Ok…couples of reason I wanted to re-post one of my older blogs about Real Estate Virtual Assistance. 1- Streamlining your systems, your marketing, and increasing productivity is still a MUST even in this market. 2- Even if you are down-sizing there are ways in which a real estate virtual assistant can help you achieve this without getting too bogged down in admins tasks. Getting back to the basics and strengthening your business model will have you all set up for future growth.

As a Keller Williams assistant, I have written about the Three L’s (Leads, Listings and Leverage) in a previous post, but because there are many new members seeking out options to grow, …well…I just can’t help myself.  I’m blogging about something that I believe in.  (For those who still haven’t heard of the concept of using a real estate “VA”, and what type of services we offer, you may read more here)

In the book, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, Gary Keller recommends utilizing Administrative/Marketing support before hiring other licensed agents for your team. Why? The foundation of your business model needs to be firm and strong, your systems for lead generation, database management and marketing (online and offline) need to be implemented and working consistently.

So, let’s face it. At some point you will witness the first catch 22 of real estate: “I really need to grow my business, but can’t really afford an assistant right now, but if I don’t hire an assistant I will be stuck BEHIND THIS COMPUTER my whole life!”

It is a dilemma to be sure. Especially now. A couple years ago, not many of you were spending time blogging, managing 2-10 websites, learning SEO…I know why…you were too busy! Real estate was rocking, listings were turning fast, and there was no end in sight. But now, things are a bit different. The market has changed. You may be busier than ever, but in another way. There are new real estate technologies to learn, like Social Media, sellers are antsy to get their homes sold, they want to know how that will happen. What are YOU doing to make it happen..? Prioritizing your time management on administrative tasks is essential. The hours spent on those tasks are “non income-producing” hours. Hiring administrative and marketing support to handle those many hours is the first step in the path to growing your business. Cost effectiveness is second.

In choosing to hire an assistant you are also taking on the challenge of hiring, training and delegating. If you have reached the point that it is now time to consider an assistant, you should know the advantages an virtual assistant may offer over an in-office employee. Many advantages are common knowledge, but many dynamics of a real estate VA are still largely unknown.

#1~ Real Estate Virtual Assistants are independent contractors who are only paid for time spent on tasks. VAs do not charge you for idle time, bathrooms breaks, lunch hours, sick days or personal time off. A 40 hour work week for a traditional employee can turn into a 15-20 hour a week with a VA. If your time is worth $100 an hour, you lose $400 each week doing administrative tasks.

#2~ REVAs are already trained in most of the most up to date software, technology and real estate marketing. We know what a blog is, we know about listing coordination, real estate marketing, branding, Internet marketing, online transaction management, CMA’s,…in a word, we know about real estate. Not only that, but our continued training is on our dime…not yours.

#3~ A REVA is not in the business to become your competition. We will not take your database and run off with it. We will not share your wonderful new marketing secret. In short…we are business owners, who know about running a business, and want to see you succeed. Why?…it’s in my business model.

#4~ Want to add 3 hours to your day? Hire a VA in another time zone. We can still be working, while your gearing up for tomorrow…or writing that Gold Star blog for Active Rain;)

#5~ A REVA can weather market shifts. Since we are not dependant on you and you alone, if your business needs change or slow down, we are OK with that.

#6~ Need to start slow? Not sure where to begin or how much to delegate right now? A VA can be your best partner in deciding what to delegate and when, to keep you on track with your goals.

#7~ REVAs are in business to support clients that are interested in a collaborative relationship, a partner.

#8~ Virtual Assistance is a supportive industry. We share resources, knowledge, experience and are a “Real Estate Geek Squad”. If we don’t know an  answer to something, we know where to go to find it.

Once that support system is in place you are ready to move onto the next level, whatever that may be. But finding that special assistant is one task a real estate virtual assistant is up for.  If you want to learn more, have more questions…throw it out there…I will answer your questions.

And remember what Gary Keller said in his book…“If you don’t have an assistant, you ARE one! (ok, I just had to throw that in…;)

When considering your real estate website options, its easy to get overwhelmed. You need a website, you need a blog, and you need it to be branded and nowadays..you don’t want to spend a lot of money on customization and hosting.  Self-hosting a Wordpress blog or website has become a mainstream solution for both, but for “do-it-your-selfers” there is still quite a learning curve. Everyone is talking about it, but its still not that easy. BUT, it just got a little bit easier!

Brian Gardner with Studiopress.com has been one of the masters of WordPress Theme designs for quite a while now. His designs are known for having “clean code” which in itself creates the optimum environment for having great search engine “readability”. He has once again created a new theme, only this time its specifically with the Agent or Broker in mind!

