Today I had the pleasure of presenting a webinar for the Active Rain University titled, “Tips and Tools for Managing Your Real Estate Business Virtually”. With over 200 attendees registered its quite apparent that this is one hot real estate topic!  As a real estate virtual assistant I was able to share some of the best tools for setting up a Virtual Real Estate Office, and wanted to make sure I added the presentation here to share with you as requested.

I wanted to thank Brad Andersohn of Active Rain for asking me to participate and to the discussion. We covered some pretty relevant topics in today’s technology driven real estate market, and added in some thoughts on organizing and defining your online business systems so that working away from your desk is streamlined and efficient.

In the presentation below you will find information on:

* Defining the Needs for your Real Estate Business Systems
* Streamlining and Automating your Systems for Higher Productivity
* What Does it Mean to Work in the Cloud?
* Tools and Technology that are full of Mobile Features and Cloud Integration
* Leveraging online and offline support with a Virtual Assistant

Enjoy!

2010 is looking to be a fantastic year as a real estate virtual assistant. The beginning of the year is (or just before) is always a busy time to listen and consult with possible new clients and other real estate professionals seeking to make some real changes, try out a VA, or are just desperate for some help.

During that time its typical to hear many of the same questions, and some questions usually leads us down a path of conversation that is unfamiliar to many agents, that comes after “How many clients do I have?” and “What do I do for them?”

Answering that question can be hard  because every client has a slightly different business model, market & location, and needs. So the answers vary. That got me to thinking. How do you see a virtual assistant fitting into your business model?

I work with real estate Teams, Brokers, Top Producer’s, New Agents all with varying needs. So let’s break it down just a bit so you can see how a VA can be customized to fit your business model, and what to look for when interviewing VA’s.

Real Estate Teams: Virtual Assistance for real estate Teams is a VERY collaborative effort on everyone’s part. Communication and systems are an absolute must. There usually must always be a team manager that leads in the delegation or it should be broken down into areas of delegation for different members of the team. Calendars, planning, and conference calls are plenty. Your VA should be aware of how your team works together, and is not easily overwhelmed with working with different personalities and work styles. If learning technology is difficult for most everyone on the team, an in-office support team member might be a good first choice.

Broker Level: Communication and goal setting should be clear from Broker to Agents. Virtual Assistance at the Broker Level might mean seeking a VA with a Multi-VA Team, not a sole VA. However, a VA can be the center of your online and offline management, coordinating transactions, achieving your standards for marketing, and offer additional suite of virtual tools to aide in recruiting. A VA can also be available for any joint company branding, marketing and social media efforts. Once again processes & systems must tied and true to be the most cost effective, but a VA can help bring it all together in your office.

Experienced Agents: Experienced agents may not have the need to re-create the wheel with systems, many are in place, but streamlining, and advising on old, tired marketing practices and vendors is key.  Keeping on top of technology, implementation and becoming more efficient with online practices is key to partnering with a VA.

New Agents: Starting from scratch and getting off to a great start can be a challenge in the industry of real estate for a new agent. Building a brand that is identifiable, and individual & separate from your franchise  is key to building a business that will stand the test of time and carry you through the ups and downs of real estate. A VA can help you decide and expedite a plan for your investments into your marketing, websites, blogs and other necessities. They can help match your work-style to the social media that compliments you, and enhances your relationships online & off, builds your Sphere of Influence, and helps you manage and start your database.

Business Models can be further defined by niche models like Luxury Home Agents, and Foreclosure Agents for example.

As you can see, the needs can be broad for your business model. Knowing where to start adding in leverage, support and productivity does take some time and thought, but you’ll know when you have found the right match when your VA can help you customize and grow your real estate business model.

FREE Cool Tool ALERT!

Yes, It’s that time again..the time where I jump on my blog in excitement, when my little fingers can’t type fast enough to get the word out, about a cool new tool!

As a real estate virtual assistant, not only am a booking my own consultations and appointments, I am often asked to manage a clients as well. Booking showings, phone calls, coaching sessions and marketing webinars and teleclasses is just few of the reasons why scheduling has become a very important tool for today’s business owner and their team.

