Real estate is a cutthroat business, and staying on top of everything can be a big challenge.
That's where virtual assistants come in.
A real estate virtual assistant can be a game changer for your business, helping you manage administrative tasks, freeing up time, and improving overall efficiency.
This guide will explore how you can hire a virtual assistant and benefit your real estate business to help you get ahead of your competition.
What is a real estate virtual assistant?
A real estate virtual assistant is your right hand. They work exclusively for you remotely and are 100% dedicated to your business!
Hiring a virtual assistant is basically like hiring an assistant in your home country, except the difference is this assistant is "virtual" or "remote."
A virtual assistant will help you with time-consuming and monotonous things, such as social media posting, admin, data entry, research, diary planning, and assisting you in other things.
You can use VirtualStaff.ph to choose from thousands of candidates and hire a real estate virtual assistant directly.
What are Real Estate Virtual Assistant Tasks?
The list below is not limited, but it's the typical tasks that a virtual assistant working for a realtor would do.
The real estate industry is highly competitive, and staying on top of everything can be overwhelming. A real estate virtual assistant can help ease the burden and free up your time to focus on what you do best – selling real estate! When you hire a real estate virtual assistant, you can expect them to do some of the below tasks:
Social Media Management
Social media is a powerful tool for real estate agents to promote their business, and it can take up a lot of time to manage. A virtual assistant can help you with the following:
- Create and schedule social media posts on various platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn: A real estate virtual assistant can craft compelling and relevant content for your real estate business, tailoring it to different platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Utilize scheduling tools to plan posts in advance, ensuring a consistent and engaging online presence.
- Engage with your audience by responding to comments and messages: Actively respond to comments and messages on social media platforms, fostering a sense of community and demonstrating responsiveness. Encourage interaction by posing questions, conducting polls, and acknowledging user-generated content.
- Monitor your social media accounts and provide regular reports on engagement and growth: Regularly track the performance of social media accounts, analyzing metrics such as engagement, reach, and follower growth. Generate insightful reports summarizing trends and suggesting strategies for further improvement.
Appointment Setting
Scheduling appointments can be time-consuming, but it's an essential part of any real estate agent's job. A real estate virtual assistant can help with the following:
- Manage your calendar and schedule appointments with clients and prospects: Effectively organize and manage your calendar, ensuring optimal scheduling of appointments and avoiding conflicts. Implement tools that allow seamless synchronization with your devices and those of other relevant parties.
- Send out meeting invitations and reminders: Send out professional meeting invitations, including details such as date, time, and location, creating a polished and organized image for your real estate business. Issue timely reminders to all involved parties, reducing the likelihood of no-shows and ensuring efficient use of everyone's time.
- Coordinate with other parties involved in the meeting such as other agents, title companies, and lenders: A real estate virtual assistant can facilitate communication and coordination among different stakeholders, including clients, fellow agents, title companies, and lenders. Streamline the process by being the central point of contact, enhancing efficiency in scheduling and conducting meetings.
Email and Chat Support
Email and chat support are crucial for any real estate business. A real estate virtual assistant can help with the following:
- Respond to emails and chats from clients and prospects: Timely response to emails and chat messages from clients and prospects, providing a professional and customer-centric image. Employ pre-drafted responses for common inquiries, ensuring consistency and accuracy in communication.
- Answer questions about properties, contracts, and other related topics: Address queries related to properties, contracts, and other pertinent topics with a comprehensive understanding of real estate terminology and procedures. Provide detailed and accurate information, building trust and confidence among clients and prospects.
- Follow up on leads and inquiries: Actively pursue leads generated through emails and chats, ensuring no potential client inquiries are overlooked. Employ strategic follow-up techniques to nurture leads, potentially converting them into successful real estate transactions.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is an effective way to reach out to your clients and prospects. A real estate virtual assistant can help with the following:
- Create and send out newsletters and other marketing emails: Develop engaging content for newsletters and marketing emails, aligning with your real estate brand and current market trends. Utilize email marketing platforms to schedule and send out campaigns, ensuring timely and targeted communication.
