Author page: Jacques Greyling

6. Affordable Options Are Everywhere

You don’t need a big budget to get started with automation. Many tools offer affordable subscription plans or even free basic versions. You can start small—automating just one or two processes—and add more as your business grows.

7. Support Hybrid and Remote Work

With so many businesses embracing hybrid or remote work, automation helps keep everyone on the same page. It ensures tasks are completed on time, communication stays clear, and nothing falls through the cracks.

• Automate workflow approvals to save time on admin.
• Use project management tools to track progress and deadlines.
• Schedule regular updates to keep remote teams connected.

8. Stay Ahead in a Changing World

The way we do business is constantly changing. Automation isn’t just about keeping up—it’s about staying a step ahead. It helps you adapt to new challenges, whether it’s increased competition, changing customer expectations, or the need to do more with less.

Ready to Give It a Try?

If you’ve been feeling stretched too thin or looking for ways to simplify your day-to-day, automation might be just what you need. Start small, see what works, and build from there.

It’s all about making life easier for you, your team, and your customers. And who doesn’t want that?

Step 3: Align and Empower Your Team

Your team is the engine that drives your business growth. Aligning them with your goals ensures everyone is working toward the same vision.

1. Communicate Your Vision: Share your 2025 objectives during a team meeting or strategy session. Help your team understand how their roles contribute to achieving these goals.
2. Delegate Strategically: Identify key tasks to delegate to team members, including Virtual Assistants. A VA can manage lead generation, CRM updates, marketing campaigns, or even client follow-ups, freeing up your time to focus on high-priority areas.
3. Invest in Training: Provide opportunities for skill development. Whether it’s a crash course in digital marketing tools or a refresher on CRM software, empowered team members are more confident and efficient.

Step 4: Streamline Operations for Efficiency

Growth demands efficiency. Reducing bottlenecks in your processes will free up valuable time and resources.

• Audit Your Tools and Systems: Are your current systems enabling or hindering your operations? Consider upgrading to cloud-based CRMs, online project management tools, or advanced analytics platforms.
• Leverage Automation: Automate repetitive tasks like appointment scheduling or email marketing. This not only saves time but ensures consistency.
• Delegate Routine Work: Enlist a Virtual Assistant to manage day-to-day admin tasks, allowing you to focus on strategic decision-making.

Step 5: Maintain Momentum

Strategic plans often falter when they’re not reviewed regularly. Schedule check-ins—monthly or quarterly—to assess progress, celebrate wins, and adjust strategies as needed.

• Use Data to Drive Decisions: Analytics tools can help you monitor KPIs like client engagement, lead conversions, and revenue growth. Use this data to refine your approach.
• Adapt to Change: Market conditions can shift quickly. Stay flexible and be ready to pivot your strategy if necessary.

Your Path to Success

The key to thriving in 2025 is starting the year with intention and focus. By reflecting on past performance, setting strategic goals, empowering your team, and streamlining operations, you’ll position your estate agency for success in a competitive market.

If you need extra support to execute your 2025 vision, a skilled Virtual Assistant can make all the difference. Whether it’s managing your CRM, enhancing your marketing efforts, or freeing up your time to focus on growth, VA Central is here to help.

Book a discovery call today to explore how our bespoke Virtual Assistants can drive your business forward in 2025.

4. Always plan for the unexpected

• Make sure all your company’s insurance policies and important documents are up to date and easily accessible.

• In the case of a bricks and mortar office, check your security systems are functioning properly. Should you claim, your insurers will check if your security system and electrical fencing were properly maintained and functional at the time of an incident.
• Remain aware of cyber risk – especially over the festive season. Organise and back up your data and have everyone in the team update their passwords before they take a break.

5. Allow time for qualitative reflection

Before you turn your mind and energy toward family and the festive season, it is as important to reflect on the holistic health of your business as it is to set next year’s budget. There are important aspects that are a litmus test of the health of your business that hinge on employee well-being and a positive workplace culture. These can be observed but are more difficult to measure. As the year draws to a close, ask yourself these questions:

• How were overt stress and anxiety levels within your team and company this year?
• Did people show signs of burnout?
• Was there any sign of a toxic culture developing inside the company?
• Did teams collaborate well?
• Did you witness creativity and innovation at work within the company?
• Did business outcomes this year align with, and support, the company’s mission?

