Ella Stratton shares the most valuable lessons about virtual assistants

Imagine transforming your business with the power of virtual assistants. That's what we're talking about with our guest, Ella Stratton, owner of Platinum Property Co and the Associate Co. Ella's story is a testament to the power of virtual assistants. Starting her business with no office and no staff, she found a VA online, and the rest is history. Ella's insights into the evolution of her VA relationship as her business grew are sure to inspire you to explore this avenue for your own business.

The conversation gets exciting as Ash & Ella navigate the structure of a VA pod, discussing how to manage daily tasks and the potential for adding more VA's to boost capacity. They also tackle the fascinating interface of AI and VA's. Think of it as your own tech-savvy A-team, ready to ramp up efficiency in your property management business.

What about personal branding and risk management for property managers? We got you covered. We shed light on how having a dedicated personal assistant can be a game-changer. From boosting your personal brand to managing risks, the benefits are numerous. But what happens when a property manager changes jobs? Does the PA follow? We discuss this and more, offering you insights into how to integrate VA's and AI into your property management business. So, tune in and get ready grow your business!

The PIP Advantage for Landlord Insurance

Up to $70,000 contents cover included in our landlords policies

14 months cover for just 12 months premium  in your first year

Further discounts when you have three or more properties insured through PIP

24/7 Australia-wide claims service

Online Real Estate Agent Portal for easy access and management

Visit their website

Business owners are building their rental portfolios faster than ever and Property Managers can’t possibly do it all!

Keep your property managers doing what they love and outsource the things they don’t to a company that thrives on positive feedback and guarantees a premium personalised service

www.propertyassistwa.com.au

This weeks sponsor is On Tap Plumbing & Gas - 24/7 Plumbing servicing all of Perth from Mandurah to Two Rocks.

www.ontapplumbinggas.com.au

6206 6888

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:26

Welcome to the PM Collective, a dynamic hub designed to empower business owners, property managers and BDMs to excel in their careers Through access to intimate conversations, cutting edge of video training, mental health support and unparalleled motivation. Our community is the ultimate destination for individuals seeking to elevate their professional lives to new heights. So sit back, relax and enjoy our next conversation on our weekly podcast, the Art of Property Management.

Speaker 2: 0:57

So today's podcast I am delighted to have Ella Stratton join us Now. Ella is the owner of Platinum Property Co and the Associate Co, and we are going to deep dive into virtual assistance and outsourcing in our businesses, because I love people to hear different perspectives of how VA's are used in business, when to get them what we're worried about. But also we're going to touch a little bit on AI and we'll call it a bit of a triangle of AI, va and PM and how they can all work together. So, ella, welcome. Thanks for joining me.

Speaker 3: 1:35

Hello, thank you so much for having me Now.

Speaker 2: 1:37

you were probably a guest and in the very, very early days of PM Collective, I would I'm going to say you're probably one of the first 10 guests.

Speaker 3: 1:46

I think I was. Yeah, I think. So I was going through to try and scroll right back to where my one was and it was, yeah, I think, one of the first few that you ever did.

Speaker 2: 1:58

I was doing my stats yesterday and I downloaded what they were. So we have had over 22,000 downloads since then, which is really good because I've probably been doing it more consistently in the last couple of years. But the podcast lessons are now getting about 1600 lessons per month, which is really really good, and the podcast for those that are new here are very conversational based and I think that that's what people love. People just love hearing and listening to two people, Ella and Ash, having a conversation as we would in a coffee shop about property management, property management stuff and businesses, and sometimes I ask you and having those conversations on topics that you might feel uncomfortable to actually call a colleague and ask about. So we'll try and touch on all the tough questions today. So, ella, I'm going to start off. Can you do a brief intro about where you've been and where you are now to intro to the listeners?

Speaker 3: 3:02

Yeah, so I obviously own Platinum Property Code. So that's a property management agency that I set up around four years ago now and it has grown organically purely organically since then with the rent roll. I've recently over the past sort of 12 months launched the Associates Code, which is essentially it's a virtual assisting company based. We've got an office in the Philippines which is purely property management support. So it is a little bit different to your bigger VA companies where it's more boutique. So we've only got a very small office and really highly trained staff.

