HOME
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The
2-Second Commute
Based on the
highly-successful Virtual Assistant training programs Chris Durst and
Michael Haaren developed
for the US Armed Forces and the US Department of State, The 2-Second Commute:
Join the Exploding Ranks of Freelance Virtual Assistants brings
you the knowledge without
the classroom!
Training program
participants have billed over $30
MILLION since our training programs started in 2002. Now YOU can learn from Chris & Mike,
too, and start your own successful VA business!
2-SECOND
COMMUTE
CHAPTERS
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1
Why
Become a Virtual
Assistant?
- personal & professional reasons to
explore this
industry
Chapter 2
Exploring
Virtual
Assistance
- virtual assistance defined
- industry demographics
- services, fees, and trends
- why businesses work with VAs
- international outlook
Chapter 3
Reality
Checks &
Self-Assessments
- exploring important considerations -
motives,
lifestyle,
family, children, etc.
- entrepreneurial self-assessment
- VA readiness self-assessment
- Spouse With a Mouse™ - from our
Department of State
and US
Armed Forces training programs, a special section to help your
"significant other" understand what it will be like to have a business
in the house.
Developing
a "Service
Menu" That You Can Live and Grow With
- inventory your values, interests, and
skills to
determine
your most marketable skills
Chapter 5
Estimating
Costs and
Setting Fees
- projecting your costs, picking your
"salary", setting
your hour, and our special formula for calculating a reasonable
baseline fee
- comprehensive fee survey (see what other
VAs are
charging)
- getting paid -contracts, credit cards,
invoices,
retainers, etc.
Chapter 6
Setting
Up Your
Business and Your Office
- naming and registering your business
- forms of business ownership
- permits and licenses
- insurance
- home office setup
Chapter 7
Building
a Healthy
Foundation for Your Business
- defining your ideal client, interviewing
clients,
partnering with clients
- the art of virtual communications
- SWOT analysis - discovering your
Strengths,
Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and Threats
- the benefits of "niche marketing" -
identifying your
target
market
Chapter 8
Let
the Marketing
Begin!
- image is everything
- talking about what you "do"
- marketing and email
- your Web site - your "global billboard"
- press releases
- harvesting the local "business crop"
- leveraging the media
- guest lecturing
- our 5 favorite marketing techniques
- the Strategic Marketing Plan - your
blueprint for
building
a successful business through effective marketing
Chapter 9
Pulling
It All
Together and
Keeping It There
- a collection of tips, tool, techniques,
and pointers
for
making your business a success
Chapter 10
The
VA Toolbox:
Resources and Information
- VA trade groups, email lists,
certifications and
training
programs
- specialized resources for homeschoolers,
"trailing
spouses", work at home parents, and people with disabilities
- resources and other information for the
"frugal VA"
--
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Work from home as a
Real Estate Agent Assistant
[Contributing Experts: Evy
Williams]
 The niche in a nutshell:
Real estate
assistants are specially trained support staff who are experts in real
estate
and/or have experience supporting real estate professionals. Even
though the
job is fairly specific, real estate assistants work in many different
types of
real estate offices: industrial, commercial, residential, and more.
They may
also work in related fields such as escrow, finance and mortgage.
Top 5 Services Provided in this Niche
- Marketing Services
- Listing Coordination
- Transaction Management
- Administrative Support
- Website Maintenance
|
Top 5 Hiring Markets
- Real Estate Professionals
- Mortgage Professionals
- Real Estate Appraisers
- Real Estate Coaches
- Real Estate Attorneys
|
Pay Range for this Niche
According to a study conducted by
The Brenner Information Group in 2003, Real Estate Agent Assistants
charged $35.00 an hour. Sometimes an assistant is paid a percentage of
his/her agent’s commission but more often he/she is paid an hourly rate
for the work that is actually completed.
After visiting several top ranked Real Estate Assistant websites, I saw
that the going rate was actually more in the area of $50/hour up to
$100/hour, with the specialists charging at the higher end. |
Recommended Skillsets
- Very Organized
- Detail Oriented
- Excellent Communication
Skills
- Superior People Skills
- Self-Directed
- Excellent Time Management
Skills
|
Niche Overview:
In order to be most efficient and effective as a Real Estate Agent
Assistant, one must be knowledgeable in the day-today operations of the
real estate business, from state laws and regulations down to the
conduct of business in a real estate brokerage office. They should be
familiar with terminology used in the real estate business. To be most
helpful, the assistant should be able to assist a real estate licensee
in farming the agent’s area, and provide marketing and listing
services. What’s more, the assistant might be able to provide clerical
support in preparing listing agreements, sales contracts and addenda,
seller net sheets, MLS input and output (CMA) and be able to
track due dates, deadlines, termination dates, etc. in listing
agreements and contracts. A general assistant (rather than a specific
assistant that specializes in a certain aspect of the agent’s duties
such as listing coordination, transaction management, etc.) is most
helpful if they can provide general follow up and support to the
licensee in day-to-day operations and keep them on track and on
schedule.
