One of the most disheartening situations for us in the Real Estate Virtual Assistant business is when a client approaches us with an assortment of unnecessary websites and services, collected throughout the years from various sales pitches and impulse buys.
The agent is often overwhelmed, unsure of how to use half of the services, and eager to buy yet another service that will fix all of their problems, thus repeating the process all over again. What marketing service is going to want to stop the cycle that is their money making machine?
After years of experience finding agents stuck in this cycle, we have come up with a few useful tactics to bring it to a halt. If it means slowing down Acme Marketing Company’s revenue, then so be it. Somebody’s got to watch your back.
Lesson #1: One Website is Plenty
Most agents come to us with at least three websites. Oftentimes the content is unfinished on one, while the other two have identical content, making them completely redundant and appalling to the search engines. Unless each website is marketed towards a different niche market, you only need one website.
Lesson #2: Use What You Have
Almost every template website has multiple resources included in the package that you can utilize. From drip campaigns, to web traffic tracking, to built-in blogs, sites like Real Pro and Point2 Agent are meant to be all encompassing services. Of course you can get a lot of these services individually and sometimes doing so can give you added benefits, but the benefits usually do not outweigh the added cost of paying for a whole new system.
Lesson #3: Take Inventory
Go through every website and service you have ever signed up for. There is a lot out there marketed towards real estate agents, each one promising to turn listings into leads and double your business. I am guessing there have been more than a few impulse purchases you have made. The issue arises when you don’t (have time to) do your research right away to find out what the service included, and as a result, don’t take advantage of all of its features and benefits.
Take inventory of everything you are paying for. What is being made more complicated than it needs to be by having multiple systems? What do you have more than one of? Is there a service that you are paying for that you know you may be able to get for free? Is there anything that can be eliminated all together?
Lesson #4: Get Somebody You Can Trust
A real estate virtual assistant should have no interest in selling you a product. They have a vested interest in you. They are there to help you succeed and make your job easier. A good VA should take inventory of what you already have and utilize your current resources to the fullest potential. They won't go looking for another product to do something you can already do with what you have and they won't let you spend your money carelessly. Best of all, being in the real estate industry for many years, they’re able to make recommendations and guide you in the right direction. At the end of the day, a good virtual assistant should have your back. Delegate this crucial inventory
to your VA right away and stop throwing your money away!
Have a great weekend,
Stacey Clarke
Marketing & Copywriting Coordinator
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