Time to Hire a Real Estate Assistant? How to Go About ItBy Alexis Petersen
Twelve percent of real estate agents indicate that better time management is the most important aspect of earning more money this year, according to The Voice of the Real Estate Agent, published by Real Estate Express. Respondents in the report share that those who are successful in owning their time rely on several habits, including building out their real estate team.
Your life as a real estate professional can be fast-paced and demanding. Scheduling, taking calls and handling everyday details can distract from big-picture goals, which is why many real estate agents and brokers hire a real estate assistant. If you're at a point in your career that requires your attention in many different places at once, enlisting the help of an assistant can both help you stay organized and maintain your sanity. Need someone to lighten the load? Here are some ways to get started in the process to hire a real estate assistant. 8 Steps to Help You Hire a Real Estate Assistant Step 1: Decide if you're ready hire a real estate assistant. Knowing when it's the right time to find an assistant is important. Some signs that might indicate you need hired help include:
Step 2: Create a job listing. Potential assistants will respond to your job listing based on the requirements, and you'll want to make sure the wording is right to attract the best-suited candidate. Some important responsibilities and character traits to include range from:
It's time to get the word out! You can post your job listing online using career-oriented sites like Indeed or LinkedIn, but there are other ways to connect with potential assistants, as well. Someone who is studying real estate might be attracted to the position to learn about the inner workings of an office, so be sure to reach out to recent graduates. You can do so by sending the job description to local universities or getting in contact with professors of a similar field of study or through real estate training programs. Additionally, asking your business associates for referrals could be the quickest and most efficient way to connect with an assistant. Step 4: Create a list of qualities to look for. Once you get a pool of potential hires, lay out what is most important to you in an assistant. Do you value personality over technical skills? Are you looking for experience in real estate, or someone with general experience assisting a professional? Make a list of qualities you're looking for—try to find someone who will compensate for areas where you're weak or in areas that can be easily delegated and make a huge impact on how much time you have available each week. Step 5: Determine what questions to ask in an interview. Conducting an interview can be just as nerve-wracking as interviewing for a position. Remember, you're asking what prospective assistants can offer you to make your daily life easier. The more direct the questions, the better. After a greeting and overview of the job description, interview questions typically flow similar to the following:
It's also important to think of questions that could help identify red flags. Here are some questions that could lead you down that path:
Money can be an uncomfortable topic, but it's better to be up-front about it. Detail the pay you're willing to provide and make sure the candidate is on the same page. A professional assistant will need to make at least minimum wage. You can get an idea of how much other assistants in your niche are making by searching websites such as Payscale and Glassdoor. Step 7: Onboard a new assistant. You've selected an assistant! Now it's time to make them feel comfortable in their new work environment, as well as prepare them for their daily duties. When communicating their responsibilities, assume the mindset that they need a full explanation of the workings of your office to avoid gaps in communication. For a proper onboarding, you'll want to:
Since an assistant is someone who you will be working with constantly, it's important that you be proactive with how you manage them. If there is an issue with their job performance, let them know how to improve. An assistant should make your professional life easier, so make sure that is the case once they've had time to settle in. Here's what you should be providing your assistant with to coach them in their job performance:
Now that you have time to tackle the real estate projects you couldn't before, focus on growth. Gaining an assistant marks an important time in your career, as it signals a high level of accomplishment. Channel your energy toward your bigger goals now that there is someone to sweat the small stuff. Alexis Petersen is the director of Content at Real Estate Express, a national leader in online learning for pre-licensing, continuing education and professional development. For the last six years she has been educating real estate professionals on how to successfully launch and advance their career. She's also a seasoned marketing veteran, with nearly 15 years of experience. |
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