Speaker 2: 3:44

Fantastic, and so VA's in your business. Have you used them from day one, or when did you introduce a VA?

Speaker 3: 3:53

Yeah. So when I first started Platinum I started Platinum with, as I said, it was all grown organically I had absolutely no properties. I had no income because I had no properties. I was a single mom. I really took a massive, massive leap of faith in setting up the business and that obviously I couldn't afford staff. It was it was never going to happen. So as I did bring on those first few management, then I started delving into looking at what my other options were with relation to staff, my roadblocks, where I had no office. So I couldn't necessarily bring on staff even if I could afford it because I didn't have an office space and that obviously had all of its own costs associated with it. So that was my main thing really.

Speaker 3: 4:45

My very first staff member before I had an office or anything which really helped me grow Platinum from those really early stages, was my virtual assistant and yeah, it just sort of that. Obviously their roles inside the business have changed a lot since then. Originally she was essentially my assistant, my personal assistant. So I was on the road really hustling to bring in as many management as I could so that I could pay for property, me and my rent and from there sort of she. I would just flick her and have her on WhatsApp. I'd flick her. You know, cmas, that I needed her to do or absolutely anything, because I was on the road all the time.

Speaker 3: 5:28

I didn't. I had to be out meeting with people and face to face with people and as soon as I left one appointment I'd be going to another one to meet with more people. So she would really just be my admin support, doing all of that back end stuff that needed to be done after those appointments. Now, obviously, as Platinum has grown and we've brought in, you know, staff and we've got an office and we've got a lot more properties and we've got a lot more systems in place, the roles that they have have changed and they've definitely now helped me to grow the business and, obviously, from an auditing perspective, make sure everything runs really smoothly. About Catherine, I mean she's still my assistant. Really she does absolutely everything from you know, I've got I'm in contact with her from the minute I wake up to the moment I go to sleep, because she is just the best assistant ever.

Speaker 2: 6:22

So without mentioning names, was that? So that's the same VA that you've had from the start. Did you employ her from a company or from like, independently?

Speaker 3: 6:36

Yeah, so I couldn't afford to get her from a company. I genuinely couldn't even afford what a company were charging out their VA's for. So I actually went and found her online and worked out a little way like to transfer her money through I think it was transfer wise back then, but now it's called something else and yeah, so it was just like a little private deal that we had going on where I would just send her money and then she would work with me until, obviously, things grew and I could actually work out okay, this is how we legally have to do it. But yeah, so you know, we had to do it privately because I couldn't afford to do it.

Speaker 2: 7:17

Oh, my God, I'm so glad that you said that. So I actually. There's a couple of things, though, I want to point out. This podcast is a great follow up listen for those that listen to the one that was released last week, I think, the one just before this, where it was a lady called Katie and she started up her business again with nothing. I think she was on Centrelink, she had nothing, and so it's really good for people then to sort of hear you sort of say I couldn't afford, couldn't afford this, but I needed it. So it's good for people to hear that that we don't all just start off business with all this money in the bank like it's right, right, right from ground zero. But what I love is that you found her online, because I just recently found someone and I so I have a VA in the business. That's fine, but I needed a personal assistant, and I think maybe that's where people need to change their mindset with it, because when you said I just needed PA, that's exactly what I need.

Speaker 2: 8:22

So I did the same thing. I didn't want to pay a company to do it, but I just want to try it for myself and to see how it would work. So I went online, I went on LinkedIn this was really recently, guys, this was like four weeks ago and I found a lady that I thought looked good. I did some you know Facebook stalking on her. Still she was looking good, so I sent her a message. So so I wasn't over committing myself. I said, listen, I'm happy to commit to three months, maximum 20 hours per week, because I just want to sort of see how I'm going and and she is so good and now I pay for her personally. So she is like my personal assistant, nothing to do with business, nothing to do with work, just for me and she just helps me, like you said. You know, whenever I've got property checks to do, I just flick them to her on WhatsApp or the email. She does them, she sends them back, and the thing that I've noticed the difference is that I feel so less guilty when I am going for a walk not that I do that a lot, but when I do go for a walk I feel like you know what? Someone's got my back, someone's actually doing my, helping me with my emails, but I can go for a walk. So it's a strange feeling, but it's a strange mindset that I've got that. I'm not. If I go get a facial, for example, I feel less bad because I've just picked off a whole heap of emails to her to do so. Then when I finish my facial they're all sitting there ready for me just to send off. So it's that type of thing, like now that I've used her personally.

