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Rainmaker
3,986,258
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

I work by myself.  I know when thins get done and they get done the way I want them to.

Feb 04, 2015 10:48 AM
Rainmaker
256,975
Melanie Cameron
Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage - Wilmington, NC
The Cameron Team

Mine is unlicensed and she handles everything that helps bring in leads, but that I don't need to be focusing on - I need to be selling homes! Blogging, lead distribution, marketing materials, internal paperwork, website updates, social media, etc.

Feb 05, 2015 04:44 AM
Rainmaker
5,772,575
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

I would recommend always having a licensed assistant either in your office or virtually.  They can do all the tasks that are not worth your time.  For instance, one of our clients best talents is getting listings.  She can walk out of her office for a coffee and come back with 2-3 listings.  Everything else, paperwork, scheduling photo shoots, etc can be done by assistants. A

Feb 04, 2015 05:31 AM
Rainmaker
546,359
Mitch Muller - Charlotte NC Real Estate
ProStead Realty Charlotte, NC CRS SRES mitch@prostead.com - Charlotte, NC
Certified Residential Specialist

I have 2 assistants and also use several Virtual Assistants as well. I used to have a huge team, 12 to 15 people with 6 to 8 buyers agents, a listing agent, a runner and 3 to 4 assistants. It wasn't all that profitable so I scaled way back. I now rely on my assistants to do my non dollar productive work while I go out and do the Direct Income Producing Activities (DIPA) showing, listing, writing and negotiating offers etc! Anything that's not directly making me money I have them do. And I'm much more profitable now!

Feb 06, 2015 12:53 AM
Rainer
341,353
Ron Tissier
Chapman Hall Premier Realtors (404) 580-9069 - Atlanta, GA
Defining Homes. Defining Lifestyles.

I hired my first VA last October to help manage my social media campaigns.  She's a local, non-practicing, licensed Realtor with a public relations degree, that's staying home to raise her kids.  She's an independent contractor and I have her on a monthly retainer.  She's also a "techie" type, of which I'm not and so far, it's worked out well.  It's also nice to have someone that will/can "brainstorm" with you on different marketing ideas.  I will eventually add more tasks for her to take care of as necessary.  Bringing my VA onboard was a great decision for me. 

Feb 05, 2015 10:47 PM
Rainmaker
870,537
Sham Reddy CRS
Howard Hanna RE Services, Dayton, OH - Dayton, OH
CRS

No, I don't have one yet.  I am reading the answers to see if I can pick up some great points in hiring one

Feb 05, 2015 07:46 PM
Rainmaker
1,318,269
Joan Whitebook
BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH
Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

I have been asking the same question.  I will be back to see what our AR member think.

Feb 05, 2015 12:52 PM
Rainmaker
750,057
Rob D. Shepherd
RETIRED - Florence, OR
RETIRED

I have toyed with the idea of having one that would work on marketing for me.

Feb 05, 2015 10:28 AM
Rainmaker
1,139,819
Russ Ravary ~ Metro Detroit Realtor call (248) 310-6239
Real Estate One - Commerce, MI
Michigan homes for sale ~ yesmyrealtor@gmail.com

I have a regular assistant that is not licensed.  I want to keep from hiring a licensed one.  I do not want to train them and give them all my ways of getting business and have them go off on their own.

Feb 05, 2015 10:10 AM
Rainmaker
4,319,419
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

Robert Kennedy planning for one - so the answers here will help me.  Heard of virtual assistant and haven't tried, though could have, I guess.

Feb 04, 2015 11:27 AM
Rainmaker
7,835,407
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

I have always preferred a real person. I have used unlicensed and licensed assistants. Some of the best have been very smart college students working for the summer. 

Feb 04, 2015 03:44 AM
Rainmaker
630,251
Ajay Pandya
e-Merge Real Estate Unlimited - Columbus, OH
Realtor Ajay Pandya

Yes - and a whole team, too.

My low productivity tasks are taken care of by her.

Feb 02, 2018 10:13 PM
Rainmaker
2,241,011
Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker

Dealing directly and hands on army of one can have its advantages. You can train how you want the small tasks done. But so often when you the agent, broker do it right going in, it saves the hand off and then hoping it came off the way you needed. Lots of different situations in the delicate list, twist, sell (repeat). I find videos save so much time in showings and weeding, filtering out the process and boil it down to which is the one.

That help yourself late at night and weekends is so so time saving that I have the extra time needed to run a tight ship. My secretary is more of a personal assistant anyway in a small rural office where we don't have a slew of part time agents or run a real estate daycare with all the "that's my listing, you stole my buyer" bickering.

Feb 05, 2015 08:18 PM
Rainer
273,237
Richard Robibero, e-Pro, ABR, SRS
Panorama R.E. Limited - Toronto, ON
Selling Your Home as if it were My Own!

I'm like William Feela . At some point it may be necessary but for right now the work gets done, it gets done right, and my customers are happy.

Feb 05, 2015 07:12 PM
Rainmaker
637,434
Hella M. Rothwell, Broker/Realtor®
Carmel by the Sea, CA
Rothwell Realty Inc. CA#01968433 Carmel-by-the-Sea

In the past, I've found that I need to work twice as hard to keep an assistant going who is on the payroll or is an outside contractor and not accountable for my business' income. No thanks. And anyone who is licensed, the only ones I would hire (to hang their license with me), are strictly on commission. I have no problem paying a big commission split.

Feb 05, 2015 10:57 AM
Rainmaker
1,084,061
Ginger Harper
Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage~ Ginger Harper Real Estate Team - Southport, NC
Your Southport~Oak Island Agent~Brunswick County!

I have a wonderful Assistant that is not licensed.  She does the paperwork and I go out and list...

 

Could not do without Denise..

Feb 05, 2015 10:29 AM
Rainmaker
4,434,127
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

I have not used any. If I had to choose I would hire a licensed assistant so that the agent can show homes .

Feb 04, 2015 09:29 PM
Rainer
215,585
Marla Yost
The Yost Team- Keller Williams Realty - Arlington, TX
The Yost Team

We have a virtual assistant and he does most of our marketing  and blogging.

Feb 04, 2015 04:14 AM
Ambassador
6,393,154
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Anything that they are qualified to do they are welcome to take off my hands.

Oct 05, 2019 10:59 PM
Rainer
279,878
Dipti Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
On a team with Praful Thakkar

No.

Jun 15, 2018 10:50 PM
Rainmaker
4,800,082
Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

I do not.  I don't need one.

Dec 09, 2017 05:54 AM
Rainer
35,070
Heather Moreau
BizEBee Virtual Assistants LLC - Suffolk, VA
BizEBee Business Services

A lot of people have hesitations about using a Virtual assistant because of lack of accountability. BizEBee Virtual Assistants has accountability. Bizebee has a staff of virtual assistants who only get paid if the work is completed to the client's satisfaction. We focus on creating a relationship with our clients so that we are always on the same page, and focused on the same things. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me or visit our website at www.bizebeerealestate.com 

Mar 08, 2017 07:00 PM
Rainmaker
539,468
Jerry Lucas
ABC Legal Docs LLC - Colorado Springs, CO
Notary Training, Consulting. Colorado Springs, CO

I automate as much as possible to use the computer and website as my assistant.  For classes, students register and pay on my website using self-service.  My website is a 24/7 robot.

Feb 06, 2015 01:17 AM