I am excited to announce that this Friday, May 9th, 2008, I will be a guest on Real Estate Radio USA along side my colleague, and friend, Laura Monroe of Creative Agent Solutions.com .

We have been invited to discuss the nitty-gritty details about Real Estate Virtual Assistants (REVA’s) and how Real Estate Professionals, like yourselves, can benefit from partnering with a REVA.

We hope you will join us, with Barry Cunningham and Barry Johnson, on Friday, May 9th at 5:00 pm Eastern for a fun filled show answering all your burning questions about Real Estate Virtual Assistants. Laura and I are excited and honored to be a part of the first Real Estate Radio USA show featuring REVA’s as their guests.

See you Friday!

As a Real Estate Professional, you probably spend a good part of your day, most days, concentrating on the revenue generating tasks of your business such as previewing homes, meeting with clients, showing homes, presenting offers and holding open houses, and if you’re not; you should be. The reality is that most Real Estate Professionals find themselves juggling time spent on day-to-day administrative duties, and time spent on the more important tasks of building relationships and generating revenue.

Let a Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant (PREVA) eliminate the need to “juggle” and take care of the day-to-day administrative duties for you. These tasks, or business solutions as I like to call them, may include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Blogging
If you don’t already have one, a PREVA can set up a blog for you using your existing website set-up or one of the more popular blogging platforms such as Wordpress (free and self hosted sites) and TypePad. Once set up, or using your existing blog, a PREVA can help maintain and update the blog, as well as brainstorm content ideas.

2. Contact Management
Keeping your contacts and leads up-to-date is key. Using a CRM (Contact Relationship Management) program such as Outlook, ACT, or my personal favorite, The Wise Agent, a PREVA can customize, organize, update and maintain all of your contacts, appointments and deadlines in such a way that flows with your own personal working style.

3. Drip Email Campaigns
We will create, customize, maintain and arrange distribution of email campaigns for your buyers and sellers which is key to keeping you in the forefront of your contacts minds.

4. Flyers
Let a PREVA create fabulous marketing tools such as Listing Presentations and CMA’s that will “wow” your clients and keep you one step ahead of your competition

5. Listing Management
As a PREVA, we will handle all aspects of your listings from submission to your local real estate board, email blasts to agents and brokerages and advertising, to the creation of all related marketing materials, submission to your own websites, blogs and popular real estate portals and even purchasing your buyer/seller closing gift. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

6. Postcards
Creation and distribution of Just Listed, Just Sold and Specialty postcards will keep you on track with consistent marketing efforts.

7. Single Property Websites
Without a doubt, Single Property Websites, such as MarketSites by MyMarketWare should be at that the top of the list in the marketing plan for your listings. Each listing will be assigned its own unique URL, and as your PREVA we will handle the creation, submission and maintenance of each single property website with statistical information, for each site, sent to you regularly.

8. Virtual Tours
Another great marketing tool is the virtual tour. What better way to show off all corners of the home than with fabulous images, descriptions and links to capture the attention of prospective buyers. As a PREVA I will set all this up for you with special attention to where the virtual tour will be posted, to give your listing maximum online exposure (i.e. your websites, blogs and numerous other real estate portals). My virtual tour platform of choice is Real Estate Shows for its flexibility and high quality presentation.

9. Website Maintenance
We will ensure that your website(s) are kept up-to-date with current listings, news and buyer and seller information.

Lastly and most important…

10. Time and Money
Time is something we can give you to spend with family and concentrate on those revenue generating tasks mentioned above. Money can also be saved by partnering with a Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant. Contact Me for a cost comparison of using a PREVA as opposed to, or in conjunction with, an “on-site” assistant.