AgentPress has arrived to make it easier than ever to switch to a WordPress platform. Check Out the Demo to see for yourself! If you’ve been considering using Wordpress for your outside blog and need a clean, elegant design the AgentPress theme has amazing built-in features, is SEO optimized and allows you to combine a compelling platform to market your listings, your blog content all is one stunning package!

The other great thing is that Brian is constantly pushing the envelope to bring new features, more flexibility, and an even greater menu of options.

So if you are looking to make the jump form an old website platform, and step into your own self-hosted, SEO super-charged website, where widgets, bells, whistles, IDX searches and all that good stuff can be added and customized to bring you not only a website, but a blog as well. 2 in1..can’t beat that.

For more on the advantages of using Wordpress for real estate websites..this is good reading! If you have any other questions, about customization, or moving to WordPress, feel free to give me a call. (operators are standing by;-) )

Here are some demos to other StudioPress Real Estate Themes

The Agent Theme

The Genesis Theme Layout

P.S. This website was built and customized with the Agent Theme

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.

Here is to a NEW Creative Agent Solutions.com! It’s 2010, and believe it or not this website/blog re-launch has been in the works for quite some time! It’s been a nice learning curve, but I am relieved to have a fresh start and combine my real estate marketing and technology passion, right into this website. I know there are a million and one real estate technology blogs out there, but sharing what other real estate professionals have found successful, learning new things and forging ahead together is where conversation happens.

So I hope that as I share things, you feel that you can share things too and let’s work on building our businesses together. Whether you are a Virtual Assistant yourself, a real estate broker or agent, this blog is for you, and I do hope to see you here often. I also hope to have some guest bloggers too, so keep popping by or subscribe.

Happy New Year!

As I reflect on all that we have accomplished in 2009, I don’t want you to let the awesome blog content you wrote in 2009 sit in the blogosphere! Re-organize it, summarize it, and FLAUNT it on your website in the form of new pages of content to target and attract your ideal clients!

Not only will it refresh your website and give you more Google-Cred, you will be creating a library of sights, sounds and information for your potential business!

I am sure that this year your blogs have provided great content to your readers, but what’s happenning with your website..? Is it still just the same ol Home Page, About Me, Seller info, Buyer info, Listings etc?

Here are 3 ways to revitalize your content for your website to help you get started:

1. Re-organize your blogs into material for your “Ideal Client”.  Target the content to attract them at all stages of information gathering. Whether its First Time Home Buyers, Buyers or Sellers in your Farm, you can add a page or two that “speaks” to them, and direct them to other pages on your site.

Example: Attract buyers/sellers in/to a particular community by re-organizing community or event content. Use your videos, and photos to make it come alive.

2. Develop different  pages for each type of media you use. Since clients are different in the way they organize and collect their information, make it easy for them to find the information they are seeking in the media that speaks to them. Take your Photos, videos, podcasts, and webinars and put them into “Collections” or albums on your website. Tip: you can also take your newsletters and create down-loadable and viewable PDF’s. MyTechOpinion.com offered a great resource called Issu-Smartlook which allows a reader to open your documents from your website and see the pages in full color!

3. FLAUNT an on-line MEDIA Page, and have it ready for 2010! Did you speak at events, give any interviews in the newspaper or on TV? Travel to NAR, NYC Connect, or earn more certifications? Take those achievements and put them in the form of press releases, articles and create links to those events if you can. If you are an expert and growing and achieving don’t be afraid to show that side of yourself. Your ideal clients want to trust you, get to know you, and your achievements are a large part of it.

Re-Charge, Re-define and Re-Vitalize your hard work in 2009! Wishing you all the best for a prosperous 2010!

I came across this when I was researching color ideas for my new site..and loved the energy it inspired.

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 you may already know..Real Estate is changing. It takes place in the office, at home, in Starbucks, and from your car. Having the right tools to do business means leveraging technology with productivity from “virtually” anywhere.

Using a professional real estate virtual assistant is fast becoming a viable option for real estate professionals to find administrative and marketing assistance. But making the decision to use a “VA” can be vague without having the proper information, tools and references to evaluate where to look for a VA, what to look for in a VA, and exactly where to start.  So begin here:

A Real Estate Virtual Assistant will..

• Help you discover innovative strategies that will propel your or your team’s business by increasing productivity by 20%-60%.
• Be your real estate assistant, when don’t have the time to train someone, and don’t want to deal with the hassles or the expense of an employee.
• Provide virtual support for real estate tasks such as Listing Coordination, Marketing, Social Media Management and is knowledgeable in the most up to date trends, real estate programs, and Web 2.0 technology available.

