Archive for July, 2008

A Real Estate Assistant Builds Relationships with Buyers and Sellers

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

When you’re in the real estate business, one of the things that you’re going to need to be sure of is that you are communicating effectively with the buyers and sellers who you are working with – after all, that’s the only way in which you are going to be able to build relationships. A real estate assistant can work with you to improve communication and the relationships that you have with buyers and sellers.

Just how important are communication and relationships?

(source)Ray Wood’s Bestselling book (How To Sell Your Home For More) has sold more than 50,000 copies but that is just part of his enterprise. Ray is CEO of Bestagents, a marketing company for real estate teams and individuals. His unique system uses innovative tools, like his book, to bring real estate professionals and property sellers together. He believes Relationship Marketing is the key to real estate success. He also believes that many in real estate could quickly improve and more than double their income simply by doing the right things more often.

When you’re working with a real estate assistant, you’ll find that you are able to do more to help the sellers that you’re working with. You’ll find too that you’re able to work with buyers – that a real estate assistant can make it easier for you to really learn what the buyers you represent are looking for. Similarly, you’ll find that you’re able to focus on communicating – you’ll know that you’re in a position to reach your goals because you will know that you are able to focus on your clients and the wants and needs that they have.

Even when you bring someone in who will help you to reach your goals – a great real estate assistant – what your clients will see is that they are able to work with you (and that’s the thing that will bring you the success you’re looking for).

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What Can a Real Estate Assistant Do for You?

Saturday, July 19th, 2008

When you’re working with the right real estate assistant, you’ll find that a lot of your everyday tasks become overwhelming. It’s not so much that you cannot reach your goals; it isn’t even that there aren’t things that are still being done. It’s just that when you’re trying to do it all, it can get a little bit chaotic.

Working with a real estate assistant means that you’ve got two heads thinking through each project; it means that you will be able to focus on those tasks that are important to you – giving a presentation for first time homebuyers rather than preparing the presentation; creating and mailing marketing postcards rather than for you rather than leaving you to take the projects on for yourself.

Simply put, the thing that you will find is that when you’re working with a real estate assistant, you’re able to set aside a number of projects that interfere with your doing your best work; your real estate assistant will be able to take them on for you. What all can a real estate assistant do? It’s all up to you – it’s up to you to talk with a real estate assistant and to arrange the right balance.

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Choosing a Real Estate Assistant Helps You Take Control

Friday, July 18th, 2008

When you’re working in real estate, there are a lot of things that you’re simply not going to be able to control. After all, you won’t be the one who is able to determine the value of homes in your market, nor will you be able to be on top of what’s happening with the mortgage brokers. However, there is something that you will be able to control: you’ll find that you can control your marketing – especially when you have the right real estate assistant on your side.

When you’re working with the right real estate assistant, you can be sure that:

  • You’ve got top notch marketing materials that help you to build your brand
  • You’ll be able to know that you’ve got high end photos to use to showcase your listings
  • You are able to take advantage of letting someone else handle the listing coordination process
  • You’ll have the chance to have someone available who can talk to your clients even if you can’t make it to the phone

In other words, you’ll find that with the right real estate assistant, you will be able to take control of marketing your business and being there for your customers; you’ll be able to know that you’re able to stay on top of the only thing you can control: running your business.

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A Real Estate Virtual Assistant Can Help You to Get Your Needs Met

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

When you’re looking at your real estate business and start to think that there are a fair amount of things that simply aren’t getting done, the time is right to start looking for a bit of help. When you make the choice to work with a real estate virtual assistant, you’ll find that you’re in a better position to get your needs met.

By choosing a real estate virtual assistant rather than a traditional VA – or real estate assistant, for that matter – you will be able to know that the person you’re working with will be able to hit the ground running. By choosing a virtual assistant who specializes in providing real estate services, you’ll be able to feel confident that the real estate VA you’re working with will:

  • Understand what’s involved in providing buyers with neighborhood profiles
  • Know how to prepare a listing presentation
  • Focus on keeping your clients informed about the process of buying or selling a home
  • Be able to update listing information on your web site or blog and within the MLS as well

Simply put, as a real estate professional, you’re going to be in a much better position if you’re working with someone who knows and understands your business. With the right help, you’ll find that there are far fewer things that are being put off tomorrow. To borrow from an old pearl of wisdom: why put off until tomorrow what your real estate virtual assistant could do today?

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Choosing a Real Estate Assistant Who Can Help You Communicate

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008

When you’re in the business of real estate, communication is key; having the right real estate assistant can simplify the process by ensuring that you are in a position in which you can answer one clients call when you’re in a meeting with someone else. When you have the right real estate assistant, you’ll find that your clients are able to get a much stronger sense of whom you are:

(source)Real estate is all about relationships. It seems we have a never ending challenge to communicate in a meaningful way with our clients and prospective clients. Providing real estate information is the easy part. It is constantly communicating on a more human level and allowing others to see us as real people and not just as a name on a website, that becomes challenging.

In part, of course, the above references the importance of online communication. When your focus in on communication, you’ll find that using a blog is important – even if it means that you have your real estate assistant write the blog for you so that the conversation goes on even if you’re not familiar with using Wordpress or another blogging platform. You’ll find that your real estate assistant can set up an autoresponder so that you’re able to “answer” an email request for info even in the middle of the night.

Conversation and communication are a two fold process when you’re involved in real estate. There’s the importance of one on one contact, and there’s the importance of online interaction. You’ll find that a real estate assistant can help you to reach your goals with both.

