more easily if computer programs and marketing tools that the assistant masters are used, and can be more creative if said assistant is specialized in managing marketing campaigns and launching communications.
Meet Adam, the Managing Director of a Real Estate Virtual Assistant Company. Adam has been working in the industry since 2019 and has a wealth of experience in making outsourcing work for real estate businesses. He fell in love with real estate at a young age and has been working in the field since 2005. Adam’s passion for real estate and helping other business owners thrive led him to start his own real estate business in 2019, and eventually, to establish a real estate virtual assistant company to take it to the next level. Adam’s wealth of experience and knowledge in real estate and outsourcing make him the perfect person to guide you in setting up your virtual assistant team. Feel free to reach out to him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram.