Are you an experienced realtor or administrator who wants to work from home in order to be there for your kids and provide for your family? Becoming a real estate virtual assistant might be the perfect solution for you!
Today I would like to share with you this incredibly story of Laci Hansard, a mom of three who makes money online as a real estate virtual assistant.
If you're looking for a great way to increase your income and pay off debt, being a real estate virtual assistant can be a lucrative side hustle or full-time business. Before we dive right in to the interview, let us explore what becoming a real estate really entails.
What is a real estate virtual assistant?
A real estate virtual assistant is someone who works remotely carrying out tasks related to the real estate industry.
From answering calls from prospective buyers and sellers to the listing and sale of properties, a real estate VA is essentially an assistant who looks after these tasks remotely. Those who run a real estate business would highly benefit from hiring a real estate VA to manage the day-to-day admin tasks, as well as gain an advantage over competitors due to the time freed up by delegating to a VA.
Want to know more about virtual assisting, what skills you need to become one as well as real life examples of those who are already doing it? Check out these interviews for real-life inspiration:
What kind of clients would i have as a real estate virtual assistant?
From realtors, real estate agents to owners of real estate firms and brokerages, there are plenty of potential clients you can market your services to. The real estate industry is a HUGE one, thus you don't have to worry about not finding a job as a VA.
How much does a real estate virtual assistant make?
You can make anything from $6 per hour to $30 an hour, depending on your skill level, how you market yourself as well as your expertise. The best part about being a virtual assistant is the endless income possibilities!
As a beginner Pinterest virtual assistant myself, I made $30-50 per hour. After only about a year, I am now making more than $50 an hour. It is definitely possible to make a great part-time income of $2000 or full-time income of five figures. The sky is literally the limit here.
How do I start a real estate virtual assistant business?
Starting your very own virtual assistant business is not easy, but it is relatively simple.
Firstly, decide WHO you would like to serve. Think about your ideal client: is it going to be solopreneurs, well-established companies or mid-level organizations? Secondly, work out your pricing and packages. The beauty of being a VA is the freedom to choose HOW LONG you work for, HOW MUCH you charge as well as how you are going to package your services.
After working out the WHO and HOW, it's time to think about the WHAT.
Ideally, setting up a professional-looking website should be your next step. Next, be as visible as possible online! From LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook to Pinterest, be active on sharing value to your ideal clients in order to attract their attention.
If you're not sure how to market yourself to strangers yet, you can always tell your friends and family about what you're offering. Who knows? Your friend or mutual friend could be your very first client!
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Ready to dive into how Laci makes money online doing real estate virtual assistant tasks? Grab a cuppa and enjoy the interview below!
How This Mom-Of-Three Makes Money Online As A Real Estate Virtual Assistant
Can you please tell us a little about yourself and your work?
Hi, my name is Laci Hansard. I'm a busy mom of 3, writer, Realtor, and Administrative Creative covers most of the other jobs that I take on. www.laciwrites.com is my website. Probably most accessible to way to learn about me is via IG: @laciwrites
What inspired you to become a real estate virtual assistant?
I was working full time in real estate sales, then decided to have a third child. That's why I wanted to find a way to work from home as much as possible to avoid daycare for the first couple of years.
At the same time, my two older kids in Middle School have busy schedules, and I wanted to be available for pick-ups and drop-offs.
How long have you been in this career?
I began working exclusively virtual a little over a year ago. Before becoming a real estate VA, I had started doing some social media management and writing on the side .It takes some time to get writing income flowing in, but being a Real Estate VA brings in money as soon as you are hired.
How much money do you make per month as a Real Estate virtual assistant?
I only work part-time on my real estate projects. It averages 2-3 hours per day unless it is busy month (such as August). Thus, I usually make about $1500-$2000 per month.
There are opportunities for extra income by still working a sale every once in a while, or referring a deal to my team, which pays a commission.
In your opinion, what are the three core skills needed for this side hustle?
The most important skills for a real estate VA is organizational skills. It is definitely crucial to keep up with legal deadlines. Secondly, being proactive and spotting problems ahead of time so they can get resolved promptly is also essential to this gig.
Lastly, patience is the highest virtue a real estate VA can have.
In this business, your clients are always under pressure. Whether they are buying or selling because they are getting a new job, having more kids, getting married or divorced, or grieving, they are going through a lot. Moreover, the lenders, agents, and title companies always are working against deadlines. That is why it's very important to always be polite to everyone involved, as it goes a long way in making the process go smoothly.
Did you receive any training prior to getting into this career? If so, what helped you the most?
I was fortunate that I eased into working virtually.
Since I was an agent for three years that did my paperwork, it was easy to pick up handling the transactions of other agents. I'm also very fortunate that my brokerage, Keller Williams, has excellent training and excellent systems in place to learn from. If I have any questions on any new process or task that I take on, I look for tutorials on YouTube, or ask for help in some private FB groups.
Looking for a great online course to start training as a real estate VA? Horkey Handbook has an awesome Fully Booked VA course that gives you all the skills you need to become a real estate virtual assistant, as well as practical tips to launch and start your real estate VA business.
If you're looking for FREE resources about becoming a virtual assistant, I highly recommend these:
Please mention any online courses or resources here, and how it helped you reach this stage.
Before transitioning into being a VA, I already had quite a bit of real estate experience. So no, I did not take any courses.
For those who are interested to become a real estate virtual assistant like me, I have good news!
I am launching a course on December 15th called “Get Hired & Love Your Work As A Real Estate Assistant.” It's a budget-friendly course that's perfect for the person who's interested to work for a Realtor, but still unsure whether it's a good fit for them.
Many virtual assistants ask me “How can become a Real Estate VA” , but I haven't seen many affordable resources available. That's why I created my course so that even if you decide that real estate isn't the niche for you, the course will give you some great tools for interviewing and getting another job in another field.
How did you land your first project or first client?
The first real estate client that I worked for when I was first licensed was a personal referral from a friend.
My current real estate client is the team that I was a salesperson for. I am a big believer in finding your clients through people you already know. That is the way that most entrepreneurs get started and is a lot faster than just applying for positions online.
What are some big obstacles you had to overcome getting started? And, what surprising lessons have you learned along the way?
It is difficult to know “what you don't know” when you first get started. In the beginning, you don't always know the flow of the transaction. But don't worry, you figure that out quickly.
To me, the most surprising lesson I have learned is the diversity of the people you could work with! Real estate agents are all entrepreneurs and have very different communication and organization styles, etc.
For instance, some of my clients prefer to talk on the phone, others by text, and email. Some are chatty, others are silent, which can be worrisome. No matter what “style” your client is, it's important to mirror and match the pace of your clients.
Sometimes you might even have to lead your client in terms of organization and systems, as well as for others you work within a system such as other freelancers and employees of your client.
Any advice you would give to someone wanting to become a Real Estate Virtual Assistant?
Be the expert on yourself first! Do some assessments such as DISC or CliftonStrengths. Know the environment in which you work best.
Real estate can be 24-7 if you let it, so you have to know yourself, get to know the agent you are working for, and figure out how to get the job done professionally and efficiently. Boundaries and self-care are essential so that you can remain calm and patient.
What are necessary investments to launch a real estate virtual assistant business like yours?
Depending on the state you work in and the tasks that a Realtor would want you to do, you may need to get a real estate license. Otherwise, a smartphone, a great laptop, and a planner! I love my Mac. It never causes me any issues, and I am tough on it.
I am still trying to land on that perfect planner for a busy mom & entrepreneur, but a Google Calendar is all you need to get started.