Don’t assume your clients know you will be out of office

And finally – on a very practical note – if you are shutting down during the festive break, before you close your office for the last few days of 2024, it is important to let your clients know when you will be out of office so that you don’t just disappear. Send them an e-mail or a text message notifying them about the dates of your holiday break and activate an out-of-office notification on all your communication channels – including the date when you are back, as well as an emergency number.

4. Schedule “me time”

Keep your schedule flexible and give yourself the gift of regular “me time” over the break. You may feel under pressure to make the holidays the best time for everyone else. It is important to know that it is okay to schedule time for yourself. It is not time-wasting to relax and do nothing but flop out on the sofa in front of the fire, read a book, or take an afternoon nap. Unwinding and taking time for yourself will help to restore your energy and manage stress – and you’ll feel happier.

5. Pay it forward
   The festive season is about giving. It provides a fantastic opportunity to help others and teach your children about the importance of making a difference in someone’s life. And giving is a win-win. The physical and mental benefits of helping others can be long-lasting, having an impact on both the giver and receiver that goes way beyond the act itself. So find a way to pay it forward this festive season. You could:

• Volunteer your time at a soup kitchen
• Help local charities by contributing to their care packages
• Contribute food to an animal shelter
• Invite someone who is alone to join your festive celebrations
• Donate winter clothes, hats and mittens to a local shelter.

Your support team is your secret weapon

One of the most important means of not burning out over the holidays is to have solid work-life boundaries in place. There is no peace in feeling guilty because you should be working, then working and feeling guilty because you are neglecting your loved ones. Being able to take a proper break is made so much easier if you know that day-to-day business is being taken care of by your support team. This is where having a competent, trustworthy Virtual Assistant can make all the difference. Your VA will make sure that day-to-day work continues, and no opportunity is missed while you take a proper break. So you can return to work in the new year feeling full of energy and ready to take on the world.

6. Take regular breaks

It is not only important to manage your time, it is crucial to manage your energy. When setting up time blocks in your diary, Include time for personal errands and breaks. It may seem counter-intuitive, but this helps clear thinking and productivity. Breaks can help you maintain consistent productivity throughout the day and reduce the risk of physical and mental exhaustion.

7. Declutter

When your office or home is filled with clutter, trying to tackle a demanding workload can be quite overwhelming. Sorting out your space before year-end may seem to be a low-level priority compared to other mission critical tasks on your to-do list. However, making small wins each day can make a remarkable difference to your energy and productivity. We recommend spending 10 minutes a day sorting and making inroads into the clutter.

8. Start making goals for the New Year

Working through your priority tasks and sorting through clutter is an excellent vantage point from which to begin formulating your goals for 2025. Start listing your goals for next year as you work. When you return to work in the New Year refreshed. Having had space and time to think, you can review and refine your goals with the foundation already in place.

9. Schedule downtime

Don’t be tempted to work late into the night to get more done. Set yourself a goal to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night. This way you will wake up energised and ready to start each day. It is equally important to schedule personal downtime. Downtime is when you’re not actively engaged in work-related tasks. This could mean keeping up your exercise regimen, practicing your favourite hobby, reading a book – or taking yourself out for a good coffee.

10. Delegate to your Virtual Assistant

Just  because you are busy completing priority tasks that will impact on business success in the New Year,  does not mean that routine daily tasks should fall by the wayside. To make matters worse, the year-end holiday cuts December and January short, so that a month’s worth of work must be squeezed into 3 weeks. Having a Virtual Assistant who protects you from distractions and keeps day-to-day work up to date makes all the difference to ending the year strong. In fact, there may be priority tasks that you realise your VA will do better and faster than you. Don’t hesitate to hand over these tasks to your VA.

