Virtual Assistants are getting noticed more and more these days! That is great! However, as a result, I see the same question popping up on real estate forums and blogs around the net - “What is a Virtual Assistant, and what can a virtual assistant specifically do for you?” Or “How can a Virtual Assistant help or enhance your business?” Unfortunately, I sometimes see that this question is not answered very well. Some virtual assistants will post a message on a forum in response to one of the above questions that states - “email or call me, and I will tell you how I can help you.” That’s fine! But not a great “immediate” answer to the question. The poster of the question is still clueless on how a VA can help them.

So, this is what I would like to do. I am going to start a 4 or 5 part “blog-eries” (my term for blog series) on what a virtual assistant can help a real estate agent do. I am going to break it down based on the basic real estate transaction this way:

• Pre-Listing
• Listing
• Sale (under contract phase)
• Closing
• Other Miscellaneous Tasks

When I cover one of these topics, and I leave something out that you have a question about (which I am sure that I will do unwittingly- PLEASE – post a question and I will be happy to answer it to the best of my ability! Also, if you are a VA and you see something that I have left out, please post it too! I can always learn more!

So let’s get started with how a virtual assistant can help you during the pre-listing phase. Let’s assume that you are just starting out in real estate, and you have nothing but your sphere of influence at the moment. You call up a virtual assistant and ask for help. Here is what he or she can do to make your life easier.

• Maintain and update your client contact data base and your email accounts. All you have to do is provide your VA with you user name and password, and get back to the business of being a real estate agent. (Any contact manager is VA compatible – Microsoft Outlook; www.topproduceronline.com; www.agentoffice.com; www.act.com; www.maximizer.com; or any other software that you desire. Even an Excel spreadsheet will work as a great starting point – just something to get your database started.) A VA can sort through your email (and the endless spam) and get to the messages that matter. They can take care of any undeliverable messages from your drip email campaign (covered later), and make sure all of your client information is up to date. Also, they can keep track of your clients or SOI birthdays and anniversaries to send cards or notes (a great program for greeting cards that are sent through regular postal mail is www.sendoutcards.com. You (or your VA) can input your database along with special dates to remember along with the cards that you would like to send, and you never have to touch it again - your cards will be mailed on the date you specified!!)
• Create and send any direct mail marketing pieces (i.e. letters or postcards) to your SOI or certain neighborhoods promoting yourself and your real estate services.
• Create, update, and maintain your website(s).
• Maintain any lead generation software that you may have. If you are using any kind of online lead generation program such as House Values or Eneighborhoods – your VA can set up an MLS search (to send matching listings to them) for the buyers or create a CMA for the sellers. Your VA can enter the contact with all of the criteria into your contact manager, and set them up on an email drip campaign if you have one. (The best email drip campaign I have found is Rainmaker. Top Producer also has one built into its program.) If you don’t have an online lead generation program but you are interested in finding one but just don’t have the time – this is another great task for you VA to perform.
• Maintain any drip email campaigns that you have in place (as mentioned earlier.) You VA can also create new and inventive letters to be utilized in your drip campaign if it is not included in your program.
• Once a listing appointment is made with prospective sellers your VA can create a pre-listing presentation. My pre-listing presentations consist of both a visual presentation and a hard copy. For example: Visual presentation – a unique and informative PowerPoint presentation is created for the agent to take to the showing. Hard copy – this will accompany and compliment the visual presentation. The hard copy will consist of the following items: cover, agent biography, testimonials and references, marketing information, helpful hints for selling your home (showing checklist, pricing strategies, appraisal, inspection, closing process, packing checklist), marketing plan, CMA, and listing forms (contracts etc).

Keep in mind, after you set up an action plan with your real estate virtual assistant, all of the above tasks are preformed on a daily basis “automatically” with little or no supervision from you - the agent. I feel that these tasks are essential to a successful real estate agent, but they can often be very time consuming – especially if you are just starting out and are working another job to begin with.

As you can see, you don’t have to have numerous clients or tons of business to get started with a VA. You can start out with hiring a virtual assistant for about 1 hour a day to start out with. They can help you build your business with little effort from you. They can be behind the scenes while you take care of all of the personal and face-to-face interaction. You could start out with a retainer of 5 to 10 hours per month at a very inexpensive price – you will find it priceless after you see your business grow.

Be sure to check back with me at this blog to get the following posts in the “blog-eries.” Next time I will focus on how a virtual assistant can help you in the listing phase.