By far the most powerful tools today's agent has in their business is a personal assistant. Please do not stop reading just because you think you can't afford one, you are too new to get one, or you are too busy to train one.

Listen up - because some of the most dramatic changes I have seen in real estate agent's businesses has been when they have taken the plunge and hired a personal assistant. Hiring a personal assistant does not have to be a risky venture. You need to do it wisely, and you need to do it right the first time.

My general rule of thumb is that you need a full-time assistant when you are doing 50 or more sides per year and a part-time assistant at about 25 sides per year. If you do less than 25 sides per year it still may be better to use contracted services on a project basis.

Assistants will free you up to do what you do best which is getting in front of your clients. Your greatest asset is making sure that you have kept all the promises that you have made to your clients. Most real estate agents who take on a personal assistant could not be without them once they have gone through the initial phase of training and implementing them into their business.

The key to working successfully with a personal assistant is to create a master task list for them. Clearly outline the things that you need done on a weekly and monthly basis. This will prevent the weeks and months flying by without you ever getting those important contact items done for your clients.

You personal assistant can help you make more money and most importantly help you to clear up some time in your life to give you some balance. If you are nervous about hiring an employee then look for someone who already is running their small business and is looking for a client. Personal assistants are a sure way to increase your income and decrease your work load.

Discover what many of us have found to be our secret to success in the real estate industry, our assistants!

Published: August 8, 2002

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The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones, brings over two decades of experience in the real estate industry. With expertise in strategic marketing, business analysis, branding, new home project planning, product development, and agent/broker training, Denise is nationally recognized as the go-to for all things "real estate.” Denise can be reached at 369.527.8904 or at www.thelonesgroup.com.