Once you have done what you can before the festive break it is important to give yourself quality time out. If you’re facing several days off with nothing much planned, it could be tempting to do some ‘quick’ work. Rather give yourself something to look forward to. Plan the time to relax, do fun things, spend time with people you love, and explore the world around  you. There should be no guilt in putting your laptop and work phone away while you rest and recharge.

Here is a checklist of 5 ways your Virtual Assistant can help get you organised this festive season:

1. Festive season gifts

The prevalence of online shopping means your Virtual Assistant can arrange personalised year-end gifts for special clients and suppliers. All you need to do is sign off on the gift selection and then let your VA take care of the rest.

• This includes keeping a gift and card register to ensure your CRM is updated with important personal details. For example, your clients may celebrate a range of different religious or cultural holidays that you want to acknowledge. Due to varied religious observances it could be that sending certain clients a bottle of wine is the entirely wrong sort of gift to give.
• Brief them as to what you want and your VA can help you source and order gifts for your friends and family – because as much as you want to do your shopping personally, year-end busyness can have you strapped for time.

2. Party invitations and greeting’s cards

You may decide to send your clients and suppliers a traditional year-end greetings card or a printed invitation to your office cocktail party. By delegating the management of your CRM system to your Virtual Assistant, they will have made sure that your database is always up to date. As a result, when it comes to mailing or delivering greetings cards or invitations, the correct address details are easily accessible. This is way more efficient than having to hunt for address details or risk receiving a pile of returned mail marked “not at this address”.

3. Holiday travel

As much as you may be looking forward to working on your tan in an exotic location, travel bookings can be tedious and time-consuming. Brief your Virtual Assistant accordingly and they will find the cheapest flights, make sure you have an aisle or window seat, arrange your early check-ins and organise hire car at your destination. Let them know what options you prefer when you’re booking accommodation and brief them on any other personal specifications you might have. Your VA will even arrange a bouquet of flowers and chocolates to be delivered to your mum on Christmas eve, while you’re away.

4. Diary management

It’s called ‘the silly season’ for a reason – it’s crazy how full your schedule can get in December.  Your VA can manage your diary, so you don’t get overbooked in the party season. If necessary, receiving a timely reminder from your VA means you will always know where you’re supposed to be and how you’re getting there. Plus your Virtual Assistant can also set up follow-up meetings in the new year with interesting people you meet at holiday parties.

5. Holding the fort

Your Virtual Assistant can make sure that you have business continuity while you’re on holiday. This will allow you to pack away your laptop and get a proper break knowing that day-to-day work is being handled.

• Your VA will uphold your professional brand image as a friendly, helpful ‘voice’ when prospective clients get in touch in response to current property listings – and they can sort and prioritise messages for your return.
• Your VA can also manage your inbox while you are away, so you don’t return to a flood of unread emails.

If you are especially busy, or you have a particular project you want to complete before year-end, you can always take on an additional VA on a short-term contract to ensure that last-minute work or your important project gets finished on time without taking any shortcuts. For example, you may want to revamp your website in time to launch the update early in January. Taking on a web developer to get this project done on time, to a high standard, makes good sense.

The holiday season doesn’t have to be a whirlwind of stress and chaos. By leveraging the skills of your Virtual Assistant, you can stay organised, tackle your to-do list with ease, and still make time to enjoy the festive spirit. Whether it’s managing gifts, travel, or holding the fort while you’re away, a VA ensures that both your personal and professional responsibilities are handled seamlessly.

So, why not take this opportunity to delegate and make this festive season one to truly enjoy? With the right support, you’ll not only survive the holiday rush—you’ll thrive in it, setting the stage for a strong start in the New Year.

