A new listing needs a description, a social post, an email to your list, a flyer and a page on your website, and all of them have to say the same thing. That is a week of small jobs for one person, and an assistant can usually take on most of them. One rule comes first: in some states, preparing information for property advertising counts as licensed work, so check with your broker before an assistant drafts anything. Our list of the best tasks to delegate to a real estate virtual assistant covers the work beyond marketing.
Key Takeaways
- Listings: an assistant can enter the details you supply, coordinate photos and check how the listing appears, while you approve the wording.
- Social media: posting, scheduling and watching comments, with questions about price and terms sent to you.
- Email: keeping lists tidy, scheduling sequences and reporting results, within CAN-SPAM rules.
- Content and search: drafting blog and newsletter text, keyword research and Google Business Profile updates.
- Check what your state lets an unlicensed assistant prepare, since some states treat property advertising as licensed work.
Property Listing Creation and Optimization
Creating a listing means entering the details you supply, coordinating the photos and checking how it looks once it is live. An assistant can book the photographer, send the shot list, follow up on late photos, enter the details in the MLS where your state and broker allow it and check the portals for missing photos or wrong fields.
You write or approve the description. A 2012 bulletin from North Carolina's real estate commission, for example, lists preparing information for property advertisements among the tasks only a licensed broker may do. Whoever writes it should describe the home and leave out words that point to who should or should not live there, because the Fair Housing Act bars advertisements that indicate a preference or limitation based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.
Social Media Management
An assistant can set up a monthly content calendar, schedule posts, reply to routine comments and keep profile details current. Anything about price, terms or negotiation goes to you, since an unlicensed assistant does not discuss those with the public. Keeping up with local groups and comment threads for questions and mentions gives you topics for the next posts.
Paid ads follow a simple rule: the assistant sets them up and monitors them, and you approve them. On Meta, housing ads cannot be targeted by age, gender or ZIP code, and lookalike audiences are unavailable, according to Meta's developer documentation. Our article on how real estate virtual assistants handle social media covers the daily routine.
Email Marketing Campaign Execution
Email keeps you in front of past clients and people who asked for information. An assistant can keep the list tidy, build the sequences and report the results. Three jobs matter most:
- Segmentation: split the list into groups, for instance past clients, active buyers and sellers, so each group gets a message that fits.
- Testing: send two subject lines to small groups, which is a simple A/B test, and report which one gets more replies.
- Sequences: set up a series of follow-up emails that go out on the dates you choose.
Every commercial email needs accurate sender details and subject lines, a clear ad label, your postal address and an opt-out you honor within 10 business days, according to the FTC's CAN-SPAM guide. The law makes no exception for business-to-business email.
Content Creation for Blogs and Newsletters
Blog posts and newsletters give you something to send and post. An assistant can research topics, draft the text for your review, edit it for search and readability and turn each post into social posts and an email. Any claim about the market should come from a named source with a date.
| Duty | Description |
|---|---|
| Content Research | Finds topics buyers and sellers in your market ask about, and the words they search for |
| Content Creation | Drafts blog posts and newsletter text for your review |
| Content Optimization | Edits headings and descriptions for search engines and readability |
| Content Repurposing | Turns a blog post into social posts, an email and a short summary |
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Efforts
SEO (search engine optimization) is the work of helping people find your website and your business listing when they search. An assistant usually handles three parts:
- Keyword Research: finding the phrases people in your market type when they look for an agent, such as neighborhood names and home search terms.
- Local SEO Optimization: keeping your website and your Google Business Profile accurate, with the same name, address and phone number everywhere and current photos and hours.
- Website Content Audit: reading your pages for outdated listings and missing headings, then listing fixes for you to approve.
Nobody controls search rankings, so judge the work by what you can see, such as updated pages and a complete profile.
Graphic Design for Marketing Materials
Flyers, postcards, brochures and social graphics should look like they come from one brand. An assistant with design skills can build them from your logo, colors and approved templates and send print-ready files to your printer. Advertising rules vary by state, so make sure your broker has told you what has to appear on each piece, such as the brokerage name, and approve every item before it is printed or posted.
Lead Generation and Nurturing
Marketing pays only when a lead gets a reply. Our article on how virtual assistants help real estate agents with lead generation goes through the CRM side in detail. An assistant can run three parts of it:
- Keep the CRM current: log each lead, tag the source and set a follow-up date.
- Run a referral program: track who referred whom and send the thank-you notes you approve.
- Promote events: post the open house or seminar, collect RSVPs and send a reminder.
Phone and text outreach to people who have not contacted you comes with its own rules, so read the cold calling articles before it starts.
Real Estate Virtual Tour and Video Production
A remote assistant cannot film a property, so the shooting goes to a photographer or videographer. After that, the assistant can book the shoot, send the checklist, edit the footage, add captions, upload the video and the tour link to the MLS and your channels, and keep a library of finished videos. Videos about the neighborhood, local events or the buying process work well when you write the script and the assistant edits. Check your MLS's rules on tour links before posting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does a Real Estate VA Cost on Average?
It depends on the role, the hours and the assistant's country, so there is no single average. Through us you pay a one-time $1,997 recruitment fee and then the assistant's monthly salary directly, and you get a quote for the role after the free consultation.
What Qualifications Should a Real Estate VA Have?
For marketing work, ask for samples of writing, designs or posts the person has produced, and for experience with your email platform, your CRM and a design tool. Clerical tasks generally do not call for a license, though advertising rules vary by state, so keep your approval step on everything that goes public.
How Can I Ensure My Real Estate VA Is Reliable and Trustworthy?
Check references, test the person on a real task and give a login limited to the job. We reference-check every shortlisted candidate, and you choose whom to interview. Keep an approval step on anything that goes to clients or the public.
Can a Real Estate VA Handle Multiple Clients Simultaneously?
It depends on the arrangement, so ask whether the person takes other work and agree on shifts that are yours alone. Within your own business, one assistant can look after many of your clients through the CRM if each task has an owner and a date.
How Can I Monitor a Real Estate VA’s Performance Effectively?
Agree on a few measures, such as tasks finished on time, edits you had to make and response times, and check in with the assistant every week. Review a sample of the finished work every week at first.
Final Thought
The weekly email is a good first job to hand over: give the assistant a template and a send date, approve the draft and count your edits for two weeks. Add the next marketing task when the edits drop.