Launching Your Career as a Property Management
Virtual Assistant

Even though you won't be working face-to-face with the tenants or clients, you'll have plenty of opportunities as a virtual assistant to hone your skills and find full-time work. Some of the roles you can fill if you decide to take one of the virtual property management company jobs are as follows:

• Administrative assistant
• Data entry worker
• Accountant
• Bookkeeper
• Digital web design and content developer
• Virtual property manager
• Sales specialist
• Customer service representative
• Tenant relations manager

With today's technology and property management software systems, the roles mentioned above (and more) can take place from your "home office!"

Make sure you have at least 10 Mbps of download speed and 1 Mbps of upload speed of internet bandwidth to work comfortably from home and meet client deliverables, no matter where they are located.

Virtual assistants working in property management must also have plenty of flexibility. You have the last say about what jobs you accept and when you do them, but, at the same time, you need to be ready to roll when the jobs come in from your best clients if you want to succeed. This may require changing your schedule to fit the clients' needs, depending on their location vs. your home base. 

Continuing education is also vital for being a successful virtual assistant in property management. Depending on what position or role you take, you'll need to ensure you stay up to date on any necessary certificates, training, or other industry trends. For example, if you work as a virtual assistant doing accounting for property management, you'll need to keep on top of the tax laws.

These subtle differences stem from one thing—whether you are an employee or an independent contractor. The difference between these two positions is in most cases, a remote worker is an employee (often based in the property management company's hometown, state, or country), and a virtual assistant is an independent contractor that can be based anywhere in the world!

Being an independent contractor and your own boss comes with plenty of perks and responsibilities. However, it also means you are not "technically" employed by the company. So, you must purchase insurance and withhold taxes (or manage them at the end of the year) since the property management or real estate company will not do that for you. However, you also can choose the wage you want or accept or decline jobs. Knowing where to find virtual assistant clients is vital to keeping your payroll going since you will be responsible for bringing in the work.

Stand Out from the Crowd with a Specialty

To succeed as a virtual assistant in property management, you need to market yourself right. If you're already a pro in one area, then you have the edge over others who may be "general" virtual assistants. However, if you don't have a specialty yet, you can work towards that by building your education and skills in a niche. Then you'll have a value that others don't have.

Always Do Excellent Work by Choosing the Right Jobs

You may have a long list of jobs from which to choose when working as a virtual assistant in property management, but the most successful VAs select the ones that are the best fit. If you accept jobs that bring out your high points and make you shine, you have a better chance of connecting with repeat clients. You may even get word-of-mouth advertising because of the excellent work you did. However, if you're mismatched with jobs that aren't quite your cup of tea, you may not flourish like you could as a real estate virtual assistant.

Build Relationships

As you continue in your role as a virtual assistant, you grow your client base, and, as stated above, you'll connect with clients and jobs that you're comfortable with. This is an ideal way to build relationships, which is vital for steady work as a VA.

Learn Business Management

More goes into being a virtual assistant than completing regularly assigned jobs. You are your own boss when working as a virtual independent contractor for property management. That means you will need to learn the ropes for operating a business. Managing your taxes is one of the elements of business operation that you'll need to tackle. Depending on your location, you'll need to understand how to make tax payments to comply with your local laws.

Stay Motivated

When you work for yourself, you can keep your own schedule. You can work as long or as little as you want. However, to maintain your competitive edge as an in-demand virtual assistant, you'll want to stay active and available for work. Working independently requires motivating yourself to get the work done and excel in your position!

Keep Up to Date

It's vital to keep your credentials current. Whether it's certificates, training, expertise, or work experience, make sure your stay up to date with the skills and education you need for the virtual assistant roles you're applying for. If you find that your experience or certifications lag behind other VAs in some areas, get up to speed by taking a class or obtaining the proper certification. 

In addition to ongoing education, make sure your equipment is highly functional. While it's not necessary to have top-of-the-line computers and office equipment, make sure what you have helps you perform well to meet client deliverables, including any software that applies to your role.

Work With a Platform That Connects You

To quickly get the jobs that await you, connect with the right sources and platforms that offer a wide range of positions in different areas, including Mexico. For example, if you've set up a profile with VPM Solutions, you have instant access to jobs from U.S.-based employers, even if you work in Mexico or the Philippines!

Develop Strong Communication Skills

Communication is a key component to securing any job, and it's even more critical when doing work in another culture. You will need to use excellent communication skills to deliver ideas efficiently and understand what the clients want.

Have a Readiness to Work

Always be available and ready to go when working with potential clients in Mexico. Depending on what part of the country you live in, you need to see what time zone they are in and accommodate the differences. In addition, clients need a virtual assistant that is ready and able to work when they need the job done.

Become an Expert in Remote Work

No matter where your clients are, they will be impressed by a virtual assistant who shows expertise on the job. Whether it involves looking the part by dressing up every day even though you're "at home" or being incredibly responsive to your emails, phone calls, and job orders, these actions all add up to show your professionalism to the client.