I recently posted a blog on assistants and the importance of them. I received several emails from my members at The eHomes Realty Network and from Active rain members so I thought I would elaborate a little.
To me, the most important job a Realtor has is to be out showing property. I spent my first two years of my Real Estate career not using an assistant. I would have a great month, then a bad month, then a great month and then a bad month and so on and so on. The cycle was consistent! After reading a few books I broke down and hired a full time assistant.
The results were almost instant and were totally amazing! Not only did I have more time to take care of my customers, I didn't have to do any of the stuff that I really didn't like doing. I have never been the most detailed person in the world so doing all the transaction stuff of a closing was never any fun. By having an assistant, I was now freed up to market myself more to keep my pipeline full and show more property to increase my sales...and increase my sales I did! My sales went from 4 every other month to 4-6 every month. The best part of all, is if I had nothing going on that day, I could go golfing instead of catching up on all the admin stuff I was never having enough time to do.
I always recommend that your assistant be licensed. For no other reason than if gives them the flexibility to do more for you. I also recommend paying them well! I know some Agents that are constantly going through assistants because they try to do it as cheaply as possible. My suggestion is some sort of base and 10% of the commission. If you don't want to pay a base, you may have to pay a little higher commission. Either way, it's well worth the money. The numbers are simple. If you can double your sales wouldn't you give up 10% or more of your revenues...it's a cost of doing business that will pay off way more than running ads in the local papers...does anyone do that anymore!
Assistants can help with all the transactions, lead follow up, open houses, inspections and more. However, the more you use them for different tasks, the more you should be paying them. If they are doing a substantial amount of your work for you, pay them accordingly. I would have no problem giving my assistant 20% or more if the value was there.
After having an assistant, I couldn't imagine going back to not having one. I have convinced about a third of my office to have an assistant in one capacity or another. It's funny how they are quickly becoming the most successful ones in my office. The others say they don't make enough to pay an assistant. Here in lies the catch 22. If you don't invest in your business, your business will most likely never grow. You have to remember, growing a business costs money.
One final note, if you are going to hire an assistant, you must learn how to become a manager. I have seen so many Realtor assistants quit their jobs because their boss (the agent) has no idea how to be a manager. In one of my manuals, Train the Trainers, which can be found on The eHomes Realty Network site for my members, you can learn how to treat staff as well as Agents in your team as you start to grow.
So if you are ready to grow your business, you may want to consider an assistant. If you want help in developing a team, you should think about joining The eHomes Realty Network. We are always here to help you become the best you can be!
Comments(4)