Speaker 2: 10:00

It gets me thinking, and there's two things that I want to sort of speak to you about. But one thing is are we going to see more people having personal PAs and virtual assistants for themselves, not just property managers, but you know other people and like what would be and this is a very controversial question but what would be like the like ethically with your boss? Like, let's say, one of my, my staff got their own personal VA. At what point should I be concerned or not concerned that they're using a VA to help them do their role? You know what I mean. Is it like it's quite controversial Whether we're going to get to that point in real estate where that is what people do?

Speaker 3: 10:48

Well, I guess it also comes back to I mean, I can't talk for other industries but with property management I do feel and I know you've touched on it before property. I see property management as a lifestyle. I don't see it as a nine to five job. And so if I've got someone in the office that's got their own VA that is using I mean, I use my VA honestly for everything in my personal life as well. She makes my kids birthday invitations. She, when I have these beautiful parties for my kids with these beautiful like posters of every year, like every month that they were born, and everything, she's made all of those things. She's put all the orders in for absolutely everything and she just makes my life work.

Speaker 3: 11:33

And if my property managers are doing that and they're happy, I don't care, like, if that, like, as long as it, as long as everybody's happy and the work's getting done, you know, I think it's fine, I don't. I think it just needs to be seen as that kind of lifestyle choice. But obviously it needs to come as a second priority. You know, if they're doing your kids birthday Invites when they should be sending out management authorities to a new landlord, then that's, I guess, where the line needs to catch on. But you know, I think that it's definitely all possible.

Speaker 2: 12:47

Yeah, I am. I was just gonna ask you why you haven't asked your VA to help plan your wedding.

Speaker 3: 12:54

Well, I guess the only reason that I haven't is because my partner needs to be involved in everything. If he just said, hey, ella, you organize it, do whatever you want to do, we could get married literally next week. We are that efficient that we will have the most amazing wedding. But he needs to have input in absolutely everything, to the point where he has a whole spreadsheet Just to work out what date we're going to use. I like that's it a whole spreadsheet just for the date, which took us four months to agree on a date, and I don't even think we've agreed yet.

Speaker 3: 13:28

Like so there's a lot of behind the scenes stuff, yeah if he just let us do our work, then we'd be fine. Me and my VA will take on the world. But if you know he wants to be a part of it, then you know that's just gonna hold us up a little bit.

Speaker 2: 13:45

What? What is the secret to having a long-term VA like? How have you held on to Catherine for so long?

Speaker 3: 13:55

I think, just because we are so close now, I think and it I mean because we've been through everything that we've been through and we've been working together from the very, very start so much has happened in that time.

Speaker 3: 14:10

As you know, I've had two babies, she's had two babies. We have been through it all together and so I think that that's obviously very different to someone who's just going out and hiring a VA now. But you kind of just, we are just, we've got a very special friendship. And I think it does come off the back of everything that we've been through and how hard we've worked, because I always promised her, like when we, when I originally found her and we first started working together, I knew that her pay was not great, because but that was all that I could afford and she was okay with it at the time, but I promised her that if she just stuck with me and we work together and we built it up, that you know that pay would come in. It has and yeah, so we've just built everything together. I do feel like I owe so much of platinum success to her really, and so I think that that's really helped our relationship grow.

Speaker 2: 15:12

Yeah, so just some tips for a newbie over here that has just got her own. I just am paying through PayPal at the moment, but and it's that type of thing I pay on a Sunday. She works for me again for you know, the week she puts the time sheet in all of that. If we currently just use like WhatsApp and emails, that works fine for us. Is there any special, like you know, trello or Notion or anything like that that you use? That you found super helpful.

