How to Find and Use a Real Estate Showing Assistant

In the dynamic world of real estate, showings are a massive part of the property marketing process, allowing potential buyers the opportunity to get to know a property inside and out. However, with all the other plates that agents have to spin, such as digital marketing, first communications, and in-person negotiations, showings can be a sink for time and effort. That’s where a real estate showing assistant can come in handy.

These professionals, specializing in managing and conducting the house showing process, can be a crucial support system for real estate agents while being a significant influencer on client decisions. With a showing assistant, real estate professionals can tap into a diverse range of skills. These responsibilities range from scheduling viewings to providing feedback from clients, ultimately making the real estate showing process smooth from front to back. This bolstering role can be a vital aid for agents in both the logistical and experiential aspects of property transactions.

The scope of their duties often raises the question, “Can a real estate assistant show houses?” The answer varies based on regional licensing laws, along with the qualifications and skill sets of the assistants themselves. In some areas, assistants need a real estate license, while in others, they have the freedom to operate under a licensed agent’s supervision. Besides physical showings, a good real estate showing assistant can also handle digital tasks, such as managing online listings and virtual tours, adapting to the evolving needs of the real estate market.

As the industry grows, so does the importance and prevalence of real estate showing assistants. Their contribution has become key to the efficiency and success of buying and selling properties in many agents’ business plans, making them an integral part of the real estate team. We’ve put together this blog to expand on the role of a real estate showing assistant, breaking down what you should look for in one, what they might be expected to do, and the benefits they could offer your business.

Qualifications and Skills of a Real Estate Assistant

To excel in the role of a real estate showing assistant, certain qualifications and skills are utterly non-negotiable. With the right qualifications, assistants not only help in effectively managing the tasks at hand but also in contributing significantly to the success of real estate transactions. Understanding the qualifications you’re looking for also makes it easier to advertise showing assistant jobs on platforms like Indeed, LinkedIn, or ZipRecruiter. 

We’ve listed the most essential qualifications and skills that every good real estate showing assistant needs so you know exactly what to look for when recruiting your right-hand man. 

Essential Qualifications:

Educational Background: While any one specific degree is not always mandatory, a background in business, real estate, or a related field is always beneficial for these kinds of roles. Without a basic understanding of real estate processes and terminologies, a showing agent assistant isn’t likely to be very effective.

Licensing: Can you show houses without a real estate license? Well, the answer depends entirely on your region of operation. In some states, a real estate license might be required, especially if the assistant will be conducting house showings independently. Knowledge of the legal and ethical aspects of real estate is a plus, but these are things you can teach them on the job.

Certifications: Any certifications or licenses specific to real estate administration or sales can enhance a showing assistant’s credibility and knowledge base. This will reduce their learning curve when it comes to industry matters when working in your business. 

Key Skills:

Organizational Abilities: Much like a fully-fledged showing agent, a real estate showing assistant must be adept at managing schedules, coordinating viewings, and ensuring properties are ready for showing. All these tasks demand excellent organizational skills, as do the administrative responsibilities that come with them.

Communication Skills: As a physical liaison between the real estate agent and clients, clear and effective communication skills are essential. This includes verbal and written communication skills, ensuring any interactions are positive and push toward meaningful transactions.

Technological Proficiency: In today’s digital age, familiarity with real estate software solutions, CRM systems like REsimpli CRM, and basic social media skills is necessary for efficiently managing listings and client interactions. Make sure anyone you hire is tech-savvy enough to integrate into your existing systems of operation.

Problem-Solving Skills: You can’t leave showings in the hands of someone who is easily overwhelmed by adversity. The ability to quickly address and resolve unexpected issues during showings or in the scheduling process is crucial.

Attention to Detail: Any real estate showing assistant must have a keen eye. Paying attention to the small details in how a property is staged and during the organizational phase of a showing will significantly impact the client’s experience and, in turn, the decision-making process.

Adaptability: The real estate market is dynamic and constantly evolving—anyone who works in the industry needs to be adaptable. Being adaptable to change, flexible to requirements, and able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously is essential.

