If admin work is keeping you from doing your actual work, then perhaps it’s time. Here are four key signs you need to hire your first assistant.
How do you know when you’ve taken on too much in your real estate business? A lot of agents reach a point where managing showings, marketing, contracts, and administrative tasks starts to feel overwhelming. In fact, when I started building my team, I also thought that doing everything myself was the way to succeed. I handled listings, showings, marketing, paperwork, and even small errands.
At first, it felt productive, but I soon realized that being busy was not the same as being effective. I missed a new lead because I was caught up in another deal, and that one missed opportunity cost me over $14,000 in commission. It made it clear that hiring an assistant was essential to regain focus and grow my business.
I want to share how to know it’s time to bring help on board. Here are four signs you’re ready to hire an assistant.
1. Drowning in administrative work. If most of your time is spent on email, scheduling, and managing contact information rather than assisting clients, this is a clear indicator. Real estate agents didn’t enter the profession to perform administrative tasks. An assistant can manage these responsibilities and allow you to focus on the work that directly generates income, such as client interactions, negotiations, and closing deals.
“Hiring an assistant provides time, energy, and focus to concentrate on high-value work.”
2. Missing opportunities. If you’ve ever received a client message and failed to respond promptly, it may indicate missed opportunities. Slow follow-ups, overlooked leads, and forgotten touchpoints are not personal failures; they are system failures. An assistant ensures that no tasks or communications are neglected, freeing you to concentrate on high-value activities.
3. Hitting a time or income ceiling. If your schedule is full, your evenings are consumed, and your income remains flat, that means you’ve reached your capacity. Scaling can’t be achieved by working additional hours. Having an assistant lets you regain time that you can use to focus on activities that can expand your business and increase your earnings.
4. Your budget supports it. Instead of asking whether you can afford an assistant, consider whether you can afford not to. Even a part-time assistant can remove enough tasks from your schedule to let you focus on work that has a direct impact on income. The cost of hiring is often offset by the additional revenue generated from the tasks you are now able to prioritize.
Hiring an assistant provides time, energy, and focus to concentrate on high-value work. It allows your business to grow more efficiently and transforms your role from managing every task to leading a growing team. Start by identifying which tasks should be delegated first. Regaining your time will enable you to focus on what matters most, and the changes to your business can be substantial.
Have any questions? I’d love to hear them! Feel free to call me at 480-775-7700 or send an email to Bret@RNGAZ.com. I’d be happy to answer everything on your mind and help you make a solid plan to close the year successfully, so you can enter the new year strong.
