The real estate industry is one of those fields involving lots of constant client communication and dozens of time-consuming admin tasks. Hiring real estate virtual assistants can be a smart move toward growing your real estate business minus the hassles.
So, what is a real estate VA and what duties can they take up?
Real Estate Virtual Assistant 101
A real estate virtual assistant or an outsourced virtual staff is someone who works from a remote location using a computer and internet connection to complete assigned tasks.
Typically, real estate VAs are independent contractors rather than permanent staff. Therefore, the employer does not pay employee-related taxes, insurance, or perks above the working hours spent by the virtual assistant.
With a virtual assistant in your team, you can focus less on the general administrative tasks and other repetitive tasks such as sending emails to your clients.
One key benefit of hiring a virtual assistant to help with the administrative tasks is you will have plenty of time to concentrate on the dollar-productive tasks. Thus, you have more time to host open houses, meet clients in person, and analyse the local market to improve your marketing tactics.
This post highlights seven common hiring mistakes real estate agents make when hiring virtual assistants. After reading this article, you will be better positioned to hire the right candidate to help your business grow.
1. Not Preparing a Clear Job Description
Not clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of the real estate virtual assistant is one of the worst mistakes by a real estate agent. Not specifying the duties could result in hiring the wrong candidate or even cause the VA you hire to do tasks outside their scope. Besides, defining the responsibilities helps you point out the essential qualities when hiring virtual staff.
Before you post the position on job boards, make sure you define the virtual assistant’s responsibilities and the tasks they are not allowed to do.
2. Skipping the Interview Process
No matter how soon you want to fill the position of a virtual assistant, never skip the screening process. The interview process is a little more than a social call with some potential candidates.
Ask standard questions like:
- Where do you want to be in two to five years?
- What do you consider your biggest failure?
- What strengths make you the perfect candidate?
The screening process gives you a good sense of whether you want to work with the candidate and if they are genuinely interested in working for you.
3. Underestimating the Real Estate Virtual Assistant’s Budget
A real estate virtual assistant is often an entrepreneur’s option when they have too much work but not enough budget for a full-time employee.
Typically, hiring a real estate VA will save you money, but remember, it comes at a cost. A perfect candidate with extensive experience will charge a higher fee than a novice who is just starting and doesn’t know much about Australia’s real estate market.
Plan your costs of hiring virtual assistants. Remember to check the current market rates for experienced virtual staff with a positive attitude.
4. Not Establishing A Proper Communication Channel
In the real estate business, communication is vital. It is essential to have a clear communication line between the virtual assistant and the business owner. Remember you hired a real estate VA because you needed assistance running your business. You can only achieve your goals if you have a clear communication channel.
Establishing a clear communication line lets you give them feedback in a constructive way. If there are tasks they can’t perform well, you can always get back to them.
5. Failing To Train Your Virtual Assistant
One of the critical phases in human resource management is the proper training of new employees. You don’t want the virtual assistant to import their previous work culture into your business, especially if it doesn’t jive with your objectives.
Talk to your virtual assistant about your way of doing things. For instance, train them on how to sound appropriately in the emails to your clients and gauge if they meet your standards. Onboarding training also helps the ideal candidate understand your company culture.
6. Moving Too Fast
The moment you learn the importance of hiring a real estate virtual assistant, you may be tempted to speed up the hiring process only to end up with the wrong candidate. Hiring a real estate virtual assistant takes time. You must review each step clearly to make the right hiring decisions and interview suitable job applicants.
Similar to hiring for other permanent positions in your agency, the candidates for the virtual staff positions should be appropriately checked and vetted. The vetting process should not only be about qualifications for the job but also look out for candidates with extensive experience serving in similar roles.
7. Not Partnering With The Right Virtual Assistant Provider
Many businesses have created platforms to pool talented remote staff and connect them to potential clients. The advantage of using such providers is that a real estate agent like you can access the right person who will perform to your expectations. Besides, you can choose pre-vetted candidates from diverse backgrounds while ensuring the language barrier will not be an issue.
Common qualities associated with a bad hire include people with misrepresented skills or experience. Hiring the wrong person results in failing to meet minimum performance standards and work quality. Partnering with a VAs company helps you stay away from such expensive mistakes.
Conclusion
As your real estate business starts seeing rapid growth, it’s easier for you or your team leader to see the need for hiring additional staff to handle more tasks. You can save time and money by hiring a qualified virtual assistant. The best candidate will help with the repetitive admin processes so that you can focus on the dollar-productive tasks.
Hire the best real estate virtual assistant at Outsource Workers. We provide qualified and experienced real estate virtual assistants for the Australian market. For more information, contact us now.