Few things in the real estate world are more
critical than being able to reach your target
market with the right words at the right time.
Nikita Devereaux, owner of
Simply Virtual, based in Charlotte, North
Carolina, specializes in marketing materials
that help her clients really shine. Here’s how
this deeply skilled VA does it.
MI: Nikkie,
you have an extensive background as an
Executive Assistant in the traditional
corporate world. How do you feel this
prepared you for the type of work you do
with clients today?
ND: My
experience has taught me the importance of a
well-presented “package.” As an assistant to
Presidents and CEOs at Fortune 25 companies,
I learned that no matter what business
you're in, you're really in the marketing
business. Image is everything!
I work extensively with
all my clients (but especially real estate
agents) to help them establish and maintain
a professional image and keep their name in
front of prospects. Even the best service is
doomed to fail if no one knows about it!
Coupled with natural organizational
abilities, it’s a win!
MI: With all
your experience in the corporate world, why
did you decide to become self-employed as a
Virtual Assistant?
ND: [Laughing] A
better question is why I ever worked in the
corporate world with all the passion I have
for entrepreneurship! My father ran a
software engineering firm for about 15
years, so I grew up knowing I’d own a
business. I found my calling in
administrative support early (I was my dad’s
“little secretary” probably before it was
legal!) so the transition to virtual
assistance was natural.
It’s amazing though,
how God works. In 2000, I was providing
virtual assistance to SOHO entrepreneurs on
a part time basis while working a full time
job at Time Warner. Fortunately, the merger
with AOL closed our retail division and I
was “outsized.” LOL. It was a blessing in
disguise. With severance in hand, I
committed to a full time venture and Simply
Virtual hasn’t stopped growing since.
MI: Your
previous work background wasn’t in the real
estate field, so what led you to work with
real estate agents as clients?
ND: One of my
first clients was a RE/MAX broker with 25+
years in the business. She worked with
in-house assistants and was looking for a
more efficient way to support her team. She
heard about Virtual Assistants and contacted
me. I knew I excelled at administrative and
marketing services, but was reluctant to get
into an area I had little experience with.
She was persistent and committed to teaching
me the business.
As I learned, I found
real estate to be the perfect partner to
virtual assistance. I enjoyed interfacing
with clients and the creativity required for
problem solving and relationship building. I
earned the Real Estate Professional
Assistant (REPA) designation from NAR to
authenticate my hands-on training.
MI: You’ve
been offering services to agents for several
years now. Have you developed any areas that
you specialize in?
ND: I still provide
administrative and transaction management
services. However, Simply Virtual focuses
primarily on personal marketing for agents.
I’ve applied a concept we hear a lot, “Focus
on what you do best . . .”. Marketing and
design is my first love, and I’m good at it!
I have the ability to create and promote a
professional image that fosters trust and
accordingly, gets business in the door. It’s
up to the agent to connect and provide
excellent service to encourage repeat
business and referrals.
MI: As
you’ve worked with clients to develop their
marketing materials and campaigns, what
would be your best advice on the best way to
approach this?
ND: The best
advice I can offer is DON’T do it – unless
you are familiar with the psychology of
marketing and can create pieces that attract
your target prospect. The biggest mistake
most entrepreneurs and yes, real estate
professionals make is having a “Do It
Yourself” mentality. That only works on HGTV!
REALTORS® have special
talents. It’s best to hone their skills in
those areas and invest in people who have
talents in marketing, organizing and
creating structure. If you are committed to
your success, you’ll recognize that the
investment is well worth the value.
MI: The
success of your business is certainly a
testament to how well virtual assistance can
work. Was there a certain point at which you
realized how powerful this model of business
is?
ND: Oh yeah!
Just last year, I relocated to North
Carolina. Because my client base and
contacts were primarily in Michigan, I opted
to leave the business structure in place
there. That meant completely trusting the
virtual relationships I’d developed. It was
quite a challenge at first. But, I learned
quickly how to depend on my own virtual
assistant for critical tasks like invoicing,
receivables, and even bank deposits. It’s
helped me be more innovative in creating
solutions for Simply Virtual clients.
MI: What
would you say is the most unexpected thing
you’ve learned in providing support services
to clients in the real estate industry or
clients in general?
ND: Hmm. This is
pretty hard-hitting, but I’d have to say the
lack of accountability of some business
owners. I think people believe VAs (or
assistants in general) will solve all their
woes. They are sometimes reluctant to
examine how their own work habits and
mindsets might contribute to limited
success. I encourage Simply Virtual clients
to identify and resolve everything that may
prohibit them from obtaining the level of
success we both know they’re capable of. I
think they appreciate my honesty.
MI: Nikkie,
thank you for sharing your story with us.
You’ve provided some valuable insight into
the many possibilities for great
partnerships between Virtual Assistants for
real estate support and real estate
professionals.
ND: Thanks. I’ve
got to say, Michael, that you have made an
enormous impact on me and the virtual
assistant industry as a whole. I am a
long-time fan and try to implement your
ideas on e-Productivity whenever and
wherever possible!
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
the perfect VA or VA team to help you get
organized, profitable, and in control of your
business.
