Greg Kime of GW Kime & Associates / Keller Williams just recently started working with VirtuAllin. We've had the priveledge of creating their entire marketing plan from logo concept/creation, business cards, technology recommendations, website and will soon assist them with creation of action plans and management of their listings.

I'm happy to welcome Greg to Real Tech for Real Estate and get his perspective on Virtual Assistance.

Tell us a little about yourself and your history in real estate.

My philosophy is that people don't want to be sold; they want to buy. Listen. Gather the appropriate information. Put your client's needs before yours. Solve their problem; make their dream of home ownership come true. Treat your client like family and truly CARE about them. It's all about their agenda; not ours. Provide leadership throughout the process and make the experience fun. As far as my personal experience in real estate; over 1000 homes sold since 1993...mainly on the new construction side. It's been a fascinating experience and quite rewarding.

How did you hear about Virtual Assistants?

One of the agents in our office uses one. From a management perspective, it made a lot of sense to me.

How did you begin your search for a VA and what was the process like?

Began the search via Google, of course! Spent hours late at night reading various web sites. The services they offered were attractive to me. It's impossible to run this business all by yourself.

Yes, indeed - I believe you read just about every single page on my site! It was very flattering. <grin>

What made you decide to work with us?

Cheryl's technical knowledge blew me away. The internet is a huge part of the business now and it's important to have a strong web presense.
Cheryl's expertise with the internet and building web sites was the selling factor. We're still building our site; but it's going to be one of the best when it's done.

Tell us what it’s been like working with VirtuAllin so far – the best and the worst (it’s okay, be honest!) How has the reality compared to your initial concepts of how it would work?

The web site is going to be fantastic and Cheryl has been great with working with us on some of our creative ideas. She's a great listener and problem solver. Our next step will be using her services for listing management and incorporating action plans and follow-up plans for our listing clients.
Not sure if this is negative, but you have to realize you aren't the only client. Calls aren't returned immediately. Emails are not returned immediately. Typically it takes 24-48 hours for return calls/emails.

Very true, some days are better than others... I do recommend following me at Twitter as you'll get more immediate feedback - It's addicting!

What advice do you have for prospective Virtual Assistant users who are sitting on the fence?

Figure out what job tasks you can handle and what tasks need to be delegated. Determine a monthly budget for your virtual assistant. Realize they have multiple clients and be patient working with them. Discuss what your needs are with the potential virtual assistant's being interviewed.
Determine the best fit.

Great advice, indeed! Any parting shots? Additional comments you would like to add?

To me, it's the wave of the future in our information age. We need help from outside sources. The key question is, "how efficient do we want to be?"

I want to thank Greg for taking time out of his busy day to talk with us about his experiences working with a Real Estate Virtual Assistant. Be sure to check out his website at www.gwkime.com and let us know what you think in the comments!

Do you have questions about Virtual Assistance or tips for other readers? Please comment below!