Glossary Terms ➤ Real Estate Virtual Assistant
Looking to hire a real estate virtual assistant? In this article, you will learn about the following essential points:
A real estate virtual assistant is a remote worker who performs tasks for a real estate company. People work from home and may live in various countries with lower living expenses. This includes countries like the Philippines, India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
They help a real estate business by taking on tasks that the business owner wants to outsource. This allows the owner to focus on revenue-generating activities.
A real estate virtual assistant handles phone and online tasks for a real estate business. They can make outbound calls for leads, receive calls, and follow up with buyers through VoIP. The pandemic has made everyone tech-savvy, which opened up a multitude of tasks that can be done online.
Here’s an expert tip for creating a list of tasks for online workers. Focus on those that do not need a physical presence. Then, rank them based on complexity, time consumption, and ease of execution.
VA services and tasks vary. Here are some of the tasks that a real estate online assistant can do:Â
Lead Generation – help generate leads by researching and qualifying potential clients. They are also often responsible for following up on leads and scheduling appointments.
Listing Management: Update and handle property listings on platforms such as MLS.
Database: Help with maintaining and updating client and contact databases.
CRM Management: Help manage CRM tools, input data, and tracking interactions.
Appointment Scheduling: Schedule appointments with clients, vendors, and partners. They also handle the calendar to ensure that there are no conflicts or double bookings.
Email Management: Handles email accounts, responds to inquiries, and focus on messages.
Social Media Management: Helps maintain and update social media accounts.
Market Research: Perform research on the local market. This includes trends, pricing, and competitor analysis.
Admin Support: They can provide administrative support such as data entry and filing.
Customer Service: Provide support to clients, answering questions, and resolving issues.
Transaction Management: Assist with managing real estate transaction coordination. This involves coordinating with title companies, inspectors, appraisers, and other parties.
Coordination with Vendors: Help coordinate with vendors and contractors. This includes photographers, home stagers, and cleaners.
Prospecting: Identify potential properties to buy and analyzing financial data.
Contract and Documentation: Help with the creation and management of legal documents. An example is ensuring the accuracy and completeness of documents.
Tenant Screening and Leasing Management: Handles tenant screening, lease agreements, and rental applications. This ensures that all the necessary paperwork and background checks will be in order.
Rent Collection and Accounting: Handles rent collection and track delinquent accounts. They are also responsible for ensuring that all rental income is recorded and accounted for.
Maintenance Coordination: Coordinate and schedule maintenance and repairs for rental properties. They also communicate with both tenants and contractors as needed.
Property Inspections: Schedules and performs regular property inspections. They ensure that properties are well-maintained.
Marketing and Advertising: Help create and manage campaigns to attract potential tenants.
Customer Service and Support: Provide customer service and support to tenants. Answering questions, resolving issues, and providing exceptional customer care.
Data Management and Reporting: Manage property data and tenant information. They also create reports for property owners and managers when necessary.
Legal Compliance: Ensure rental properties follow laws at all levels. This includes fair housing regulations, building codes, and zoning laws.
Pre-construction Tasks: Helps with project planning and cost analysis.
Permitting and Compliance: Helps with securing building & environmental permits, and other regulatory approvals.
Project Scheduling: Helps make schedules and ensures timely task completion.
Document Management: Helps with organizing and managing project documentation. This including contracts, change orders, and other task-oriented documents.
Budget Management: Helps with tracking project expenses, creating budgets, and analyzing project costs.
Contractor Management: Helps with coordinating and managing construction contractors. They also ensure quality work and compliance to project timelines.
Vendor Management: Helps with managing vendors, such as suppliers and other service providers.
Safety and Risk Management: Help with meeting safety regulations and identifying project risks.
Quality Control: Helps with monitoring construction quality and building codes and other standards.
Project Closeout: Aids with tasks to wrap up a project, including final inspections.
Client Support and Communication: Answering phone calls and emails from clients. They also provide information on insurance policies, coverage, claims, and payments.
Insurance Market Analysis and Reporting:Â Conduct research on insurance regulations and market trends.
