Building a real estate team requires patience, creativity, and knowledge. More often than not, many of our clients aren’t sure whether they need to hire a real estate assistant with industry experience, or if they could benefit from hiring someone who’s new to the game.
Do you know who you need to make your business thrive? More importantly – once you’ve found them, do you know how to keep them motivated? We’re here to help you rise to the hiring (and training!) challenge and give you the tools you need to find the perfect assistant.
There are a myriad of benefits associated with hiring an experienced real estate assistant. First off, they may be licensed, or have other certifications that give them a leg up when it comes to working efficiently for you and your business. Second, they will be familiar with the intricacies of real estate systems and processes from open to close. Lastly, they may have learned things working with other real estate teams – like money-saving tactics or helpful software – that they could apply to benefit you and yours.
Seems great, right? So… what’s the hitch?
Well, experienced real estate assistants will ask for a higher salary and expect benefits. They also may have picked up habits in their previous role(s) that are counterintuitive to your business, and it can be a challenge to re-train someone who is set in their ways. Last but not least, they may not be as motivated or excited to learn as someone who hasn’t worked in the industry. It isn’t always fresh, new, and exciting for an experienced REA – it’s simply another step in their career.
Imagine you’ve found someone who you think would be an excellent fit for your business, but they’ve never worked in the real estate industry. Can you really make it work?
In short: yes! But you’ll need to be prepared to navigate a few hurdles along the way.
When you hire a generalist, you also get a wealth of knowledge and experience from outside the real estate industry. Remember, REAs who have worked for other businesses may be able to see unexpected areas for improvement or have creative solutions to problems that someone who had only worked in real estate would never think of. It isn’t a bad idea to have a fresh perspective on your team!
Hiring a generalist can also be beneficial if you have strict systems and processes, or if you truly want someone to do it “your way.” They’ll be a blank canvas for you to carefully train them (or have someone train them for you, but we’ll get to that in a second), and they will likely be very motivated to learn.
They won’t have experience with real estate systems, certifications, or familiarity with the ins-and-outs with the real estate industry, but all of that is trainable if you’re willing to put in the effort.
So, let’s say that you’ve chosen to hire a real estate assistant without industry experience. You’re trying to train them, but you’ve discovered that you just don’t have the time to give them the attention and direction they need. The REA 101 training program is the perfect resource for your new assistant. This 12-module online and on-demand training course for brand new (and experienced!) assistants will help them navigate complex intricacies of working for a real estate team.
Did you hire an experienced REA but you’re struggling to effectively communicate what you need? No problem – 90 Days to Thrive will get your new hire up to speed quickly so they can make an immediate impact on your business.
No matter who you choose to hire, the team at Kammbium is here to help. Reach out to us if you’re struggling to make a hire or you’re looking for support when training your new assistant.
KATHLEEN METCALF
Founder & CEO AT KAMMBIUM
CO-FOUNDER AT HIRE LAB
Continue the conversation with her here.
TALK TO KATHLEEN