Yes! You CAN Afford a  Virtual Assistant:

Whether you’re a Top Producer or a new agent, need a one-time project or an ongoing relationship, we have flexible plans that will work for you, and can be tailored to fit your needs…and better yet…are affordable! You can pay hourly, per project, or by monthly plan. We can provide the perfect combination of reliable real estate assistant services with creative designs for your collateral marketing materials. Many original templates can be seen in our Portfolio.

Working Together, Virtually:

With Creative Agent Solutions.com as your real estate virtual marketing assistant you have a partner who has already been trained on some of the most up to date Internet marketing tools used today. We consider it our job to learn those new concepts, so you don’t have to. Together, we can implement creative real estate marketing strategies to keep you in front of the competition, and give your listings the extra attention needed in today’s market.

Need more info on virtual assistants for real estate?

We know that you will want to be as informed as possible when making the decision to outsource to a VA. Take the time to educate yourself with the resources you may find here. Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions for answers to questions most commonly asked, then give us a call for a FREE consultation.

So I drove home from my second experience at RE Bar Camp in San Francisco with a bit of urgency..after experiencing some amazing sessions! When I walked out of Trulia Headquarters, I realized what I walked away with was not just “ideas” or “new technology” or “tips”..I walked away with some “in your face” implementation tactics that can be used NOW!

If you could take steps right now to increase your leads, increase conversion, streamline your website and your Social Media strategies, and actually track your ROI, I know you would feel the urgency I feel as well. So here goes: My brain dump from my experience from RE Bar Camp San Francisco.

Why Your Website is Failing..Creating a Website that Works

by Jim Marks of Virtual Results

After studying the statistics of what consumers are clicking on there are some clear standout strategies that you can take now on your website to give the consumer what they want. The basic concept that you all must be considering is the difference between Traffic Conversion vs. Branding.

If your website is all about you, then you are not giving consumers what they want. They don’t care about you, they don’t care how many designations you have and what they stand for. They Want LISTINGS! They want Information! According to statistics of what consumers click on the most, here are the Top 4 things to do on your website right now to increase traffic and conversions;

• LISTINGS- Your Home page biggest feature should be “FIND YOUR HOME” “call to action” with a basic MLS/IDX function right there. Don’t make consumers look for it, give it to them by framing it into your home page. (DON’T call it “Search the MLS“, as only 17% if consumers actually know what the MLS is”) You can have different levels of search functions. An example would be to have limited basic photos and details, before asking them to sign up or add their email.

• MARKET REPORTS- Let your consumers know how the local market is doing? What are the stats? Put this info in layman’s terms so that they understand what those stats mean to THEM. What is the information per neighborhood or development? They want to know what their neighbors house sold for and why?

• WHAT IS MY HOME WORTH? Another popular call to action is offering a CMA so that they can find out for free what their home is worth? Convert these leads by giving them something of value! A free Market Report, a Community Newsletter are some ideas. (ok I added that in…)

• Add YOUR BLOG TO YOUR WEBSITE- How many of you have a static website, and separate blog? That is SO 2006!!! Your Blog IS YOUR BRANDING! Remember how putting your dog on your home page was all the rage?? NO more! Your blog needs to be incorporated in your website, and it is there that you are free to share your voice, your personality, your photos..but remember to remain an authority on your community and balance your branding and flair with relevant information for your consumers! Even if your only blog is on ActiveRain, get it into your website!

Edutizing an Agent Population by Matt Dollinger

Learning to be a Local Expert does NOT just have to come from your experience or out of your head. It come from real life, in the moment information. And sometimes being the first to get that information out, makes you the front runner in being THE Authority in your market. So think about how you get that information and streamline the process so that your are getting relevant information for your consumers and your market. Some must have tools to have in your arsenal are:

• Use Google Reader: Grab your favorite RSS feeds from blogs, online newspapers, real estate outlets and craft your information to give the consumers what they are looking for.
• AGENT Metrics:
• OutsideIn.com
• MetroMix , YELP
  
• Local Photos, FLICKR
• Education.com, GreatSchools.net

Next, you must find out the correct delivery of this information for you target consumer. Do they hang out on Facebook? Do they respond to video media? Are they on Twitter? Are they Blog Followers? What is that they want the most?

You may need to do some experimenting to find this out, but here are some thoughts:

Have a 30 Day Facebook Campaign, a 30 Day Twitter Campaign etc. For 30 days track your statistics of how many people are clicking on your links, referring back to your website etc. Spend 30 minutes a day pushing the information out there and see where most of your hits come from. Then you will know what works and what doesn’t. Keep your 30 Day campaigns separate so you can track them accurately. But once you know, you can create an even better strategy for getting you information out there so they can devour it from their expert! (you can track your links with various link shorteners, like BUDURL.com and others.)

Ask yourself these questions on an ongoing basis:

What did I learn?
How was it received?
What medium is better in my market?
Was the topic valuable?
How could I make this more effective?