Claims Processing and Coordination:Â Process insurance claims and verify the information. They also coordinate with adjusters and clients to ensure timely and accurate settlements.
Insurance Data Management and Organization:Â Collecting and organizing client data, insurance applications, policies, and endorsements. They also update the company’s databases and filing systems.
Policy Compliance and Renewal Management:Â Following up with clients on renewals and policy changes. They also ensure regulatory and contractual requirements are followed.
Appointment Scheduling and Calendar Management:Â Schedule appointments with clients, agents, and underwriters. At the same time, they also oversee calendars and travel arrangements.
Document Writing and Editing:Â Drafting and proofreading messages, proposals, and other insurance documents.
Marketing and Sales Support:Â Helping with marketing activities such as creating promotional materials.
Training and Education Coordination:Â Coordinating training sessions and educational programs.
Data Protection and Security Compliance:Â Ensuring the privacy and security of client information.
Prospecting and Lead Generation: Conducts research to find potential buyers. They reach out to them via email, phone, or social media to generate interest.
Appointment Setting: Schedule appointments for property showings and meetings with prospective clients.
Database Management: Organize and update client databases. This includes contact information, property details, and other relevant data.
Property Research: Search for properties that fit the client’s preferences and requirements.
Comparative Market Analysis: Generate a report that compares recently sold properties with current listings.
Offer and Contract Preparation: Helping with the preparation of proposals and buy contracts.
Coordination and Communication: Coordinating with other parties involved in the transaction. This include inspectors, lenders, and communicating updates to clients.
Follow-up and Client Management: Follow up with clients after showings and meetings. They also manage ongoing communication to build and maintain relationships.
Marketing Support: Creating and distributing marketing materials to promote properties and services.
Administrative Support: Providing general admin support. This includes answering calls and responding to emails.
Editing: Edit photos and videos to meet business quality standards.
Scheduling: Help schedule appointments and book sessions for clients.
Customer Service: Support and respond to client inquiries.
Social Media Management: Manage social media accounts and create posts. They also engage with followers to help increase the business’s visibility.
Website Management: Manage the business’s website by uploading new photos and videos. They also ensure that the website remains current and up-to-date.
Sales and Marketing: Help with creating marketing materials. They also reach out to potential clients to generate more business.
Research: Conduct research on new photography and videography trends.
Photo and Video Organization: they can help organize the business’s files to ensure easy access and retrieval.
Administrative Tasks: A remote staff can handle the administrative tasks involved in conveyancing.
Document Preparation and Review: Prepare and review conveyancing documents. For instance, contracts, deeds, and other legal forms.
Title Searches: Conduct title searches to verify property ownership. They also ensure that there are no liens or other issues that could affect the sale of the property.
Client Communication: Communicate with clients about the progress of the transaction. They also answer their questions and provide guidance on the conveyancing process.
Settlement and Disbursement: Help with the settlement and disbursement process. They also ensure that all funds are transferred and that all parties receive the payments.
Compliance and Regulatory Tasks: Comply with conveyancing laws including Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA).
Administrative Support: Provide administrative support by scheduling meetings and handling other tasks.
Document Management: Handles legal documents necessary for strata management and body corporate. As an example, this includes managing legal documents such as strata plans and by-laws.
Communication: Communicate between property owners and other stakeholders. This includes handling inquiries and responding to complaints.
Financial Management:Â Help with financial management tasks such as invoicing and processing payments. This includes preparing financial statements and reports.
Property Inspections: Arrange property inspections, communicate with inspectors, and create inspection reports.
Compliance Management: Help ensure compliance by managing paperwork, filling forms, and preparing reports.
Meeting Management: Manage meetings and take minutes of the meeting.
Property Maintenance: Scheduling routine maintenance, coordinating repairs, and handling complaints related to maintenance.
Customer Support: Provide customer support by answering tenant inquiries and addressing complaints.
Data Entry: Maintain corporate property records by inputting data into strata management software.
Researching Potential Properties for Investment: Research potential investment properties based on provided criteria. This can include factors like location, price, and potential for rental income.
