Picture this: you’ve got a top-of-the-line product, complete with all the bells and whistles. You’ve also got highly talented people to make and sell it by the hundreds. Sounds like the perfect formula, right? Not quite. You’re missing an essential factor in this equation—happy customers!

Of course, there’s a lot that goes into growing a business. But it surely isn’t possible without customers, from new prospects, repeat buyers, or long-time loyal brand advocates. And to help you ensure you provide the best support possible to your customers, you must find the best customer service software that can supercharge your operations.

Let’s discuss why great customer service matters. Plus, we’ll cover what to look for in customer service software.

“Buy land; they’re not making it anymore.” That’s a quote from beloved American author Mark Twain. And more than a hundred years after his passing, his quote still holds true. Perhaps that’s why the real estate industry continues to become a major player in the global economy, making up two-thirds of global real assets.

Making it big in the real estate world takes a lot of work. With so many moving parts, managing all the real estate tasks alone can be overwhelming. Because of this seemingly never-ending list of things to do, more and more real estate agents welcome the idea of working with remote talents called real estate virtual assistants (VAs).

From handling client inquiries to managing property listings and scheduling open houses, it seems like tasks are always jostling for time and attention. That’s when real estate VAs can come in to make a significant impact. But of course, not just anyone can become a successful VA for real estate. So, if you’re interested in becoming a real estate VA as a career, keep reading!

We’ll get into the general real estate virtual assistant job description and the essential skills that make a great real estate VA.

What is a real estate virtual assistant?

Real estate agents partner with remote talents known as real estate VAs to stay competitive and focused on core business activities. Working with VAs offers flexibility and scalability to real estate clients. In addition, it’s a viable career track for remote talents looking for rewarding career opportunities that aren’t as widely available in their area of residence. It’s also a good option for those whose home and personal lives are more suited for remote work, such as primary domestic care providers.

Many types of VAs can work in this dynamic industry; it all depends on your work experience, skills, and preferences. For example, if you’re more adept with routing back-office tasks, you can work as an administrative virtual assistant. If you have industry-specific experience like lead generation and cold calling, you can also be a great asset to real estate agencies.

Why real estate companies need VAs

“As all entrepreneurs know, you live and die by your ability to prioritize. You must focus on the most important, mission-critical tasks each day and night. And then share, delegate, delay, or skip the rest.”

-Jessica Jackley, American entrepreneur & co-founder of Kiva Microfunds

Getting remote staff is highly beneficial for businesses across all industries, especially one as competitive as real estate. With VAs, real estate agents can focus on high-priority tasks and delegate other parts of the business to a skilled remote professional. Here are some of the top reasons why real estate agents need virtual assistants in their daily operations:

• Flexibility

Meeting the demands of real estate clients can mean being available beyond traditional office hours. VAs can work across different time zones to address this need. Companies can also hire VAs on a part-time or project-based basis to accommodate peak hours or increase urgent tasks.

• Cost-effective

VA staffing eliminates the usual costs associated with hiring new in-house staff. There won’t be any need to invest in physical office spaces or new work tools. These savings in overhead can then be redirected to implementing more growth-driven strategies or investing in professional development.

• Skilled talents

Another important consideration for working with real estate VAs is the amount of talent that real estate companies can tap into. By choosing remote staffing, real estate professionals can access a diverse and global pool of remote professionals, allowing them to hire the most suitable people for the team.

Think you have what it takes to help real estate businesses realize their goals? Join the 20four7VA talent pool!

Real estate virtual assistant job description

The type of support you can offer to real estate professionals can range from administrative work to more specialized assistance. Here’s a virtual assistant real estate job description for a quick look at some of the main responsibilities that you can possibly work on as a real estate virtual assistant:

