Real estate virtual assistants are becoming much more common today. But it’s not just real estate agents and agencies that are taking advantage of the help and support offered by these professionals. DIY landlords can also use virtual assistants to help them with their properties. If you’re a landlord who handles your properties yourself, and you don’t have a management company taking care of things, you may sometimes feel a little overwhelmed. A real estate virtual assistant could change the game for you.
You Can Be Your Own Property Manager
When you have several rental properties, being a DIY landlord is both easier and more difficult. It’s easier because you’re not paying a lot in fees to have someone else manage your properties for you. But it’s harder because you have to do everything yourself. For one or two properties that’s not so bad. But as you get more properties you’ll likely find that it’s a lot of work. Depending on the people who rent from you and the condition of the properties, it could be much more work than you want.
There’s No Reason to Do All the Work Yourself
Think of DIY landlords as business owners. Most people who go into business for themselves do it for a couple of reasons. They don’t want to work for someone else, but they also want to have the chance to build their wealth on their own terms. As they do that, they free up their time for other pursuits. If you’re a DIY landlord who’s doing everything on your own, you’re not getting that free time to enjoy. But DIY landlords who work with real estate virtual assistants can have peace of mind and get their time back again.
Real Estate Virtual Assistants Can Help In Many Areas
A real estate virtual assistant is able to help in a lot of different areas, and you can have them take on a bunch of different areas or just focus on a couple of them. It’s really up to you, because you retain control of your properties and how you want to handle them. If you want to be more hands-on, and only have your virtual assistant working on certain things, that’s definitely possible. Or you can have your assistant doing nearly everything, so you can spend your time on other pursuits that are important to you.
Advertising Properties
Advertising your properties is a great use of the help you can get from a real estate virtual assistant. DIY landlords have to make sure their properties are advertised well, so they can keep them rented. You’re not making any money from a property that’s sitting empty, so finding and keeping tenants matters.
Handling Tenant Inquiries
When a tenant has a question about a property they’re already renting, or a potential tenant wants to know more about the opportunity to rent from you, having a virtual assistant to handle those things makes life easier. You won’t be spending your time fielding a lot of questions, but you can still feel confident that your tenants are getting the answers they need.
Processing Applications
Application processing takes time, especially if you want to be thorough in your vetting of tenants for your rental properties. You want to do a background check and a credit check, along with verifying their income and employment. You also need to make sure they understand the contract, and that they sign it before move-in day. Your virtual assistant can handle all those things for you.
Tenant Move-Ins
A real estate virtual assistant can give your tenant the keys and a copy of the contract they signed. They can also make sure that the tenant goes through the rental property with a checklist, so they make note of anything that needs to be repaired or that they have questions about. That keeps maintenance up on the properties, helping them stay in better condition.
Rent Collection
Collecting rent doesn’t have to be done in person. Tenants can have options to pay online, and can also mail their payments in. Your virtual assistant can collect the rent for you, make sure it gets to the right place, and prompt any tenants who are late with their payments to pay their rent and avoid late fees.
Maintenance and Repairs
Repairs and maintenance can’t be conducted virtually, but they can be ordered that way. DIY landlords can let tenants report problems to their real estate virtual assistant, who can then set up maintenance to take a look and correct the problem.
Routine Inspection Planning
Routine inspections of rental properties are important, and planning for them includes good maintenance and a schedule that works for everyone. With a virtual assistant, it’s easier to keep on top of those kinds of things.
Get the Support You Need, and Take Back Your Time
As a DIY landlord, having the right support can make a big difference. Working with a real estate virtual assistant can ensure you have that support, along with more time to yourself and plenty of peace of mind.
Author Bio: Stephen Atcheler is an entrepreneur in the Real Estate space. He has grown multiple businesses including a Real Estate Agency, an online Real Estate Adverting business, and now, currently the founder and driver of the fastest growing Real Estate BPO in the Philippines. If you would like to connect or get in touch with Stephen, he is very active on LinkedIn and always happy for a new connection.
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