The life of a real estate professional can be fast-paced and demanding. Scheduling, taking calls and handling everyday details can distract from big-picture goals, which is why many real estate agents and brokers hire a real estate assistant. Here are some basic steps to hiring a real estate assistant.
Step 1: Create a job listing.
Potential assistants will respond to your job listing based on the requirements, so you’ll want to make sure the wording is right to attract the best-suited candidate. Some important responsibilities and character traits to include are:
- Manage databases
- Prepare market reports
- Maintain business and personal calendars
- Understand the basics of Microsoft Excel, Outlook and Word
- Organize files and keep track of important documents
- Detail-oriented (you might consider capitalizing this one!)
Step 2: Advertise your real estate assistant position.
Post your job listing online using career-oriented sites like Indeed and LinkedIn. Also, someone who is studying real estate might be attracted to the position to learn about the inner-workings of an office, so be sure to reach out to recent graduates. Additionally, asking your business associates for referrals could be the quickest and most efficient way to connect with an assistant.
Step 3: Conduct an interview.
Once you’ve found some qualified candidates, it’s time to start interviewing. If you don’t have time to sit down with each candidate, conduct a preliminary phone interview to whittle down the pool of applicants to two or three that you can meet with in person. When interviewing candidates, keep in mind that you’re asking what prospective assistants can offer to make your daily life easier. The more direct the question, the better.
Step 4: Talk compensation.
Money can be an uncomfortable topic, but it’s better to be upfront about it. Detail the pay you’re willing to provide and make sure the candidate is on the same page. You can get an idea of how much other assistants in your niche are making by searching websites such as PayScale and Glassdoor.
Step 5: Onboard the new assistant.
Once you’ve hired your assistant, it’s time to make them feel comfortable in their new work environment, as well as prepare them for their daily duties. For a proper onboarding, you’ll want to:
- Introduce them to any coworkers they see regularly
- Show them the workspace, filing cabinets, calendar and other important systems
- Take them to lunch to establish good rapport
- Create a 30-day onboarding plan that you can work through with them
Step 6: Assess your assistant.
Since an assistant is someone you’ll be working with constantly, it’s important that you be proactive with how you manage them. If there is an issue with their job performance, let them know how to improve. An assistant should make your professional life easier, so make sure that is the case once they’ve had time to settle in.
Gaining an assistant marks an important time in your career, as it signals a high level of accomplishment. Channel your energy toward your bigger goals now that there is someone to sweat the small stuff.
Real Estate Express is one of the nation’s premier online real estate schools, providing pre- and post-licensing courses, continuing education courses and professional development to hundreds of thousands of real estate agents across the country. Real Estate Express, along with its sister schools McKissock Learning, Superior School of Real Estate, Allied Schools, The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing and Hondros Education Group, helps real estate professionals achieve sustainable success throughout each stage of their real estate career. Learn more at colibrirealestate.com.