Implementation is sometimes the hardest thing in real estate! What many of you may feel you need is a start-up plan to help you start implementing the strategies that you learn along the way. As fast as things change in RE Tech and Web 2.0 we just can’t afford to sit and figure out HOW, when we just need to DO it!

This was just a taste of what I learned at RE Bar Camp SF..hopefully I can write more later, but I’m still wrapping my brain around it all!  It is an awesome event!

It was so great to finally meet IRL, ACTIVE Brad Andersohn, Gena Riede, Calie Waterhouse, Heather Elias, Ines Hegedus-Garcia, Rocky Turner, Mike Mueller, Dale Chumbley, Kristal Kraft, Sandra Mathewson and see again all the friends from RE Bar Camp LA.

Special thanks to:

Andy Kaufman, Ginger Wilcox, Todd Carpenter, Brad Coy and Rudy Bachraty

It’s in the back of your mind, and you keep pushing it away, until it comes back louder than ever. “No, I can do it!” you say to yourself over and over again, month after month. But now you, like so many before you, have finally realized you CANT DO IT ALL BY YOURSELF!

This VA Guide will serve to assist you in your decision to add to your business…. that crucial step of adding in your leverage. Whether you decide on an on-site assistant, or a Virtual Assistant, it’s best to consider everything about you, your business, and its needs to make the best choice!

It’s no secret that with the growing amount of competition, technology and administrative overload, going it alone can have its disadvantages. Once the decision has been made to arrange for some assistance, many agents are turning to Virtual Assistants as a perfect middle of the road option between hiring a full time,on-site assistant or going it alone. But in what may ultimately be a wonderful addition to your business, there are some things to know and consider before working with a Professional VA.

What is a VA?

* There are a variety of definitions of VAs, defining who we are and what we do. I’m sure many of you already know~but for those who don’t, this is it, in a nutshell:A Professional VA is a micro-business owner who provides administrative & personal support to its clients in long-term, deeply collaborative partnerships. The highest and the best of this profession base their role as a VA as just that…a partnership. Our services are provided with the desire to support our clients across the board…not with just one specific function or task, no matter ongoing that might be.

* Most VAs come with a vast array of experience in the corporate world, or in real estate itself. We have come to our own businesses so that we may reclaim our lives, control our own destinies, and use our talent and skills to support clients that we hand pick ourselves. Unlike corporate positions, there are few constraints on VAs who own their own businesses. You’ll finds that we are pro-active, rather than just waiting for you to hand us our task list.

* Professional VAs are not employees. You don’t “hire” a VA, you “work with” a VA. There is no need to provide space, equipment, a guarantee of hours or benefits. You don’t have to pay for our Internet surfing, Active Rain blog time, our coffee breaks or errands. We strive to be hassle free…one check, once a month! How simple is that?

* Professional VAs bill at rates of $30+ per hour. The more professional, industry specific education a VA has, experience working with virtual clients, the more she/he can make things happen with his/her clients, the higher the fee will be. This may seem like a lot, but when you think about the value of your own time, and what you could accomplish with more of it…it starts to look like a deal!

* Many VAs work on a retainer agreement. They block a certain number of hours per month to be used specifically for that client. The client pays the monthly fee ( # of hours by $per hour = retainer fee) at the beginning of the month. Unused hours do not roll over to the next month. Expenses like postage, delivery of docs, and vendor accounts are additional. The per hour rate is usually a discounted rate of %10 or so in recognition of the client’s willingness to commit to a block of time with the retainer. The retainer comes with a higher degree of commitment to the partnership-for both people. But for those not ready to make a full commitment, per hour and per project agreements are usually available.

* There are some people who probably shouldn’t consider working with a VA. If you are controlling, need to micro-manage, have trust issues, aren’t on line, can’t understand how or why this would work, live in the urgent, procrastinate, rush to deadline, aren’t organized, want someone at your beck and call, have a huge ego and can’t work in partnership with others, don’t understand the power created in a relationship with a fantastic assistant, aren’t open to learning new ways of working and communicating, or if you work in a high-pressure field where things run you instead of the other way around, you probably need an in-person employee, not a VA.

* Professional VAs invest heavily in themselves and their businesses, all for the benefit of their clients. Professional VAs are life-long learners. They are curious, open, receptive to new ideas, and they take the time to really hone their craft. Never move into a relationship with a VA who isn’t taking steps to better him/her.

A word of caution: You must do due diligence in your finding, interviewing and hiring of a VA. Collect references, ask about their work load, and how they handle your work.(ex: do they do it themselves, or do they sub-contract it out to another VA.

Copyright 2009 | Laura Monroe, Founder | Creative Agent Solutions.com