An agent who decides to hire remote help meets a long list of companies, and they do not all sell the same thing. Some employ the assistants and manage them, some recruit and hand you a shortlist, and some run a marketplace where you do the hiring. The services, the price and the risk differ for each, and a few written answers show which one fits.
Key Takeaways
- Companies that supply real estate assistants list tasks such as lead follow-up, transaction coordination, CRM updates and listing paperwork.
- Pricing comes in three forms: hourly rates, monthly plans, and a recruitment fee followed by a salary you pay directly.
- Judge a company by references you can call and terms in writing, since its own ratings are marketing.
- Check what each assistant has used before: the MLS, a CRM, e-signature software and a transaction checklist.
- Ask how the company handles security, time off and replacement before you sign.
Top Real Estate Virtual Assistant Companies
Companies that supply real estate assistants fall into three groups. Managed services such as BELAY and Prialto employ or match the assistants and run part of the relationship. Recruiters, this site included, shortlist candidates and leave you to hire and pay directly. Marketplaces such as Upwork and Fiverr put you in charge of the whole search. Our guide to finding a reliable real estate virtual assistant goes through the vetting steps for all three.
Onboarding help and a named contact vary between companies. BELAY says onboarding, systems coordination and ongoing support are handled alongside you, and Prialto says an engagement manager analyzes your workflows and documents your needs. With a recruiter, the daily management is yours after the hire.
Key Features and Services Offered
Most companies list lead follow-up, transaction coordination, CRM management and listing paperwork. Lead follow-up means contacting people who have already inquired. Transaction coordination means tracking contract dates, documents and status updates from contract to closing.
Some companies focus on investors, with tasks such as tenant and vendor communication and due diligence tracking, as BELAY lists on its real estate page. Cold calling is the task to check first. Sales calls to people who have no business relationship with you and have given no written permission fall under the FTC’s telemarketing rules, including the National Do Not Call Registry, and some states treat soliciting listings as work that needs a license.
Our cost guide breaks down the pricing at each service level.
Pricing and Cost Considerations
Contract length, hourly or fixed pricing, and any setup or placement fee all feed into the total. Our guide to the best platforms for finding real estate virtual assistants shows how several of them charge. Three models cover most of what you will see:
- Hourly rates: Upwork’s rate page shows typical hourly rates for virtual assistants between $10 and $20, with a $13 median (as of October 2026), plus client fees.
- Monthly plans: BELAY uses a flat monthly price, and Fancy Hands sells plans by request count, from 3 requests for $35 to 15 for $125 a month (as of October 2026).
- Recruitment fee plus salary: through us you pay a one-time $1,997 recruitment fee and then the assistant’s monthly salary directly.
Add software seats, training time and any fee for replacing an assistant who does not work out, then compare each option’s total over a year.
Customer Satisfaction and Reviews
A company’s own testimonials are marketing. Look for reviews on independent sites, and ask for two or three clients you can call, ideally agents with a business like yours. Any response time or turnaround figure a company quotes is its own claim, so ask for it in the contract.
| Metric | What to ask a provider |
|---|---|
| Client testimonials | Ask for references you can call, and read reviews on independent sites |
| Average response time | Ask for the reply window in writing, such as the same shift for chat |
| Task turnaround | Ask how long a typical task takes and how a rush job is handled |
A satisfaction guarantee helps when its terms are in writing. BELAY publishes a Right-Fit Guarantee that offers a rematch at no added cost, and we replace unsuccessful hires in the first 3 months at no extra cost.
Qualifications and Expertise of Virtual Assistants
Companies differ in how they choose and train assistants, so ask for specifics. Prialto says its assistants complete background checks and four weeks of core training, and we check the references of every shortlisted candidate and test attention to detail. Three qualifications matter most for real estate work:
- Real estate software: hands-on use of an MLS (the multiple listing service), a CRM, e-signature software and a scheduling tool.
