Imagine the benefits of having an assistant
with over 25 years real estate and banking know-how.
Gretchen Berg of
Berg Business Solutions is a Virtual Assistant
offering the unusual combination of broad and deep
industry experience. Read on to see how her rich
background can translate to a more profitable and
enjoyable career for you.
MI: Gretchen,
you have quite an extensive background in real
estate, lending, and title. How has that best
prepared you for serving REALTORS as a VA.
GB: My background in
the Title Insurance business has provided me
with experience in all phases of the real estate
industry. Working in the largest industry of a
rapidly growing resort area was, at times, a
virtual job. Over 70% of the property owners in
Vail, Colorado, are second home owners who live
elsewhere. As a result, I often prepared
documents, managed transactions and handled
closings for realtors, lenders and property
owners who were not physically there. I learned
to provide great customer service from a
distance via telephone, email, courier, and
other available technology.
MI: Why did you
decide to go "virtual"?
GB: Like many of my
clients, I have an entrepreneurial spirit. I
needed the freedom to define my work, the
ability to do satisfying work from home and the
ability to run my own business while helping
others grow theirs. I have over 25 years of
experience in business and business management
and felt that I could provide superb service to
clients that had visions similar to my own.
Since I had already worked “semi-virtually” in
the brick and mortar world, the transition was
nearly seamless.
MI: What do you
like most and least about being a Virtual
Assistant?
GB: I love the
flexibility of working from home and the variety
of work that I do. I can work the schedule that
works best for my clients and me even if it’s
not the traditional 8:00-5:00. I am able to
specialize in areas that interest me and provide
a service at the same time. I haven’t found
anything yet that I don’t like about being a
Virtual Assistant.
MI: Out of all
the things you do for REALTORS, what are the one
or two things you specialize in most?
GB: I really enjoy
desktop publishing. I can prepare marketing
materials, design a logo, or generate brochures
and postcards. I also have a strong business
background and am able to prepare budgets,
spreadsheets, databases and web sites. In
addition, I am a client care manager and provide
transaction coordination services via eClosingCoordinator.com.
MI: Because of
your previous career, you have been around real
estate professionals a great deal. How does
working "virtually" help or hinder your ability
to provide your services?
GB: Working
virtually allows clients to use me only as much
as they need to. There are few jobs that can’t
be done virtually but a virtual working
relationship will only work if both parties are
good communicators. If e-mails and telephone
calls are not responded to or returned, the
relationship won’t be successful. In the virtual
world, you can’t stand at someone’s door until
you get an answer. Parties have to find a way to
communicate that is mutually comfortable and
timely. Effective communication is the key to
timely completion of assignments and a
successful virtual working relationship.
MI: What is the
most important thing a REALTOR should do prior
to first contacting a VA?
GB: Realtors should
evaluate what services they need assistance with
and be prepared, mentally, to form a partnership
with a person they may never meet. Potential
clients should list the tasks they perform every
day and determine which of these they could
outsource. They should then spend time
interviewing virtual assistants until they find
a person with the proper credentials and be
prepared to let go.
MI: What do you
like most about working with REALTORS and what
do you find most frustrating?
GB: Realtors are
driven, high-energy, hard-working,
entrepreneurial types who tend to work odd hours
in a demanding business. Depending on the
situation, the same traits can be either
admirable or frustrating!
MI: Last
Question: How can a REALTOR maximize the results
or benefits they will see when working with a
competent VA?
GB: Once they have
selected a Virtual Assistant, a realtor should
be prepared to utilize them for all the services
that they can provide. It is more efficient and
cost effective to outsource as many tasks as
possible than to be overwhelmed by them.
MI: Gretchen,
thank you for taking the time to share your
industry experience and insight with our
readers!
GB: It’s been my
pleasure. Thank you for the opportunity to share
my background and services and for supporting
and promoting the Virtual Assistant industry
through your work.
You can learn more about Gretchen and her VA
services by visiting her Website at
http://www.gberg.com, contacting her via
e-mail at
mailto:GBERG@centurytel.net or by phone at
970-376-3947. Always remember to do a thorough
due-diligence before hiring any kind of assistant.
This interview is part of an ongoing series of VA
profiles designed to help you find that perfect VA
that will launch you to the top quicker and with
less effort than you ever thought possible!
