Property Management Virtual Assistants | How to Hire the Right One
Hiring Property Management Virtual Assistants (PMVA) is a top trend in the real estate industry. In essence, Property Management Virtual Assistants are reinforcements when your project takes you outside your expertise. They are much like an in-house property management assistant but operate remotely and are significantly more affordable.
Learn more about property management virtual assistants
The pandemic created an unprecedented shift in businesses and it was a change essential to the property management business. One of the changes that has become the new normal is outsourcing property management assistants offshore. Most property managers and property management business owners have been reaping the benefits of having a remote team by lowering their expenses, increasing their bottom line and scaling up their business.
Let’s emphasize the word “most”.
At least 15% of property management business owners who hire virtual assistants (VAs) offshore experience failed Client-VA relationships. This statistic might make you think that outsourcing property management assistants offshore is a hit-or-miss strategy. Before jumping to conclusions and thinking that property management virtual assistants might not be good for your business, we have listed the pitfalls that significantly affect the relationship between a client and a property management virtual assistant.
Why Outsourcing Property Management Assistants Won’t Work
#1: Your company is not VA-ready
More often than not, most property management companies think that employing a VA is no different from employing an in-house assistant. You simply put a screening process in place, then select the best candidate for the job. However, some companies also think that managing a remote team is the same as managing an in-house team. They think that the traditional systems can help manage VAs, but this is where they are wrong.
You must have systems that are the foundation for your business policies, processes, and protocols in place before hiring a virtual assistant. Why? First, having a remote team means that you must share sensitive information via the cloud–a risk indeed for data privacy. Second, you don’t operate face-to-face, so tracking their work progress is a little challenging. Lastly, hands-on management is difficult because your relationship is technology-reliant. As a result, miscommunication may escalate to mistrust and render your Client-VA relationship beyond repair. One of the noteworthy systems in place in the property management industry is Flussos. It’s a property management workflow, task sharing system that, when followed, helps your real estate company grow in any climate. Do you think your company is VA-ready, or not?
#2: Client-VA relationship disconnection
Client-VA relationship disconnection occurs mostly due to a lack of proper communication. Simply exchanging emails and sending your property management assistants tasks is not effective communication. A Client-VA relationship is more than just a to-do list; it’s a relationship. You must acknowledge that your VA can think on their own, has feelings, and are a human being just like you.
Unfortunately, some businesses fail to recognise this aspect and treat their VAs as mere numbers that can be replaced in just a flick of a finger. Just because you can hire a property management virtual assistant at an affordable rate doesn’t mean they should be valued less than your in-house team.
#3: Hiring the wrong VA
You think you’ve done everything possible and it still hasn’t worked? If you’ve addressed the first and second pitfalls and the rift in your Client-VA relationship is not getting any better, then you have most likely hired the wrong VA. And here’s the guide that will help every property manager hire the right property management virtual assistant.
On Hiring the Right Property Management Virtual Assistant
#1: Choose the Right Offshore Staffing Solutions Partner First
Part of choosing the right partner in the VA industry means considering the training a VA undergoes prior to getting deployed. In purple powered VA (ppVA), each VA undergoes practical property management training from the Property Management Academy Training (PMA). PMA training benefits people who are new to the real estate industry or seeking to advance their careers. Even with zero knowledge and experience in the property management industry, a property management virtual assistant who completes PMA training is significantly more efficient in accomplishing property management tasks.
It pays to research the Offshore Staffing Solution partner that you are considering, so you don’t get wooed by their shiny marketing. You should check their digital footprint, such as their website, socials and reviews, to unearth any red flags like a high attrition rate or unhealthy management. Learning more about the offshore staffing solutions company will give you a better understanding of their standards.
#2: Document the Property Management Tasks that You Wish to Outsource
Let’s be clear: You can’t and shouldn’t outsource every property management task you can think of to a VA. Property Managers are licensed for a reason. VAs are not licensed to carry out certain tasks regardless of how much you train them. VAs should only carry out property management tasks that are administrative in nature.
Offshore staffing solutions partners, like the ppVA, provide you with Task Selection and Sub-Task Allocation forms so you can identify tasks that can and cannot be outsourced and ensure that you don’t lose track of allocated tasks. And, the best thing is that ppVA’s property management virtual assistants are versatile and open to internal training, so they can fit your company’s needs.
Learn about ‘Will my Purple Powered VA Understand our Legislation?’
#3: Decide which Level of Property Management Virtual Assistant Your Company Needs
When it comes to hiring a Property Management Virtual Assistant, you must keep in mind that every VA is unique. Even if they underwent the same training or have the same industry experience, there will always be differences between virtual assistants.
Purple Powered VA offers three ppVA levels to fit your business’ needs and budget:
1. Entry-Level ppVA: A VA who has previous relevant administrative experience that may not be related to property management, but is transferable.
2. Mid-Level ppVA: A VA who has previous real estate administrative experience of at least six months.
3. High-Level ppVA: A VA who has previous real estate administrative experience of at least two years.
While each property management assistant’s expertise may differ, purple powered VA assures you that each VA completes PMA training before they are deployed to clients like you.
#4: Review applications, schedule interviews, and start screening!
Once you’ve decided which ppVA level best suits your business’ needs and budget, you will be introduced to the pool of candidates. You can then see which ones share your vision and values. You could start profiling them using their CV and choose your top 10 candidates. Conducting video interviews and providing personality tests can also help gauge a candidate’s personality and understand how they work.
#5: Select Your Top Candidates and Provide a Test
Now that you have your top candidates, put their skills to the test to see how well they complete a task. Choose a regular task that they will need to perform and see which candidate earns the top spot. This test will help you determine who to choose from the top candidates–the VA for your property management business.
#6: Hire Your Chosen VA and Run a Trial Period
Once you’ve chosen your candidate for the job, you should start them off on a trial period. A trial period usually runs up to 90 days. Your satisfaction with their performance during this trial period will help you decide whether to officially make them part of your team. If you decide to hire the candidate, a Service Agreement should be signed by your VA to avoid any future discrepancies.
Hiring a property management virtual assistant may not be as simple as hiring an in-house property management assistant. But, with the help of purple powered VA, it can now be as easy as 1, 2, 3. If you want to learn more about property management virtual assistants, book a free demo.