• Administrative Support: This type of VA is crucial for helping real estate agents stay on top of their schedule and remain productive. As an admin VA, expect to work on tasks like managing calendars, scheduling appointments, organizing emails, and updating databases.
• Marketing Assistance: Like any business, real estate companies need to build their brand and market their services, too. A highly competitive industry needs good marketing efforts to set the business apart. That’s why real estate agencies work with marketing virtual assistants to work on important marketing tasks like graphic design, email marketing, social media management, and more.
• Lead Management: High-quality leads are needed for a well-functioning sales pipeline. A lead generation VA works on conducting cold calls and finding and qualifying leads from various platforms. You will also work on database management, ensuring every potential client’s information is updated and accurate. By handling these initial interactions, you help agents focus on converting leads and strengthening client relationships.
• Transaction Coordination: Transaction coordination is part of the critical closing phase. If you’re a real estate VA assigned to this area of the business, your tasks will include preparing necessary documents, tracking deadlines, and other tasks that help ensure a smooth transaction.
• Market Research and Data Management: The abundance of data and online sources can help real estate professionals make more sound, data-driven decisions. Market research VAs handle data management, market trends research, competitor analysis, and so on. As a market research VA, your goal is to help your clients make informed decisions and better position themselves in the market.

Essential skills of a real estate VA

There are many types of real estate VAs as you could see from the above job description of real estate virtual assistant. But all have these key skills that allow them to be effective in their roles.

• Communication skills

You must be an effective communicator, as you’ll typically be the first point of contact for clients and external partners. You may handle customer inquiries and set appointments, which require professional and clear communications for a seamless customer experience.

Strong communication skills will also come very handy when collaborating with your client and their team. You’ll coordinate schedules, provide updates, and report findings through synchronous and asynchronous tools. It’s best to know how to use these effectively to ensure nothing gets lost in translation or falls through the cracks. Being a good communicator helps build better working relationships and encourages trust in your ability to contribute to the team.

• Organizational skills

A lot of moving parts go into real estate transactions. Bigger tasks may be broken down into subtasks with some not moving forward when there’s a bottleneck. To keep everything on track, you need to be highly-organized.

Whether managing multiple listings, tracking client interactions, or updating the CRM system, staying organized means you can complete tasks more efficiently. It would also help if you knew how to use project management tools and digital calendars to stay on top of your projects and keep the rest of the team updated.

• Attention to detail

Details matter, especially in the real estate industry. Accurate property specifications must be included in the listings so potential buyers have a clear idea of what’s on the market. At the same time, transaction details must be carefully recorded as errors can lead to lost time due to rework or even financial losses.

• Technical skills

Computer proficiency is an absolute must for virtual assistants. You’ll be doing your work online, meaning your main tools of trade are your computer and internet connection. Knowing your way around these tools will help you become an effective remote professional.

Additionally, it would help if you could familiarize yourself with programs specific to the real estate industry. For example, multiple listing services (MLS) tools are used in the industry to view and list properties in a specific area. On the other hand, CRM platforms are used to manage leads, from recently qualified to converted ones.

• Confidentiality

Handling sensitive information, from client data to transaction details, is a common part of a real estate VA’s role. As a real estate VA, you must maintain confidentiality, which is critical to building trust with real estate professionals and their clients. Adhering to confidentiality practices also ensures that you protect clients’ personal information and handle all data securely.

If you think you possess these qualities, you may be just what we’re looking for! Join 20four7VA and become a high-impact real estate virtual assistant today.

Join the 20four7VA pool

If you’re interested in launching a career as a VA in the real estate industry, why not join 20four7VA’s talent pool? Going solo may seem easy enough, but the remote labor marketplace has its fair share of barriers and challenges.

“By working with a trusted remote staffing company like 20four7VA, you can reap the benefits of a remote career,” shares Cath Castro, Senior HR and Recruitment Manager for 20four7VA. “At the same time, you get the structure and support that you need to succeed in your role.” Here’s what we can offer:

• Free client-VA pairing – We don’t ask our clients nor virtual assistants for upfront fees when we match them.
• Billing and payroll processing – You don’t have to worry about account receivables or billing your client. Our support team will compute your weekly pay based on your logged hours and credit the amount to your account through Wise or Payoneer.
• Training – We have an in-house training team to help you sharpen your current skills or acquire new ones.
• Account manager – You and your client will be assigned an Account Manager to handle concerns and help you find opportunities to grow and improve.

Working with us means a more hassle-free remote career. We’ll handle the backstage so you can focus and shine in your role!