Real Estate Virtual Assistant: How to Scale Your Real Estate Business Efficiently

Every hour you spend creating flyers, updating your CRM, or chasing down transaction paperwork is an hour you’re not in front of a client.

I’ve seen it derail good agents repeatedly. They work long days, stay busy, and still can’t figure out why the business isn’t growing. The answer is usually right there on their to-do list.

They’re doing $15-an-hour work with a $150-an-hour skillset.

A real estate virtual assistant changes that equation. This guide covers what I’ve learned firsthand and everything Brad Brown of Hire Impact Outsourcing shared on my podcast, Realizations, from real pricing and onboarding realities to what separates a good VA firm from a mediocre one.

What Is a Real Estate Virtual Assistant?

A real estate virtual assistant is a remote professional who handles the operational workload, keeping agents stuck behind a desk instead of out closing deals.

The keyword is real estate. A general VA can manage email. A real estate VA understands MLS systems, transaction timelines, and how a brokerage runs. That industry fluency is what separates someone who adds value immediately from someone you have to train from zero.

Most real estate VAs work offshore, which lowers cost significantly without sacrificing quality, if you’re working with a firm that vets for actual industry experience.

Why Real Estate Agents Need Leverage

Here’s the math nobody says out loud: if your time is worth $100–$200 an hour and you’re spending 3 hours a day on admin, you’re losing $300–$600 every single day to tasks a VA could handle.

That’s not a hustle problem. That’s a staffing problem.

"You should not be the one creating flyers and doing work that somebody else can do, because your time is more valuable than that."

– Andre Gordon

Agents who scale aren’t working more hours. They’re working on the right things: client relationships, negotiations, lead generation - and delegating everything else. A real estate assistant is the mechanism that makes that possible.

What Does a Real Estate Virtual Assistant Do?

More than most agents expect. Here’s the full breakdown across the three core areas:

On the transaction side, Brad’s team uses detailed checklists and Loom training videos to walk remote professionals through every stage of the sales process. VAs can’t create contracts, but they can gather every data point needed for MLS input, track documents, and manage deadlines through closing.

"We’ve got checklists and Loom videos and all the things it takes to make sure they are going through each piece of the whole sales transaction process."

– Brad Brown

Every placement also comes with a dedicated client concierge, an account manager who monitors the work and steps in with extra training when needed. Oversight is built into the model, not added after something breaks.

How Much Does a Real Estate Virtual Assistant Cost?

Brad gave me the straight numbers:

If you are paying per hour, Ocean Talents notes that a real estate virtual assistant can cost a minimum of $15 an hour. 

Now compare that to what a domestic in-house hire actually runs:

In California, a quality in-house assistant can cost $57,000 –$63,000 a year before office space and payroll taxes. A full-time virtual assistant for real estate runs closer to $22,800 annually. That’s a fundamentally different staffing strategy.

Security & Safeguards When Hiring a Virtual Assistant

Here’s a question a lot of agents skip when hiring an assistant: How will my client data be protected?

This is important because, recent industry reporting shows that over 6 in 10 IT security leaders say remote workers were involved in a data breach last year. And when remote breaches happen, they’re significantly more expensive, averaging just over $1.07 million more per incident than on-site ones.

That's not a reason to avoid VAs, however. Instead, it's reason to hire them the right way.

Hire Impact Outsourcing has partnered with professional security companies to protect client data and financials. But equally important: they coach clients on what’s appropriate to share remotely versus what should stay internal.

"Your administrative assistant probably doesn’t need your bank account numbers, same thing applies here."

– Brad Brown

The logic is simple. Treat a VA like any trusted team member: Give them access to what they need to do the job, and protect what they don’t.

So before you sign with any real estate VA firm, Strictly Savvy mentions some questions you should ask:

A firm that fumbles these questions isn’t ready to handle your business. Move on.

How to Successfully Onboard a Real Estate Virtual Assistant

Here’s the reason some VA relationships fail.