Analyzing Market Trends: Analyze market trends to assist informed investment decisions.
Managing Rental Properties: Help with managing rental properties. This includes advertising vacancies and handling maintenance requests.
Managing Finances: Assist with managing the financial aspects of real estate investments. This includes budgeting, bookkeeping, and tax preparation.
Drafting and Reviewing Legal Documents: Prepare and review legal documents. This includes agreements with contractors or property managers.
Networking and Marketing: Assist to find potential investors and partners.
Providing Administrative Support: Provide support to ensure that the investment business runs well. This includes setting up appointments and organizing files and documents.
Property Management: Helps with the management of properties. This includes maintenance, leasing, and tenant communication.
Financial Management: A property bookkeeper helps with financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting.
Asset Valuation: Conduct research on property values, market trends, and comparable properties.
Investment Analysis: Analyze investment opportunities and prepare reports on potential investments.
Portfolio Management: Monitors and manages a portfolio of properties. This includes analyzing performance and identifying areas for improvement.
Due Diligence: Conduct due diligence on potential acquisitions and dispositions. This include reviewing financial statements and other relevant documentation.
Investor Relations: Engage with investors and deliver consistent updates on asset performance
Legal Compliance: Follow regulatory real estate asset management requirements.
Reporting: prepare reports on portfolio performance and investment opportunities.
Marketing: Preparing marketing materials and coordinating marketing campaigns.
Website and Software Development: Supports with website and software development tasks. This includes coding, programming, design, and testing.
Content Creation: Creates website content, blog post, and proofreading content.
SEO and Digital Marketing: Supports with search engine optimization (SEO) tasks. For instance, researching keywords and optimizing website content for search engines.
Customer Support: Answers customer inquiries, providing technical support, and handling customer complaints.
Project Management: Help with project management tasks. For instance, creating project timelines and coordinating with team members.
Data Analysis and Reporting: Gathering and reporting data on website and software performance.
Quality Assurance: Perform quality assurance tasks. Testing websites to ensure that products meet industry standards and client requirements.
Research: This involves studying industry trends, best practices, competitors, and market research.
Administrative Tasks: Scheduling appointments and managing email and calendars.
Lead Generation - help generate leads by researching and qualifying potential clients. They are also often responsible for following up on leads and scheduling appointments.
Listing Management: Update and handle property listings on platforms such as MLS.
Database: Help with maintaining and updating client and contact databases.
CRM Management: Help manage CRM tools, input data, and tracking interactions.
Appointment Scheduling: Schedule appointments with clients, vendors, and partners. They also handle the calendar to ensure that there are no conflicts or double bookings.
Email Management: Handles email accounts, responds to inquiries, and focus on messages.
Social Media Management: Helps maintain and update social media accounts.
Market Research: Perform research on the local market. This includes trends, pricing, and competitor analysis.
Admin Support: They can provide administrative support such as data entry and filing.
Customer Service: Provide support to clients, answering questions, and resolving issues.
Transaction Management: Assist with managing real estate transaction coordination. This involves coordinating with title companies, inspectors, appraisers, and other parties.
Coordination with Vendors: Help coordinate with vendors and contractors. This includes photographers, home stagers, and cleaners.
Prospecting: Identify potential properties to buy and analyzing financial data.
Contract and Documentation: Help with the creation and management of legal documents. An example is ensuring the accuracy and completeness of documents.
Tenant Screening and Leasing Management: Handles tenant screening, lease agreements, and rental applications. This ensures that all the necessary paperwork and background checks will be in order.
Rent Collection and Accounting: Handles rent collection and track delinquent accounts. They are also responsible for ensuring that all rental income is recorded and accounted for.
Maintenance Coordination: Coordinate and schedule maintenance and repairs for rental properties. They also communicate with both tenants and contractors as needed.
Property Inspections: Schedules and performs regular property inspections. They ensure that properties are well-maintained.
Marketing and Advertising: Help create and manage campaigns to attract potential tenants.
Customer Service and Support: Provide customer service and support to tenants. Answering questions, resolving issues, and providing exceptional customer care.
