Real Estate and Virtual Outsourcing
Let's face it, running a successful business as a REALTOR has so many more moving parts then in the gold old days. Now with increased competition, cell phones, the internet, more paper work, home staging, infinitely more marketing strategies and countless other additions, what one person can not only keep abreast with the needs let alone do them all?
At some point if you want to progress and move your real estate business to the next level it is critical to let go of some mundane but necessary tasks so you can focus on the high dollar real estate activities like acquiring and servicing your clients and planning and implementing your business strategy.
A few years ago a book came out that completely changed my life. Timothy Ferriss’s 4 Hour Work Week.
A friend of mine had given me the book and right away I laughed and tried to toss it back to him and said it was the most unrealistic idea I had ever heard of. I humored my friend and started to read it and this book has ruined me for the ordinary.
The idea of being able to outsource so many activities in any business to so many different places was foreign to me. The whole concept of virtual assistance and outsourcing was so new and
foreign to all of us.
Today these businesses and services are some of the fastest growing and most productive online businesses in the world.
What Can I Outsource in My Real Estate Business?
Let me give you just one example in detail of what can easily be outsourced.
You are a new or existing agent. You are looking to create or rebrand yourself with a logo, a slogan for your business cards, letterhead, website, real estate signs and have no place to start.
What about this?
www.99designs.com This is where you find over 265,000 graphic designers virtually creating designs for anyone around the world for a fraction of the local graphic designers in your home town.
You can have them create logos, web pages, business cards, mobile apps, banner ads, book covers, presentations and any other art or illustration you require for your real estate branding.
What's even better is you can view the portfolio pieces of these designers, submit your requirements, get free mockups from numerous designers, choose your favorite designer, hire them and pay for your purchase while sitting in your pajamas on the couch sipping your favorite coffee.
It would take me all day to go into detail of the various areas in your real estate business you can get competent, yet reasonably priced online assistance so I will just throw out a quick list of places you can start.
Just Some of the Real Estate Activities Prime for Outsourcing
- Update information in Real Estate programs (including Real Pro, MLX, equator, Top Producer, and MyKW)
- Prepare Marketing flyers and info packages
- Prepare Marketing reports
- Research Property information
- Settlement checklists
- Listing maintenance on various Multiple Listing Services
- Entering leads for buyers/sellers/referrals
- Schedule appointments and Property Tours
- Connection and disconnection of utilities
- Search HOA’s and request them information
- Follow up on code enforcement violations
- Social Media Management (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)
- Obtain Testimonials from Past Clients
- Contact trustees to find out auction info
- Due Diligence Follow up, lead Follow-up
- Answer calls and emails from agents, buyers and leads
- Customized Marketing & Business Solutions
- Additional Administrative Tasks
- Web design and SEO
- Internet research
- Presentations
- Translations
- Blog maintenance/updates
- Data entry
- Transcriptions
- Brochure design, spec sheets, flyers, postcards, etc.
- Accounting and bookkeeping
- Maintenance for online stores
- Customer service over the phone or through email
Some Sites to Begin Your Outsourcing Quest
- www.myoutdesk.com (Real Estate Specific)
- www.elance.com
- www.guru.com
- www.teamdoubleclick.com
- www.freelancer.com
- www.odesk.com
- www.ebrokerassistants.com
- www.fiverr.com
Again the options are unlimited. You can hire virtual assistants on a per project basis or on a full or part time basis. Also with outsourcing help available around the world there are options to have very competent help full time for a very reasonable cost.
Quit stressing yourself out trying to do it all on your own and use the resources above to take a load off so you can once again see the bigger picture and have the time and energy to work on it.
Strength and courage,
Wade
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