Agents hire someone expecting day-one results, skip the training, and then wonder why the output doesn’t match their standards. The problem isn’t the VA’s skill level. Nobody told them what “good” looks like inside your specific business.

"Cutting corners and not taking the time with the people is going to affect your business tremendously down the line. You want to make sure they truly understand what’s important to you. So that they can present you in a way that you would want to be presented out into the world."

– Andrea Gordon

I experienced this with my own VA. She needed time to understand how I work and how I want to show up in the market. Once she had that context, she ran. But that required intentional effort on my end first, there’s no shortcut.

30-Day Onboarding Framework

Here’s a simple 4-week framework you can follow to set clear expectations, build momentum, and create long-term support for your newly-hired real estate virtual assistant. This framework was adapted from outsourcing onboarding models used by firms such as Aurora Nexus.

• Give Business Context: Share your background, market focus, target client (luxury, investors, first-time buyers, etc.) and your 12-month business goals
• Provide Role Clarity: List exact tasks they will own. Define what they will NOT handle. And set working hours and response expectations
• Provide Tools & Access: Grant CRM access, email permissions, MLS access, communication tools (slack), password vault access, and two-factor authentication.
• Start Small: Assign 2 to 3 simple repeat tasks. Review first completed tasks together. Give feedback within 24 hours

Week 1: Orientation & Setup

• Give Business Context: Share your background, market focus, target client (luxury, investors, first-time buyers, etc.) and your 12-month business goals
• Provide Role Clarity: List exact tasks they will own. Define what they will NOT handle. And set working hours and response expectations
• Provide Tools & Access: Grant CRM access, email permissions, MLS access, communication tools (slack), password vault access, and two-factor authentication.
• Start Small: Assign 2 to 3 simple repeat tasks. Review first completed tasks together. Give feedback within 24 hours

Week 2: Training & Core Tasks

• Deliver SOP Training: Provide written SOPs or Loom videos. Review lead intake step-by-step. Review listing workflow step-by-step. Confirm escalation rules and when to involve you.
• Assign Core Responsibilities: Require daily CRM updates. Assign lead follow-up messages. Delegate appointment scheduling. Assign listing uploads and edits. Delegate basic marketing tasks.
• Establish Communication Rhythm: Schedule 15-minute check-ins daily or every other day. Track tasks in Trello or ClickUp. Encourage questions early and often.

Week 3: Build Independence

• Expand Responsibilities: Assign first response to new inquiries. Delegate social media scheduling. Require a weekly lead report and assign pipeline updates.
• Set Clear KPIs: Define lead response time target. Define weekly task completion rate. Set marketing output goals.
• Encourage Initiative: Ask for one workflow improvement suggestion. Review efficiency together. Reduce daily supervision gradually.

Week 4: Review & Scale

• Conduct Performance Review: Review strengths. Identify weak areas. Provide targeted retraining if needed.
• Optimize Role: Adjust responsibilities based on strengths. Remove more admin from your plate.
• Reinforce Expectations: Provide clear appreciation. Reconfirm long-term expectations. Align on next 90-day priorities.

White-Glove vs High-Volume Virtual Assistant Companies

There are two distinct models in the VA market, and they produce very different results.

"We want to be the Ritz-Carlton. We don’t want to be the Holiday Inn. We come in with each client, and it’s very white-glove, high-caliber service. In fact, rather than calling them virtual assistants, we call them our remote professionals."

– Brad Brown, Hire Impact Outsourcing

High-Volume Firms

• Large talent pools, fast placement
• Minimal vetting. You get whoever’s available
• Limited oversight after hire
• Better suited for low-stakes, highly repeatable tasks

White-Glove Firms (like Hire Impact Outsourcing)

• 3–4 hand-selected candidates per role
• 5–10 years of relevant experience required
• Culture matching, someone who fits your team, not just fills a seat
• Dedicated client concierge included with every placement

For real estate assistant roles that touch client relationships, transactions, or your brand, fit matters as much as skill. A white-glove firm takes a little longer. It’s worth it.

