How to Become a Real Estate Virtual Assistant

how to become a real estate virtual assistant
In the old days of dial- up Internet service, virtual assistants were hired primarily to manage administrative functions. They were considered more as secretaries or personal assistants. But in the new millennium, broadband technology made the Internet more accessible and created niches in the virtual assistance industry for people to explore. One of the most popular niches is in real estate. If you want to become a real estate Virtual Assistant, you could set yourself for a financially- rewarding career!

Many people want to invest in real estate because land appreciates over time. It may take years and periods of ups and downs, but as the availability of land becomes limited, you can be assured of getting a good return on your investment. That’s why the demand for real estate agents remains high.

Statistics showed that in 2011, there were 117,880 real estate professionals in Australia. By 2013, there were 35,019 real estate businesses registered throughout the country.

A day in the life of a real estate can be very hectic. In Australia where demand for property remains stable despite rising prices, an agent’s schedule can change on a moment’s notice. It’s all about landing the property in their listing, closing the deal or getting invited for a presentation. But there are the “details” that need to be attended to.

These details include administrative tasks, marketing and promotional work and other responsibilities that keep the business running smoothly. For agents that want to keep a tight rein on operating expenses, hiring a real estate Virtual Assistant is the best option.

So how do you become one?

What To Do To Become A Real Estate Virtual Assistant

The first thing you need to do is an accounting of your skills. What competencies do you have that can serve or benefit your clients in real estate? Among the prerequisite skills in virtual assistance are as follows:

  • Proficiency in spoken and written English
  • Ability to create spreadsheets and PowerPoint slides
  • Experienced in organizing files and documents
  • Phone handling skills
  • Appointment setting, scheduling and calendar management
  • E-mail filtering
  • Conducting Internet searches
  • Market Research
  • Familiarity with Social Media Management

Identify your weak points in these areas of responsibility and work on them by doing research, taking an apprenticeship or signing up for a few courses.

Sign Up With a Real Estate Virtual Assistance Agency

Another approach would be to offer your services to a virtual assistance agency that specializes in the real estate industry. These agencies can provide you the necessary training to become an effective virtual assistant. If you do not have enough experience, they will bring you up slowly by assigning you projects that involve purely administrative tasks.

An advantage of signing up with these real estate virtual assistance agencies is that you are assured of continuous training and consistent work. The best ones regularly update their training in order to keep their virtual assistants competitive in the industry.

Getting in one of these agencies can be difficult. You may find yourself competing for slots from other similarly- experienced virtual assistants. If you think your skill sets are not up to par with industry standard, show the agency your willingness to learn and improve. Many of these agencies value soft skills such as commitment, dedication, resiliency and passion for hard work over hard skills.

Get Certified as a Real Estate Virtual Assistant

You can also take online courses on real estate virtual assistance. There are certification programs available online. If you don’t have experience in the real estate industry, these courses will teach you everything you need to know to become a reliable real estate Virtual Assistant.

Before signing up for any of these courses, run a background check on the agency. Given the popularity of the virtual assistance profession, scammers abound in the Internet. They will lure you in with a great- looking website and low prices. But once you issue payment, you will never hear from them again.

Build Your Online Presence

As a Virtual Assistant, the Internet will be your work place. If you want your career to thrive, you should consistently work on building your online presence. Here are 3 smart ways to get your brand out in the market:

Invest in a Website – Having a website shows clients that you are serious about establishing your profession in the industry. But it’s not enough just to have a website. You must have one that has the following qualities:

  • Mobile Responsive
  • Fast Download Speed
  • Accessible by Multi Browsers
  • Great Content
  • Optimized Web Pages
  • Simple but Beautiful Design
  • Fully Functional Features

A website gives you the venue to highlight your skills and accomplishments. You can do this by creating a sub-page for your portfolio of work and including testimonials from previous or current clients.

Use Social Media – The best way to define social media is that it is “virtual word- of- mouth”. People are influenced by what they see or read in social media. And they spend most of their time in it.

Select 2 to 3 social media networks and schedule at least 1 posting every day. Post articles, share usable and relevant content or distribute your blogs. Engage with people who leave comments on your content.

Social media is also a great way to connect or market your services to prospective clients.

Create a Rock Star Online Profile – There are online job platforms that can help you find and sign up clients from the real estate industry. These networks function like a market place; they match prospective clients with freelancers. Among the best are Upwork, FlexJobs and Freelancer.

You need to create a solid, rock star profile to get noticed on these networks. If allowed by the administrator, attach work samples or include a link to your personal website. Make sure your information is updated especially contact details.

Becoming a real estate Virtual Assistant involves a process of learning and growing. It may take time to build a steady portfolio of clientele but oftentimes, all you need is one client to get going. If you do a great job and the client is happy with your services, do not be surprised if you will have a deluge of referrals coming your way!

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