Real Estate Internet Marketing

As a real estate agent trying to grow your business through real estate marketing online, you’ve decided that you need to hire a real estate Virtual Assistant. Excellent idea!

One thing you want to be sure that you understand thoroughly is that Virtual Assistants are not employees. The two are very different things.

A Virtual Assistant is not going to be instantly available to you eight hours a day, five days a week, in the way an employee who works exclusively for you would be.

Your relationship is one of client and professional—not employer to employee. Each Virtual Assistant has her or his own business procedures, standards and policies for working with clients and will inform you of these during your interview. Make sure you understand and approve of these policies before hiring the VA. 

To create a successful relationship with a Virtual Assistant (and avoid costly liability due to worker misclassification) be sure you understand that you are a client to your Virtual Assistant, not an employer. That means you know that:

• Your Virtual Assistant runs his own business and sets his own rates, hours and policies
• You won’t be managing or supervising her, or her work
• Your Virtual Assistant doesn’t “report” to you in the way that an employee would, such as reporting for duty, submitting time sheets, etc.
• You as the client have the right to control or direct only the result of the work performed by your Virtual Assistant, not the means and methods of accomplishing that result.

To learn more about how to ensure that your VA fits the terms of an independent contractor, read the information on these two links:

• Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee?
• Twenty Factor Checklist to Determine Independent Contractor vs. Employee Status

Don’t let these details scare you off. Working with a real estate Virtual Assistant truly is a wonderful way to grow your real estate business. And it’s easy to follow the rules once you know what they are.

If you have any questions about working with a real estate Virtual Assistant, or how to find and hire a VA, just leave a comment here or contact me. I’m happy to help!

To boosting your leads through real estate marketing online,

Kathy Goughenour