Social Impact: How Hiring a Real Estate Virtual Assistant Can Change Lives

This is the part of the conversation that stopped me cold.

Brad has spent 17 years building in East Africa, including an all-girls Christian boarding school in Kenya that serves students from some of the most under-resourced communities in the region.

"Every virtual assistant hired through us is sending a girl from one of these impoverished communities to this all-girls boarding school."

– Brad Brown

Hire Impact Outsourcing tithes a portion of every client engagement back to fund the school. Every hire (administrative, marketing, transaction) directly sponsors a student’s education.

How it works in practice:

• Remote professionals are experienced Kenyan adults with 5–10 years of specialized work history

• The school’s graduates follow their own separate paths. Brad actively supports them in pursuing college and their own desired careers (whether that’s medicine, flight attendance, etc.)

• The VA firm’s revenue funds school operations, programs, and 43 nonprofit staff members

Most VA firms are transactional. This one is built around something bigger. For agents who care about where their money goes, that’s a meaningful differentiator.

Real Estate Assistant Jobs vs Virtual Assistant Roles

Agents often ask whether to hire locally or go remote. Here’s an honest comparison:

In-House Real Estate Assistant

• Works on-site, useful when physical presence matters
• Employee status: payroll taxes, benefits, office space required
• Career develops within one team or brokerage
• Higher cost, more daily oversight, deeper integration

Remote Virtual Assistant Real Estate

• Works across time zones, often available outside standard hours, with remote workers being 43% more productive than people in the office.
• Contractor model: no payroll taxes, no office overhead. According to Entrepreneur, hiring a VA can save you up to 78% in operating costs annually.
• Builds specialized expertise across clients and industries
• Access to global talent, including high-quality markets like Kenya

Neither model is universally better. If you need someone physically present, hire locally. If you need consistent backend support that scales with volume, a VA is almost always the smarter financial move. The real estate virtual assistant jobs market has matured enough that quality isn’t the tradeoff it once was.

FAQs About Real Estate Virtual Assistants

How much does a real estate virtual assistant cost?

Part-time support (20 hours per week) runs approximately $1,200 per month. Full-time placement is around $1,900 per month. Compare that to $58k - $76k per year for an in-house hire in most U.S. markets.

What tasks can a virtual assistant for real estate agents handle?

Administrative work (email, CRM, scheduling), transaction coordination (MLS input, document tracking, deadline management), and marketing support (social media, graphic design, flyers). The scope depends on the VA's background and what tasks you assign during onboarding.

Is it safe to hire an offshore real estate assistant?

Yes, if you're working with a reputable firm that has security protocols in place. Look for firms that partner with professional security companies, work from secured facilities, and actively coach clients on data-sharing best practices.

How long does onboarding take?

Plan for 30-90 days before your VA is operating independently at a high level. The first month is training-intensive. By month three, with the right systems in place, they should be executing with minimal oversight.

Are real estate virtual assistant jobs legitimate careers?

Yes. Remote professionals with five to ten years of experience in bookkeeping, transaction coordination, or administrative support are building real, specialized careers in this field, particularly in markets like Kenya where firms like Hire Impact Outsourcing have created structured, professional employment.

Build Leverage. Build Relationships. Build Impact.

Success in real estate isn’t about working harder; it’s about building the right team around you.

If you want to be featured on my Realizations podcast or explore what’s possible for your business, reach out and let’s talk.

And if you’re ready to hire a real estate virtual assistant: administrative, marketing, or transaction-focused, Contact Brad Brown and Hire Impact Outsourcing here, providing you with white-glove service, vetted professionals, and real impact with every hire.

This podcast is produced by the Icons of Real Estate - #1 Real Estate Podcast Network.

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