The lucrative world of real estate is full of opportunity, but there never seems to be enough time to take advantage of it. However, realtors, agencies and brokerages need to exploit this opportunity to remain competitive and deliver a seamless client experience. Fortunately, the presence of a virtual real estate assistant can help you succeed. You may be thinking that virtual real estate assistant pricing is outside of your reach, but it’s actually more affordable than ever.
Many real estate professionals assume that a virtual assistant is just another needless expense. But Pineapple can show you how a virtual real estate assistant can prove to be a valuable investment. It’s important, you see, to look beyond the initial cost. Instead, you should focus on the future and discover how much of a return on investment (ROI) a virtual real estate assistant can generate. It’s also vital that you understand the difference between virtual assistants and in-house assistants. And just why is that Filipino virtual assistants are considered the best?
Behind the Scenes: How a Real Estate VA Transforms Your Business
Before we take a deep dive into the costs and ROI of a virtual real estate assistant, it's crucial that we look at what they do on a daily basis. Positioned as remote team members, they take on the time-consuming yet vital tasks which often pull your realtors away from their main focus: generating revenue. First making major headlines during the pandemic, these remote workers are remarkably different compared to their in-house staff counterparts. Virtual assistants don’t need office space, equipment, or any employee benefits, making them highly cost-effective.
Typically, a real estate virtual assistant is there to support agents and brokerages. One of their main duties involves managing and updating CRM systems in order to keep leads visible and fresh. They also handle scheduling, maintain calendars, and coordinate appointments – this ensures that real estate agents stay on top of showings and maximize their sales potential. Virtual assistants are also highly skilled in taking on communication tasks, so you can easily delegate them phone and email responsibilities to ensure a constant presence for your clients.
Depending on their background and skillset, a virtual real estate assistant can take on numerous marketing duties for your team. From listing presentations, managing your social media accounts, and posting listings to online platforms, a virtual assistant enables you to keep your brand visible and competitive. Real estate virtual assistants can also use their scheduling skills to help with transaction coordination – this involves liaising with buyers, sellers, lenders, and vendors to ensure transactions go smoothly.
Ultimately, a virtual assistant can help your real estate business stay organized, visible, and efficient. This assistance allows you and your in-house team to dedicate their focus on building relationships, securing deals, and business growth.
Virtual Real Estate Assistant Pricing: What to Expect
As you can see, virtual real estate virtual assistants can achieve a lot. So, does this mean they’re expensive? Well, this is one of the most common queries from real estate business owners who are looking to hire a virtual assistant. After all, if it doesn’t make financial sense, it’s a bad business decision. Luckily, Pineapple has the inside story here.
Experience, location and services on offer will always affect virtual real estate assistant pricing, but these are the most typical ranges:
Philippine-based virtual assistants: $5 - $10 per hour
US-based virtual assistants: $20 - $50+ per hour
Executive-level real estate virtual assistants: $10 - $25 per hour.
If, for example, you hired an in-house admin assistant in the US, it would cost you around $47,000 per year. But if you hired a Filipino virtual assistant at $8 per hour, this would roughly cost you $15,000 – a significant cost saving.
Expense or Investment?
It’s easy, when looking at a list of expenses, to view a virtual assistant as simply that – an expense. But they’re so much more than this. In fact, on top of the cost savings compared to local assistants, a virtual real estate assistant represents a powerful investment. Interested in hearing how virtual real estate assistant pricing can quickly pay for itself? Pineapple has done the research to demonstrate the true value of a virtual assistant:
Time = More Sales Opportunities:
If one of your agents spends 2 – 3 hours a day on administrative duties, that’s instantly 10 – 15 hours per week that they’re pulled away from following leads and closing deals. But if you outsource these admin tasks to a real estate virtual assistant, your agent suddenly gains 40 – 60 hours back per month. So, if an average commission is £5k, and the skills of a virtual assistant allow you to close one extra deal a month, the virtual assistant has already paid for themselves multiple times over.
Improved Lead Follow-up = Higher Conversion:
It’s reported that 48% of agents never follow up with a lead after the first contact. This means that your agents are simply leaving money on the table. But this should come as no surprise, realtors are busy and have their hands full. Thankfully, there’s a solution to missing out on these leads: employ a virtual real estate assistant. They can ensure all leads are responded to promptly, schedule appointments for agents, and send follow-up texts and emails. Accordingly, leads remain hot and active, with an increased chance of moving down the conversion funnel.
