What Unlicensed Real Estate Virtual Assistants Can Do in Iowa
The Iowa Real Estate Commission provides the licensees with a set of guidelines meant to regulate the responsibilities of unlicensed personnel. There are two lists, one with the activities permitted and one with those prohibited to a professional personal assistant of a real estate agent or broker. Nevertheless, their activities are not limited to the items on the lists.
Therefore, in the state of Iowa, a real estate assistant job description includes:
- Answering the phone, providing other licensees with information about a listing, forwarding the calls from the public to the licensee;
- Entering data on listings to an MLS;
- Checking the status of a loan commitment following the negotiation of a contract;
- Putting together the documents for a closing;
- Securing documents from courthouses and other sources that are available to the public;
- Having keys made for a company listing;
- Writing promotional materials and ads and showing them to the licensee for approval;
- Placing ads in the media as instructed by the licensee;
- Recording and making deposits;
- Performing bookkeeping activities;
- Filling in contract forms observing the instructions of the licensee;
- Monitoring personnel files;
- Calculating commission checks;
- Placing signs on properties;
- Ordering routine repair items as instructed by the licensee;
- Acting as a courier – deliver documents, pick up keys;
- Scheduling appointments for the licensee to show properties;
- Scheduling inspections;
- Scheduling open houses;
- Scheduling mortgage applications, pre-closing walk-thru, closings;
- Performing maintenance works on properties;
- Hosting open houses attended exclusively by salespersons and licensed brokers;
- Accompanying the licensee to open houses and showings.
What do personal assistants do at open houses? They open the door and greet the public, distribute pre-printed materials, make sure the prospects fill in the guest book with their contact information, ensure security.