Speaker 3: 15:43

Yeah, so we do use Monday, which I find amazing, but we use it again through. The whole agency uses it, so everyone's on board. Originally we use Trello Because it was free, but Monday is a little bit more like Trello, but on steroids it's a lot better but it is quite expensive. But I do find that Mondays definitely helps utilize the VA's to a whole new level of efficiency.

Speaker 2: 16:13

Right. So what does a VA setup look like in your office? So you mentioned before, you've got 300 properties, you've got yourself and you've got Catherine, who, I assume, just full, full time. Would that be right, full time with you?

Speaker 3: 16:29

Yeah, yeah, so she works.

Speaker 3: 16:31

Yeah, she works full time with me, but she also does a lot of the day to day bits and pieces in the agency, like the rent receding, and then she just is a backup.

Speaker 3: 16:41

So it's a very different structure inside Platinum and I do think that that's off the back of the way that I've started with the VA's the whole way through.

Speaker 3: 16:52

We've got so in essentially a little bit like a pod. We've got 300 properties, then we've got a full time property manager, but only one full time property manager managing that pod. We've got someone out on the road doing routine inspections and property condition reports, then that's it, and then obviously the VA's, so effectively the property managers managing the relationships with the landlords and the tenants, managing the final inspections, because we do find that that then carries through making sure that that property is all finalized and everything's wrapped up. So obviously sometimes it can take a little bit more time finalizing the bond and things like that, but that's it. So for that whole pod of the 300 properties, we do only have that one experience property manager inside there and we have done quite a bit of work with Joe at the Efficiency Co and built what that structure is going to look like along the way and we are quite confident that we will be able to bring that up to about 400 properties with that exact same structure in place, and so is that one VA in that pod.

Speaker 2: 18:09

Yes, yeah, perfect, and I love that you mentioned capacity, because it's something that I've been trying to teach a lot of people and a lot of investors as well. It's good to know what capacity you have using the existing structure. So you've mentioned yep. I reckon we can still manage just many properties with another 100 properties with the existing structure that you've got, which is really good. So probably the struggle that you might have is whether the outside, the inspections and things like that, whether that's possible for one person to do 400 with. I don't know, I haven't worked it out.

Speaker 3: 18:52

We've worked out it's only so it ends up being eight inspections, eight routine inspections, three times a week, and so it's not impossible eight inspections three times a week and we're covered, and we do. I mean, at the moment I'm sure you guys are experiencing it a lot as well we're getting a lot of cancellations from every possible reason. So we are finding that we will over schedule them, but then as a backup, we've still got the property manager in the office. So if we over schedule and say we do 10, for example, and that's just too many for the inspector to do that day, we've still got the property manager there. That can go on due to a three you know we've still got. I mean, I can go do it if need be. So we just all work as a team really. So just because you know her job is to inspect the properties, we're all willing to step in and help just to make sure that it runs smoothly.

Speaker 2: 19:55

Yeah, fantastic. And do you think that another step in the business would be to bring on a second VA, or have you thought about when that would happen?

Speaker 3: 20:07

Yeah, so we're quite obviously with the VA business. We're quite lucky because what we actually do to get our VA's trained up is have them work in the business, so they actually work in the day-to-day business of doing all of the different tasks to learn how to do them. So I already have got additional VA's, effectively because even though they're just training, they are doing the work. So if I didn't have that and that's obviously working really well for me because they're getting trained up in the industry ready to be passed on to another agency but if I didn't have that, then yes, I would definitely be looking at bringing in other full-time VA's, not necessarily for the day-to-day management, but I think one full-time VA that's purely for that pod is more than enough, as long as you've got the processes in place and the structure in place and they've got a really solid routine that they follow. But when it comes to the other bits and pieces, like the BDM and social media and all of that sort of thing, there's just so many opportunities for other jobs for VA's to do.

Speaker 2: 21:22

Yeah, absolutely so. With the Associate Co. The VA's that you've got are obviously property management focused. Do they step into social media or do they just stay right in the day-to-day work?