Here are 5 way in which taking on a Virtual Assistant in December makes perfect sense: 

1. Get a jump on 2025.

Capitalise on the December downturn by using the time to source and thoroughly onboard a Virtual Assistant. Taking the time to properly equip a VA pays incredible dividends. It will provide your VA with essential information and tools to ensure they make an immediate difference to your working day. For a blow-by-blow breakdown on the best way to onboard your VA, read our blog, “How to onboard your new Virtual Assistant in less than a week.”

https://vacentral.co.uk/how-to-onboard-your-new-virtual-assistant-in-less-than-a-week/

2. Don’t wait for spring for a CRM cleanup.

Use you VA to prepare your Agency for a busy 2025 by delegating the updating and streamlining of your CRM system. Your tech savvy VA will release you from the time-consuming task of updating information and scrubbing your database. They can:

• Capture missing data
• Get rid of useless information
• Get duplicates under control
• Validate existing data
• Recycle leads

3. Use the festive season to connect with new and existing clients.

The holiday season is a great time for estate agents to connect with clients and prospects and attract new leads. In an EstateAgentTODAY article in November 2023, Chris Vile, CEO of The ValPal Network (TVPN) is quoted as saying:

“Lead levels double on Boxing Day and continue to rise until New Years Eve and reach a peak during the second week of January. It’s vital that agents keep their marketing plans in top gear right through December and into the New Year so they can take advantage of the leads that will be generated.”

We recommend delegating the task of creating and posting festive season marketing content to your social media savvy VA.

4. Set your marketing strategy for 2025.

In a crowded marketplace property buyers and sellers are “spoilt for choice.” Heading into 2025, effective marketing is essential to capture attention. Consistency is key. Regardless of whether you want to attract new leads, maintain brand awareness or nurture your relationship with existing clients you need to ensure your content is scheduled to the right audience at the right time. This is where being able to hand over marketing to a Virtual Assistant with digital marketing skills can make all the difference.

Read our blog, “Adapting your marketing strategy for the 2025 property market.”

https://vacentral.co.uk/adapting-your-marketing-strategy-for-the-2025-property-market/

5. Take a break while your VA holds the fort.

One of the most incredible aspects of Virtual Assistants is our ability to help you achieve work-life balance. Having a Virtual Assistant to manage administration, oversee your diary, respond to client enquiries and generally streamline your working day will allow you to prepare for a bumper 2025 by having time to rest and spend quality time with family. With an experienced VA in place, you can embrace time off, knowing that your business is in capable hands.

Finding the right Virtual Assistant can be a game-changer for your Estate Agency in 2025. Today, Virtual Assistants specialise in various areas. When sourcing a VA, it’s important to understand the range of skills available. There are diverse skillsets enough to build an entire VA team – from Administrators who handle scheduling, emails, and other organisational tasks to Social Media Managers who are experienced at creating, overseeing and growing your online presence to Letting Administrators and Property Managers who are skilled at landlord/tenant liaison and maintenance – or even Bookkeepers to handle financial admin. The key lies in finding the best VA recruitment company to source the right VAs for you.

¹https://ifamagazine.com/uk-property-market-poised-to-pick-up-the-pace-post-christmas-lull/

Step Two

The second step to preparing to take on Virtual Assistants is to get clear on their job description and gather all necessary information

1. Get clear on your Virtual Assistants’ description

It is important to define the processes involved in your daily operations to determine which tasks you want to hand over to your Virtual Assistant so that you can create a comprehensive job outline and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).

• Make a list of all once-off and reoccurring and tasks, such as scheduling meetings, managing email, responding to customer inquiries, posting on social media or invoicing.
• If you have ongoing tasks, whether they are daily, weekly, or monthly, create milestones and deadlines as to when and how often these tasks must be completed.
• Once you have your final task list ready, rearrange the tasks in order of priority.
• Where you feel it is necessary, provide clear, written instructions as to how you want a complex task to be completed.
• Create training resources. Upload so you can share training documents on platforms like Google Drive or Dropbox as you create them, for easy access by your VA.

2. Gather important information

To do their work, Virtual Assistants will need to have access to computer software, mobile apps and a variety of messaging apps and software that can improve your flow of communication.

• Decide on your preferred communication tools – whether it be by email, direct calls and text messages, or video conferencing.
• Create any login credentials and passwords so your Virtual Assistant is ready to go.
• Compile a list of contact details for any team members, vendors or suppliers your VA with whom your VA will need to liaise.

