Fun fact: hiring a real estate virtual assistant can help your agency grow.
If you’re a real estate professional looking to streamline your agency processes and maximise your revenue simultaneously, getting a virtual assistant may be the boost your company needs. You need a virtual assistant to take care of the little nuances of the agency, and hiring one will allow you to focus on high-value tasks that bring in income.
That said, there are still some real estate agents who don’t feel comfortable hiring a virtual assistant for their company.
Reasons why some real estate agents don’t hire virtual assistants
Training can be tedious
agents are right to believe that the rigors of hiring can be time-consuming. When your schedule revolves around client meetings, updating listings, keeping track of office paperwork, monitoring finances, and making marketing materials, who has time to train a new hire?
Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are freelancing websites like Upwork or Fiverr that pre-screen applicants according to their skills and experience. You won’t have to worry about checking their credentials as these sites already do the preliminary work for you.
Outsourcing from a virtual assistant company is another convenient option. These agencies deliver end-to-end service — from screening to training, they ensure that each candidate is qualified for the role they’re applying for.
There’s an added cost to payroll
For sure, a new hire will be an added cost to your company’s payroll. But if you’ll crunch in the numbers, having a well-trained virtual assistant can potentially increase your company’s profits. How so?
Real estate virtual assistants help agency owners grow their company by streamlining office processes. Imagine having more time to focus on closing deals and following income-generating leads. You can do all this while your virtual assistant handles tasks such as administrative work, lead generation, client database management, and cold calling.
Payroll expenses can be mitigated, as there are low-cost alternatives to hiring locally. Many agents subcontract a virtual assistant from outsourcing companies that hire internationally, and labor costs are lower in some countries, which helps lessen your operating expenses.
Having a virtual assistant can reflect on their performance as a realtor
One of the little talked-about reasons is this: some agents don’t hire a virtual assistant because it might reflect on their negotiating skills.
For sure, a virtual assistant should have excellent communication skills. They will be cold calling clients, answering emails, coordinating your calendar, and even handling social media ads for your company. You’ll need someone communicative, both conversationally and professionally.
But that is not a reflection of your negotiating skills at all. Full stop. Here’s why:
Closing deals still falls on you
A well-trained virtual assistant with excellent communication skills is an effective way to grow your agency. However, when it comes to closing deals and getting the client to say yes, the responsibility falls on you as the agency owner.
While a virtual assistant is valuable in organising the systems in your company, it is your negotiating and marketing skills that will still pull more weight when it comes to a successful sale.
Note: Some agents customise the virtual assistant role and omit direct conversations with the client. It all depends on how you shape the position to fill in the gaps in your office.
The agency strategies come from you
Hiring an excellent virtual assistant is a means to leverage your agency and enrich your team, but the pivotal points of your company’s growth come from your strategies and goals for the agency.
A virtual assistant can only go as far as you let him in his role. Generating leads and updating listings are tasks that you won’t have to think about when you have a virtual assistant as part of your team — it’s a huge help when you need to free up more time and opportunities for yourself as an agency owner. This includes setting the direction for your company and strengthening client relationships.
Your virtual assistant is a different person from you
You would like to have a virtual assistant who can represent your agency perfectly in an ideal world. However, there will be times when your virtual assistant may not engage with your clients as effectively as you’d hoped, and this can happen, especially with new hires.
Don’t worry — take a deep breath and tell yourself that this isn’t a reflection of how well you communicate or negotiate with your clients. You can assume two directions — continue training your virtual assistant or look for a new one. There’s a possibility that you’ll run into a similar situation when you get a new hire. On the other hand, additional training can bring an advantage to your agency if your virtual assistant is showing potential in his role.
Having a real estate virtual assistant can benefit your company when you think about it. With proper management, a virtual assistant can contribute to your company’s growth in more ways than one, but he can only go so far. It’s still your agency.