Episode Details

Do you feel like you're drowning in tasks and wondering if it's time for help? This episode is a deep dive into how realtors utilize and pay assistants, and we've got the data to back it up. We pulled numbers from NAR's 2024 Member Profile survey of 6,000 agents, plus our own listener survey where 170 of you responded, so we're covering everything from national trends down to what's actually happening in the Hustle Humbly community.

We break down how many agents have assistants (spoiler: most don't), what tasks assistants are actually doing versus what agents wish they were doing, how much people are paying by the hour, by salary, and per transaction, and the real difference between a licensed and unlicensed assistant. We also read through some honest, sometimes messy listener stories, including one particularly hard situation where an assistant started acting like a business partner instead of an employee, because hiring (and firing) help is rarely as simple as it sounds.

If you've been wondering whether you're ready for an assistant, or you already have one and want to know if you're doing it "right," spoiler again: there is no one right way, but there are a lot of smart ways to think about it.

Here's what we cover in this episode:
-National data on how many realtors have an assistant, broken down by years of experience
-The most common tasks personal assistants handle, from MLS entry to closing paperwork
-Why an assistant can't fix a disorganized business, and why systems should come first
-Results from our own 170-person listener survey on assistants and transaction coordinators
-How many hours a week most assistants actually work
-Common pay structures: hourly, salary, per transaction, and percentage of commission
-Real hourly rate ranges agents reported paying their assistants
-The difference between a licensed and unlicensed assistant, and what each can legally do
-Why keeping assistants off client-facing communication works better for some agents
-A full breakdown of what one listener's licensed assistant handles day to day
-A hard listener story about an assistant who started acting like a business partner
-Why starting small and adding tasks gradually beats going all in from day one
-The value of splitting responsibilities between a TC and a virtual assistant instead of one person doing it all
-Why interns can be a great low-pressure way to get help without full-time commitment
-The importance of writing real SOPs so training a new assistant doesn't start from scratch every time

Key quotes from this episode:
"An assistant won't fix a disorganized business. You've got to tidy up before inviting someone in." - Alissa
"The mental load of real estate is heavy. Offloading even small tasks can make a huge difference." - Katy
"Start small. Test the waters with one or two tasks before committing to a full-time assistant." - Katy
"If you don't have systems in place, hiring an assistant might cost you more in the long run." - Alissa
"There's no one right way to structure assistant pay or tasks. Do what works for you and your business." - Katy

Products, people, and previous episodes mentioned:
-NAR 2024 Member Profile survey
-Episode 81: Is It Time for an Assistant?
-Trello
-SkySlope

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