Author page: Daina Milner

Preparing Your Estate Agency for Remote and Hybrid Work in 2025

So, you’ve made the decision to expand your team by taking on a Virtual Assistant in the New Year. It stands to reason that for a busy Estate Agent who is overwhelmed by administrative work, spending time on the setup can be a bit frustrating. But the outcome is totally worth it. The up-front investment of your time to prepare for your VA will transform your business by freeing up many more productive hours down the line. And the investment in streamlining and automating routine work will pay dividends way into the future.

Step One

The first step in preparing your estate agency for hybrid workers or Virtual Assistants to join your team is to choose the right digital tools for your business to automate your work processes and enable seamless communication.

  1. Invest in the right digital tools and software for smooth workflow

Virtual Assistants are tech savvy professionals who are equipped to use a wide range of online tools, including scheduling, administrative, project management, CRM, analytics and bookkeeping software. Here are 5 examples of essential software to facilitate remote work:

  • Project management platforms such as Trello are vital tools for Virtual Assistants to oversee and track tasks and projects remotely in their home office.
  • Communication tools like Slack are great for teams that need to be in constant communication. Slack is essentially a team online chat tool with some extra functionality that makes it way much more than just chat.
  • Video conferencing software such as Zoom or Google Meet allows for face-to-face meetings.
  • Cloud document storage and file sharing such as Google Drive simplifies document storage for a virtual team by saving all documents on the cloud. Plus multiple people can even work on a document at the same time, with changes visible to everyone.
  • Time tracking software, like Clockify, is essential for keeping track of time and work output. Clockify gets credit for being one of the best completely free time tracking tools for Virtual Assistants.
  1. Invest in software to automate administration, operations and marketing functions

From sales and lettings administration to property management and client accounts, there is a range of Estate Agent-specific software available, like PortalHub, full of time-saving features. Platforms such as Alto are a comprehensive cloud-based CRM solution for estate and letting agents, providing one solution from CRM to property management and marketing to accounting. There are also digital tools in the marketplace that will streamline planning, creating and rolling out marketing campaigns.

Look to automate the following functions:

  • Diary management
  • CRM
  • Sales progression
  • Lettings administration
  • Property management
  • Marketing
  • Content creation
  • Social media scheduling

When it comes to remote workers, today’s Virtual Assistants are highly digitally competent. Your incoming VA will be able to play a valuable role in helping you set up your automated systems. You will not necessarily need to have your platforms completely up and running in readiness for them to start. Many of the suppliers of industry-specific software provide support and training for new clients. Your VA can make use of this training to get up to speed – whether this is via video conference or online tutorial.

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.
  1. 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”.

Adapting Your Marketing Strategy for the 2025 Property Market

2025 marks a pivotal time for estate agency marketing.

Marketing is advancing at a cracking pace – to the point that it is hard to keep up with changing consumer behaviors and new marketing technologies that make trend prediction, precision targeting and personalisation possible. To add to this complexity, today’s consumers have high expectations. They embrace brands that demonstrate authenticity, shared values, and that provide meaningful brand experiences that resonate with them on a personal level.

To meet these consumer expectations, estate agency marketing in 2025 is going to require innovation, agility and a focus on emerging digital trends. Here is a selection of insights that speak to consumer expectations in 2025, from marketing research company, Kantor1:

  • People value individuality and variety more in this fragmented media landscape.
  • In a connected world shaped by demographic shifts, inclusivity will continue to rise in importance as we see more people caring about it.
  • People have grown accustomed to the dynamic social media landscape, and the bar is rising for what captures their attention.
  • We predict that in 2025 marketers will [have to] pay more attention to data provenance. And there will be more need for transparency in consumer-facing uses of Generative AI.
  • Sustainability and marketing must merge. So far, marketers have performed poorly in integrating sustainability effectively, creating meaningfully different propositions and communications.
  • Communities are thriving in new ways. Today creators, rather than brands, are building those communities and aiming to establish trust.

How do these consumer requirements in 2025 translate into the nuts and bolts of a successful estate agency marketing strategy? Here are our 5 top tips for putting together a winning marketing  strategy that will keep pace with consumers in 2025:

  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.
  1. 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.

  1. 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.
  1. 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.

  1. 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

 

The 2025 Estate Agent Toolkit

Essential tools and resources for 2025

Digital innovation has given rise to pretty much all the essential tools available to Estate Agents as they move into the latter half of the ‘20ies’. These include tailored software solutions that fall under the banner of Proptech in that they are designed to optimise Estate Agents and Property Managers’ efficiency and grow their capacity. Already there is an incredible selection of online solutions in the marketplace that are being used by Estate Agents who want to scale their businesses through automating processes, streamlining workflow,  increasing capacity and unlocking new opportunities.

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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.
  1. 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.

  1. 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.

Planning to scale your estate agency in 2025?

2025 is the perfect time to plan on scaling your estate agency

According to a Statista1 forecast earlier in 2024, the UK’s prime property market is predicted to increase by a cumulative amount of about 14 per cent between 2025 and 2028. Despite Statista’s prediction that prices would diminish by 2 per cent in 2024, the UK Halifax House Price Index2 for September 2024 came in at a year-on-year increase of 4.7 per cent (the strongest rate since November 2022). Forbes Advisor3 has found that within the UK market, “the number of ‘sales agreed’ is 30 per cent higher than a year ago, with first-time buyers representing 36 per cent of all sales, making them the largest buyer group in 2024 so far.”

Forecast annual change in prime residential prices in the regional United Kingdom (UK) market from 2024 to 2028

Reality bites!

Yet, despite a prevailing “bullish” take on the UK property market burgeoning over the next four years, the prospect of growing your estate agency may seem to be a formidable task. There is so much competition in the estate agency industry in the UK. And expansion takes a significant investment in both time and money.

The great news is that there are strategies you can implement that will be a catalyst to growing your agency business while saving both time and money. By expanding your team and placing more experienced people in your business, automating operational processes, and leveraging strategic partnerships to free up your valuable time, you will significantly enhance your chances of scaling up your agency while not busting the budget and burning out in the process.

Here are five strategies we recommend that will support your agency’s growth:

  1. Cultivating a strong brand identity

The UK estate agency market is crowded, so standing out is crucial. Building a strong brand identity goes way beyond having an impactful logo and corporate identity. Maintaining a strong brand identity is an ongoing, multi-faceted process. It is important to regularly evaluate your brand messaging and customer experience to ensure that it is consistent and that your agency remains relevant, actively engaging your target audience. It is also important to ensure that your team embody what you want to convey – they are ambassadors of your brand identity.

  1. Leveraging digital marketing to generate leads and attract new clients

Way beyond just using property portals as an online marketing tool, effectively leveraging smart digital marketing strategies is crucial for attracting new clients and scaling your estate agency. By harnessing the power of your website as a sales tool and online social media platforms, you can significantly expand your reach, grow your brand visibility, and build a relationship with a wider pool of prospective clients.

  1. Diversify service offerings

Your prospective clients are evolving. It makes sense that diversifying your service offerings to cater to evolving client needs is a primary strategy for scaling and growing a successful estate agency. This could involve expanding into new geographic areas, growing a rental portfolio, or offering property management services. It could be that you utilise digital technology to enhance the marketing of your clients’ properties through virtual walk-throughs or drone footage. Such innovation will not only lead to a larger and more diverse client base; it will lead to better customer satisfaction, which in turn will lead to returning clients and more referrals.

  1. Streamline operations for optimal efficiency

One focus area that is critical to growing your estate agency is automating and streamlining administrative and operational tasks – it grows efficiency and capacity. This means handing over routine tasks to an experienced assistant who is better and faster at administrative work than you are. In the hands of a tech savvy assistant, cloud-based CRM systems, online project management programmes and automated lead follow-up processes are catalysts for business growth. By reducing the time you spend on day-to-day tasks, you free up more time to build relationships with new clients and close more deals.

  1. Leveraging strategic partnerships

By nurturing ongoing collaboration with complementary companies you can greatly enhance your agency’s potential for growth. One such partnership is with a top quality Virtual Assistant recruitment agency like VA Central. Partnering with VA Central to take on a bespoke Virtual Assistant – or team of VAs – is the key to expanding your team and adding vital skills to your business. Taking on specialist VAs who are skilled in administration, digital marketing, social media, property management, lead generation, CRM management and more make implementing growth strategies possible. Taking them on through VA Central means not having to pay recruitment fees, employee benefits or increased office overheads. It’s the most cost-effective way to grow a team who will help you scale your business.

Traditionally, the estate agency industry’s potential to scale was limited by accessibility to geographical areas and the challenges of remunerating and managing a full-time, in-house team. But with advances in technology these barriers have been dealt with. It’s possible to show a property without physically setting foot in it. And the world-wide talent pool available to Agents through digital communication technology means that highly skilled operations and admin assistants are a laptop screen away.  There are exciting times ahead for UK Estate Agents who want to grow their business.

Sources:

1https://www.statista.com/statistics/323606/uk-wide-property-price-growth/

2https://www.halifax.co.uk/assets/pdf/september-2024-halifax-house-price-index.pdf

3https://www.forbes.com/uk/advisor/personal-finance/2024/10/28/house-prices-updates/

Why Every Estate Agent Needs a Personal Assistant

Having a personal assistant should not be seen as limited to the world of busy CEOs and executives of large companies. Benefitting from a PA is for anyone who owns their own business and has limited time to deal with important yet routine tasks. Whether you are a principal agent with many agents in your team, or you work independently, a Personal Assistant can help your estate agency run smoothly, and free you up to use your time in a more productive way. In short, it helps in managing a heavy workload and improves efficiency so you can focus on mission critical tasks that will grow your business.

Here are five of the many ways a Personal Assistant can free up your time.

  • Efficient diary management: Personal Assistants are organised and well equipped to handle tasks such as scheduling appointments and following up with clients.
  • Seamless client and supplier interaction: PA’s have great written and verbal communication skills – ideal for prioritising and responding to your emails for you, when appropriate, and bringing important matters to your attention.
  • Admin management: From document management to capturing financial data, a PA can efficiently handle a wide range of administrative tasks that consume a lot of time.
  • Superior CRM management: Making sure that client information is uploaded to your CRM promptly and correctly is a time-consuming task that your detail-orientated PA will manage for you, without errors, in half the time.
  • Research and lead generation: Personal Assistants can research potential clients, develop prospect lists, and even cold call leads.

One of the greatest benefits of taking on a Personal Assistant is that they become your second tier of quality control, saving you from mistakes that can creep in during busy times when multiple listings and sales are happening all at once.

Here are 5 more benefits of having the back up of a great Personal Assistant:

  • Improved strategic focus: Business success is achieved more swiftly by strategically allocating resources and effort. Being able to delegate busy work to a Personal Assistant will allow you to concentrate on larger strategic goals and growth-oriented initiatives.
  • Increased productivity: PA’s excel at time management. By delegating time-consuming and repetitive tasks to a PA, you become way more efficient. There are more hours in the day to invest in tasks that require your unique expertise.
  • Reduced stress: Juggling the responsibilities of a massive and relentless workload can lead to burnout. A PA acts as a gate keeper and buffer, shielding you from the distractions of daily work and life. This enables you to focus and approach your work with reduced stress and better mental clarity.
  • Skill diversification in your business: A skilled PA possesses a wide-ranging skill set. This equips them to handle a diverse array of tasks – from streamlining and automating workflow and processes to managing social media accounts or conducting research or handling financial administration.
  • Better work-life balance: A personal assistant provides both personal and professional support. This helps to relieve the unending demands of work that can overshadow quality time spent with loved ones or time spent on personal interests and self-care.

VAs are more cost-effective than PAs

You may long to take on a Personal Assistant but be holding back because you are committed to keeping your overhead expenses in check. This is when taking on a bespoke Virtual Assistant to be your right-hand person is the answer. VAs are highly skilled and experienced professionals who want to work remotely. Taking on a VA comes with no recruitment costs, no additional monthly employee benefits or leave pay – and you don’t have to pay for additional office infrastructure. For the same hourly rate as the UK’s Minimum Living Wage, you can take on a superb VA who will transform your life while you transform your business.

How a Sales Progressor Can Streamline Your Completions

What skills and attributes does a Sales Progressor need?

The role of a Sales Progressor is to monitor and facilitate the timely progress of property transactions – a complex process that starts at the time an offer is accepted and which continues right through to completion. Sales Progression is a specialist role in which the right knowledge, good people skills, excellent written and verbal communications skills, efficiency and unwavering attention to detail are essential. In a busy estate agency there can be 40 – 60 property transactions underway simultaneously. A Sales Progressor must fully understand what is required to complete each step of the sales progression process and must have the capacity to juggle multiple concurrent projects.

Inhouse Sales Progressors save time and money

There is something to be said for having a focused team member champion the sales progression in an estate agency. Bespoke Sales Progressors have been proven to streamline and hasten completion time – which lowers the risk of a sale falling through.

What’s more, they are not pulled from pillar to post by conflicting client priorities. They are a trusted member of the team who understands the workflow and communication preferences of each of the Estate Agents they support. They are well positioned to build a meaningful relationship with clients. And last, but by no means least, at the going rate of about £300 for a single outsourced sales progression, taking on an in-house Sales Progressor is incredibly cost-effective. It costs around 50% of the cost of outsourcing ten property transactions.

Here are 5 ways a bespoke Sales Progressor can streamline your completions:

  1. Efficient prepping

This is where sales progression software like Alto or Reapit is so useful in the hands of a tech savvy Sales Progressor who is diligent in ensuring that all information is captured correctly. The software allows for all contact information and documentation to be captured and stored in one place across the chain. It allows skilled Sales Progressors to swiftly collect all necessary documentation and store it online from the get-go, so that each transaction starts with everything in place.

  1. A communication hub

Dedicated Sales Progressors provide a single point of contact. They ensure that the lines of communication are open and efficient between all stakeholders. As the pivotal communication link, they proactively keep all parties in the know by providing regular updates. This is accomplished by the Sales Progressor uploading notes and conversation content on the relevant digital property profile, so it is visible to all stakeholders. In addition they provide daily updates over preferred channels like WhatsApp or email with all concerned – and they will hold a weekly status meeting via Zoom with their Estate Agents.

  1. Focused timeline management

Skilled Sales Progressors can streamline transactions by creating a structured workflow where tasks are effectively prioritised. By keeping an attentive eye on crucial deadlines and milestones online – and working through an online tick list that tracks each step of the sales progression process, a dedicated in-house Sales Progressor will ensure that every sale proceeds as quickly as possible, without unnecessary bottlenecks and delays. Our Estate Agent clients regularly feed back to us that their dedicated Sales Progressor has cut back on the time it takes to complete. With a bespoke Sales Progressor at the helm, on average, straightforward transactions can take as little as 4-6 weeks, while more complex transactions generally take 14-15 weeks.

  1. Timely problem-solving

When a problem crops up, an on-the-ball Sales Progressor with well-developed problem-solving skills will anticipate and resolve potential problems before they jeopardise the sale’s progress. They ensure that any challenges that do crop up are swiftly addressed. This makes them indispensable in maintaining each transaction’s momentum.

  1. Proactive client support

Buyers – whose living arrangements can be impacted by how long a property transfer will take to be completed – appreciate being kept in the loop. It can be one of the most stressful times for a buyer but having someone knowledgeable to consult with who has an overview of the entire process can really help. Bespoke Sales Progressors can provide much-needed guidance to an Estate Agent’s clients as they steer them through the complexities of sales progression, demystify processes, and enhance the customer experience.

The benefit of taking on a Sales Progressor through VA Central

Our carefully matched VAs work in a parallel time zone to the UK. They work exclusively for one client, during UK office hours, and are chosen as a match to every client’s unique company culture. We ensure that they have appropriate education and at least 3 – 5 years’ experience. The outcome is that not only will our Sales Progressors go on to do an outstanding job – they also take a relatively short time in training and are quickly up to speed. For us, a positive attitude is everything. Our Sales Progressors are passionate about what they do and quick to go the extra mile.

5 Signs It’s Time To Hire A Virtual Assistant

Before the culture of being busy redefined success, a person’s wealth was measured by their spare time. Being rich meant being able to work less because money gave a person the freedom to take vacations or spend leisure time with friends instead of pushing long hours at work. Today, busy has become a status symbol. But being perpetually busy can shortchange your clients, hinder your employees’ development and harm your health. And it does not necessarily equate to having a profitable and growing business.

As an Estate Agent, do you feel like you are busy running on a hamster wheel – working like crazy but not really going anywhere? Here are 5 signs that its time to hire a Virtual Assistant:

  1. Routine admin tasks consume your day

Being an Estate Agent is a busy job. Relentless admin and back-end work goes with the territory. But if you regularly suffer from more work than week, you are clearly trying to do too much on your own. Being consistently swamped by routine work can be a serious obstacle to business growth – especially if It means you are too busy to get to priority tasks.

  • The solution: VAs today are experienced professionals who are technically savvy. Taking on a VA with great administration skills, or an Executive Assistant, will free up valuable hours in your working day. Their tasks can include phone, email, and calendar management; research and preparing reports; and any task that can be done via digital technology to free up your day.
  1. Your client follow-ups are lagging

Successful Estate Agents understand the need for excellent customer service. However, wearing too many hats can get in the way of getting back to clients and prospects promptly – not to mention having the time to cold call prospects. This is bound to have a negative effect on business – getting in the way of landing new clients and servicing existing clients in a way that builds positive, long-term relationships.

  • The solution: A VA with well-developed communication skills will assist with intelligent, personalised, timely client communication. Handing over the management of your CRM system to the right VA will lead to moving sales along more quickly, generate a greater number of qualified leads that contribute to increased sales, more referrals, and happy repeat clients. Plus great client service will give you a competitive advantage over other agents in your area.
  1. You are missing out on valuable opportunities

Estate Agents who prioritise day-to-day operations over focusing on mission-critical priorities can be busy enough to miss opportunities for growth and market expansion. This is likely to lead to stagnation and leave the business vulnerable to shifting trends in the competitive landscape.

  • The solution: Taking on a VA with prior experience in estate agency or an allied industry will not only help to streamline and automate processes, it will improve your efficiency and free up your time so you can be more productive where it matters most. This will allow you the time to innovate new service offerings and chase up exciting opportunities.
  1. You’re too busy to scale your business

UK-based Estate Agents have been found to spend on average between 30 to 50 hours per week at work. However, during peak periods their working week can reach 60 to 70 hours as they put in additional hours. While it can be easy to equate being super-busy with growth and success, in truth pushing the envelope without a plan and the right skills onboard is not conducive to having the time and resources to scale your business.

  • The solution: Take on a VA – or team of VAs – with precisely the skills you need. Delegate routine administration, bookkeeping, letting or sales administration or even property management tasks to a skilled professional who will do the job quicker and better than you can. And utilise the specialist skills of a VA who is an experienced Digital Marketing Manager or Social Media Manager in implementing your strategy to grow your business.
  1. You have no hope of work-life balance

As an Estate Agent, you’re pretty much expected to be on call, seven days a week. On the weekend, when everyone else is relaxing or socialising, you’re very likely glued to your phone, showing properties or catching up on admin backlog.  Yes, weekend work is par for the course, but better work-life balance can be achieved when you enjoy the benefits of a flexible schedule.

  • The solution: Taking on the right bespoke VA who becomes a trusted member of your team – along with developing a good working system for touching base and regular work reviews – means that you can work a flexible schedule that better integrates your work and personal life. Plus you can rest assured that when you take a decent and much needed break, your business continues to run like a well-oiled machine.

By delegating routine tasks that are not your forte to a specialist VA you gain far better results, for a fraction of the cost of your hourly rate – saving you both time and money. In this way, taking on an experienced Virtual Assistant will allow you to work smarter, not harder, freeing you up to leverage your strengths and make the most of your time to grow your business.

The HIDDEN Cost of Doing Everything Yourself

Entrepreneurs don’t have to know, understand, and do everything themselves to be successful in business. In fact, most successful estate agents don’t attempt to go it alone. They are successful because they’ve found the right people with the right skills to handle important yet routine tasks for them. Growing a team can be perceived as increasing business overheads. This is what drives many small estate agents to save money by shouldering the workload and doing everything themselves. But are they saving money in the long run or are they just limiting business growth? There are some very serious hidden costs inherent in doing everything oneself.

Here is a run-down of the hidden costs DIY estate agents pay for doing everything themselves:

  1. Emotional and physical costs
  • Stress:  Two of the common causes of stress in estate agents include a massive workload and working long hours.
  • Job burnout: An extended period of experiencing constant pressure and relentless stress along with low levels of support is likely to cause job burnout – or worse.
  1. Lack of work-life balance
  • Work-life balance incorporates five main facets: work, mental health, physical well-being, time to socialise (or spend quality time with family) and time to rest. To avoid burnout, estate agents should strive to achieve a balance between their work and personal lives. This includes taking sufficient time for themselves.
  • Not being able to take a break: For estate agents who have no back up or support, taking a break means closing the doors of their business while they are away, which is a no-no for them.
  1. Operational inefficiencies
  • Lack of attention to detail: A large workload, long hours and insufficient time all lead to cutting corners and attention to detail goes out the window.
  • Compromised quality: When you are constantly under pressure or doing too much at once, the quality of your work is bound to suffer and mistakes creep in.
  • Slow-moving client service: Navigating a massive workload will inevitably lead to a slower response to client queries or engagement.
  1. Stifling business growth
  • Delayed decision making: Estate agents who are overwhelmed by a massive and relentless workload struggle to make timely decisions. Being a bottleneck can slow down critical processes and hinder growth opportunities.
  • Lack of skills: There are specific tasks that every estate agent faces. These are often not the tasks that they are good at or enjoy – and they are tasks they take far more time to complete than in the hands of a specialist professional.
  • Missing out on opportunities to learn: Busy estate agents miss opportunities to learn new things when they try to do everything themselves.
  • No capacity to scale: Building a company means building a team. An estate agent who does everything themselves limits their company’s capacity to grow.

The remedy: Take on a Virtual Assistant

Taking on a Virtual Assistant will allow you to delegate the routine tasks that would otherwise take up far too many hours in your working day. This can include anything from admin tasks, like diary management and answering emails, to managing your social media accounts or managing your bookkeeping.

Here are three benefits of taking on a VA:

  1. Saving money: Taking on VA is significantly more cost-effective than employing a full-time, in-house staff member because you pay them for their productive time without having to pay employee benefits or increase office overheads.
  2. Freeing up time: Taking on a VA will free up your time so that you can focus on the things that are most important to the success of your business.
  3. Achieving work-life balance: A Virtual Assistant will help you to maintain firmer work-life boundaries by taking work off your plate and streamlining work processes. Plus a trusted VA will manage day-to-day work while you take a break.

If administrative tasks are taking up the bulk of your day and getting in the way of important work – or if you’re continually missing out on family dinners and your friends complain about not seeing you enough, then it is time to take on a Virtual Assistant to help lighten your load.

Future Proof Your Estate Agency

Future proofing an Estate Agency business in the UK hinges not only on leveraging advances in PropTech or navigating the highs and lows of the property market. It is also about marketing initiatives and customer relationship management being in being in sync with who property buyers are and their buyer behaviour. Moving into the future, the majority of property buyers will fall into Millennial and Gen Z generational cohorts.

Millennial property buyers are vat an all-time high

An article on millennial home ownership in in the May 2024 issue of Business Matters magazine stated: “Homeownership among (UK) millennials has climbed to its highest level in over a decade, driven by a significant rise in earnings among young people, according to recent research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).”

Millennials are tech-savvy clients

Millennials are the largest generation in the UK today, making up 22% of the population. Age wise, they range between 28 and 43 years old – and two thirds of them have at least one child. Millennials were the first generation to be raised with smartphones, instant communication methods, and social networking. According to a recent survey of millennial homeowners, when it comes to looking for a new home, this cohort is highly likely to start their property search online. This means Estate Agents have no alternative but to use online tools to reach and connect with these tech-savvy clients. Plus, they are used to instant access and expect an immediate response and availability when talking to a service provider.

Millennials are strapped for time

Online research and shopping are entrenched in Millennials’ consumer behaviour. This is amplified by the fact that their lives are super busy with work, family, and other commitments. They may not have the time or desire to spend driving around to endless open houses or meetings with Estate Agents to narrow down their search. Online platforms allow them to search for ideal homes from the comfort of their own homes – anytime day or night. Seeing a property they like online will trigger their contacting the Agent.

Gen Z want to buy property

Older members of Gen Z are already in their mid to late twenties. According to the National Center for Social Research Gen Z, as the future movers and shakers in the property market, “face the biggest gap of any generation between housing aspiration and reality,” from a financial perspective. However, the majority still want to buy property. Gen Z as first-time buyers are fully immersed in the digital landscape. Not only are they digital natives, increasingly they will live in the Metaverse – a 3-D reiteration of the internet that includes immersive virtual worlds where people can connect with friends, work, play games and shop. Marketing to Gen Z consumers demands a very specific language and approach. Successful Gen Z marketing is based on common themes of ethics, humour, relatability, honesty, knowledge and community.

Here are 3 ways Estate Agents can future-proof their businesses while aligning themselves with the property buyers of the future:

  1. Digital marketing: Smart Estate Agents have websites and social media platforms that offer detailed listings with information about the features and amenities of each property. This includes featuring property videos or virtual tours that allow potential buyers to get a better sense of the property before they visit in person. Yet, despite the fact that property listings that include a video receive approximately 400% more enquiries, research shows that 80% of UK estate agents still don’t use video.
  2. Harnessing AI: With Estate Agents being kept busier than ever, custom software has never been more important for this fast-paced industry. The integration of generative AI as part of bespoke property software solutions, though not yet prominent, is a growing trend. AI can analyse massive volumes of data to identify and prioritise leads, ensuring Agents focus efforts on high-potential prospects. And AI can analyse marketing data to create highly targeted advertising campaigns, reaching the right audience with properties that perfectly suit their requirements.
  3. The virtual office: Digitally savvy Estate Agents can now lower their overhead costs, generate a following and promote their stock entirely via digital marketing and social media without needing a high street presence. This has paved the way for growing their businesses through growing the team – taking on experienced, tech savvy Virtual Assistants who bring specialist skills into the business and who free up their Agents’ time by tackling important yet routine tasks.

Clever Estate Agents are future proofing their businesses by containing their costs and upping their efficiency. This is accomplished by taking on an experienced Virtual Assistant – or a team of them.

VAs can manage a range of roles in Estate Agency, from Executive Assistance to Administration, Digital Marketing, Social Media Management and Bookkeeping. The right VAs can also take on Sales and Letting Administration roles – or Property Management. If a role can be managed using up-to-date digital communications software, then there is a VA who can fill the role, efficiently and cost-effectively.

Source:

https://bmmagazine.co.uk/in-business/millennial-homeownership-reaches-12-year-high-amid-rising-wages/

https://natcen.ac.uk/news/society-watch-2024-generation-zs-attitudes-housing-social-care-law-and-order

 

How Virtual Assistants can help improve your personal branding

Establishing a strong personal brand is critical for success in today’s highly competitive UK Estate Agency market. Firstly because it supports building a good reputation. Referrals are often given as a result of the trust and professionalism an Estate Agent has established over time. And secondly because today’s potential clients start their property buying research online. A strong personal brand online ensures prospective clients respond positively to what they find. It helps Agents in keeping their marketing message consistent and upholding their positive reputation.

What constitutes a personal brand?

For Estate Agents, whether you work within a multi-agent business or as an independent, personal branding is about consciously building a reputation that highlights your unique qualities and expertise. It conveys how you want to be perceived by clients and colleagues. This may be as an expert in a particular geographic area or as a skilled negotiator who is known for getting your clients their asking price. Thus, visible personal branding involves far more than just promoting a company logo and tagline. It entails multi-channel marketing communication that conveys your ethos and values. Upholding personal branding also has a practical component – it is found in day-to-day service that backs up your skills and the unique value you bring to your clients.

Why is a personal brand important?

Competition between estate agencies in the UK is fierce. Your personal brand is the tool that sets you apart from your competition by communicating your values, experience and service offering.  Consistency in your brand identity over time increases clients’ good perception and the trust that will help you stand out among your many competitors in the long term.

How can a Virtual Assistant help to improve your personal branding?

It takes specialist knowledge and hard work to develop and uphold a positive brand image. The great news is that modern Virtual Assistants are not just proficient at handling administration – they cover a wide range of specialist roles. Today’s Virtual Digital Marketing Managers and Social Media Managers are experienced specialists who choose to work remotely. Here are 3 ways your specialist VA can help you improve your personal branding:

  • Taking on a Virtual Digital Marketing Manager will ensure you effectively reach targeted online audiences that offline advertising cannot reach without seriously upping your marketing budget. Through maintaining consistent messaging, tone, and graphics across all your marketing channels, prospective clients will begin to recognise your brand and associate it with your unique service. Being visible and consistent as customers navigate the digital space will increase trust in your brand and keep you top of mind.
  • It doesn’t matter how many followers you have or how many of your posts have gone viral. If you’re not relatable, your personal brand won’t stand the test of time. Taking on a Virtual Social Media Manager who manages your socials will grow your business’s reach and impact through creating and posting quality online content that is true to your brand voice and ensures that your audience feels a genuine connection with you.
  • When it comes to walking the talk. Taking on a top-quality VA who manages important, yet routine tasks for you can help you uphold your professional brand identity by freeing up your valuable time so you can focus on client facing action and business priorities. Plus, when it comes to day-to-day operations or project management, a skilled VA’s efficiency and expertise in dealing with clients on your behalf will help to support your professionalism.

In conclusion

Actively maintaining a strong personal brand is crucial for Estate Agents’ success. It helps to sustain visibility, provides a clear message about unique services, makes them relatable and convinces prospective clients of their value. While Estate Agents excel at helping clients buy and sell property, they may not have sufficient expertise in marketing or branding. This is where leveraging the know-how and skill of the right Virtual Assistant comes into play. It allows Agents to cost-effectively take control of sustaining their personal brand, in-house. Supported by a well-crafted personal brand, they attract the right clients, generate ongoing referrals, and help you stand out in a competitive market.