Last Updated on September 13, 2023
Real estate is a business that involves many moving parts. From managing clients to finding new homebuyers and sellers, and even handling all the paperwork involved with a transaction – this can be a lot to manage on your own! This is where a virtual real estate assistant comes in. This as we answer the question – What does a virtual real estate assistant do.
A virtual real estate assistant is a highly skilled professional who specializes in the real estate industry
A real estate virtual assistant is a highly skilled professional specializing in the real estate industry. Virtual assistants work as an extension of your team and fill in where you need them most by providing services such as data entry, social media management, administrative tasks, client communications, and more. Before you hire a virtual assistant (VA) to help with these tasks it’s important to know how such a person can benefit your business.
Market research
Market research is a valuable tool for real estate agents. This type of research allows you to identify areas that need your services. Market research can thus act as the starting point for a new service or product. The most important types of market research are:
- Website analysis
- Google trends
- Social media monitoring (e.g. Twitter feeds)
How do you use market research and analytics? Here are some examples
You can use website analysis to find out which websites have been visited by people who live in an area where you seek clients, or what kind of content potential customers there are reading. This information can help you tailor your marketing strategy appropriately. Another great way is through social media monitoring—looking at Twitter feeds will tell you what people are talking about in terms of real estate, so you know where potential clients might congregate online.
Contact prospects
Virtual assistants are often the first point of contact for potential property investors when approaching an estate agency. As such, they are responsible for researching and contacting this pool of prospects. When a virtual assistant makes contact with a prospect, this is usually via email or phone call (if the prospect has provided an email address or phone number). This can include setting up appointments with real estate agents as well as following up on those meetings to ensure that all parties are satisfied with their interactions.
Social media management
Social media management is a key component of a real estate virtual assistant’s work. As the online presence of your business, social media platforms are a great way of sharing relevant content with clients and potential buyers.
A real estate VA can help you create engaging content that attracts more followers and generates sales leads for both you and for them. Such a person can also help you manage all of your current social media accounts, including:
- Posting on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedInResponding to comments from followers who engage with your posts
- Managing Instagram accounts if you have one
Transaction coordination
If you are a real estate agent, you know how much work goes into coordinating a transaction. From open house scheduling to negotiating with buyers and sellers, many moving parts can easily fall through the cracks if not monitored closely. Your virtual assistant will manage this process for you so that nothing falls through the cracks in terms of communication. In addition, your remote assistant will help keep track of deadlines, ensuring that all parties involved in the transaction have what they need when they need it.
Website development & SEO
Your website is your online business card. This is where you sell your services and products; therefore your website must perform well in search engines like Google or Bing. A virtual assistant can help you with this by taking actions such as:
- Building a website from scratch
- Optimizing it for SEO (search engine optimization)
- Including keywords that are important to the services or products you offer
The bottom line
There are many benefits to hiring a virtual real estate assistant. This hired help can save you time and money by conducting tasks that would normally take hours to complete. In addition, a virtual real estate assistant offers access to a wealth of resources and knowledge on how to run your business more efficiently. Lastly, such a hire will provide much-needed support and guidance throughout your entire business journey.