Every new lead needs the same four steps: a quick reply, a record in the CRM, a follow-up date and a second contact a few days later. A CRM (customer relationship management system) is the database where those records and tasks live. In most cases an assistant can run all four steps while you are with clients. The CRM you already use matters more than any feature list, because the assistant works inside whichever one you have. Our guide to the best marketing tasks to outsource to a real estate VA covers the wider marketing side.
Key Takeaways
- An assistant works inside the CRM you already use, so start with what that system can do.
- Zoho CRM has a free edition for up to three users, which makes it a low-cost way to start.
- Salesforce is a general-purpose CRM that companies tailor to their own processes, so a new assistant needs a walkthrough of your setup.
- HubSpot offers a free CRM with contact management, deal pipelines and a reporting dashboard, and some features, such as contact scoring, sit on paid tiers.
- Pipedrive, Freshsales, Insightly and Agentbox differ in focus, so check each maker's current plans before you buy.
Zoho CRM
According to Zoho's own site, the free edition supports up to three users and covers leads, documents and mobile apps. Zoho also lists workflows among its tools for automating repetitive tasks.
On a normal day the assistant enters each new lead from your web form or portal, tags the source, sets the first follow-up task and keeps track of the ones that come due. In the long run a source tag pays off, because it shows which marketing brings in leads you actually reach. Add a field for budget or timeline as well, and the assistant fills it in the same way every time.
Salesforce
Salesforce describes its CRM as scalable and customizable, with a Starter Suite for small businesses. Because companies tailor it to their own processes, two Salesforce setups can look very different.
A new assistant usually needs a walkthrough of your fields, your lead statuses and your reports before touching live records. That takes longer than it would in a simpler tool, so budget for it. A solo agent can usually get by with something lighter, while a brokerage that already runs Salesforce for other work has a reason to keep leads there.
HubSpot CRM
HubSpot offers a free CRM and says it has no expiration date. The free tier includes contact management, deal pipelines, email tracking and templates, tasks, forms and a reporting dashboard, and HubSpot's paid tiers add features such as contact scoring.
An assistant can log every inquiry as a contact, move it through a deal pipeline and follow up by email from templates you approve. The table shows what each lead task looks like in practice. Check HubSpot's pricing page for the plan that includes each one.
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Lead Tracking | Keeps leads from every source in one place |
| Lead Segmentation | Groups contacts by details you record, such as source or budget |
| Lead Scoring | Ranks contacts by criteria you set (HubSpot lists it on paid tiers) |
| Lead Automation | Creates follow-up tasks and emails on a schedule you set |
| Lead Analysis | Shows where leads come from and how deals move |
Pipedrive
Pipedrive is built around a visual sales pipeline: a board where each lead sits in a column for its stage. The company also lists task automation, customizable reports and a mobile app, and it offers a 14-day free trial.
For example, an assistant can move cards across the board as leads reply, schedule the next activity on each card and keep notes from calls. A board like this lets you see where every lead stands at a glance.
Freshworks CRM
Freshworks sells its sales CRM as Freshsales. The features page lists web forms for lead capture, email and phone from inside the CRM, workflows, built-in reports and a mobile app, and it describes a lead score that the company's AI assigns to each contact. A 21-day free trial is available.
A lead score is a starting point for the order of follow-up, and the assistant still reads each message and replies to the person. The table sets out what the features page says in plain terms.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Customizable Features | Custom fields and kanban views for your lead steps |
| Mobile Optimization | A mobile app for checking leads away from the desk |
| Integrations | Email, phone and Slack connect to the CRM |
| Data Visualization | Built-in reports to review leads and deals |
| Collaborative Capabilities | Team members can join deal discussions through Slack |
Insightly
Insightly is a general-purpose CRM built for many industries. Its site describes tracking pipeline data in one place, scoring leads automatically, sending follow-ups and running marketing campaigns, and it connects to more than 2,000 apps through AppConnect. A free trial is offered.
For a real estate team the assistant's work is the same as in any CRM: keep track of each lead's record and make sure every lead has a next step.
Agentbox
Agentbox is now sold as Reapit Sales, formerly Agentbox, which Reapit calls Australia's leading real estate CRM. Its site names Australia and New Zealand as the main markets, with regional options for the UK, Ireland and Denmark. The features it lists include a sales CRM, websites, marketing automation, prospecting and database management, digital appraisal proposals and a mobile app.
United States agents should ask Reapit whether it supports their market before paying for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do Virtual Assistants Integrate With Real Estate CRMs?
Integration usually means the assistant signs in to your CRM with a personal login and works in it like any team member. You or the CRM's support team connect the web forms and the email account, and the assistant keeps the records clean and the follow-ups on time.
What Types of Marketing Campaigns Do Virtual Assistants Run?
An assistant can run email nurture campaigns, schedule social media posts, update listing promotions and prepare open house marketing from templates you have approved. For outreach by phone and email, see our comparison of cold calling and email outreach, including the rules that apply to each.
How Do Virtual Assistants Analyze Lead Data and Improve Strategies?
They keep the numbers current and show you what they mean, and the strategy stays with you. Ask for a short weekly report with leads by source, how fast each lead was answered and which leads have no next step, then decide what to change.
Can Virtual Assistants Handle Cold Calling and Prospecting Tasks?
Partly. An assistant can build call lists, research prospects, book appointments and update the CRM after your calls, but what they may say on a call is limited by licensing and phone rules. Our article on whether to outsource cold calling covers both.
How Do Virtual Assistants Stay Up-To-Date With Real Estate Trends?
They stay current the way you do, by reading what you point them to. Share the local market reports, MLS alerts and newsletters you follow, and ask the assistant to pull a few figures for your weekly review.
Final Thought
Pick one lead source, such as your website form, and have the assistant own the first reply and the CRM entry for it for two weeks. Then compare how fast leads were answered before and after, and hand over the next source if the numbers improved.