Customer Service Orientation: Any real estate showing assistant must maintain a strong focus on customer service; they’re the face of the business when the agent can’t be. Their expertise must include the ability to engage with clients in a friendly and professional manner, ensuring they leave a positive impression after any interaction.

For those interested in showing assistant jobs or looking to enhance their role as a real estate showing assistant, these qualifications and skills are vital to keep in mind. Similarly, if you’re seeking an assistant for showings, these are the kinds of qualities you need to look for. With these skills, they can help not only in executing the day-to-day tasks efficiently but also in contributing to the overall success and smooth functioning of real estate operations.

Duties and Responsibilities of a Real Estate Assistant

Beyond requiring a certain degree of education and skills, the role of a real estate assistant encompasses a range of duties and responsibilities. The proper handling of these tasks is vital to the smooth operation of real estate transactions, which is why you need an assistant who’s fully equipped to do so. These tasks not only support real estate agents in their day-to-day operations but also ensure clients receive top-notch service during the process of buying or selling properties.

Below, we’ve broken down the most important duties and responsibilities of a real estate assistant, focusing on house showings, along with other general tasks that they might handle. 

Core Duties:

Scheduling and Coordinating Showings: One of the primary responsibilities of a real estate assistant, particularly a showing assistant, is to carefully arrange and manage house showings. This includes coordinating with any involved buyers, sellers, and agents to find suitable times and ensuring each property is ready for visitors. This can also involve organizing and hosting open houses, which, in turn, requires skills in home staging, public speaking, and general people skills. 

Client Communication: Communication and people skills are at the center of every real estate interaction. Acting as the primary point of contact, real estate assistants must be able to manage communication with clients, provide them with any necessary information, answer any of their queries, and keep them fully up to date at every stage of the process.

Document Preparation and Management: Real estate assistants are often responsible for preparing, managing, and filing important documents like contracts, lease agreements, and other paperwork essential to real estate transactions. These kinds of crucial legal tasks that take up a lot of time, but not too much brainpower should be handled by a real estate assistant. 

Listing Management: Real estate showing assistants also often handle property listings, ensuring all information is accurate and up to date. This often involves uploading photos, property details, and updates to various real estate platforms, such as Zillow and Realtor. In some cases, they might also be responsible for sourcing the photography or videos to be uploaded with each listing. 

Marketing Support: Assistants often offer a valuable hand in the marketing aspect of real estate. The kinds of tasks involved with marketing may include creating marketing materials from scratch or using templates, managing any social media accounts, and executing email drip marketing campaigns (even if automated).

Additional Responsibilities:

Administrative Tasks: A real estate assistant can also act as a secretary, handling general office duties, such as answering phones, managing emails, and maintaining client databases. This helps ensure something small doesn’t get in the way of something more important. 

Feedback Collection: After a showing or open house, it’s vital to get a read on how people are feeling about the property and, indeed, the performance of the assistant. That’s why, post-showing, they are tasked with gathering feedback from clients and relaying this information to the real estate agent—a crucial practice for strategy adjustments.

Market Research: A real estate showing assistant may conduct research on current market trends, comparable property prices, and general community information. Doing so helps agents stay informed and competitive, ensuring they don’t fall behind the general school of thought in the industry. 

Event Planning: In some cases, real estate assistants organize and manage open houses and other real estate events, such as meet-ups with other professionals or former clients. These offer valuable time for the agent to network and communicate with potential clients and collaborators. 

The role of a real estate showing assistant is multifaceted, going far beyond the act of aiding in house showings. The right approach to being an assistant requires a blend of organizational, communicative, and technical skills. As the backbone of the real estate operation, they ensure both agents and clients have a smooth and efficient experience. For anyone considering becoming a showing assistant or aiming to be a successful part of a real estate showing service, understanding and mastering these duties and responsibilities is key.

Benefits of Hiring a Real Estate Assistant

Hiring a real estate assistant offers numerous advantages for both solo real estate agents and larger firms, directly impacting their level of productivity, customer service quality, and overall business efficiency. These benefits are not just limited to the operational aspects but also extend to financial and strategic advantages, ensuring the business is competitive overall.

We’ve listed the four greatest benefits that come with hiring a real estate assistant. 

