Real estate is one of the most exciting, rewarding and lucrative sectors to work in. But it’s also busy. Very busy. Time, therefore, is a valuable commodity. Without time on your side it’s impossible to be productive. Paperwork can fall to the wayside, meetings cancelled and clients left dissatisfied. And this is no way to run a business. It’s certainly not going to help you grow your business.
What if there was a solution to this problem? A way of working that allowed agents and brokers to achieve everything on their daily objectives list. It sounds highly enticing and the resolution is already here. Your immediate thought may be that this involves hiring an assistant. And you wouldn’t be wrong. However, your real estate business operates in the 21st century, so why not look for a 21st century solution?
The traditional procedure for working with a real estate assistant would be: employ someone who lives locally, set them up in the office and designate them a list of objectives to achieve. It’s an approach which has been very effective over the course of the last century. But, with the wealth of technology at our disposal, mustn’t it be time to redefine what a real estate assistant is? And, with a real estate virtual assistant on your books, that time is now.
What is a Real Estate Virtual Assistant?
If you want to claim back valuable time from your work schedule then a real estate virtual assistant is crucial. But how do they differ from a traditional assistant? Well, for all intents and purposes, they’re indistinguishable apart from one major factor: they work remotely. Advances in digital technology have ensured that all you need to connect with your workforce is an internet connection. And this opens up your choice when it comes to looking for staff.
Virtual assistants are the main benefactors of this digital employment boom. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved with businesses keen to take advantage of the benefits on offer. And now, with the emergence of real estate virtual assistants, it’s time for your real estate business to experience this power. Working remotely, from anywhere in the world, a real estate virtual assistant can seamlessly integrate into your business. The only requirements for this are an internet connection and a smart device.
How Can a Real Estate Virtual Assistant Help?
The concept of a real estate virtual assistant is, no doubt, starting to sound interesting. But business has never been about making rash decisions. It’s essential that all major decisions, such as employment options, are made carefully. And we all know that knowledge is crucial for making good decisions.
So, let’s take a look at 12 ways a real estate virtual assistant can help grow your business:
- Call Handling: Clients will, in the first instance, contact your real estate business by phone and this establishes an initial lead. The conversion process needs to be handled correctly and requires significant time and resources. This is where many businesses fail. But with a real estate virtual assistant on board you’re assured of a professional call handling service. Leads can then be converted into appointments and, eventually, sales.
- Admin Support: Real estate is a complex business. And the complexities involved, even in the simplest tasks, can lead to substantial admin work being generated. This puts significant pressure on your in-house admin team and can dent productivity. A real estate virtual assistant allows you to manage this overflow. Tasks, where necessary, can be delegated and allow your other employees to do what they’re best at. This allows your business to maintain high productivity and, in turn, deliver customer satisfaction.
- Marketing Your Properties: To sell your properties you need to market them effectively. Sometimes this can be as simple as advertising them on your company website or uploading them to online real estate portals. Either way it raises the profile of your properties. But this can be a time consuming task. And, with your in-house staff already busy, it can soon fall behind. A dedicated virtual assistant ensures this is no longer an issue and increases the reach of your business.
- Maximize Conversions: The main objective of a real estate business is to convert prospective clients into customers. And it’s always been the toughest part of real estate. An experienced real estate virtual assistant can help make this conversion process easier. Using both traditional and online methods of communication, virtual assistants can help move clients along the conversion funnel by following up leads.
- Flexibility: It’s likely that your real estate business keeps standard working hours such as 9am – 5pm. These timeframes are similar across most businesses, but it doesn’t make the most of the 24 hours available each day. If you do want to make the most of your day then you should consider a real estate virtual assistant. Due to their global availability, a virtual assistant can start at any time of the day. So, when your in-house team leave at 5pm, your remote assistant can keep your workload ahead of schedule.
- Social Media: The rapid rise of social media over the last decade has changed the way that businesses market themselves. Any organization that wants to raise their profile must embrace social media. But it’s an area of marketing which is often ignored when more pressing tasks are knocking at the door. Achieving a social media presence is made possible by the availability of a real estate virtual assistant. With the time to schedule posts and manage feedback, a virtual assistant can help keep your brand’s profile flying high.
- Sales Support: Agents and brokers are in the front line of real estate and, while they do an amazing job, they need fantastic sales support. Scheduling in appointments and arranging meetings with property professionals, for example, are critical but time consuming tasks. Agents and brokers want to be out there selling. They don’t want to spend their valuable time wrestling with a calendar. The presence of a real estate virtual assistant frees them from these shackles. And this allows your agents to focus on selling properties and growing your business.
- Respond to Emails: The number of emails sent each day averages around 281 billion. Naturally, your business will only receive a tiny fraction of these. But this statistic underlines the importance of email as a form of communication. Responding to emails needs to be a priority. A timely response helps to build brand loyalty and, in the long term, helps to grow your business. Virtual assistants have the time to manage your inbox and elevate your levels of customer service to new highs.
- Maintain Your Company Website: An essential part of any business in the 21st century is its website. It’s another channel of communication for customers and it also allows you to demonstrate what your brand is capable of. The problem is that maintaining a website with blogs and employee profiles is labor intensive. But if you want to remain competitive and grow your business you have to find the time. The addition of a real estate virtual assistant gives you the time to maintain a fully functional and up-to-date website.
- Cost Saving: Budgeting is an important part of any business plan. Budget correctly and you can free up funds to be used in other areas of the business. And this investment can help grow your business e.g. purchasing new equipment to increase productivity. One of the major benefits of a virtual assistant is that they’re significantly less expensive than an in-house employee. With no need to shell out on equipment costs or benefits packages, you can funnel your employee budget into other areas of the business.
- Enhanced Turnarounds: Small margins can make a big difference in real estate. And even a slight enhancement in turnaround time can pay dividends for your business. Real estate virtual assistants can empathize with this as they’re paid by the hour. Maximizing their time and output is a critical step in securing future work. That’s why working with a virtual assistant establishes an effective approach for meeting quotas and delivering what your clients need.
- Reduced Stress: The threat of burnout in the landscape of modern business is very real. Not only can it cause productivity issues for your business, but it can also have a major impact on your health. And nobody deserves that. Reducing stress is made possible with a virtual real estate assistant. They create more time for everyone in the business. This time allows them to spend time doing the important things in life such as relaxing with friends and family. And, in turn, this creates a healthy workplace where everyone can work to their full capacity.
These assistants are ready to start working now. Find your perfect Business Virtual Assistant™️ at Pineapple Staffing.
