Does your family complain about your absence? Are you frustrated trying to
break into another income bracket? Do you still like your career? Do you need a
vacation? Well, if you answered YES to any of these questions, like me, you need
the help of a personal assistant.
If it seems as though there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get your
work done, perhaps you should consider hiring a professional assistant.
But where do you begin? Do you need someone full time or part time? Should
this person have a real estate license or not? Do you hire the individual as an
independent contractor or bring them on as an employee? What about a virtual
assistant?
You may ask, “How will I have time to train this person? And what if I don’t
have the extra money to pay them?”
Easy does it, let’s take this opportunity one step at a time.
First, I think we should acknowledge that just thinking about hiring a helper
is the first sign that one needs help. Don’t discount those thoughts. If you are
feeling overwhelmed, listen to your gut. Take the leap of faith!
Today, many real estate professionals are employing helpers to whom they
delegate tasks to improve their efficiency. In fact, the National Association of
REALTORS® (NAR) recently reported that 15 percent of REALTORS® use at least one
personal assistant, with 48 percent of those being unlicensed.
REALTORS® have options today, and in order to keep balance in our lives we
must hire others to manage certain tasks and projects.
We learn early on that the highest and best use of an agent’s time is when we
are: 1) prospecting, 2) showing property and writing offers, 3) negotiating
those offers into contracts and closing the transactions, and 4) following up
after the sale. These four functions are where we need to concentrate our
efforts. Consider hiring someone to help accomplish other important tasks.
So, do you hire someone full time or part time? This is best answered by your
workload. If you work full time in the real estate business, you probably could
use an assistant full time. There is so much to do each day and if you are
concentrating your efforts on those four highest and best uses of your time, you
need a partner to whom you can delegate daily tasks that are not the highest and
best use of your time.
Does the new hire need to be licensed? This depends on what you expect them
to do and how you want to use their talents. Over the years, having employed
several assistants, I found that someone unlicensed was best for me. In Florida,
an unlicensed assistant can manage the projects I choose to delegate. However,
carefully check and be mindful of your state’s license law concerning hiring an
assistant and the duties that are allowed by law if no license is held. Never
put an unlicensed assistant in a position to handle a task that requires a
license. This is a violation of license law.
When you hire the assistant the question of money comes up, and how you
should hire them – employee or independent contractor. Before you set up your
first interview, I suggest a visit with your tax adviser or lawyer for
professional guidance on how to bring this new person onboard your team. No
matter how you decide to classify this new position, you will be taking on
additional roles as an employer; learn about associated laws and your new
responsibilities. Be sure you never give tax advice to the new hire, as this
could confuse their status, be it employee or independent contractor. When
determining compensation, my recommendation is to always pay above market rate.
Earnings are critical, and paying slightly above the market offers the
opportunity for loyalty and long-term commitment. But remember, not all of us
are motivated by money. Extra time off, schedule flexibility, health insurance,
public recognition, etc., could be part of your compensation package.
A real challenge for REALTORS® is the ability to “let go.” When you are
accustomed to doing everything yourself, it is sometimes difficult to let go and
let someone else assist. We must overcome this challenge and realize that even
though the assistant may not do it exactly the way we would have done it, the
job gets done and it is satisfactory. The most important part is that we are now
able to concentrate on those four areas that truly are our expertise! Practice
letting go.
Perhaps hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA) is an avenue we should explore. A VA
can make your life easier and far more productive. The key to using a VA is that
you get specialization – someone who’s really experienced in a software
program(s) and who does the same work for top performers in other markets. This
might be a professional person who works from home and helps you manage leads,
market listings, and coordinate transactions.
VAs are typically home-based administrative support specialists who, in real
estate, use the Internet to do everything in-house support staff do except post
signs and hang lockboxes. And because geography is no barrier, you can choose
from a national, or even international, talent pool.
Training the assistant is vital. Your assistant will only be as good as the
training he or she receives. This burden need not be placed solely on your
shoulders. Your local and state associations offer continuing education classes
on the subject of assistants. I teach a three-hour CE course entitled Personal
Assistants and the Law, which covers a number of areas when first considering
hiring a helper. The Real Estate Buyers Agency Council (REBAC) offers a super
Real Estate Professional Assistant (REPA) class that covers myriad topics during
the two-day intensive workshop. Sending your new hire to an educational class is
a dynamite way to get him or her polished.
Additionally, explore
www.Realtor.org, which is a tremendous library where you can download
articles on the subject of assistants. And your local bookstore has helpful
resources.
The continuing education offered at my local board was a valuable resource. I
found that sending my newly hired assistant to outside education sources was the
perfect partner for me in my getting my assistant the needed training without my
direct involvement.
Just think about all the tasks the new hire will be able to take off your
plate … but only if you hire the correct person. So the interview is critical. I
always say we were not born with great interview skills – this is a learned
trait. We must learn how to conduct an interview if we are to be successful in
hiring the best candidate for the job. Too many times I ended up hiring someone
just like me and that was the last thing I needed. I should hire someone
opposite of me … someone to master the projects I’m not good at or don’t want to
do. Tap into the available resources to learn the questions to ask, keeping in
mind the questions that we are not allowed to ask according to the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Develop a quiz to allow candidates to
demonstrate the skills that are listed on their resumes. I learned this the hard
way, taking their skills for granted and never asking them to “show me” before I
hired them. Always have more than one interview. A second or third interview can
save you in the long run.
After years of doing it myself, I was referred to a professional staffing
company, where I soon learned they were screening candidates and giving them
skills tests. This saved me time and money, and I was able to interview the
“best” to make my choice.
So take the “leap of faith” and hire someone to assist you. REALTORS® who
have an assistant will tell you that assistants will more than pay for
themselves; they are not an expense, they are an asset. Your customers will
appreciate it, your family will appreciate it, you will value it and you will
wonder how you ever did it without them!
Marcus A. Wally, MBA, GRI, CIPS, TRC, is an active Florida REALTOR® in St.
Augustine, Florida – “OUR NATION’S OLDEST CITY.” Marcus is the founder and
broker of NEW WORLD REALTY, which manages coaching and facilitation of education
classes around the world. He has an MBA from the University of North Florida in
Jacksonville. Marcus entered the real estate profession in 1991. He is a NAR
faculty member for the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS)
program, and is a member of the AT HOME WITH DIVERSITY faculty. Marcus can be
reached at 904-669-1081 or by e-mail at
mwally@cbwwcorp.com.
Published: 1/11/2007