Speaker 3: 21:38

No, they do the social media as well. So ideally, the way that we structure our VA's for our clients is they come fully trained to assist in the day-to-day management of the portfolio, but they also come fully trained in things like your graphic design for your social media posts just scheduling. So every single VA that we sort of train up ready for a client knows a very specific process in getting your social media content prepared for 30 days. So every month you've got your 30 days worth of content for the next 30 days. Obviously, you can go in and change it up or do whatever you need to do, or it's completely customizable, but that is part of their position that they do on a specific day of the month, they prepare it for the next 30 days and they also schedule it in to be posted.

Speaker 2: 22:35

Yeah, fantastic and I just find it such, so fascinating Like we have VA's in the business, but I can't stop bringing it back to the need for a property manager to have what you've called it, also a personal assistant, like to help, because a property manager might have their own social media and things like that. I just, yeah, I keep on bringing it back to that because I think on a business level, businesses have it for the team but the benefit of potentially each person and I wonder, yeah again, the future of property management is a future of property management going to be? You know I've got a job opening going for a property management position comes with phone, car, laptop, pa.

Speaker 3: 23:22

Absolutely. I think that it would just be incredible if we could get people familiar with that kind of structure and have property managers really see the benefit in what that can provide. Because it all comes back to, obviously, as a property manager, you also want to do your own personal branding as well Inside the agency. I mean it obviously benefits the agency as well if you've got a property manager that is doing their personal branding when it comes to things like even just something as simple as when a tenant moves in and you're requesting a Google review, you know, or a new management comes on and you're requesting that landlord to review you. And imagine if every single property manager had their very own personal assistant that was just doing that in the background all of the time, staying consistent with that, staying consistent with their social media when you got that review, staying consistently, posting it. Like just having those systems in place, it can really just build up that property manager's personal brand without him or her really doing anything. It all just happens organically in the background.

Speaker 2: 24:30

Yeah, and imagine if, like as a property manager, you have your own PA that follows you. So when I want to go get a job at I don't know, abc Realty, I come with my own PA, I pay for her personally, like I think that that for me sounds so awesome and I would really be curious, like I mean, obviously I'm never going to go be employed by anybody, but if I you ever want a job, ash, you just can't like that Exactly, but I would love that. Imagine going for a job interview and, yeah, I can do this for all. This is what I'm looking for.

Speaker 2: 25:13

I come with my own, you know, my own VA, my own PA. I just like, for me, that's like really, you know, mind blowing of the opportunity and I know there's risks involved for all the people that are, you know, that are worried about it. There is, you know, the VA or the PA is going to have access to your systems and things like that. But I don't know, I just think there's room for movement and it would be curious to see who is the first in the industry to potentially have their own personal PA. Like I know, today we're talking about the business side of things as well, but yeah, just I keep on coming back to it.

Speaker 3: 25:54

If I was honestly like I think back to when I was working in a property management position, imagine if I had have just hired my own VA, like I could have just gone home for the day. They could have just done all my work. I don't know what it comes to. All of your you know, all of your admin things that I remember just sitting at the desk just doing these repetitive tasks. I could have just had my own VA do them. Or I could have just gone to the beach and still got my salary from my boss Like it would have been the perfect wish I had have known back then.

Speaker 2: 26:25

And it makes me think that, with the associate code, like whether, like personal people can hire their own VA, as opposed to you marketing to a business.

Speaker 3: 26:41

I think it comes back to, I think property managers. I mean obviously they need to get familiar with the benefits and experience the benefits firsthand, because there's so much misunderstanding around that role, because they still have an overview vision that maybe these VA's are trying to steal their jobs, when it's really the opposite. So I think that, yeah, I think property managers. Just I think if the more property managers that start wanting their own VA's and start seeing the benefit in having their own VA's and can show their licensee or the head of department hey look, I'm managing X amount of properties right now and I'm gaining.

Speaker 3: 27:23

I'm so bogged down in the day-to-day management of this that I feel like I could be a lot better if I got a VA who could take on lease renewals, who could take on entry reports, whatever that looks like, and I think they should be wanting one and asking for one and trialing it out. Just give it a go and see how much happier you could be in your position, because the more property managers that do utilize it and start to learn about it, we're gonna have happier property managers. And I'm sure the head of department and licensees are never gonna be against helping their staff be happier, more efficient and growing the agency effectively, even if your job's not in BDM, if you're getting those reviews and keeping your landlords a lot happier being able to pick up the phone, I mean that's a massive thing for property managers. When they're so busy doing the day-to-day things, they don't have time to actually have those conversations sometimes, and that's what property management's all about having those relationships. You know what I mean?

