Figuring out the type of Virtual assistant for your business needs is not a piece of cake. Most of us think that being a Virtual Assistant is just another profession, but it’s usually where the wrong impression begins. You need to know how to go about making the right choice in finding the right specialist and hiring the perfect Virtual Property Manager Assistant.
In the Virtual Assistant world, the level of experience differs, some recommend finding experts in the type of workload you are looking to outsource to match your business who has the right educational background, solid skillset, and level of experience for your needs.
Photo by Polina Zimmerman
As Property Managers, you constantly look for effective solutions to increase your earnings, and as the business expands, and your property listing doubles, Property Management continues to face an overabundance of work.
In the world of Digital Careers, you will find a profusion of property management virtual assistants professionals who are eager to assist companies that charge a premium rate with considerable and top-notch expertise.
As a Property Owner or Manager, you want someone to be reliable, trusted, and dependable. Someone very competent to make the transition easy from working in an office setting and adding a remote team to your business.
The huge question is? Where do you start? What type of Assistant should you hire? And how do you know if hiring one will be worth the time, energy, trust, and money involved?
Hiring top virtual property assistants can take your business to the next level without compromising your company’s operation. The strategic decision will allow you to save money, increase productivity, and improve work quality and flexibility in your business.
So here are the best tips to be prepared for before hiring a Virtual Property Manager Assistant.
Know what task to outsource
The days of virtual property assistants who are confined to the administrative and secretarial tasks are long gone. You can now hire a virtual property assistant that can manage anything from data entry to digital marketing and leasing, administrative tasks, and maintenance support on the side.
That is why the first thing to consider in hiring a Virtual Property Manager Assistant is determining the task and where the assistant support is needed, in consideration of the services you wanted to outsource.
Most property managers and owners are tempted to pass along all duties and tasks to a virtual assistant and let them do everything, from lead nurturing, property turn, property onboarding, content production, marketing, application, leasing, transaction coordination, maintenance, and more.
You must clearly define the tasks and responsibilities you want to outsource.
You have to be specific in the qualifications and specialization of every applicant so you can find someone who fits the job description. Once you are more comfortable and confident about the work being done by the Virtual Property Manager Assistant, you can start by adding new tasks or you can hire a second one for support.
Create a list of skills you wanted in a virtual property manager assistant
Once you have defined the services and tasks you wanted to outsource, you can start listing the skills you want your assistant to possess.
Identifying the skills will help you filter out and screen the most qualified assistant in the selection process that will be suitable for your business goal.
Sometimes identifying specific skills that you need will let you go in-depth with the selection process and allow you to figure out the best performers among each candidate.
Full-time, part-time, or project-based
When you are getting started in hiring additional assistance, project-based Virtual Property Assistant Managers are the best choice for your business. You can gauge and test the waters while freeing some of your backlogs and workloads. This is the perfect time to see how much work you need to outsource and by experience get an accurate reading of whether you need help full time or on a part-time basis.
After testing the waters and you find the convenience of having a Virtual Property Manager Assistant then you can go ahead and jump in getting them on board as a full-time assistant. The value of money and time for your business will make this valuable for both parties.
Create task and process documentation
Start to outline a task and process sheet for your Virtual Property Manager Assistant to serve as a guide as they work on their new set of tasks.
As Property Managers and Owners, we have our preferences when it comes to keeping the workflow going.
Start by documenting your current process and system and what applications and software you are using in your business. These business processes and the task will become a handy manual to serve as a reference as you add another assistant and as your business expands it is now easier to onboard new assistants.
Create a list of potential candidates that passes your qualification and identify your ideal virtual assistant
You have to be very specific with what you are looking for in a Virtual Property Manager Assistant, the attitude, skillset, and experience. With so many qualified Virtual Assistants to choose from, picking the right assistant makes it easier for you to onboard them.
Always have a list of candidates on your end and not jump ship by contracting the first person who responded to the job post. Sometimes it is better to have some comparison along with the selection process so that you can do the process of elimination according to their skills and experience.
Creating the list will help you land and hire the best Virtual Property Assistant before heading off to the interview stage and getting to know them personally and by testing the waters in their first task.