Data Management and Reporting: Manage property data and tenant information. They also create reports for property owners and managers when necessary.
Legal Compliance: Ensure rental properties follow laws at all levels. This includes fair housing regulations, building codes, and zoning laws.
Pre-construction Tasks: Helps with project planning and cost analysis.
Permitting and Compliance: Helps with securing building & environmental permits, and other regulatory approvals.
Project Scheduling: Helps make schedules and ensures timely task completion.
Document Management: Helps with organizing and managing project documentation. This including contracts, change orders, and other task-oriented documents.
Budget Management: Helps with tracking project expenses, creating budgets, and analyzing project costs.
Contractor Management: Helps with coordinating and managing construction contractors. They also ensure quality work and compliance to project timelines.
Vendor Management: Helps with managing vendors, such as suppliers and other service providers.
Safety and Risk Management: Help with meeting safety regulations and identifying project risks.
Quality Control: Helps with monitoring construction quality and building codes and other standards.
Project Closeout: Aids with tasks to wrap up a project, including final inspections.
Client Support and Communication: Answering phone calls and emails from clients. They also provide information on insurance policies, coverage, claims, and payments.
Insurance Market Analysis and Reporting:Â Conduct research on insurance regulations and market trends.
Claims Processing and Coordination:Â Process insurance claims and verify the information. They also coordinate with adjusters and clients to ensure timely and accurate settlements.
Insurance Data Management and Organization:Â Collecting and organizing client data, insurance applications, policies, and endorsements. They also update the company's databases and filing systems.
Policy Compliance and Renewal Management:Â Following up with clients on renewals and policy changes. They also ensure regulatory and contractual requirements are followed.
Appointment Scheduling and Calendar Management:Â Schedule appointments with clients, agents, and underwriters. At the same time, they also oversee calendars and travel arrangements.
Document Writing and Editing:Â Drafting and proofreading messages, proposals, and other insurance documents.
Marketing and Sales Support:Â Helping with marketing activities such as creating promotional materials.
Training and Education Coordination:Â Coordinating training sessions and educational programs.
Data Protection and Security Compliance:Â Ensuring the privacy and security of client information.
Prospecting and Lead Generation: Conducts research to find potential buyers. They reach out to them via email, phone, or social media to generate interest.
Appointment Setting: Schedule appointments for property showings and meetings with prospective clients.
Database Management: Organize and update client databases. This includes contact information, property details, and other relevant data.
Property Research: Search for properties that fit the client's preferences and requirements.
Comparative Market Analysis: Generate a report that compares recently sold properties with current listings.
Offer and Contract Preparation: Helping with the preparation of proposals and buy contracts.
Coordination and Communication: Coordinating with other parties involved in the transaction. This include inspectors, lenders, and communicating updates to clients.
Follow-up and Client Management: Follow up with clients after showings and meetings. They also manage ongoing communication to build and maintain relationships.
Marketing Support: Creating and distributing marketing materials to promote properties and services.
Administrative Support: Providing general admin support. This includes answering calls and responding to emails.
Editing: Edit photos and videos to meet business quality standards.
Scheduling: Help schedule appointments and book sessions for clients.
Customer Service: Support and respond to client inquiries.
Social Media Management: Manage social media accounts and create posts. They also engage with followers to help increase the business's visibility.
Website Management: Manage the business's website by uploading new photos and videos. They also ensure that the website remains current and up-to-date.
Sales and Marketing: Help with creating marketing materials. They also reach out to potential clients to generate more business.
Research: Conduct research on new photography and videography trends.
Photo and Video Organization: they can help organize the business's files to ensure easy access and retrieval.
Administrative Tasks: A remote staff can handle the administrative tasks involved in conveyancing.
Document Preparation and Review: Prepare and review conveyancing documents. For instance, contracts, deeds, and other legal forms.
Title Searches: Conduct title searches to verify property ownership. They also ensure that there are no liens or other issues that could affect the sale of the property.
Client Communication: Communicate with clients about the progress of the transaction. They also answer their questions and provide guidance on the conveyancing process.
