Updated January 20, 2022
One of the many amazing things that technology today can do is allow you to hire a property management virtual assistant who lives anywhere in the world to work with your company as an independent contractor. Whether there's a pandemic or not, this saves you from providing office space or benefits that a full-time assistant would receive.
A virtual assistant (VA) can help you with tedious or routine tasks, freeing up your time for more crucial to-dos. With the help of the right VA, property management companies are more efficient, and you can spend your time growing your business. However, while it can be a real asset to choose a virtual assistant, make sure you don't create more work for yourself or your property managers in the process. How do you find and manage your virtual assistant without creating another task for yourself? Here are a few tips!
Your Virtual Assistant Should Take Work Off Your Plate
If you have to micro-manage your virtual assistant, you're not taking any work off your plate. Make sure that your VA can handle the tasks you need them to handle with minimal supervision (and excellence). A capable and trustworthy virtual assistant should be able to own these tasks and work independently without constant supervision:
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Answering phone calls for you, even when the rest of your property manager staff is asleep! Having 24/7 availability can set you apart from the competition and benefit your tenants. If your VA is in another time zone or is available for weekend and evening hours, let them take emergency phone calls and handle tenant requests.
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Managing maintenance requests. The right property management VA understands your software and the property management business. They can receive maintenance requests, speak with tenants to understand the problem, then schedule contractors to deliver prompt repairs.
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Processing rental applications. With the right technology, the tenant application and screening processes can all be done online. Your VA can review applications, check references as they come in, and then provide you with a shortlist of excellent candidates. A skilled virtual assistant can also run your tenant screening process to place excellent tenants in the properties under your management.
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Various administrative day-to-day tasks. Property management virtual assistant tasks don't have to be strictly "property management." A virtual contractor can improve internal business operations, maintain complex schedules, and manage the administrative support that supports the growth of your business.
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Lease creation and lease renewal. VAs can prepare new leases, monitor renewals, and work with tenants to sign a new lease.
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Marketing for rental properties. Creating listings and posting them on rental search websites are excellent tasks for a property management virtual assistant!
When you choose a property management virtual assistant with the right skills, these tasks are only the beginning of what they can do for you! As you learn the capabilities of your VA, they can take on more tasks and become a valuable part of your organization.
Don't Micromanage, But Don't Be too 'Hands-Off,' Either
Balancing your management style between micromanaging and being too "hands-off" will come as you learn to trust your VA to handle everything on their plate. When hiring a property management virtual assistant, they would be able to work independently while staying on-task and meeting deadlines. However, it's essential to check in and make sure your VA meets your expectations—without spending too much of your valuable time checking in on their progress.
The goal of choosing a VA as an independent contractor is to increase productivity while managing workloads for your team (including yours)! When you micro-manage, you lose the free time you gain with an effective virtual assistant on your team.
Schedule regular check-ins so you can address any issues that your virtual assistant may be encountering. Ensure they have enough training to work without your property management software systems and understand your processes and operations. Most VAs are self-motivated to work hard for their clients. However, making sure they have the right resources can help them deliver excellent work for your company.
Don't worry about equipment! VA's are ready to work and equipped with everything they need to perform their work. It's one of the best perks of choosing a virtual assistant! Since you won't need to purchase a laptop or high-speed internet for your virtual contractor, you save money on overhead costs!
Use Slack or a task management system to stay in touch with your VA and monitor work. Even a remote team needs a "headquarters." Teams can use Slack to brainstorm, ask each other questions, or pass files back and forth, among other uses. You can also use a project management system to manage tasks and baselines.
It's Time to Find a Property Management Virtual Assistant!
A good VA will be easy to manage, ramp up quickly, and help balance the workloads for your property management company. If you've never explored the idea of a virtual assistant, now's the time! VPM Solutions, a property management remote job placement website, can help you hire a property management virtual assistant to take work off of your plate. We specialize in qualified, skilled remote workers for the property management industry! Get started today by setting up your profile.