Photo by yoppy

]]> http://agentsolutions.ca/thesis/top-10-things-a-real-estate-virtual-assistant-can-do-for-you/feed 2 http://agentsolutions.ca/thesis/contact-management-is-the-key-to-success http://agentsolutions.ca/thesis/contact-management-is-the-key-to-success#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2008 05:00:31 +0000 Jennifer http://www.agentsolutions.ca/thesis/2008/02/06/contact-management-is-the-key-to-success/

If there is one thing you need to learn before you go into business it is never ever lose a contact’s details.  Whether it was only an exchange of information, former partner or a potential client, it is vital that you keep details of all of your business dealings.  That person you spoke to 10 years ago may just be the lady to bite at your next deal.  That man you spoke to last week might be the lead you need into a new venture.  So how can you organise your contacts to ensure no details are lost?

To be sure that the information is there when you want it and in a format which is helpful, you really need to have a central storage point which can possibly be accessed from any computer and is password protected.  The beauty of this is that you can add, change or find the contact details you require in an instant.  Many people also find it very useful to either make notes about the contact or even store details of past dealings – whether this is a client, potential client or someone to deal with in the Real Estate sector.

Many people are finding it useful to pass these more administrative procedures to their Real Estate Virtual Assistant, who can store the information at a central point – totally separate from any other contact details – and either call them up for the account holder or allow them online access.  Your contacts are one of your most valuable assets but it is up to you how you use them to assist with your business.

A lost contact may be a lost opportunity, and with the market as competitive as it is, nobody can afford to pass up any opportunities.

Photo by Toky

As the credit crunch continues to affect funding for a whole host of business activities it seems as though 2008 will be a year in which Real Estate players will really have to earn their commissions. The key is to get your name out there, letting the buyers know what is on offer and letting prospective sellers know that you just closed that massive deal yesterday. But what is the best way to do this?

Just Listed/Just Sold Postcards are the way forward for those looking to be proactive rather than reactive and with time at a premium you should be looking for all of the help you can get. That is where we step in as your trusted Real Estate Virtual Assistant because we have the resources, we have the experience and we look forwards not backwards. While that deal yesterday has been sealed you need to look at the next one and show your prospective customers that you are the hottest ticket in town, the deal maker pulling the strings and the one with your finger on the pulse.

Branded Just Listed/Just Sold Postcards are an excellent way to get the news across and your Real Estate Virtual Assistant knows how to tempt your clients in, give them a little taste of what you can do for them. Money talks in the industry, but it is the next deal you should be looking at not basking in the glory of yesterday’s news. Let us take some of the administration burden from your shoulders giving you more and more time to target your next deal.

Let your virtual assistant make a virtual world of difference!

As the internet continues to go from strength to strength many Real Estate professionals continue to look towards Virtual Tours as a way to assist clients and save their own time. But how many actually push forward with the idea, and what benefits does it offer?

A Virtual Tour is the ultimate Real Estate Virtual Assistant, the kind of issue which you can personalize for yourself and your customers. So why do so few actually take on the adventure? Quite simply……fear

There have been some massive improvements in software over the last few years, web cam technology is unrecognizable for twenty years ago and broadband is now common place – all elements required for the perfect Virtual Tour. While it takes time to perfect your offerings, I have the time, the software and the application to make it happen.

So what are the real benefits?

There are a number of benefits which include:-

1. Expanding your potential customer base to people out of the area. A virtual tour allows them to look before they visit, to see if it really has what they want.
2. It saves YOUR time with those customers who never quite close the deal, the ones who are always promising some action but never quite deliver.
3. In many ways it will also improve your sales figures because if the customer has seen the virtual tour (the property in a perfect light) then in many cases it will just be a case of closing the deal. Your virtual tour has already warmed up the customer!

However, there is still a need for face to face negotiations, which is where your skills will come in, but I can help you will your online presence and your marketing techniques. Just a few small changes can make a virtual world of difference – you will be very surprised.

While there can be few areas of business which are faster moving than the world of Real Estate, 2008 is set to be an even more volatile affair with the credit crunch, falling prices and a need to act quicker to secure that sale, on time and on price.  Have you had any thoughts for 2008? Any plans of action in place?

Don’t risk giving your competitors a chance to power ahead of you, allow a Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant to help you create a new plan of action for 2008.  It is vital to your business that you have plans in place for the future and give yourself a target to aim for.  If you prefer to be at the cutting edge of the industry and planning, investigating and marketing are not your strengths then you should consider a Real Estate Virtual Assistant.