- Manage your email list and segment it based on client preferences: Organize and maintain your email list efficiently, segmenting it based on client preferences, demographics, or other relevant factors. Implement strategies for list growth and ensure compliance with email marketing regulations.
- Provide regular reports on the performance of your email campaigns: Analyze key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Generate regular reports summarizing the performance of email campaigns, offering insights for optimization.
Graphic Design
Graphic design is an essential part of real estate marketing. A virtual assistant can help with the following:
- Create high-quality graphics and images for your website, social media, and other marketing materials: Real estate virtual assistant can design visually appealing graphics and images for your website, social media, and marketing materials, ensuring a cohesive and professional visual identity. Incorporate branding elements and industry-specific aesthetics to enhance recognition.
- Edit and enhance photos of your properties: Improve the visual appeal of property photos through editing techniques, emphasizing key features and creating an attractive showcase. Ensure consistency in photo quality across various platforms and marketing materials.
- Design flyers, brochures, and other marketing materials: Develop eye-catching flyers, brochures, and other marketing collateral that effectively showcase properties and convey relevant information. Tailor designs to the target audience and purpose of each marketing material.
Listing Management
Post and maintain listings is a time-consuming task, and a virtual assistant can help with the following:
- Create and update property listings on various platforms such as the MLS, Zillow, and Realtor.com: Efficiently upload and update property listings on multiple platforms like the MLS, Zillow, and Realtor.com. Ensure accurate and up-to-date information, enhancing the visibility and credibility of your listings.
- Monitor and respond to inquiries about your listings: Monitor and promptly respond to inquiries about your listings, providing detailed and relevant information to potential buyers or renters. Foster engagement and interest through effective communication.
- Provide regular reports on the performance of your listings: Track the performance of each listing, including views, inquiries, and conversion rates. Generate regular reports offering insights into the effectiveness of listing strategies.
Content Creation
Content creation is crucial for building your brand and establishing your expertise in the real estate industry. A real estate virtual assistant can help with the following:
- Write and edit blog posts, articles, and other content for your website: Generate informative and engaging blog posts and articles, establishing your real estate expertise and attracting a wider audience. Optimize content for search engines and user engagement.
- Research and curate relevant content to share on your social media accounts: Conduct thorough research to curate relevant content for sharing on social media platforms, keeping your audience informed and engaged. Identify industry trends and incorporate them into your content strategy.
- Develop and implement a content marketing strategy: Formulate a comprehensive content marketing strategy aligned with your business goals. Plan content calendars, ensuring a consistent and strategic approach to content distribution.
Property Research
Property research is an important part of any real estate business. A virtual assistant can help with the following:
- Research properties and neighborhoods to help you identify potential leads: Conduct in-depth research on properties and neighborhoods to identify potential leads and market opportunities. Real estate virtual assistants also provide detailed information to aid in decision-making and client consultations.
- Create property profiles and reports: Develop comprehensive property profiles and reports, presenting key information and insights to clients and prospects. Ensure accuracy and professionalism in all property-related documentation.
- Provide regular reports on market trends and changes: Regularly analyze market trends and changes, delivering reports that keep you informed about the dynamic real estate landscape. Use data-driven insights to adapt strategies and stay competitive.
Follow-up Calls
Follow-up calls are crucial for building relationships with clients and prospects. A real estate virtual assistant can help with the following:
- Make follow-up calls to clients and prospects to check in and see how they're doing: Make personalized follow-up calls to clients and prospects, fostering relationships and demonstrating a commitment to customer satisfaction. Gather feedback and address any concerns, enhancing client trust and loyalty.
- Schedule appointments for property viewings or meetings: Use follow-up calls to schedule property viewings, meetings, or other appointments, streamlining the process and ensuring a convenient experience for clients. Coordinate with your calendar management for optimal scheduling.
- Conduct customer satisfaction surveys: Implement customer satisfaction surveys during follow-up calls, gauging feedback on services and identifying areas for improvement. Use survey data to enhance the overall client experience and tailor services to meet client expectations.
Real Estate Virtual Assistant Job Description
If you're a busy realtor looking to delegate or outsource many of your tasks to a virtual assistant, please find a sample job description below.
