A tangible support base for the Real Estate Sector

What are Remote Assistance Services?

Remote assistance (“RA”), also known as “Virtual Assistance” are services that are generally provided by self-employed freelancers. In industries outside of property management and real estate, these RA’s help their clients with a variety of tasks, including but not limited to, appointment setting, travel arrangements, and data entry. By offering this service, these RA’s are able to help their clients free up time so that they can focus on other areas of their business.

RA’s work remotely, often from their own homes, to provide administrative and other support to their clients. Many small and mid-size businesses use RA support, especially for specific tasks.

Remote assistants and virtual assistant services can be an invaluable asset to businesses and individuals who need help staying organized and keeping on top of tasks. They provide a wide range of professional services, from administrative assistance, inside sales, marketing, technical and service support, and creative assistance. No matter what the need, remote assistants are there to help businesses and individuals run more smoothly and complete tasks more efficiently.

Many remote assistants work as contractors or self-employed agents that help businesses with tasks that are difficult or time-consuming. They may run their own home-based remote assistant business, or work for a company that provides RA’s to small businesses. 

Clients hire remote assistants by signing a contract with that assistant’s business. Remote assistants may also simply work as employees for a company. Other remote assistants will jump from company to company with short-term contracts found through freelance sites.

There are many different types of remote assistants, aka “virtual assistants”. Some do clerical work, some help with marketing, and some help with other important tasks related to a business. Some remote assistants specialize in one skill, and others specialize in an industry. This can be helpful for people who own businesses or who need help managing their properties, in the property management industry. 

Administrative remote assistants, for example, handle various tasks, such as database and CRM management, scheduling, email management.  They are an integral part of keeping any business organized and running smoothly. They maintain the flow of information and keep things moving forward so that the business can function at its best.

If you’re looking for someone to handle your office tasks and communications, then a remote or virtual receptionist might be a good fit for you. A remote receptionist can take on many of the same tasks as a traditional receptionist, such as screening calls and handling communication. Additionally, a remote receptionist can also handle office tasks, such as scheduling appointments and managing calendars.

What is a remote or virtual real estate assistant?

A remote assistant in the real estate industry is a freelance contractor who is dedicated to the real estate business sector and can take on a variety of tasks. A remote assistant who specializes in real estate can help landlords, property managers, and real estate investors manage their properties, tenants, new client sales, marketing, maintenance, and many other fundamentals more efficiently. Over the last five years, they have proven to be an important part of the industry and can contribute significantly to small business success.

The RA real estate professional may be responsible for customer service, process workflow management, leasing, maintenance coordination, communication, social media management, appointment set-up and confirmations, calendar management, data entry and any other tasks that come their way. Their job is to manage and free up the time of the real estate agent or broker they are assisting.

Although they work remotely, RA’s work the same hours as any other employee and can be on a long-term contract. More and more real estate companies are using remote or virtual real estate assistants, as their cost to small businesses is generally much less than a traditional employee. A good property management consulting firm can also help craft a plan to add RA’s to their workforce and streamline their operations.

Remote Assistants can be great sales advocates

If you’re in the real estate business, then you know how important it is to have a strong lead pipeline. But screening and pre-qualifying leads can be time-consuming tasks that take away from your core sales or leasing activities. That’s where a real estate remote assistant can help substantially. A good RA can take on a lead screening and pre-qualification process for you, freeing up your time to focus on generating new business. They can also provide invaluable assistance with lead-nurturing, prospecting and client follow-up calls. Skilled real estate RA’s can also help to build & maintain relationships with past clients, keeping them updated on new listings and market conditions

If you’re like most business owners, you understand the importance of finding top talent. However, the process of recruiting and screening candidates can be time-consuming and expensive. RA’s can provide a viable solution to this pain point. 

In some states, real estate remote assistants can help with real estate transaction processing. They can also help to ensure that all deadlines are met and that transactions run smoothly from start to finish. In addition, a remote assistant can provide valuable support during open houses and showings, tackle move-in and move-out processes, delinquencies, collections, owner onboarding, customer support, and much more. Their knowledge of the real estate industry can be a valuable resource for agents and clients alike. 

When it comes to new client sales, real estate RA’s can also help you with tasks such as responding to all customers’ inquiries, scheduling meetings, preparing marketing materials, content creation, online advertising & listing management, blogging, email marketing, social media, video production, graphic design, and conducting market research.

Remote Assistants promote opportunities

While it is true that technology has often led to job losses in certain sectors, it has also created new opportunities in others. This is certainly the case in the real estate industry, where the use of remote assistants has become increasingly popular in recent years. Real estate agents who adopt this technology can find that it provides a much-needed support system, freeing up their time to focus on more important tasks. In addition, by allowing agents to work remotely, RA’s can also help to create new job opportunities. So while it is understandable that there may be some skepticism about the use of technology in the workplace, its role in creating new opportunities should not be overlooked. In fact, far from being a replacement for human workers, virtual assistants can actually help to create new job options.

RA services provide flexibility to adapt to changes, scalability to meet challenges, and provide cost-savings to be responsive to changes in business and market conditions. The provision of these services can help businesses overcome common challenges and constraints, such as limited resources, geographical boundaries, and time limitations. The use of a RA can also help businesses tap into new markets and opportunities.

Whether it’s finding new properties, negotiating deals, finding and closing deals, managing properties, scheduling appointments, and dealing with paperwork or closing sales, real estate virtual assistants free up their clients’ time so that they can focus on what they do best. In addition, real estate virtual assistants are often trained in multiple areas, which means they can provide valuable insights and assistance in a variety of different situations. As a result, virtual assistants have become an essential support resource for the real estate agent and the property management industry.

By Nadja Prophete