Rules and
regulations vary from state to state on the tasks that can be
performed by an unlicensed assistant. In general, if an agent’s needs
are primarily clerical (i.e., paper work, MLS processing, report
generation, forms completion, advertising) an unlicensed person may
work well for them. On the other hand, if they want someone who can
handle customer contact and show property to prospective buyers, they
should consider hiring a licensed salesperson as their personal
assistant. It is advisable to check the regulations of the state in
which the agent is licensed prior to hiring and assigning work to an
assistant.
Agents can save time and money by having their Real Estate Assistant
write and manage promotional materials and place ads advertising
available services. Real Estate Assistants can provide research and
compile reports such as CMAs, or make appointments and plan the
logistics for showings, or search for open houses that meet the buyer’s
criteria. All these activities save the agent time, money and stress
thus leaving them with more free time and more time to be productive.
An assistant allows the agent to focus his or her time on giving
undivided attention to his or her clients. By hiring a well-trained
personal assistant the agent is increasing their own productive time.
The
real estate profession has embraced the Virtual Assistant concept
mainly because they are professionals who need to be out of the office
meeting with clients, showing homes, networking, etc. Their time is not
being productively spent sitting behind a desk maintaining their
contact management software or designing a flyer for their newest
listing. Often times, they are independent business people responsible
for their own marketing but do not require the assistance of a
full-time assistant. Therefore, the VA and the real estate professional
can provide just what the other needs to get the job done efficiently,
effectively and professionally.
To get started as a Real Estate Agent Assistant, it is important to
join related organizations, both locally and through the Internet. Join
Real Estate Virtual Assistant associations to get your name recognized.
Volunteer in one or more organizations to meet other REVAs. This can be
helpful in two ways; you meet other REVAs who might possibly
subcontract work to you and you may be able to learn a new skill in
which to offer your future clients, depending on the volunteer work you
choose. Many organizations will train you on a particular program if
you offer to volunteer doing that work for them for a specific period
of time.
Specializing in a real estate-related niche is a good idea. When
specializing, you become an expert and not a “Jack of all Trades.”
Specialists are not trying to be all things to all people. They simply
do the type of work they do best.
The pros of working as a Real Estate Agent Assistant include meeting
and working with new clients, learning new skills and doing work you
enjoy most.
The disadvantages of working as a Real Estate Agent Assistant is that
by working from home, you may feel isolated. Also, your income may not
be as regular as it was when you were working outside the home.
The competition as a Real Estate Agent Assistant is high because there
are so many VAs offering this service. However, there are more agents
than assistants and many agents have discovered the true value of
working with a Real Estate Agent Assistant so there is enough work for
everyone.
Recommended Reading
|
Tools of the Trade
- Website Tools (Point2Agent, Advanced
Access)
- Contact Management Software
(Top Producer, Agent 2000/Agent Office)
- Marketing Software (Sharper
Agent, Imprev, Rainmaker, eNeighborhoods)
- Personal Computer with
High-Speed Internet Access
- Printer
- Telephone and FAX
- Scanner
- File Sharing Program
- Word Processing software
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Organizations & Associations
|
Resource Links
|
 About
the Contributing Experts
Evalyn (Evy) Williams
owns Brochures by Design, where “marketing materials are designed to
sell homes.” She specializes in desktop publishing/graphic design and
professional writing services.
Evy decided to
explore her entrepreneurial talents just before completing her Master’s
degree in Administration from Central Michigan University. For her
Master’s thesis, she completed a feasibility study on the Virtual
Assistance industry and found that it was not only a feasible business
concept but also a profitable one.
She is a certified
Master Virtual Assistant, certified Master Remote Professional,
certified Real Estate Support Specialist, certified Military Spouse
Virtual Assistant, certified Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant
and holds the EthicsCheck certification.
Evy writes the column
“Virtual
Quick Tips” for the popular epowernews.com online
newsletter. She has been featured in the bestselling book on Virtual
Assistance called “The Two-Second Commute” by the founders of the VA
industry, Christine Durst and Michael Haaren and featured in the Winter
2005 issue of Military Money
Magazine. Evy is the past editor of Accént, an online
newsletter developed specifically for virtual professionals and small
business owners and the IVAACast,
the official publication of the International Virtual Assistants
Association. She is also the Guild Chair for the Marketing Design Guild
through REVA Networks.
Read Evy’s blog at http://evyw.wordpress.com/.
Evy is married to
retired SFC Rick G. Williams and they have three children, Heidi (20),
Chelsi (17 1/2), and Kory (15). They live in Augusta, GA but plan to
move to the D.C. area in 2007 where Rick works with INSCOM after
retiring from the Army in 2005.
For more information,
please visit her website at www.BrochuresByDesign.com.
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- Monica
Reynolds