In the world of fast driving technology in real estate I have become one of the many who is seeking better tools for working virtually and for being a mobile professional. As we step outside our old office and into our home office/car office being productive and efficient is key. The more online tools that I can access and embed for my use the better:)  Such as it is with Appointy.com.  This makes scheduling appointments fun and VIRAL!!

SO WHAT MAKES APPOINTY SPECIAL? Check out the scenario below:

Ana searches for a real estate agent. She finds a local expert (YOU) and books an appointment instantly.

Eric, Ana’s friend decides to join Ana and books an appointment with the same expert (YOU) for another time. Again, Eric’s entire friend list got an update that he is going to meet the expert (YOU), by spreading word-of-mouth publicity virally.

If you have 10 clients with 10 friends each, you already have 100 clients in your area. Appointy.com helps you get those 10 clients by registering you in our search engine from where first clients will reach you. Be prepared to scale your business exponentially!

With the FREE account you get these features. (With paid versions there is added features)

• A community of people will help your business grow exponentially.
  (New ways to grow your business)
• An easy to use 24×7x365 online booking system
  (Your clients would enjoy taking appointments with you)
• Daily, weekly and monthly availability in just one click
  (Ajax powered very clean Interface)
• Unlimited Staff, Service & Bookings
• Customer Relationship Management Tool
  (Export your data anytime in excel format)
• INTEGRATE ON YOUR WEBSITE
• Automatic Verification of client to stop false bookings*
• Send text messages (SMS) or automated call alerts to clients (Appointment reminders to reduce client no-show, notes, offers, etc.)
• Set your business hours based on the fact that each staff can perform service at different times of the day
• Send courtesy “Thank You” message to your clients and accept ratings / feedback to improve your services.*
• Multiple service booking at the same time
• Allow your clients to select their preferred staff
• Personalize your calendar by uploading your logo, business information, and interactive Google map of your location
• Automatic appointment assignment to the most free resource. (If staff selected)
• Set Service Dependency
• Reschedule Appointments

I just think that these types of tools are the ones that will set up real estate offices and brokers of the future, putting the power of Social Media and online web tools together to build from ANYWHERE! It may not be for everyone, but its one type of service to get excited about.

(Disclaimer: Oh, and P.S. I do not get paid for any endorsements..! Please read all features and demos on the website for the most accurate info, thanks:)

“As well as you personally do something, it can be improved upon. And the fact is that unless you write down how you currently do it, you won’t really be able to improve upon it.” Gary Keller, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent

So, how did you do last year? What worked, what didn’t work? What do you need to improve on, and what needs to be implemented right away for 2008? Its something I’m pondering for my own business, as I am hoping to grow in 2008, but how can I plan 2008, without spending my time re-inventing the wheels that turn, or be able to delegate to my team without explaining myself over and over again?

I’m creating first ever Operations Manual.

Perhaps I should have been doing this all along, but now I know I need to do it! If there is one thing I learned last year: don’t wait until you are too busy to have a system in place for being busy. Plan it, expect it, and document it.
I have high standards for myself, and my company. I know I must always try to achieve new standards, but to do that I have to create accountability.

I’ve turned to the Millionaire real estate Agent Book many times, but am using it as my reference, and you can too. This is something that will always be a changing process, not a project, your work may never be done. This should be done before you add in your first hire for your business, and should be done on a regular basis. This will also help you when you grow your team, so your service can remain consistently wonderful, no matter how big your database gets!

So here goes:

Step 1: Take out a note pad and write down all the things you as bullet points. This will be a LONG list, but leave nothing out.

Step 2: Break the list down into six to twelve different categories.

Step 3 Each of those categories gets its own page, and your job is to copy all of the activities from Step 1 under the appropriate category headings.

Step 4: Place all the category pages pages into a three ring binder with tabs for each category and a table of contents. (P.S. This will be your Operations Manual!)

Step 5: Next go to the first tab and for each item under it create a new page with that “Action” as a heading.

Step 6: Now, take each “action” page and detail exactly how you want each item done.

Step 7: Lastly, add the appropriate forms, scripts, and dialogue examples behind each action page.

Your Operations Manual is your first step in creating a training and support foundation as you build your business, and holding those accountable around you. It will help you form your first job description, and will show you the things that are and should be delegated. No matter how big you get, how many assistants you hire, whether a Virtual Assistant or an in-house assistant, your steps will be clearly documented and can be changed and added to as you grow!