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Outsourcing hits real estate staff

Outsourcing is very familiar for those of us that have had a technology, manufacturing or customer service background. The same concept has been around a number of years in the staff assistant world in real estate. They are called "Virtual Assistants."

Essentially if a local person is not available for your office to assist with contract to close paperwork you can hire an individual through a service company. One company I found (not endorsing) for Texas agents is called:

Open to Close 

Essentially they are transaction coordinators by proxy and have contract to close and even list to close services, differing by the fee you pay. If anyone wants to comment on this great service out there that they have found as well let us know.

7 comments • Gary Woltal - Associate Broker REALTOR® Dallas Ft. Worth • October 29 2007 08:11PM

Comments

I use a VA in Cali as I love the time zone difference.  She can call people at home in the evenings while it's still afternoon her time.
Posted by Donna Harris, REALTOR® & ASP - Hill Country Austin Lakeway Homes (RE/MAX Austin Skyline) over 2 years ago
I looked into a VA, but opted for a local person.  I found the hourly rate many were charging was pretty steep and our time zone difference in Hawaii added an extra hurdle.
Posted by Randy L. Prothero - Hawaii REALTOR® (Century 21 Liberty Homes) over 2 years ago
Gary, I have had three assistants.  None of them worked out long term, for various reasons.  I think my next phase will be using VA's for specific projects...
Posted by Brian Schulman - Your Lancaster County, PA Real Estate Professional (Coldwell Banker Select Professionals, Lancaster PA) over 2 years ago
I found a virtual assistant specialized group on AR after I posted this blog. What's interesting with Virtual Assistants as a topic either you love them or hate them. Some people would never deal with anyone but a local person yet others have had great success with an assistant clear across the state or country.
Posted by Gary Woltal - Associate Broker REALTOR® Dallas Ft. Worth (Keller Williams Realty) over 2 years ago

Gary,

Great post. I have not used a service like this although I am considering it. I think it can be a great way for a fair price to free up an agents time for money producing activities.

Mike Lewis

Posted by Dawn Lewis San Diego Realtor (New Dawn Realty) over 2 years ago
Good luck Mike if you try the Virtual Assistant. It might be the most cost effective route for you.
Posted by Gary Woltal - Associate Broker REALTOR® Dallas Ft. Worth (Keller Williams Realty) over 2 years ago

Gary Said "What's interesting with Virtual Assistants as a topic either you love them or hate them."

Gary - Its the same statement that the public makes about us as Real Estate Professionals time and time again. In my opinion there is good and bad services and value for what you spend in almost every industry. Generalizations made about entire industries based on a single persons experience hurts everybody in that industry and EVERYONE (Sorry, Bad Generalization Joke) should stop it :) However with that being the case, when someone is providing GREAT service to their clients it makes them shine that much brighter and stand out above the crowd. Just as there is proof out there that shows that working with a "THE RIGHT" Real Estate Pro is better and can save buyers and sellers money, similarly there is proof that shows that working with "THE RIGHT" Transaction Coordinator / Virtual Assistant can not only save an Agent Time AND Money, but free them up to do more dollar productive activities so they can make more money than the TC / VA costs them to use.

So here's to Great Services, Worth Every Penny. And to Gary for having such a Great Blog, Nice Job :)

Posted by Jason Daley - Utah County Real Estate - Utah County Homes (Keller Williams Westfield Real Estate) 10 months ago

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