Do you ever feel like you’re wearing too many hats in your business? If so, it’s a sign you probably need to hire a real estate administrative assistant.
This key hire can help you scale your business to new heights and break through the income ceiling that holds back so many solo agents.
The right admin can be a game-changer, helping you streamline operations, boost efficiency, and free up your time to focus on the high-impact activities that truly grow your business.
But what separates a good admin from a great one? And how can you make sure that you’re making the right hire?
That’s exactly what we’ll get into in this guide for real estate agents who are considering hiring for this crucial role!
Let’s get into it.
The Power of a Proactive Admin Partner
First and foremost, it’s important to shift your mindset about what an admin should be.
Too many people under leverage their admins, seeing them solely as someone to offload unwanted tasks to.
But setting your admin up to simply be a task-ticker can often create more work for yourself.
You suddenly have another person to manage, delegate to, and supervise – when you were looking for someone to take work off your plate. I made this mistake once and ended up feeling like the assistant to my assistant.
Instead, you want to look for a proactive administrative partner who will treat your business like their own. A top-tier admin won’t just complete tasks robotically, but will constantly be on the lookout for ways to optimize and improve processes across your entire team.
Prioritizing Automation and Systems
One of the key ways a real estate administrative assistant does this is by prioritizing systems and automation.
A savvy admin will audit your current tools and processes to identify opportunities to eliminate, automate, and outsource.
The hierarchy goes like this:
- Eliminate: If the task is not truly necessary or bringing in any real value, it shouldn’t be on ANYONE’S plate (yours or your assistant’s). Tasks like this can simply be eliminated.
- Automate: Before you use your admin’s precious hours on simple, time-consuming tasks – they should first seek ways to use automation to get it done instead.
- Outsource: If it’s a higher-level task that can’t be automated, only then should it be delegated to your admin.
Using this system will help you maximize your admin’s value and make sure their time is spent on high-impact activities that truly require a human touch.
By eliminating unnecessary tasks, automating repetitive processes, and strategically outsourcing the rest, you can create a lean, efficient operation that frees up both your and your admin’s time to focus on revenue-generating activities.
For example, instead of having your admin manually input data into your CRM, they could set up an integration that automatically syncs lead information from your website or lead generation tools. Or, rather than having them spend hours sending individual follow-up emails, they could create an email drip campaign that nurtures leads automatically.
So when hiring your administrative assistant, make sure you add “tech-savvy” to the list of requirements and skills.
Although having experience with the specific tools you use is ideal, don’t rule out a highly motivated and resourceful candidate who is eager to learn the specifics of your systems.
The most important qualities are a proactive mindset and a commitment to driving efficiency.
➡️ READ MORE: 7 Real Estate Tools You Need to Grow a Sustainable and Scalable Business
Supporting Agents, Not Creating More Work
Another key aspect to look for in an admin is someone who is fully focused on supporting agents, not creating more work for them.
The best admins understand that agents are the revenue drivers of the business and that every minute an agent spends wrestling with technology or hunting down information is a minute not spent closing deals and growing the business.
For example, let’s say your team uses a simple CRM like Follow Up Boss that agents are already comfortable with. Rather than asking agents to adopt a more complex tool like Airtable for project management, a savvy admin would set up an automation that syncs data between the two platforms.
This way, when an agent changes a deal’s status in Follow Up Boss, it automatically updates in Airtable, without the agent having to do anything extra. Meanwhile, the admin can use Airtable’s more robust features to get a high-level view of all active projects, optimize workflows, and make sure everything is on track, without disrupting the agents’ daily routines.
The key is to find an admin who can work behind the scenes to create a tech-powered operational machine while keeping things running simply and smoothly for the agents who are on the go every day.
Continuous Optimization and Improvement
One of the telltale signs of an excellent admin?
They’re never satisfied with the status quo. They’re continuously looking for incremental improvements and opportunities for optimization.
Your business is always evolving, and your systems and processes need to evolve along with it.
An admin who is content to just maintain existing systems will eventually hold your growth back. Instead, look for an admin who is committed to lifelong learning, who stays on top of industry trends and new technologies, and who proactively brings new ideas to the table.
