Should I Hire a Virtual Assistant?
One of the questions I get the most when I speak about our operations and practices at GoodLife Team concerns virtual assistants. While I do not use them as a form of support for my Team, I do know of a few companies with a great reputations in our industry.
What I believe to be an important thing to remember when working with VAs, is that you should think of them as employees, rather than off-site temporary help. Hiring the right VA is just as critical as hiring the right agent for your team. If an employee does not match the core values of your company, this person will not be the right fit or become a beneficial asset to your business, regardless of their position. I therefore recommend creating a detailed job description for the position of the VA you want. Think about where you specifically need help and what traits you look for in an employee. Then hire according to this description and specific need.
What do I mean by a specific need? What should you consider when creating the position and job description? I recommend that you create and know your weekly budget for a VA, and what work they need to have completed on a weekly basis that can be outsourced. Do not call any company before you have a job description, a budget and the outcomes that you will require to be satisfied.
Below is a list of four companies for virtual assistants that come highly recommended. As full disclosure, however, my Team and I do not personally use VAs, and therefore cannot endorse any of these choices. However, these are the companies with the best reputation for our industry.
1. creativeagentsolutions.com
2. realsocialresults.com
3. outsourcingthingsdone.com/realestatevirtualassistant.ubr
4. realsupportinc.com
Live the Good Life,
Krisstina
8 Responses to “Should I Hire a Virtual Assistant?”
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Thank you for the mention, Krisstina! The best tip is undoubtedly, have a budget, have a list of projects and outcomes required BEFORE contacting any vendor! Thanks again and look forward to seeing you in San Francisco soon!
Thank you Krisstina for offering your insight into adding a VA to your team, and for having me on your rec list as well!
The point you made that I fully agree with, is making sure you bring a VA into your business that aligns with your core values, and prescribed job description to bring about the best in collaboration..which in turn brings the best results to your business. I’d like to add that knowing your work-style..(your comfort-level for control and delegation, tech compatibility, and communication style all fits into those values, especially when working virtually.
The primary goal a VA partner should have on your team is to make things easier for you and free-up valuable time. All my best, and thank you once again!
Laura,
Thank you for adding to the tips for hiring virtual assistance. I agree, knowing your work-style is very important.
Thanks for doing the great work you do for the industry.
kw.
HI Krisstina! Great insight for those who are curious about and planning to hire a virtual assistant, whether they are hiring on a part-time or full time basis.
Thank you, Nica. The list I reference are a good choice if you need to outsource help. I recommend having administrative assistance for all full-time real estate professionals.
Let me know if you need any other help!
Krisstina
I can’t speak for any of the other recommended companies, but I’ve had the chance to sit and talk shop with Laura Monroe before and if my teeny tiny brokerage ever gets to the point of using VA services, she is absolutely the one I would call on. It’s good to see her get the recognition she so richly deserves.
These companies will be very helpful especially to those beginners who’s interested on hiring a VA.
One additional tip if I may; for someone who doesn’t have that much budget, you might want to consider looking in some lower income countries like the Philippines. I think you just got to have an effective technique on hiring, along with these questions to be able to hire a great Virtual Assistant for as low as $3 per hour.
I know a lot of job sites that have really cheap VAs but for you to be sure, I’d recommend hiring from Staff.com. They’ve got a 10 hour trial period.
Hiring a VA gives you so much at the same time:
You save time
You get more done
You learn leadership skills
You organize your tasks better
Your communication improves
that the benefits by far outweigh the costs of whatever outsourcing service you chose to use.
Personally, I like to work with individuals, get to know them, and improve the efficiency and team work over the years. But for others, I would understand it if they would prefer working with a company, that has e..g. a contingency plan for when someone drops out of a project.