At this point you will be ready to onboard and train your new Virtual Assistant so they can hit the ground running.  The most important thing to remember is that your Virtual Assistant is a member of your team.  It is important to build a trusting relationship and streamlined method of working together. So, take the time to get to know who they are and what motivates them. Share your company values and vision – and make it clear how their role is important to the success of the business. Your VA will appreciate being treated like a part of the team rather than a “virtual outsider”.

1. Invest in personal branding

By investing in personal branding, estate agents can differentiate themselves, establish credibility, and nurture meaningful connections with their target market and clients. The desired outcome is to drive long-term success through:

• Establishing expertise: Beyond viewing listed properties, clients want guidance from professionals who demonstrate a deep understanding of the market and market trends.
• Nurturing authentic relationships: Trust forms the foundation of every successful client-agent relationship and clients will gravitate towards professionals they perceive to be reliable, ethical and understanding.
• Standing out in a crowded marketplace: By crafting a compelling, authentic narrative that illustrates their values, and vision, agents can stand out from the competition and capture the attention of their target audience.

2. Prioritise lead-quality over quantity

By focusing on lead quality, estate agents can increase customer lifetime value. How? When setting marketing and sales goals, focus on strategies that attract serious buyers and sellers rather than casting the net wide. It is more cost-efficient to target the right prospects and so reduce wasted marketing spend on leads that will never convert. The outcome is  improved conversion rates and better sales team performance. Plus high-quality leads are easier to convert to clients, which can improve sales morale and efficiency.

3. Leverage your existing database

Generating more opportunities from existing databases underscores the importance of maintaining relationships with past clients and leads. Here are 3 ways to leverage an existing database:

• Nurture key leads: Segment your database and personalise communication for each segment. Regularly send them valuable information and share testimonials and success stories to showcase your expertise.
• Keep in touch with past appraisals: Stay in touch with past appraisal clients periodically. Send them updates on the value of their property and relevant market trends. Share resources that can help them improve the value of their property – and don’t be afraid to ask for referrals.
• Ask for testimonials:  Share client testimonials in your email marketing campaigns, via social media posts, and on your website’s landing page. The more exposure testimonials receive, the more they will work to build trust.

4. Diversify your marketing channels

A diversified marketing strategy is an approach where you leverage multiple marketing channels and tactics to reach different segments of your target market – some online and  some offline. Research has found that Estate Agents who use five or more marketing channels to promote their listings double the average gross commission income compared to those using fewer channels. This highlights the importance of an omni-channel marketing approach when it comes to selling property. It is important to remember, even with target market segmentation, a diversified strategy aims to create a consistent brand message across all marketing channels. For example, it is essential to align advertising campaigns with social media content and email newsletters to reinforce your brand identity and enhance the overall customer experience.

5. Be agile in your marketing strategy

Some marketing strategies will work, and some will not – and that is okay. Everything should be up for revision and it’s important to watch your marketing performance closely. Use real-time analytics to monitor your audience’s interactions with your marketing message and make immediate adjustments if need be. This agile approach will guarantee that your marketing stays relevant as client behaviours evolve.  Encourage continuous learning within your marketing team where they stay updated on the latest digital marketing trends and customer data management practices – always with the customer in mind. In essence, all marketing endevours should start with the customer’s evolving needs and expectations in mind.

Planning and implementing a successful marketing strategy takes time and know-how. While it is critical to the success of an estate agency, it also requires routine daily input and oversight. The best way to benefit from a winning marketing strategy is to take on a Digital Marketing Manager who has the skill and experience to devise and manage it for you. This is where taking on a Virtual Assistance comes into play as the most time-efficient and cost-effective solution to maintaining an effective presence in the marketplace. This will free up your time to interact with prospects and turn them into clients – and close more deals.

 ¹https://www3.kantar.com/l/1035373/2024-11-05/2bftb/1035373/1730831116Sh66Qe8n/Kantar_Marketing_Trends_2025.pdf

These are some of the digital tools that will continue to transform estate agencies in 2025:

1. CRM/Transaction management software

With the advent cloud-based CRM and transaction management software, all estate agency tasks and processes can be automated. The accessibility of these tools on both laptops and mobile devices is a time-saver for estate agents on the go – especially when needing to coordinate transaction activities across multiple deals and between several remote team members.