Settlement and Disbursement: Help with the settlement and disbursement process. They also ensure that all funds are transferred and that all parties receive the payments.
Compliance and Regulatory Tasks: Comply with conveyancing laws including Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA).
Administrative Support: Provide administrative support by scheduling meetings and handling other tasks.
Document Management: Handles legal documents necessary for strata management and body corporate. As an example, this includes managing legal documents such as strata plans and by-laws.
Communication: Communicate between property owners and other stakeholders. This includes handling inquiries and responding to complaints.
Financial Management:Â Help with financial management tasks such as invoicing and processing payments. This includes preparing financial statements and reports.
Property Inspections: Arrange property inspections, communicate with inspectors, and create inspection reports.
Compliance Management: Help ensure compliance by managing paperwork, filling forms, and preparing reports.
Meeting Management: Manage meetings and take minutes of the meeting.
Property Maintenance: Scheduling routine maintenance, coordinating repairs, and handling complaints related to maintenance.
Customer Support: Provide customer support by answering tenant inquiries and addressing complaints.
Data Entry: Maintain corporate property records by inputting data into strata management software.
Researching Potential Properties for Investment: Research potential investment properties based on provided criteria. This can include factors like location, price, and potential for rental income.
Analyzing Market Trends: Analyze market trends to assist informed investment decisions.
Managing Rental Properties: Help with managing rental properties. This includes advertising vacancies and handling maintenance requests.
Managing Finances: Assist with managing the financial aspects of real estate investments. This includes budgeting, bookkeeping, and tax preparation.
Drafting and Reviewing Legal Documents: Prepare and review legal documents. This includes agreements with contractors or property managers.
Networking and Marketing: Assist to find potential investors and partners.
Providing Administrative Support: Provide support to ensure that the investment business runs well. This includes setting up appointments and organizing files and documents.
Property Management: Helps with the management of properties. This includes maintenance, leasing, and tenant communication.
Financial Management: A property bookkeeper helps with financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting.
Asset Valuation: Conduct research on property values, market trends, and comparable properties.
Investment Analysis: Analyze investment opportunities and prepare reports on potential investments.
Portfolio Management: Monitors and manages a portfolio of properties. This includes analyzing performance and identifying areas for improvement.
Due Diligence: Conduct due diligence on potential acquisitions and dispositions. This include reviewing financial statements and other relevant documentation.
Investor Relations: Engage with investors and deliver consistent updates on asset performance
Legal Compliance: Follow regulatory real estate asset management requirements.
Reporting: prepare reports on portfolio performance and investment opportunities.
Marketing: Preparing marketing materials and coordinating marketing campaigns.
Website and Software Development: Supports with website and software development tasks. This includes coding, programming, design, and testing.
Content Creation: Creates website content, blog post, and proofreading content.
SEO and Digital Marketing: Supports with search engine optimization (SEO) tasks. For instance, researching keywords and optimizing website content for search engines.
Customer Support: Answers customer inquiries, providing technical support, and handling customer complaints.
Project Management: Help with project management tasks. For instance, creating project timelines and coordinating with team members.
Data Analysis and Reporting: Gathering and reporting data on website and software performance.
Quality Assurance: Perform quality assurance tasks. Testing websites to ensure that products meet industry standards and client requirements.
Research: This involves studying industry trends, best practices, competitors, and market research.
Administrative Tasks: Scheduling appointments and managing email and calendars.
But not all tasks that a remote staff can do should be given to them. Companies should choose which tasks are suitable for remote workers based on their skills and experience.
It is important to check these tasks before hiring. They should be rated based on their level of difficulty and how easy they are to teach. By doing this, businesses can make informed decisions about which tasks to assign to a remote staff. This way, they can save time and concentrate on more important tasks to enhance productivity.
Writing a job description for a hiring remote real estate associate? It should be well-written and contain specific tasks that need to be done on a daily basis.
Some of the common departments include marketing, finance, and sales. Regardless of the designated department in the industry, it’s best to elaborate on the specifics.
Indicating the primary tasks of a VA is essential. The responsibilities can always vary depending on your preference. For instance, if you're looking to hire for an entry-level role, then the duties should be aligned.
