Your real estate business is growing. You have a calendar full of appointments and are completing more transactions. It may be time to hire a real estate administrative assistant.
When to Hire a Real Estate Administrative Assistant?
A general rule of thumb is to hire a real estate administrative assistant when you close 20 to 25 transactions a year, according to the US National Association of Realtors. If you wait much longer, you’ll have difficulty handling the transactions and continuing to undertake lead generation activities.
You are in urgent need of an administrative assistant if the following occur:
- You are missing meetings because of scheduling errors.
- You are overworking and beginning to burn out.
- You need to be in more than one place at the same time.
- You need a second person to help you make good decisions.
How do I Hire a Real Estate Administrative Assistant?
Once you decide you need a real estate assistant, you must hire one. You have two options. You can hire an assistant to work in person at your office and to be a permanent employee. Or, you can work with an outsourcing firm to hire a real estate virtual assistant.
Hiring An In-person Staff Member
If you hire an in-person staff member, you’ll be responsible for paying all the overhead, deducting the right amount of taxes from their pay and sending the money to taxing authorities, and following any governmental regulations associated with having an employee.
The first step in hiring an administrative assistant is to write a job description. Consider what tasks you want the assistant to perform for you. For example, do you want them to handle your online marketing? Schedule meetings? Coordinate transactions? Manage your database? Prepare market reports?
Once you decide what you’d like the assistant to do, you’ll write a job description. You’ll also determine a budget. In the United States, the average real estate administrative assistant made $17.43 an hour in 2022. In Australia, a full-time assistant’s annual wage is about $42,000. Obviously, the salary depends on job duties and experience.
Once you have the job description and budget, you run advertisements in local newspapers, online, and job boards. You can also ask colleagues for recommendations and check with local colleges for recent graduates.
Consider the qualities the assistant will need to perform the job. Then consider how they can demonstrate that they have those qualities. One sure way to show that they have those qualities is to have used them in a previous job. However, you may not be lucky enough to find someone who has been a real estate administrative assistant before. So, consider other activities that can demonstrate competence. For example, if maintaining your calendar is essential, someone who has managed the life of a busy family might qualify. If attention to detail is necessary, an attractive, consistent, and typo-free resume is essential.
Sort the applications to determine which you will interview. Develop interview questions to help determine the applicant’s skills and personality. You want someone who will work well with you. Avoid any questions that might be illegal under your country’s hiring rules, such as questions related to marital status, age, or children.
Decide which candidate you prefer and make an offer. In addition to salary, you’ll also offer a benefits package. A typical benefits package includes paid leave and may include insurance and retirement, depending on your location.
Hiring a Real Estate Virtual Assistant
Consider whether you need the assistant to be physically present in your office. Assistants can remotely perform most marketing, computer, and phone tasks. If a real estate virtual assistant meets your requirements, hiring them can be easier and less expensive.
To hire a real estate virtual assistant, you still develop a job description of the tasks you’d like them to perform. And you still determine a budget. However, a virtual assistant can be based anywhere. Some countries, such as the Philippines, have a lower cost of living than many others while still offering well-trained, hard-working employees.
If you hire a virtual assistant independently, you’ll still advertise and sort through applications to find people to interview. Then you’ll schedule interviews via Facetime, Zoom, or another electronic means. However, if you work with an offshore staffing agency, such as ShoreAgents, we’ll do the advertising and sorting for you. You’ll simply interview the candidates and choose one that will work best for your needs.
If you hire the assistant independently, you’ll still be responsible for deducting any appropriate taxes or sending applicable tax statements. However, if you work with ShoreAgents, we will take care of these administrative details.
Summing Up
Hiring a real estate administrative assistant is a big step. It demonstrates that your agency is growing and succeeding. The choices you make when hiring your assistant will determine how your agency will continue to grow. Working with ShoreAgents will enable you to find a real estate virtual assistant that meets your needs with less fuss and at a budget-friendly price. Contact us, and we’ll help you move your agency to the next step.
