REO AGENTS WANTED... Virtual Assistnts needed...

Hey - it's me again... Eric Henderson, Broker of Advantage Partners LLC Realty in Wichita, Kansas.

I've been learning a lot on these boards, and on other sites... I've worked my butt off to get some good listings from Ocwen, First Preston, Bank of America, Fannie Mae and others - I do a ton of BPO orders...

If you are like me - you might be wanting to take your business to the next level - hire an assistant to help with the data input chores and contract followup.

I have long been a fan of delegating authority and responsibility with full oversight and final approval - if you catch my drift - but trying to find someone in your local market who understands what a BPO is, the vendors out there, what they require different from each other, how to get info from our MLS and county courts etc... well... they just don't exist in any large numbers... I learned the hard way...

I have tried hiring a local person - spending the time to train her - then realize she was related to another broker... sneaky... I found a younger college aged person to help organize things, be a customer care coordinator and follow up with all my leads online - but she moved... I found a ex-mortgage broker that wanted to get his license, so I paid for it - gave him listings, trained him on bpo order and how to research... but he got suckered into a low-paying hourly job working for another broker...

I've tried hiring from local employment center and companies that place individuals with disabilities... just trying to get some of these people to just show up for work is hard enough...

I just can't afford to spend so much time and money investing in an individual to find that it does not work out... Ever feel like this?

The point is, ladies and gents, it's dang hard to find someone to do what we do on a regular basis...

BUT THERE IS HOPE!!!

I remember reading many articles through the years - some even by "Mr. Internet" himself in the REALTOR magazines... all focused on "Virtual Assistants"... or real people that know the business but are now working from home or a small office to help professionals around the country - or world...

Basically - you decide what you need to have done on a regular or part time basis - even a one time job is acceptable to some agencies and individuals... someone with reasonable qualifications finds your help wanted post - and will basically be an assistant to you - remotely. No one ever needs to know... but does it work?

Now - this idea is not new - there are many resources online for finding help and hiring tele-commuting employees and contract work... but trying to find someone that is talented in sales, customer service, the Internet, and understands our processes as a listing and BPO agent - well - that gets difficult...

I am here to say - it WORKS. I recently hired a few assistants - one in Florida, on in Washington and the other is in California. One works on writing articles, updating my website and writing blog posts for me... another calls on all my leads, classifies them, gets them preapproved then sends each client back to me or to one of my agents as a prequalified hot buyer with a list of exactly what they are looking for... kinda cool right? The last one helps me with data entry chores - understands our mls service and how to pull comps. ALL of them are former or current real estate agents - most are full-time parents that just decided to stay home with the kids, and while they are in school they just want something to do... AND THEY ARE VERY AFFORDABLE TO MY SURPRISE!

I want to give you a tip - don't pay for listing your job... seek out qualified individuals, get referrals, and find out how much they know BEFORE you hire... Now, like some of the services out there that you will find - ones devoted to real estate agents seem to be the logical choice - I found that these were the most expensive and usualy set up by a broker or agent trying to supplement his or her income... not a bad idea - but more expensive to me...

Please help me add to this list - and write a review of your vendors and how you found them...

My favorite so far -

1) HireMyMom.com - believe it - the best place for top talent I have found. I was expecting a bunch of uneducated, unmotivated individuals and hoping for at least one or two good ones to choose from - what I get was a TON of VERY QUALIFIED professional women who are at home most of the time now - that really put my experiences to shame when it comes to expertise in the world of REO, mortgages, real estate in general and sales... I posted a simple Real Estate Virtual Assistant wanted ad - and instantly had resumes pouring in from all over the country! I have current and ex real estate agents, retired brokers, attorneys and corporate higher-ups who all have responded to the ad... All ages, and enough experience and knowledge between them all to seeming run this entire country! Seriously! I actually checked some of their claims out - like the one that had so much senior level underwriting experience or the one that ran a real estate law office in New York...

Simply the best... but for PENNIES! My ad was for $10-$15 per hour - THATS IT!!! Aprox $200/week for each position... and I am getting TONS of inquiries STILL TO DATE!

Guys - I found some help - these ladies are just awesome and will take care of your clients - AND YOU... If they help you with a big close - REWARD THEM! I am doing more business now than I ever thought possible - and I don't have the overhead of an in-house employee!

Go there - NOW - post a position if you are serious about getting some help - there are some amazing people there that are available NOW...

Got a favorite Real Estate Virtual Assistant? Tell us about it - pros. cons?