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Joomla Virtual Assistant

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008

I recently had a new client call me and tell me they needed help with their website. They had been working with another Real Estate Joomla Virtual Assistant who built them a Joomla website and then dropped the ball on them; she never returned phone calls and didn’t respond to e-mails when they tried to reach her. They called me out of frustration and asked me if I would get their Joomla website up and running and I thought I would share my experience about what this Virtual Assistant did that created their Joomla website.
1) The Real Estate Virtual Assistant used PIRATED (Yes, STOLEN) Joomla add-on software when the site was built.
2) The Virtual Assistant would not give them access to the server where their files resided.

This is a word of caution! If you are going to use a Joomla website and you are going to have a Virtual Assistant do it, set up you OWN hosting account with a reputable hosting company and pay for the software and store them on your computer.

I know these clients were unaware of what was happening and handed their website off to a Joomla Virtual Assistant to take care of but it is important as a paying client you get what you paid for! If you ever have to change hosting companies you want to have all the files and programs!

If you have a Joomla website and your Virtual Assistant isn’t coming through for you call Kandra at 734-446-0328 we will assist you in working through the nightmare and getting it set up right and so you OWN it!

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A Real Estate Assistant Can Make Buyers More Comfortable

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008

These days, it’s difficult to turn on the TV or to open the newspaper without reading more about the mortgage crisis and homeowners who are losing their properties; when you’re in the business of helping buyers to get into homes of their own, it’s important to know that you are going to be able to work with a real estate assistant who can help to make and keep your buyers comfortable.

In this case, when you’re working in real estate, working with the real estate assistant is going to mean working with someone who has an understanding of your goals and the wants and needs of your customers. Likewise, when you want to be sure that your buyers are comfortable, you’re going to want to know that the real estate assistant that you’re working with knows how to give your clients (and prospective clients) the information that they are looking for; you’re going to want to be sure that she will be on two sides: your and the side of the homebuyers who may be a bit nervous about acting.

Simply put, the more that you are able to be sure that your clients are aware of what to expect and the more that you are able to show them that you are willing to help them keep the homes that thye buy, the better the position you will be in.

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Working with a Real Estate Virtual Assistant: Communication Is Key

Monday, July 14th, 2008

Communication is, more or less, the key to having a successful relationship with your real estate virtual assistant. After all, when you’re working with a real estate VA, you’re not going to see one another every day – you may never see one another – and you’re not going to be able to just leave notes on one another’s desk if something comes up.

Working with a real estate virtual assistant is going to rely on a number of things:

  1. You’re going to need to know what you expect of your virtual assistant and you’re going to need to be sure that she knows what is expected with a given project
  2. You’re going to want to focus on listening to the questions and suggestions that your real estate virtual assistant has for you; there may be areas of your business in which she has ideas for making things go a bit more smoothly
  3. You’re going to want to find a great way of connecting. Whether you use chat programs to connect with one another or you rely on phone conversations and email, it’s good to have a sense of what to expect and of how frequently you will connect.

In each of those cases, communication is one of the most important elements; whether you’re looking to change something or your real estate VA has a question or suggestion, it’s important that you both know how to talk with one another. By setting up a communication game plan, you can be sure that neither of you feel disconnected.

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A Real Estate Virtual Assistant Can Bring Back Your Passion

Sunday, July 13th, 2008

When most people make the choice to go into the real estate business, they are excited and passionate about the field. Unfortunately for many of them, once the clients keep coming in and they see all of the marketing that needs to be done, the paperwork and the presentations start piling up, a little bit of that initial excitement starts to fade a bit. Fortunately, working with a real estate virtual assistant can help you to regain the passion that you have for the field.

When you are working with a real estate virtual assistant, one of the things that you will discover is that you will have the opportunity to focus on the parts of your real estate business that you genuinely enjoy. Love focusing on meeting with clients? Let your real estate virtual assistant tackle the paperwork. Love writing articles to promote your business but don’t have the time to find the right directories to distribute them? When you finish writing your articles, you can turn them over to your real estate virtual assistant for editing and distribution.

Simply put, working with a real estate virtual assistant ensures that you’re able to get everything done that needs to take place while you are able to focus on the parts that you enjoy the most. Working with a real estate virtual assistant can help you to rediscover your passion for your business.

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Choosing a Real Estate Assistant: Looking at Your Needs

Saturday, July 12th, 2008

When you’re looking into bringing a real estate assistant into your business, one of the things that you’re going to want to be sure of is that you are choosing someone who will be there to help you meet your needs and reach your goals. In part, that means that you are going to want to look at what your needs are.

Do you need a real estate assistant who can:

  • Help you to improve your marketing campaigns?
  • Update listing information?
  • Prepare listing presentations?
  • Send replies to email requests for information?
  • Place advertisements in your local newspaper and real estate magazines?
  • Be there to answer the phone and to welcome your clients when they arrive for appointments?
  • Ensure that your books are up to date with business income and expenses?

By focusing on what your needs are, what you will discover is that you are in a better position to choose a real estate assistant who can help you to meet those needs. By understanding the way in which you want to do business and what it’s going to take to make it happen, you can be sure that you’re choosing a real estate assistant who can help you to reach your goals.

Simply put, one of the things that you are going to discover is that when you understand your needs and choose a real estate assistant who can help you to meet them is that the majority of your business will start to go much more smoothly.

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