First Real Estate client

[McCaul Assistance]

Hi Reva's!

I'm curious to know how you landed your first real estate client?

And what kind of experience did you have at the time? I have a PA license and the knowledge but lack the experience so I'm not confident in marketing myself as a REVA...yet!

Thanks and hope to hear from you!

[MegBarberVA]

I was quite fortunate with how I landed my first real estate clients. I had a considerable amount of experience in the real estate industry by working in an administrative role at a corporate office for a large real estate company, then moving on to be a office manager for a small office, and in-house assistant for an agent. It was in that small office where many of the agents knew me, where I landed my first 2 clients. When they heard I was going off on my own and starting this VA business, they jumped at the chance to hire me. So my first clients were local to me and knew me personally.

Having the experience under your belt does help, but perhaps you can start out doing simple admin tasks for agents. Help them manage their voicemail, or their emails. Help schedule and track appointments. Help them with simple desktop publishing tasks like making new property flyers or postcards. You will learn more as you go along and be able to provide new services. And if you ever run across tasks or programs that you are unfamiliar with, or have questions on, there are many experienced REVAs out there that can help you through it.

Believe me, I didn't know EVERYTHING when I started my VA business 4 years ago. I have learned so much by networking with other REVAs and taking a few education courses here and there. I am still learning new things to this day.

So have confidence in what you CAN do and what you DO know, because there is bound to be an agent out there that will need that from you.

Megan

[Your Virtual Wizard]

Lori, If you are not confident a marketing yourself as a REVA, then why not slide in slowly with offering general services to real estate professionals? Some agents don't really require real estate work...such as transaction coordination. Some just want you to work on their photos, newsletter or blog for them, as I do. These are tasks you can do for anyone in no particular industry. As time progresses, you can work on their Top Producer site if they have one or their Point 2 site. After you are confident that you have enough real estate skills under your belt, you can post the title as REVA.

Good luck!

Jan

[McCaul Assistance]

Thank you Megan and Jan! This forum is so helpful and supportive...I love it!

I took a Top Producer 8i class recently and am looking into the Webographer course. I'm also meeting with a realtor next week and she is going to spend some time "training" me on the policies and procedures so I think that will help.

Do you go to networking events for realtors and are you an active member of ActiveRain?

I appreciate your help!

[jemsva]

I think the idea of easing into the field is a great one for someone who has not worked in it before.

Great advice.

[Your Virtual Wizard]

I'm a member of Active Rain but most of my blogs cited are through an agent whose blogs I write and maintain. If I write them, I get the credit so that's very helpful to getting my name out there even if it is on someone else's blog.

I don't go to real estate networking events. There are few where I live but I do contact agents individually who send farm letters to my home. I explain how I can help make their site better or I suggest starting a blog. It's tedious work but occassionally I get a nibble. I'm not banking solely on agents for work, though. Many agents seem to be doing some of the grunt work themselves although I do stress that I can take that away from them, which gives more time for them to turn FSBOs into agent listings. Most understand that but the committment is hard for them to make. Then I have to turn that hurdle around...so it's an ever-ending string of obstacles that I slowly navigate.

It's a little bit harder for me to do given the negativity of the real estate market overall.

Janine

[EcoGreenREVA]

Hi Reva's!

I'm curious to know how you landed your first real estate client?

And what kind of experience did you have at the time? I have a PA license and the knowledge but lack the experience so I'm not confident in marketing myself as a REVA...yet!

Thanks and hope to hear from you!

GREAT question... It's been awhile since this was first asked, so I'm going to bump it and hope for a few more replies. Thanks to all who replied thusfar!

[Simply2Assist]

my first real estate client was actually my sister. she is a successful realtor here locally and she had given me some pointers on how to get into the real estate business.

[theinvisibleassistant]

I started full time as an "in-house" assistant, spent about 6 months there. Had to start doing it prt time from home, and get a different job due to the market. The knowledge and experience I gained from listening to phone conversations, reviewing contracts and offers, and using the different real estate specific forums was priceless.

Melissa