One commonly used example is Alto, which provides a comprehensive, cloud-based platform for Estate Agents, Lettings Administrators and Property Managers. One of Alto’s major benefits lies in the stress-free coordination of sales progressions. It provides user-definable checklists to monitor milestones and streamline overseeing the sales chain. It has the versatility to consolidate project management of sales, lettings, property management, marketing and client accounts into a single platform.

2. Electronic signature software

Signing documents with an electronic signature is way faster and more efficient than doing so physically. This is especially true when the process involves property buyers and sellers who aren’t located close to each other. It also decreases the potential for signature fraud – a significant risk for conveyancing firms.

For Estate Agents, Docusign is one of the widely used software options that streamlines the eSignature process. This platform is known for providing extensive customisation options. It has over 350 established integrations, making it easy to embed Docusign into other digital platforms already in use.

When it comes to the validity of electronic signatures in the UK, as it stands today, the HM Land Registry accepts qualified electronic signatures that have been witnessed. Changes are underway that indicate that the UK is moving towards individuals being permitted to sign documents using a very secure digital signature without the need for witnessing.

3. Big data analytics

For Estate Agents, data analytics refers to the process of collecting and analysing data (or information) related to specific properties and the property market. Traditionally, brokers mainly relied on retrospective data, their own experience and intuition to inform their decisions. Today, using AI-enhanced software that can analyse and interpret a massive amount of data, Estate Agents have access to comparative data, literally at their fingertips.

Designed for Estate Agents, PropertyData is software that has research tools that can analyse a local area in great detail, from demographics to property pricing and rental values (and more). It also has a plotting tool for confirming property boundaries and building footprints among other things.

This functionality allows Estate Agents to:

• Provide accurate property valuations: These can be branded and used to guide potential clients toward expecting a realistic, market-related listing price.
• Track market trends: through accessing up-to-date information on property pricing, rental values, property stock analysis, local demographics and more.
• Spot business opportunities: through keeping an eye on all property market fundamentals in a particular area – finding comparable properties, assessing competitor listings and prices, and anticipating property development potential.

4. AI enhanced predictive property maintenance software

Already, software designed for agency Property Managers makes maintenance easier to handle by allowing tenants to report maintenance issues online with pictures and notes. This software helps to keep track of each maintenance issue’s progress. In the near future, through IoT (The Internet of Things), a combination of onsite digital infrastructure and integrated software will make the upcoming need for property maintenance predictable.

Right now, predictive maintenance software is used more in larger commercial and industrial property settings. However, while upfront infrastructure, like motion sensors and other smart building technology, is required for truly predictive property maintenance, Property Managers in estate agencies can use aspects of predictive maintenance software to be proactive in their property management by forecasting upcoming maintenance tasks.

This proactive approach will enable Property Managers to plan and execute maintenance activities in advance, resulting in fewer crises, less downtime and more structured maintenance strategies.

5. Tech savvy Virtual Assistants who manage routine tasks

The term Digital Competence speaks to the confident and capable use of digital technologies for information, communication and basic problem-solving in the workplace or in private life. This holds true in estate agencies, where digital technology is only as competent as the people who wield it. Using online solutions to full advantage takes time and know-how, plus great attention to detail.

Talking of resources for the future, this is where taking on a tech savvy Virtual Assistant has incredible benefits:

• First of all, digital communication technology makes it possible to take on a VA who works remotely.
• Secondly, digital tools that automate workflow and make information accessible to the whole team mean that your VA is only a laptop screen away from working in the office with you, during office hours.
• And last, but not least, experienced VAs are skilled at wielding digital technology and passionate about using online tools to their full potential.

The upshot of handing over your tiresome admin workload to be managed by your VA is that not only is your valuable time freed up, your business runs more efficiently with enhanced capacity to take on more clients and venture into new revenue streams.