- Written English: a sample email or a short test, since most of the work happens in writing.
- Organization: a checklist habit for deadlines, shown by how the candidate describes a transaction timeline they tracked.
None of these gives an assistant a real estate license. Showing property, negotiating and discussing price or terms with the public stay with you or your broker, so confirm in writing what the assistant will and will not do.
Scalability and Flexibility of Virtual Assistant Solutions
Ask how much notice a company needs before you add hours, add a second assistant or cut hours, and whether a minimum term applies. An assistant hired directly through a recruiter is a standing commitment, so changes follow what you agreed with that person.
| Factor | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Hours and headcount | Many providers let you add hours or another assistant, so ask what notice they need to cut hours |
| Overhead | You skip office space and a desk, so ask what equipment and software the provider supplies |
| Workflow fit | The assistant works inside your own CRM and checklists, so you decide the process |
| Adaptable support | Tasks can change as your business does, as long as each change is in writing |
| Business growth | More help still needs someone to assign the work and check it |
Data Security and Confidentiality Measures
Real estate files hold names, phone numbers and financial details, so a provider’s security habits matter as much as its price. Ask for three things in writing:
- Access controls: a personal login for each assistant, limited to the systems the job needs, with two-step verification. The FTC’s data security guide recommends this kind of limited access.
- A confidentiality agreement and a named security standard: ask which one the company follows, and for proof. Prialto, for example, says it is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant. HIPAA is a health privacy law and does not apply to ordinary real estate files.
- File handling: documents stay in your own drive or CRM, so the files remain with you when an assistant leaves.
Ask what the provider does if an account is compromised, and who tells you.
Integration With Real Estate Workflows and Tools
An assistant is only useful inside your tools. List the software you use, then ask each candidate which of it they have used: your CRM, your transaction management system, your e-signature tool and your scheduling app.
| Integration capability | Description |
|---|---|
| CRM integration | Keeps contact records, lead status and next steps current in your CRM |
| Lead management | Follows up on new leads and records their answers, and passes questions about price or terms to the agent |
| Transaction processing | Tracks deadlines and paperwork from contract to closing and sends status updates, while negotiation and advice stay with the licensee |
| Scheduling | Books appointments and showing times and sends reminders |
| Social media management | Drafts and posts content that you or your broker approves |
Before you sign, run one real task through the provider: a lead logged, a showing booked and a form filed, and check each against your own records.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Ensure Effective Communication With My Virtual Assistant?
Set the rules before the first task: which channel for what, how fast each one gets an answer, and when you meet. A short written note at the end of every shift and one weekly call keep both of you current.
What Happens if My Virtual Assistant Is Unavailable or Takes Time Off?
With one assistant hired directly, nobody covers by default, so write the routine tasks down and agree on time off weeks ahead. Managed services may offer cover, and Prialto says work is cross-trained among other team members who act as backup, so ask any company what happens during a vacation or an illness.
Can I Customize the Tasks Assigned to My Virtual Assistant?
Yes, within limits. Providers usually let you set the task list and change it as your business does, but put each change in writing and keep the list to work that needs no license. Ask a company whether a change affects the price.
How Do I Monitor the Productivity of My Virtual Assistant?
Track results you can count, such as leads followed up within the agreed time and tasks finished by their due dates. Ask for a weekly summary, spot-check a few records, and use a shared task board so you can see the work without asking for it.
What Is the Process for Transitioning From One Virtual Assistant to Another?
Ask the outgoing assistant for a handover list of open tasks, logins and the steps for each routine job, and remove access the day they leave. Keep the process notes in your own files so a new assistant starts from them. Through us, an unsuccessful hire is replaced in the first 3 months at no extra cost, and BELAY says it rematches at no added cost when a first match is wrong.
Final Thought
Send two companies the same list of questions about screening, price, security and replacement, and compare the written answers before you speak to either one again. If the answers point you toward recruiting directly, the free consultation with us is where you define the role and get a quote.