Include in the job description if you prefer a candidate with or without a degree and experience. Specify the necessary capabilities and skills needed for the assistant job. For example, a degree in business or real estate or administrative work. You can also state skillfulness in computer programs such as Microsoft Office.
What equipment and software do you need for your candidate to access? Some of the details can include a high-speed internet connection, a computer, and software for communication. This can include project management tools and bookkeeping software.
Depending on the time zone of your clients and business, you can choose a shift schedule. State the work schedule for your real estate VA to accommodate your client's needs.
Create a compensation plan and consider offering a trial period that is within your financial means. It should state the payment terms and should remark whether it is negotiable. Researching a similar compensation package is also essential to get an idea of the typical rates for the role.
Don't forget to add the application process and clear instructions. For instance, you can ask the candidates to submit a digital portfolio and a cover letter.
It is also important to specify If there are healthcare or other benefits offered for the role. State the number of paid time offs and vacation leave credits if applicable.
All the information should be clear and accurate. It's always better to have a good first impression that's transparent and free of errors!
Indicating the primary tasks of a VA is essential. The responsibilities can always vary depending on your preference. For instance, if you're looking to hire for an entry-level role, then the duties should be aligned.
Include in the job description if you prefer a candidate with or without a degree and experience. Specify the necessary capabilities and skills needed for the assistant job. For example, a degree in business or real estate or administrative work. You can also state skillfulness in computer programs such as Microsoft Office.
What equipment and software do you need for your candidate to access? Some of the details can include a high-speed internet connection, a computer, and software for communication. This can include project management tools and bookkeeping software.
Depending on the time zone of your clients and business, you can choose a shift schedule. State the work schedule for your real estate VA to accommodate your client's needs.
Create a compensation plan and consider offering a trial period that is within your financial means. It should state the payment terms and should remark whether it is negotiable. Researching a similar compensation package is also essential to get an idea of the typical rates for the role.
All the information should be clear and accurate. It's always better to have a good first impression that's transparent and free of errors!
As the director of ShoreAgents, I have explored other locations like South Africa, India, and Vietnam. I’ve outsourced to the Philippines since 2012 and found Filipino remote staff culturally aligned with the West.
The Philippines is an English-speaking country and is generally a Catholic country. This makes it more compatible with businesses in Western countries such as Australia, the USA, and Canada.
English language proficiency in the Philippines is excellent. This makes it easy to communicate with remote staff. The education level is also high, with many people having college and university degrees.
When you hire a real estate virtual staff from the Philippines, you are likely to work with highly educated people. Filipino virtual staff are creative and very proficient in English. They are also happy to do repetitive and back-office tasks with big smiles on their faces.
Well, the answer to that is all sectors. Remote VA jobs can be done online or over the phone, regardless if it’s in real estate or other industries.
We have successfully partnered with real estate agencies for sales and property management. This is because these areas entail more back-office work.
We have experience in supporting buyers, agents, mortgage companies, and real estate conveyancing. So, a virtual staff can support any sector of the real estate market. Well-prepared tasks, training, and preparation enable successful outsourcing to remote staff.
Our real estate VA services include an entry-level service that comprises one agent. This service is good for smaller businesses that are looking to get some items off their plate. When it comes to using the one-agent service, we provide a whole bunch of support. Generally, the people taking out this service are new to it.
Due to having only one staff member, they are able to handle a wide range of tasks. Instead of focusing on a bigger business where they may be doing just one task.
The staff member and the client generally need more support to succeed. Our dedicated success team ensures that you’re getting the most out of your outsourcing journey and remote staff.
Our secondary service is designed for more support for when your business is expanding. You can hire a completely dedicated team with your agents. We provide scale discounts as you advance to higher service levels and hire more people.
As the business grows, you continue to diversify some of the tasks. You might have started with one agent in the sales admin space and then decided to outsource property management. You might be splitting up your sales admin and your property management to have one person dedicated to each. As the business grows, you can continue to develop your team and, hopefully, a team leader within that new team.