Speaker 2: 28:36

Yeah, and it's going to the myths and what people are worried about. So what you just said people are worried that they're gonna take their jobs and I think that's something that people used to always say at the start. I don't think like it. I don't think that they're there to replace any human being or any human face-to-face in the business. But, like you said, they offer consistency and a process, and that's probably the biggest thing that I found in the business when we brought on our first VA that the letters going out and the process being done is consistent.

Speaker 2: 29:16

And what was happening in my business is that and in fairness, I did give permission for the staff to do this, but they all had their own little process. They all had their own way of dealing with lease renewals. They all had their own email that they sent out to their clients and that worked fine for many, many, many years. But then, as we got bigger, I was like, oh, I need to have a bit more consistency, but not only that. I wanted the team to go on annual leave and for me, or whoever was covering for them, to still be able to process their workload in the same manner as they would, and the only way to do that was for me to have a VA and a process. So when that property manager goes on, leave the VA assists and I can go through the normal process for the business so that the property manager is getting it still a nice holiday and a break without coming back to everything.

Speaker 2: 30:09

So for me, that consistency and that process and to be honest I would actually argue and say that I think that my VA is probably, or the VA for the business is actually more accurate than some of my property managers, because my property managers can sometimes be a bit rushed or they've been known to make a little mistake somewhere and the VA wouldn't have done that and they've done it. So, and it's because they're rushed, they're running in and out, they're doing 20 million things. So for me that's like yeah, the whole replacing stuff is a bit of crap. It's providing the consistency. Is that what you're finding as well?

Speaker 3: 30:49

Yeah, absolutely I think, and it goes back to if the property managers are to ever go on leave or even if they were to actually leave the company altogether. That is a big issue that I know a lot of companies do face with a high turnover of staff that they have it's I call it the McDonald's system. So obviously McDonald's have such a good system running in their franchise where they can hire kids to come in, because they've got such detailed processes on how they consistently make the same burgers, the same chips and everything like that, that they can just bring in any random kid and they can deliver that exact same quality of food when. So I? That's the way that I kind of look at it. I like to just have a little bit of my own little McDonald's property management service where anyone can step in and the landlords not know any different, just know that their property is really well taken care of, regardless of who's driving it.

Speaker 2: 31:54

I love that. That's so true Because when we had someone on annual leave, I had the training. We both worked on the portfolio, but I used it as a training opportunity and it definitely did help a trainee in the business or an assistant property manager be able to process things and it's to look obviously professional. No one would even question it because it's the same letter, it's the same routine and it's the letter that's being generated by the VA that we pass on. So, yeah, but that's a really great analogy and I'll remember that because that's what we've got to consider is that we are having staffing issues. We are finding it difficult to find people. So if we bring in the juniors, how can we make them look good? Because, at the end of the day, that's all we're trying to do. We're just trying to make the property managers look good and the VA's making the property managers look good and the detail they go to in some of their reports for renewals and things like that is so much more than what a normal property manager would do.

Speaker 3: 32:57

It's amazing and it makes us look so good, like even just when it's the simplest thing, like a lease renewal, when we're taking the time to do that research, attach that CMA, make sure it's done three months out, or whatever your process is, and it comes from your inbox so it looks like you're the one who sent it. Then you just like you, look like a superhero. All my landlords think that I'm sending out and if you're listening, sorry, but it's they won't be listening, it's okay. No, but they honestly think that I am like this superhero property manager who is in constant contact with them, even with renters years. Like we let our landlords know as soon as a tenants inventory is two days.

Speaker 3: 33:39

I don't even have my, that just happens automatically. They get those emails and then I'll get these random calls. Sometimes they'll be like, oh, I got your email and I'll be like, oh, yeah, awesome, thanks, and I'll quickly like what email are you talking about? But they're all just so happy and that's. And again it comes back to how I can work with my two babies and run the business and still look like I've got my shit together. And it all does come back to the VA's really 100%.