I am constantly in touch with players in the market and am a keen follower of the latest short, medium and long term trends in the market place, the information which allows YOU to plan ahead.  While some tasks may seem complicated and time consuming for you, I use the latest technology, the latest software and the latest techniques to ensure YOUR time is used efficiently.

In the Real Estate industry time is money and with money becoming a little tighter of late, it is imperative that you are ready for the challenges ahead.  Closing the deal is the end game, but why not contact us about taking some of the back office operations off you, leaving you more time at the sharp end.

While the world of Real Estate is often fast and furious, it is very easy to get over loaded with work, with leads and ideas.  How you manage your contacts, your data and your properties is the key to how successful you will be.  While it is the big deal exchanges which grab the headlines, there will be no large deals, no big profits unless you are organized and have everything which you need at you finger tips.  This is were we come in as your Real Estate Virtual Assistant, your online help, your sounding board and your “right hand”.

We can take away the more mundane tasks from your daily routine. No more working 20 hour days to finish off your paperwork, no more missing that big deal because you do not have time to call back, just more and more time to pull in the money, the big deals and the glory.

Each and every one of your customers and contacts is a potential repeat client, but you need to keep them warm, let them know that you are around. If you neglect your historic client base, you are just living hand to mouth and not building up your recurring income.  Let us show you how to store your deals, your contacts and your acquaintances in a way which will allow you stay at the forefront of all your clients minds.

A simple newsletter to your customers will keep your name in their mind, it will breed trust and above all it will show that you care.  Even an off the cuff remark about the state of a particular market or a summary of a big deal which has just gone down will keep your customers content, and it may even encourage a little more repeat business.  We will be using our blog to explain in detail what we can do for you and your business, from lead generation to marketing material, we have systems available to take away the mundane side of your business, leaving you more time at the sharp end!

Don’t continue to let the day-to-day tasks of your business pile up. Let me tell you; you won’t regret your decision to partner with a Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant (PREVA), but there are are a few things to consider in order to find the right PREVA match for you. Like any interviewing process there are a few basic things you might want to inquire about.

• How long have you been in business?
• What is your experience with the Real Estate Industry?
• What services do you offer?
• What are your fees?
• Will we have a signed contract between us?
• Does your contract include a confidentiality clause?
• Can you provide me with samples of your work?
• Do you have references?
• Do you have a website where I can learn more about you and your business?

This is a great starting point in your search for a Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant. I do however feel that in your search for the right PREVA match, there should exist that certain dynamic between you. In Part 3 of my series A Virtual World of Possibilities I will discuss more about this “dynamic” and what a PREVA will look for in you.

If you are sitting on the fence about whether or not to partner with a Virtual Assistant, you might want to read The Obsolete Employee.

This book discusses the benefits of Virtual Outsourcing and how it can change your life and your business.

Take some time to read The Obsolete Employee and become a part of this rapidly growing industry of Virtual Assistance.

Are you a Real Estate Professional spending more than a couple of hours a day in the office trying to catch up on paperwork, making phone calls and completing tasks that really don?t make you any money? If this sounds like you, you are more than likely ready to start delegating. This is a big step and difficult for some people to do, however once you have made the decision to spend more time on listing and selling you will see the benefits to your business and your family life.

First you will want to make a list of the tasks that you spend most of your time working on in the office. Examples of these tasks could be:

• Listing Coordination
• Transaction Management
• Contact Management
• General Administrative Tasks

The question now is who to delegate these tasks to. Most offices employ administrative staff to assist agents with these types of tasks however a lot of times these ?in-house? administrative staff are facing the same time challenges as you are having to make themselves available to all the agents in the office. Why not consider the possibility of hiring a Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant (PREVA). A PREVA has the training and experience with specifc Real Estate tasks and software and can perform duties such as the ones listed above, and more. PREVA?s partner with you to personalize an action plan based on your specifc needs and requirements.

Check back for Part 2 of a Virtual World of Possibilites where I will discuss the PREVA and Agent realtionship and what to look for in a Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant.