Do you own and operate a property management company? Are you looking to lower your business expenses while increasing how effective your day-to-day operations are? If so, you may want to consider incorporating a virtual assistant into your property management company. 

But what exactly is a virtual assistant? Well, a virtual assistant is someone who provides you and your business with services that support you on a daily basis from a remote location. Think of them as administrative professionals that operate off-site. 

Hiring a virtual assistant is an excellent way to minimize your business expenses without compromising your property management company’s capabilities. In fact, if done correctly, hiring a virtual assistant will expand you and your company’s capabilities, allowing for growth and smoother operations within your business. 

While the concept of a virtual assistant may seem new, its popularity is steadily growing as time goes on. Each year, virtual assistants have become more and more popular in a wide range of industries. This is especially true for property management! 

In fact, according to recent studies, one in every five working professionals around the world telecommutes or does their work remotely. Having an assistant that primarily does their work from a remote location combines productivity and convenience in a new and innovative way. 

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Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant

Hiring a virtual assistant can bring a wide range of benefits to your property management company, including the following:

1. Productivity

You can increase your business’s productivity without breaking the bank. With a virtual assistant, you will be able to delegate the more repetitive tasks that cause you to be less productive.

According to a Harvard Business Study that was conducted over a span of three years, delegating these kinds of tasks can save you up to a fifth of your productive time per day.

Such responsibilities can include basic data entry, answering support tickets, and making any necessary business calls on your behalf. Overall, hiring a virtual assistant can prevent you from burning out without sacrificing your ultimate productivity. 

2. Convenience 

A virtual assistant is often more convenient than an employee that works in your company’s office. When you hire a VA, you won’t have to worry about providing office space or equipment if you don’t want to. This will drastically cut down on costs that you would typically have to deal with if you were to hire an in-house assistant.

Additionally, you won’t have to stress about offering a benefits package or dealing with other overhead costs that you would have to take on for an in-house employee.

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3. Work-Life Balance

You will be able to improve your work-life balance drastically. If you have a trusted virtual assistant, your time will be freed up, allowing you to focus on doing what you love in your spare time, rather than worrying about work.

This will improve your overall well-being, in addition to allowing you to focus more effectively when it is time to do the job. Then, when you go home, you can be present with your loved ones and allow yourself to relax, knowing that everything in your company has been taken care of by a trusted employee. 

What to Consider Before Hiring A Virtual Assistant for Your Property Management Company

While hiring a virtual assistant for your company can offer many benefits, at the end of the day, it will only work if you are able to hire one who is reliable and can do the job well. Finding the right person for this role can be a challenge, but it’s crucial for the efficiency of your business. 

Additionally, it is important to make sure that your property management company is prepared to take on a virtual assistant in the first place. So, before you hire a new virtual assistant, make sure to ask yourself the following questions:

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1. What Is Your Budget?

If you’re going into this process with the intention of finding a long-term employee and collaborator that can help your property management company meet your goals, you’ll need to make sure that you can afford it. Determine what your budget will be before you start your search. 

2. Are You Willing to Delegate?

If you’ve been personally responsible for a wide range of tasks for a really long time, it can feel daunting to trust another person with them. However, in order to truly get things done effectively, it’s important to be able to hand over these tasks to someone else. After all, that’s the whole reason a virtual assistant is there. 

3. Can You Foster Commitment?

When you first hire a virtual assistant, make sure to map out your long-term strategy to grow your company and share it with your new employee. It’s important to know your goals and make your team aware of them. 

Before you begin working with a virtual assistant, you must know where you and your company are going long-term. Setting these clear and refined goals will help your company succeed.

4. What Are Your Expectations?

So, now that you have the appropriate budget, you have efficiently delegated your to-do list, you have clearly set your long-term goals and you are committed to meeting them, it’s time to think about what your expectations are for your new employee.

Laptop computer open to a virtual meeting with 20 people

Whoever you hire will have a wide range of responsibilities, and their performance could make or break the productivity of your property management company. This is why it is important to determine what qualities you are looking for in a virtual assistant. 

There are two main expectations that you should take into account when you are hiring a virtual assistant:

  • Professionalism: Your virtual assistant needs to possess a high level of professionalism. This mainly means that they are able to show up for work when they are scheduled to and do the work that you have assigned to them in a timely manner. 
  • Results for your business: Your primary focus when hiring a virtual assistant should be achieving the results that you want for your company. Freeing up your time by delegating tasks will leave you with extra energy to focus on improving your company and growing your business. All this can lead to better experiences to your clients. 

Where to Find a Virtual Assistant for Your Property Management Company

So, now that you have prepared your company for the addition of a virtual assistant and you have determined which overall qualities you are looking for in whoever you hire, it’s time to start booking. But how exactly do you find the best virtual assistant for your property management company?

Person with their hands behind their head sitting at a desk

Fortunately, due to the rising popularity of this job over the last few years, finding a reliable virtual assistant to hire is easier than ever. In fact, there are entire enterprises dedicated to helping you do just that.

If you are someone who likes to do things yourself when it comes to your property management company, you should definitely look into some freelance platforms to find your new VA.

However, if you’re too busy with the daily operations of your property management company, and don’t have the extra time to do it yourself, you do have the option to hire a remote “executive assistant” to find a qualified virtual assistant for you. Keep in mind that this option is more costly. 

Ultimately, there are five main websites through which you can hire a new virtual assistant. Using these will help you to find someone who will be the right fit for you and your company. 

1. Upwork

Upwork, previously known as Elance, is an extremely popular platform. With a large number of users, the website boasts five million registered clients, on top of 12 million registered freelancers. But how exactly does it work?

By using Upwork, you will be able to review the profiles and portfolios of a wide range of freelancers in order to find one that will be the best fit for you and your property management company. This feature helps you to assess their past performances and determine whether or not they are qualified for the job. 

Brown wooden table set up as a desk with multiple books, a laptop, a cup of coffee, and a notebook and pen

Unlike many other platforms that tend to fix their costs, Upwork allows registered freelancers to bid for a job at your company. This means that you will most likely be able to get a great price, as freelancers will often outbid each other for the position. 

2. Hubstaff Talent

When you use Hubstaff Talent, you’ll be able to find and source a team of remote virtual assistants quickly and easily. More than 8,000 website owners, freelancers, agencies, and virtual teams around the world use the platform to build their teams and grow their businesses. 

The website also features various helpful tools that can be used to narrow your search based on a number of factors and parameters, such as location, skills, experience, and so on. As an added bonus, Hubstaff is completely free to use!

3. VANetworking

This platform is an online social network designed specifically for virtual assistants. On VANetworking, users can submit a job position to the job board. Then, the platform will help you find the right freelancer who is qualified to meet your property management company’s needs. There is also no set price for the platform. 

4. Onlinejobs.ph

This is a service that is specifically designed for finding virtual assistants based in the Philippines. Through this platform, you’ll be able to submit a job position and receive dozens of applicants to choose from. 

Overhead shot of a person using an ipad on their couch next to an orange cat

Onlinejobs.ph is one of our top recommendations. In the Philippines, English is an official language, and a high percentage of the population is fluent. This increases your likelihood of finding a virtual assistant who is able to speak and understand the English language. 

5. Guru

Guru is a digital platform that has over 1.5 million worldwide members. This website allows you to find online freelancers for your property management company. Here, you can find a virtual assistant to hire for a rate of $10-$30 an hour. 

Other Platform Options

Besides the ones mentioned above, you can also use the following platforms to find the right virtual assistant for you and your business:

  • Fiverr: As the world’s largest freelancer website, you’ll be able to use this platform to find help for any task you need. Whether you need help with a logo design or video creation to help market your property, you’ll be able to find a qualified freelancer to do the job on this website. Gigs on this platform start at $5.
  • Freelancer: This platform offers companies the option to post job positions that freelancers can bid on. There is no set price for this website.
  • Virtual Staff Finder: Here, you’ll be able to find an experienced virtual assistant quickly and easily. You’ll also be able to find a wide variety of other helpful professionals including SEO specialists, content writers, website developers, and general administrative assistants. This website does not have a set price.
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  • PeoplePerHour: This is a platform dedicated to helping companies find online employees depending on your budget. Prices can range from under $30/hour to over $150/hour, depending on what you’re looking for. 
  • AssistU: This platform was designed to make growing your business easier than ever by finding and working with US-based virtual assistants. The website offers users access to virtual assistant training, coaching, and referral services. The standard DIY version of the platform is free and for extra guidance, the fixed price is $750.
  • Team Double Click: This is a virtual platform that offers users a wide range of services such as the transcription of documents, sales, marketing assistance, and virtual administration. There is not a set price for this website. 
  • TaskArmy: This is an online service that is specifically designed for the outsourcing of website-related services. This platform also allows you to find, hire, manage, and collaborate with a number of online freelancers. TaskArmy does not have a set price for users. 

5 Steps for Hiring Your Ideal Virtual Assistant 

You may be wondering what exactly the hiring process for a virtual assistant is. Well, by following these five steps, you’ll have a qualified virtual assistant working at your company in no time. 

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1. Create a Detailed List of Tasks for Your Virtual Assistant 

Before you begin your hiring process, you must make an extensive, clear, and detailed list of everything you want your virtual assistant to take care of.

While you may not need an exhaustive A-Z list of each little thing that your virtual assistant will be responsible for, you will need to write down the majority of tasks that they will be required to perform for your property management company. This will help you to ensure that you actually have a need for help in your business. 

2. Write a Clear Job Description

When creating your job posting, try to avoid being generic or broad in your description of the position. If you want to find a qualified virtual assistant that can truly help your property management company meet your goals, you will need to create an impressive sales pitch that makes them actually want to work for your business.

Make sure to mention how the employee would benefit from working for your company and include a list of qualities and skills you are looking for in a virtual assistant. 

3. Include a Simple But Informative Challenge

When you are searching for a new virtual assistant, make sure to include a simple, yet telling challenge at the beginning of the process. Doing this can help you to save time by filtering some applicants right off the bat in order to focus on those who are truly qualified for the job. 

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For example, you could ask each applicant to provide detailed answers to a specific question and use their answers to help you determine if they are qualified for the job. This will help you filter out any unqualified applicants. 

4. Use Performance to Further Filter Your Applicants 

After your initial challenge to your applicants, you can filter them even further by analyzing their performance. You can determine whether a candidate is qualified for the job based on the following:

  • High-quality answers. Pay attention to which applicants truly put in time and effort when it comes to answering your qualifying questions. Who was able to effectively and professionally communicate?
  • Ability to closely follow instructions. Which applicants carefully followed every detail of what you asked for?

5. Video Call Your Remaining Applicants

At this stage in the hiring process, a video call will help you learn more about each candidate. In the call, you can ask them a wide range of important questions, such as why they applied for the role or why they would be excited to work for your property management company.

You will also be able to gauge what their personality is like and if it will match the atmosphere of your business. 

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How a Virtual Assistant Can Help Your Property Management Company Succeed

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that a virtual assistant can only help your property management company if they know exactly what you want them to do. As we mentioned above, it’s important to be aware of these things before you begin the hiring process.

But which tasks can you delegate to a virtual assistant? After all, how much can an assistant do for your company without being physically present? It turns out, they can do a lot!

Here are some examples of responsibilities that you can assign to your virtual assistant in order to get the most out of their abilities:

  • Handle any phone calls and inquiries from tenants.
  • Help you determine if a property will be profitable as a rental home. 
  • Help you conduct your market research.
  • Help you market a vacant property and post new rental listings online.
  • Create invoices for vendors.
  • Call new rental property owners that you are looking to work with.
  • Find new and effective ways to market rental property listings.
  • Track the progression of rent costs in competing properties on the market.
  • Update your property management company’s CRM.
  • Conduct extensive research on various insurance providers to determine which one will be the best for your business.
  • Help you manage your business expenses.
  • Handle any repetitive tasks that tend to take up too much of your time.
  • Test new property management software for your company.
  • Find new and innovative ways to promote your property management company and find new clients to work with. 
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How Much Should I Expect to Pay a Virtual Assistant?

When it comes to hiring a virtual assistant for your property management company, one of the best aspects is how budget friendly they can be. 

Further, there are no tax implications involved when you hire a virtual assistant. You won’t have to deal with payroll taxes, unemployment taxes, or Social Security and Medicare requirements. Ultimately, hiring a virtual assistant is easier to process, upkeep, and budget for than an in-person assistant. 

Bottom Line: Why Hire Property Management Virtual Assistants

Being a professional property manager can be a lucrative experience that is well worth the amount of time and hard work that it requires. However, the endless responsibilities can get overwhelming for even the most organized professionals. That’s why virtual assistants are such a great asset! 

By hiring a VA for your property management company, you’ll be able to lower your workload without compromising the productivity of your business or your budget.