Speaker 2: 34:09

So the next last thing I want to go through is AI versus VA. What's your thoughts on AI Like? Is AI is now going to make the VA's look better that makes the property manager look better or could AI potentially replace a VA?

Speaker 3: 34:29

So AI is, for From my sort of perception, the best thing to come out when you've got your own VA, because it just completely levels them up to a whole new way of being able to do absolutely everything they can, even when it just comes to your content creation. For example, they can then go in and get those captions going, they can get, they can really utilize it. So I don't think it's one or the other. I think it's putting the right processes and procedures in place so that they can both work really well together, because, as I mean, anyone who uses AI would know, there is definitely a lack of sort of that personal touch inside it, and when you team it up with your VA, then it just takes it all to the next level. So I definitely think that they both work so well together.

Speaker 2: 35:31

Yeah, perfect. Now last question when is it the right time to bring on your first VA? Is that from ground zero? Is it when you are feeling overwhelmed? Is it when you get to 50 properties? What would be your opinion as someone who has their own VA company?

Speaker 3: 35:51

I think, look, it really depends what you're wanting to get out of your VA. So from my experience, I'm obviously very much think that I credit my VA for absolutely everything that I've achieved. So I think from the very start, that's when you need your VA, because you want to hit the ground running and you want to succeed, and you can then utilize your VA to assist you with that. But when it comes to if you're already a very much an established agency, then obviously what you're going to be utilizing your VA for would be the actual management of the REN role. So it's always going to be very different. It's going to come down to what you're wanting out of your VA as to when you're wanting to bring it on.

Speaker 3: 36:35

I really do think that there's always going to be a place for a VA, no matter where you are, whether you're starting out, whether you've got a portfolio of 2000 properties, there's always a place for that VA inside your work. But their role is very different. So at the very start, obviously that's when you're utilizing them more as a personal assistant and the BDM side of things, whereas if you've already got 2000 properties, that's when you're bringing them in very process driven to keep on top of those day to day tasks.

Speaker 2: 37:09

Yeah, yeah. So basically get one and then develop the other. Yeah, I think that's a great point For someone who, I won't lie, I was hesitant to have someone personally. So if anyone's listening and they're finding that they're a little bit hesitant, I am so glad I did. I've done it the way Ella's done it personally. But there's risks involved with that and I definitely wouldn't recommend that for a personal someone personally or in business. I would always go through a company with the I would knit personally. I wouldn't bring on someone like I have the way that I did just recently within my business, so within SoCo Realty. For me, I need those layers of security and protection and things like that. So I would always use a company and hire a VA through a company for a work, a company situation. Basically, yeah you do?

Speaker 3: 38:17

I mean just at the ground level. I mean you should really have an invoice, you know, so you know from that side of things, and also just to have that training and things, because, as you would know, if you've gone out and found someone yourself, then it's great for you from a personal perspective, but you do need to show them exactly what you're wanting to do.

Speaker 2: 38:39

Yeah, and I'm also taking the risk personally because, because they're doing things for me personally but, yeah, I would never put the risk on my actual clients or business partner without going through an agency. So I say that just so people, not everyone, I don't want everyone going out and Googling the VA. Please go and contact ELA from the SoCo. I love that you guys are boutique with it. I love that you have had a really long-term experience with them, which is really, I think, important for a lot of people listening, and I love that they, that the people, are being trained within the business and you run a very, very good business as well. So they're also learning from someone who runs a fantastic real estate. So, jump on. What's the best way to probably get in touch with you if they're interested in discussing further?

Speaker 3: 39:34

So we're just through our website or we're on the socials as well, so just through Instagram or Facebook. Otherwise, yeah, just go onto our website.

Speaker 2: 39:43

Beautiful. So that is it there. So see it's code with ELA. Feel free to get in touch. And, ela, it was lovely to chat to you and hear what's going on with your business, and I will chat to you soon.

Speaker 3: 39:54

Awesome, have a good day.