Enhanced Consistency:
The seasonal surges of the real estate industry can quickly overwhelm even the most experienced agents. So, how do you keep them on track and organized? You bring in a virtual assistant to streamline your workflows. Just some of the tasks they can take on include maintaining systems, managing clients, and ensuring seamless communication. This consistency helps you build stronger client relationships and, during your busiest periods, enables you to generate more profit.
Boost Your Online Presence:
A strong digital presence isn't just for show, it's a proven method for taking your business to the next level. A virtual assistant can post listings, promote open houses, and engage with followers on your social media and website. This generates traffic, builds trust, and catches the eyes of new clients. And if it leads to just one extra deal a month, this enhanced visibility has easily covered its costs.
The Cost of In-House Assistants vs Virtual Assistants
Hiring an in-house administrative assistant may feel like the traditional route for growing your real estate business. After all, having someone physically sat in the office may provide you with peace of mind and a sense of control. However, the true cost of bringing in a full-time employee goes far beyond their base salary.
In-house staff come with a number of significant expenses such as payroll taxes, health insurance, retirement contributions, and paid vacation leave. You'll also need to provide office space, a PC, software licenses, and other equipment. Additionally, the time and effort it takes to recruit, onboard, and train an employee can slow down your productivity in the short term and, in the long run, cost you thousands in expenses.
Fortunately, hiring a virtual assistant presents you with a more attractive proposition, one which is both streamlined, flexible and cost-effective. Virtual assistants are available on whatever basis fits your needs; they can work part-time, full-time, or on a project basis. This flexibility allows you to scale support based on your actual workload. And, since they work remotely, there are no overhead costs for office space or equipment. Estimates suggest that remote workers can save employers up to $11,000 compared to their in-house equivalents.
Best of all, many virtual real estate virtual assistants come pre-loaded with extensive experience in industry tools and processes like CRM platforms, MLS systems, and transaction coordination. This allows them to hit the ground running and makes onboarding much quicker, ensuring that productivity barely dips when they come into your business.
How to Make Your VA Investment Count
When it comes to virtual real estate assistant pricing, you have to do much more than simply hire a virtual assistant to maximize your ROI. You need to integrate them correctly. Start by defining their role and responsibilities from day one. This ensures that both parties are on the same page from the start. With virtual real estate assistants working remotely, effective communication is key, so use tools like Slack, Trello, or Asana to keep in touch. It's also crucial that any documented workflows - such as standard operating procedures - are forwarded on early.
To get the most out of your investment, regular check-ins are essential for supporting feedback and fostering collaboration. This regular communication will also help your virtual assistant feel supported and a valuable member of the team. And, don't forget, it's important that you recognize achievements and show your appreciation. Virtual assistants may only have a digital presence within your organization, but this doesn't mean they're not human. The more you invest in your virtual assistant as a person, the more you'll get out of them.
Why Are So Many Businesses Turning to the Philippines?
More and more small business owners are turning to virtual assistants in the Philippines to help tackle their administrative workload. And it’s for good reason. The Philippines has quickly become a go-to choice for virtual assistants thanks to its unique mix of cost efficiency, skill, and professionalism. For business owners looking to delegate real estate administrative tasks, a Filipino virtual assistant represents a smart, reliable solution.
What also sets Filipino virtual assistants apart is their work ethic and communication style. English is widely spoken and used throughout the country from a young age, minimizing any language barriers. Their strong sense of responsibility, attention to detail, and customer service mindset also make them a natural fit for Western businesses. Whether you’re running an established business or a growing startup, working with a Filipino virtual assistant can help simplify your business processes.
Final Thoughts
Running a real estate business is rewarding but also demanding. From managing listings and client communications to chasing leads and staying on top of paperwork, this constant grind of administrative duties can pull you and your team away from direct client interaction. This is where all your revenue is generated, and that's why a virtual real estate assistant can make a major impact.
At Pineapple, we can connect real estate businesses with highly skilled Filipino virtual assistants who can do everything you need them to do. With our flat rate of just $8 per hour, you get reliable, experienced help. That's a fully transparent price of $8 per hour, with no overheads, hidden fees, or long-term contracts.
Hiring a virtual assistant through Pineapple isn’t just about delegating tasks to buy you some time, it’s about boosting your ROI. Whether you're an agent, broker, or team lead, we can help you find the virtual real estate assistant who fits your business like a glove. Interested in taking that next step? Click here to talk to us about our virtual real estate assistant pricing.
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