Job title examples
- Busy realtor looking for a virtual assistant.
- I am looking for a real estate virtual assistant - full-time.
- Are you experienced with real estate? Apply as a real estate virtual assistant.
Job Summary
I'm looking to hire a full-time virtual real estate assistant who can work remotely and assist me with my business and personal tasks. You will work primarily on the real estate industry tasks as I have a fast-growing real estate business.
Any former experience in the real estate industry would be advantageous but not essential. The ideal candidate would work in my time zone from 9am-6pm, Monday-Friday.
Roles and responsibilities
- Manage my social media presence (create and post on LinkedIn, Facebook, and local realtor forums.
- Respond to live chat queries on my website and reply to email queries using preset templates I've created.
- Design/create basic graphics and images for mailers, as well as to post on social media.
- Customer follow-ups. Keep leads in the pipeline by ensuring we have regular touchpoints.
- Manage my appointments and schedule, and reconfirm all appointments we have booked.
- Research listings and market trends.
Job Requirements
- Excellent English speaking skills.
- Willing to work in my time zone.
- Ambitious and willing to learn new things.
- Experience within the real estate industry (not essential, but preferred).
- Bachelor's degree or above.
Virtual Assistant For Realtors: the USA vs the Philippines
When it comes to hiring a real estate virtual assistant, you have two options - local or international.
While some American virtual assistants do an excellent job, there are several compelling reasons why you should consider hiring a Filipino virtual assistant.
Firstly, the cost of living in the Philippines is much lower than in the USA, which means you can hire a highly skilled virtual assistant for a fraction of the cost of a local assistant.
This translates into significant cost savings for your business, without compromising on quality.
Secondly, Filipinos are known for their excellent communication skills and strong work ethic.
They are highly educated, fluent in English, and have a customer-centric approach to work.
This means that you can expect high-quality work from your Filipino virtual assistant, who will go above and beyond to ensure that your business succeeds.
Lastly, hiring a Filipino virtual assistant allows you to benefit from the time zone difference between the USA and the Philippines.
This means that while you sleep, your virtual assistant can be working on your business, completing tasks, and ensuring that your operations run smoothly 24/7.
Of course, with a booming outsourcing industry, you'll also easily be able to hire real estate virtual assistants to work in your timezone. In the Philippines this is known as "the graveyard shift".
While there are excellent American virtual assistants, hiring a Filipino real estate virtual assistant can bring numerous benefits to your business, including cost savings, exceptional communication skills, a strong work ethic, and 24/7 operations.
Why Should You Consider Hiring a Virtual Real Estate Assistant in the Philippines?
If you do this right, you will immediately save 70% on salary costs while not compromising quality.
The Cost Savings:
As a real estate business owner, saving money and quality hiring are two of your top priorities.
However, these two goals can often seem in conflict with each other.
Hiring a local real estate virtual assistant in the USA might seem like the best option, but high living costs and wages can make it difficult to attract top-tier candidates.
On the other hand, hiring a real estate virtual assistant in the Philippines is an excellent solution that offers both cost savings and high-quality work.
You could hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines from around $2.50-$3.00 per hour. However, by paying a salary of $4.00 to $10.00 per hour, you can hire a top-tier degree-educated, intelligent, and fluent English-speaking virtual assistant.
In addition to significant cost savings, hiring a Filipino virtual assistant offers several other benefits.
The Philippines has a large pool of highly skilled workers who are well-versed in the real estate industry and are committed to providing exceptional customer service.
By choosing to hire a Filipino real estate virtual assistant, you can get the best of both worlds - high-quality work and cost savings.
I'd go as far as to say that hiring a Filipino virtual assistant can help you significantly change the way you do business.
Did you know that the Philippines has English as an official language?
It's not a coincidence - it all goes back to the country's history.
From 1898 to 1946, the Philippines was a territory of the USA.
During that time, English was introduced, and it became used as the official language of the government.
Today, this legacy means that English is widely spoken and understood throughout the country.
All degrees are taught in English; even road signs and the constitution are in English.
It's common to catch a movie in the cinema entirely in English.
So how does this benefit you as a realtor?
