Great question JJ Canull !!   To have fresh, young ideas generating from someone not yet tarnished, discouraged and beaten down by this business would be most appreciated.   I would brainstorm with them and suck every bit of millenial knowledge from them:  things I don't even know I don't know!!   Social media springs to mind: Instagram, SnapChat etc

Handwritten mail

get licensed so I could USE THEM AND TRAIN THEM TO MAKE MONEY!!!!

JJ,

I am with Barbara Todaro .  A

Database , Blog photos for Localism, Social Media Lead Gen (in our name of course).

I like Barbara Todaro and her thinking.

If they are well suited to putting up real estate sign posts, that is what they would do.

If they are interning to boost their resume or work experience, I would involve them in the research, analyisis and implementation of a new project.

If they appear to be efficient and/or increadibly proficient and nimble with a joy stick, it will be CC vidoes.

Should they demonstrate the ability to engage in conversation, they will be writing.

If they are the sort I would be hesitant to invite home to meet Mom, I would introduce them to the other agent in need of help.

But it ALL begins with my question to them "How can I help you get to where you want to go?"

Manage my social media.

None

No idea.

As much as they can.

All the jobs that don't require a real Estate license.

 JJ - I would have them do everything that I didn't want to do.

All the social media with my web site, direct mail, and maybe some paperwork.

Right now ... it would be to remove all the broken links on my AR blog posts.  I know I have many. It would be a horrible job for anyone to do ...

I would have them shadow me and deliver door hanger at around my listings if legal.

I would have them post some of my social media posts, and find old expireds for me to mail to.

Prior to 2009 I had an entire Team of Assistants, Interns, and they handled all the administrative processes so I could be productive doing Real Estate.  Today I'm by myself and seriously considering an Intern and/or Assistant again.  However I have to agree with many before me that it can take so much of my time training that it's not worth it ... or so it seems at first. But after you have invested the time in most cases if you vetted the candicate properly you will have a great assistant and they may end up loving Real Estate and get licensed and then you are making more money and it will be time to hire another Intern.  Ah!  Such is life in the business world ... keep moving forward and grow!

JJ Canull Anything that doesn't require a real estate license.

Open House, Flyers, Lock Boxes, Answer Phones, Prospect, Advertisement...

JJ,
The challenge is it would take more time to train them and monitor them than they would be worth to me. There isn’t a lot they can do without a license. I also agree with Barbara Todaro.

I was a Realtor at one time before becoming a mortgage broker. My daughter in law was my paid assistant and it was great having her along with me showing properties; much safer. She also took care of the property management side of things. 

Take pictures of subdivisions, gather stats, create custom IDX pages and get the posts out there.  Those pages work for us and the resource I lack the most is the time to do them the way I want them done.

Phone call prospecting and appoint setter.

Fetching coffee.  Oh wait, those were my days as an IT intern.

I really don't have enough irons in the fire to justify having an intern, even part time.

Hi JJ,  I see by your profile you are very experienced in real estate, and have been a member of AR for quite a long time.   So, I am guessing you are asking because you might have an intern at your disposal?

As for what tasks to have them do, it would depend on what they are good at and what you need.  Real estate agents spend a lot of time keeping busy with busy work... so there is a long list of things an internn could do for you while learning the business.  

I was a bit of a perfectionist, control freak, so it was hard for me to delegate. However, I could have used someone to do a wide variety of things including posting signs, preparing mailings, delivering paperwork, errands, etc.  

Learning how to handle phone calls, emails and building the database are important functions.

Clerical and gofer type tasks.

I wouldn't do an intern in real estate. It would take more time than it would be worth for me.

Take videos and photos.