Field Guide to Personal Assistants
(Updated April 2011)
In today's hectic and high-powered world of real estate, you may feel that there are not enough hours in the day to get the job done. That's where the personal assistant can be of use. But how do you hire a real estate assistant? What job duties can they perform? The following articles, books, and audio-visual materials may help to clarify some of these issues for you. (K. Janisch, Information Specialist)
Characteristics of Personal Assistants
14% of REALTORS® use at least one personal assistant
51% of personal assistants are unlicensed
48% of personal assistants are employed part-time
72% of personal assistants work exclusively for one REALTOR®
Source: 2010 National Association of REALTORS® Member Profile, (National Association of REALTORS®, 2009).
What can a personal assistant do for you? 
Personal Assistants Tool Kit, (REALTOR® Magazine Online, n.d.).
Use Personal Assistants for Prospecting, (REALTOR® Magazine Online, n.d.).
Be Sure That Your Associates Know What Their Assistants Can Do, (About.com).
Are You Ready for an Assistant?, (REALTOR® Magazine Online, n.d.).
Why You Need a Personal Assistant, (www.articlesbase.com, n.d..).
Top 8 Additional Duties for a Licensed Real Estate Assistant, (About.com, May 2008 ).
Job Description for a Real Estate Assistant, (Active Rain, May 2008).
Do I Need a Personal Assistant? Determine If You Need an Assistant, (Houston REALTORS® Online, Feb. 2007).
Working Together, (REALTOR® Magazine Online, Apr. 1, 2007).
HELP WANTED: Personal Assistant Needed, (Wisconsin Real Estate Online, Jan. 11, 2007).
The Power of the Personal Assistant, (Realty Times, Mar. 21, 2003).
Personnel Issues
Staying a step ahead, (REALTOR® Magazine, Nov. 1, 2006).
Personal Assistant Q & A, (REALTOR® Magazine, 2006).
Personal assistants: Learning to Excel, (REALTOR® Magazine, Feb. 2002).
eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks.realtor.org
The following ebooks and digital audiobooks are available to NAR members:
Be a Kickass Assistant (Kindle, Adobe eReader)
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
The resources below are available for loan through Information Central. Up to three books, tapes, CDs and/or DVDs can be borrowed for 30 days from the Library for a nominal fee of $10. Call Information Central at 800.874.6500 for assistance.
Become a mega-producer real estate agent: profit from a licensed assistant, (Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western, 2005). HF 5438 H42b
Real estate assistants: a guide for risk management, (Chicago, IL: National Association of REALTORS®, 2001). HF 5438 N16rm
The professional assistant: a guide to success for real estate assistants, (Chicago, IL: Real Estate Education Co., 1996). HF 5438 R33
Multiply your success with real estate assistants, (Chicago, IL: Real Estate Education Company, 1994). HD 1375 R22ms
Boost your business. How to find, train and work with professional assistants, (CRS Residential Specialist, Jan./Feb. 2005, p. 36-39).
Tell your agents to avoid these three common mistakes when hiring assistants, (Real Estate Broker's Insider, Feb. 15, 2004, p. 5-6).
How to hire--and keep--an assistant: Look for the right qualities, pay well, (Real Estate Broker's Insider, Jan. 1, 2004, p. 6-7).
Field Guides & More
These Field Guides and other resources in the Virtual Library may also be of interest:
Field Guide to Real Estate Office Policy Manuals
Field Guide to Time Management for Real Estate Professionals
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