1. Increased Productivity and Efficiency for Real Estate Agents

Real estate assistants can significantly boost the productivity of agents by handling various administrative and logistical tasks, many of which can be highly time-consuming. This allows agents to spend more of their energy on closing deals and handling client interactions rather than getting bogged down in the swamp of scheduling, paperwork, and other time-consuming duties. 

Assistants streamline processes, making the entire operation of a real estate business more efficient. In a market that’s always competitive, constantly changing, and perpetually fast-paced, this kind of support can be indispensable. 

2. Enhanced Customer Service and Client Satisfaction

By ensuring all client communications—from email follow-ups to cold calls—are handled promptly and professionally, real estate assistants play a critical role in enhancing client satisfaction. Their involvement in managing showings, addressing client queries with valuable answers, and providing regular updates elevates the level of customer service that a business can offer. 

This kind of support leads to a better client experience, which can be hard for agents to offer when busy with all the other moving parts of their business. With an assistant, fostering trust and potentially higher client retention rates is easier than ever.

3. Ability to Focus on Core Business Activities

With an assistant taking care of the day-to-day tasks, such as handling documentation, following up with clients, and, of course, showing houses, real estate agents can concentrate on core activities, such as negotiating deals, acquiring new listings, and developing marketing strategies. There are countless plates to spin in real estate, so an extra set of hands allows agents to focus primarily on the ones that actually drive profits. 

This enhanced focus on key business areas can lead to more effective business growth, improved sales strategies, and a deeper understanding of the market. Assistants allow agents to zone in on the aspects of the business that truly make the difference. 

4. Cost-Effectiveness Compared to Hiring Additional Agents

Hiring a real estate showing assistant is often more cost-effective and practical than bringing on additional agents, especially if a business is in its earlier stages. Assistants can manage multiple aspects of the business at a lower cost, earning a set salary rather than taking a cut from a commission split. By providing a versatile range of services without earning from sales directly, they can be a highly cost-effective hire for real estate agents. 

This financial efficiency makes hiring a real estate showing assistant a practical choice for real estate firms looking to expand their capabilities without significantly increasing their expenses. Hiring an assistant is also a great way to vet someone’s capacity to one day become a real estate agent, offering them some hands-on experience in the business before progressing in their career. 

The decision to hire a real estate showing assistant can bring substantial value to real estate businesses, big and small. By enhancing overall productivity, improving the customer experience, allowing agents to spend their time on higher-value tasks, and providing a cost-effective alternative to hiring more agents, real estate assistants have shown themselves to be an invaluable asset to any real estate team.

Conclusion

The role of real estate assistants, particularly in the domain of property showings, is undeniably crucial in today’s highly competitive real estate landscape. Throughout this article, we have explored the diverse qualifications, skills, and responsibilities that come part and parcel with the career of an assistant. Along with describing the ins and outs of the job, we’ve also broken down the undeniable benefits that these professionals bring to the table. 

With all of this information, it’s clear they’re more than mere facilitators of the mundane (although they can do a great job in these areas); they are pivotal cogs with the capacity to enhance efficiency, ensure client satisfaction, and contribute to the overall success of real estate operations.

Real estate assistants, with their multifaceted abilities, elevate the standard of service and efficiency of businesses in the industry. They allow real estate agents the invaluable opportunity to concentrate on the core aspects of their business, such as closing deals and strategizing for growth, while ensuring the operational side runs seamlessly. The cost-effectiveness of hiring an assistant, as opposed to bringing additional agents into the fold, further underlines the strategic advantage they offer to any real estate business.

If you are in the real estate industry and looking to enhance your productivity, client satisfaction, and operational efficiency, hiring a real estate assistant is definitely worth considering. The positive impact an assistant can have on your business is clear and simple: picture a career with streamlined workflows and improved customer interactions, offering you the freedom and capacity to focus on high-impact activities as an agent.

In summary, real estate assistants are invaluable assets integral to the functioning and success of real estate businesses. Their role is a testament to the saying that “behind every successful real estate agent, there is an efficient and dedicated real estate assistant.”

For more insightful pieces on the real estate industry, check out our blog today.