When You’re Ready to Hire an Admin
Knowing when it’s time to bring on an Admin can be tricky. Hire too soon and you might be twiddling your thumbs trying to find enough work to keep them busy. Wait too long and you’ll find yourself drowning in busy work when you should be focusing on high-leverage tasks that grow the business.
So how do you know when the timing is right?
Here’s the deal – if you’re consistently spending your precious hours on things that don’t directly create an ROI for the business, it’s a glaring sign that you could use an administrative assistant on the team.
If you’re spending your days managing leads, coordinating showings, scheduling social content, responding to emails, and doing all the other countless tasks that keep your business running but don’t directly drive growth….
…it’s time to seriously consider bringing on some help.
Another red flag is when you start dropping the ball because your plate is overflowing. Missed deadlines, leads slipping through the cracks, clients feeling neglected – sound familiar? An admin can help you get your head above water and make sure nothing falls by the wayside.
And here’s a pro tip – don’t wait until you’re at the end of your rope to start the hiring process. If you’re already in panic mode, you won’t have the bandwidth to find the perfect fit and get them up to speed.
Be proactive and start looking for your admin before you’re in full-on crisis mode. That way, you can take your time finding the right match and setting them up for success.
When It Doesn’t Make Sense to Hire an Admin
While an admin can be a game-changer for a growing real estate business, there are scenarios where hiring one may not be the right move.
If you only have a handful of small, routine tasks that need handling, you’re likely better off automating them rather than hiring a full-time employee.
For example, tasks like setting appointments, sending proposals, or updating your CRM can often be automated with software for a fraction of the cost of an admin’s salary. A good rule of thumb: if a task takes you less than an hour a week and doesn’t require much strategic thought, look for a way to automate it before considering hiring.
It’s also important to make sure you have consistent revenue and cash flow to support an admin’s salary. While a great admin should eventually more than pay for themselves by freeing up your time to generate more business, you need to be able to cover their costs in the meantime. Be sure to budget conservatively and have a financial cushion before making a hire!
➡️ READ MORE: 7 Tips To Create A Real Estate Budget To Hit Your Big Money Goals
Will Hiring A Real Estate Admin Really Give You An ROI?
One of the most common fears around bringing on a real estate administrative assistant is whether or not you’ll be able to get an ROI.
But what you need to remember is that your admin isn’t just another cost, they’re an investment that can yield significant returns for your business.
To understand the potential ROI of an admin, start by calculating the value of your own time. As a real estate agent, your time is quite literally money. Every hour you spend on administrative tasks is an hour you’re not driving revenue.
Say your average commission is $10,000 and it takes 20 hours on average to close a deal. In this case, your time is worth $500 per hour. If an admin can free up just 5 hours of your time per week, that’s $10,000/month in potential additional monthly revenue.
But the ROI of an admin goes beyond just the time they save you directly. A great admin will also make your entire operation more efficient, allowing you to serve more clients and close more deals with the same amount of effort. For example, if your admin optimizes your lead follow-up process and increases your conversion rate by just 5%, that can translate to thousands of dollars in additional commissions over the course of a year.
Not to mention, an admin can help you provide a better client experience, leading to more referrals and repeat business.
Here’s how to set yourself up to achieve a strong ROI with your real estate assistant. 👇🏼
Be sure to set clear expectations and performance metrics for your admin from day one. Work with them to set goals around lead conversion, client satisfaction, and operational efficiency, and regularly review their progress. The more strategically you leverage your admin, the greater the return on your investment will be.
Hiring an admin is a big decision, but when done right, it can be one of the best investments you make in your real estate business.
By freeing up your time, optimizing your operations, and enhancing your client experience, a great admin can help you achieve growth that would be impossible on your own.
So don’t let the cost hold you back – with the right hire and the right strategy, the ROI will speak for itself!
By bringing on a proactive, systems-oriented team member who can optimize your operations and free up your time, you can focus on the high-value activities that truly move the needle.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by admin work and know you need to make a change to break through to the next level, it’s time to take the leap and bring on a rockstar assistant. With the right admin by your side, you can finally step into the CEO role your business needs.
Remember – your time is your most valuable asset. Invest it wisely, and watch your real estate business scale to new heights.
Ready to shift from a solo real estate agent to a CEO so you can win back your time?
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