Getting a virtual assistant in real estate | by Dan Wood
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Not everyone needs a virtual assistant. I only suggest getting one if you can keep them busy 20 + hours a week. If not… it becomes a full time job for you just thinking of what to have them do. People thinks it’s some easy pill. Guess what? As soon as they finish the 1st project they will turn to you and ask… “what’s next boss”? For the 1st few weeks you’ll be micromanaging them.
Things the can do for you:
- Add leads and contacts to your database and launch proper follow up plans.
- Put together your prospecting list of numbers to call (just listed, just sold, FSBO, etc).
- Blogging, video, content creation.
- Or anything else that can be done from a computer.
What you’ll need to start:
1. Get a Virtual assistant. (You pay the company and they pay the VA).
2. Get Skype. (This is your main source of communication. It’s free to chat & call).
3. Get a new laptop so your VA can work & save files.
4. Get Logmein and download it on your new computer. (Your VA will log into the computer using Logmein).
Points to know:
- Use any virtual company you like. Just make sure they are American based.
- They say they are real estate trained… but you’ll need to re-train them on your systems.
- Treat it like project work. Give small simple projects and check it’s getting done right.
- Buy a new computer so all your files are saved in your physical office. You don’t want your files being saved on their computer 12 hours away.
- You need to trust your VA and get along. Just like a real hire with a local person. Things can go wrong. They could steal your database. Mess up your blogs. Or say they know what they are doing when they don’t.
- It’s better to start with eLance and outsource your projects to the people who specialize in the project at hand. Your VA should be your partner in taking away all the things you know how to do, but don’t have the time for. If you give them jobs they don’t understand how will you guide them? Your VA should only be working on things you understand. Everything else is outsourced as project work. *** This is the biggest reason Virtual Assistants fail… because you hire them to do things you don’t understand and therefor they don’t have the right guidance.