Well, it means that when you hire a virtual assistant from the Philippines, you're getting someone skilled and fluent in English.
This is a significant advantage because communication is key in the real estate industry.
Furthermore, due to the differences in the cost of living between the Philippines and the USA, you can hire a top-quality virtual assistant for a fraction of the cost of a local assistant.
This means you can save a lot of money without compromising on quality.
Highly Educated Virtual Assistants
The Philippines consists of a young and educated workforce. You'll find virtually every virtual real estate assistant from the Philippines to have at least a bachelor's degree.
Are you familiar with Pareto's 80/20 rule?
Are you familiar with Pareto's 80/20 rule?
It states that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts.
As a realtor, this means focusing on the 20% of activities that generate the most revenue while delegating the remaining 80% to others.
Here are some specific tasks that you can outsource to a real estate virtual assistant:
- Sending countless emails
- Cold calling
- Listing properties
- Administrative tasks
- Posting on LinkedIn
- Becoming active in social media groups
- Verifying appointments
- Graphic design
- Flyer/Mailer design
- Property research
By getting your virtual assistant to handle these tasks, you can save time and money, allowing you to focus on high-producing activities such as:
- Prospecting with interested people
- Building relationships and improving your network
- Showing more houses
- Seeing potential sellers
- Closing more deals
By letting your virtual assistant handle the 80%, you can free up your time and energy to concentrate on the 20% that really matters.
You'll see an increase in productivity and profitability as you focus on what you do best - selling properties and earning commissions.
So why not take advantage of the 80/20 rule and hire a real estate virtual assistant today?
Let them take care of the tasks that don't require your expertise and focus on what you do best.
Should you hire a real estate virtual assistant for full-time?
Well, in my opinion, if you can afford it, you definitely should. Let me tell you why.
When you hire somebody full-time, you're hiring somebody who is fully dedicated to your business.
This means they're fully invested in ensuring that you succeed.
On the other hand, if you hire somebody part-time, they're probably working multiple jobs at once, which can lead to less productivity and less focus on your goals.
Now, let's talk about the cost.
A good quality real estate virtual assistant cost can range from $3.00 to $10.00 per hour.
I usually recommend paying at least $5.00 per hour so that you can hire somebody who is equivalent to a local employee in the USA.
Ultimately, hiring a full-time virtual assistant for your real estate business is a wise investment.
How Can VirtualStaff.ph Help You Hire a Real Estate Virtual Assistant?
As someone in the real estate game, you are probably always looking for ways to make your business run smoother and grow faster.
That's where VirtualStaff.ph comes in.
Hiring a real estate virtual assistant through VirtualStaff.ph gives you access to an enterprise service.
Our recruitment specialists, who know the Philippines market inside and out, will work with you to find the best virtual assistant.
Plus, you'll have your own account manager to guide you through the entire process.
Not only that, but all of our virtual assistants undergo rigorous background checks. We comprehensively monitor them with time tracking and digital biometrics to ensure that they work every hour you pay them.
Learn more about how we can help you here.
DIY on the VirtualStaff.ph Marketplace
Alternatively, you can use our Philippines outsourcing marketplace to hire directly.
With over 500,000 virtual staff registered on our platform, you're sure to find the perfect fit for your needs.
It's straightforward to get started. Check out profiles of real estate VAs here.
Sign up now and post a job today!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are real estate virtual assistant skills?
Real estate virtual assistant skills include communication, organization, time management, social media management, research, and customer service.
2. What is a real estate virtual assistant's salary?
The salary of a real estate virtual assistant can vary based on experience, skills, and location, but on average, it can range from $3 to $20 per hour.
3. How to hire the best real estate virtual assistant?
You can easily hire the best real estate virtual assistant on VirtualStaff.ph by creating a job listing, taking interviews, and managing their work from within the platform.
4. How much should you pay for a virtual assistant?
You can hire a virtual assistant at an affordable cost on VirtualStaff.ph starting from $3-4 per hour for entry-level tasks.
5. Why should I hire a real estate virtual assistant?
When you hire a real estate virtual assistant, they can help you increase productivity, focus on high-value tasks, and grow your real estate business.