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What does a real estate assistant do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Jessica Lautz

A real estate assistant is responsible for supporting agents on real estate operations, providing the best customer service for the clients, and assisting with various paperwork. Real estate assistants research lots and properties, analyze the current market trends to compare prices, and create reports for the management's review. They perform administrative and clerical duties as needed, join real estate agents on-site visits, schedule appointments, coordinate with the team for marketing campaigns and promotional events, write proposals, and conduct follow-ups for closing processes.

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Real estate assistant responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real real estate assistant resumes:

  • Manage incoming projects by completing necessary applications, communicating with brokers and visiting job sites.Height Home LLC, Greenville, NC
  • Manage reporting requirements to senior management on status of real estate portfolio.
  • Complete monthly A/P, A/R and payroll duties.
  • Acheive record sales numbers of condominiums.
  • Include working with developers selling new construction of houses and condominiums.
  • Prepare A/R status worksheets and reconcile A/R (MRI & Yardi )
  • Maintain meticulous records of orders, payroll, schedules, and events.
  • Perform yearly building expense and real estate tax reconciliations and audits for lease properties.
  • Lease set-up, administer lease changes, and generating reports using Yardi and CTI software.
  • Prepare documents, take photos of homes list, make flyers, keep in contact with sellers and buyers.
  • Participate in marketing and advertising and maintain listing currency in MLS.
  • Produce additional marketing communications, such as flyers, brochures and exhibition-relate projects.
  • Update and maintain confidential payroll information by collecting, calculating and verifying accurate payroll data.
  • Schedule property website implementation from template, update internet/social media advertising, and handle MLS entry.
  • Review monthly statements and recalculate year-end operating expense reconciliations to ensure obligation matches with lease modification or amendment.

Real estate assistant skills and personality traits

We calculated that 14% of Real Estate Assistants are proficient in MLS, Open Houses, and Purchase Agreements. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Customer-service skills, and Writing skills.

We break down the percentage of Real Estate Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • MLS, 14%

    Scheduled property website implementation from template, updated internet/social media advertising, and handled MLS entry.

  • Open Houses, 8%

    Created marketing materials, collaborated in managing all listings and facilitated open houses and showings.

  • Purchase Agreements, 7%

    Produced listing paperwork and purchase agreements.

  • Client Database, 6%

    Input all necessary information into client databases and transaction management systems.

  • Scheduling Appointments, 6%

    Maintained attorney calendars, scheduling appointments and coordinating travel.

  • Sales Contracts, 5%

    Prepared listing and sales contracts and assisted property management department with rental income and property showings.

Most real estate assistants use their skills in "mls," "open houses," and "purchase agreements" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential real estate assistant responsibilities here:

Detail oriented. The most essential soft skill for a real estate assistant to carry out their responsibilities is detail oriented. This skill is important for the role because "general office clerks perform many clerical tasks that require attention to detail, such as preparing bills." Additionally, a real estate assistant resume shows how their duties depend on detail oriented: "conducted detailed property inspections of single/multi-family/ and investment residential properties. "

Customer-service skills. Many real estate assistant duties rely on customer-service skills. "general office clerks often provide general information to company staff, customers, or the public," so a real estate assistant will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways real estate assistant responsibilities rely on customer-service skills: "perform general office duties to include customer service, appointment scheduling, word processing, and file system maintenance. "

Organizational skills. For certain real estate assistant responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "organizational skills." The day-to-day duties of a real estate assistant rely on this skill, as "general office clerks file and retrieve records." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what real estate assistants do: "refined organizational skills by properly performing administrative tasks such as filing, scanning, copying, & handling email. "

Most common real estate assistant skills

The three companies that hire the most real estate assistants are:

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Compare different real estate assistants

Real estate assistant vs. Clerk

Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies. Clerks should have good office skills, communication skills, business writing skills, and time management skills. They should also be able to treat any document or paperwork they handle with confidentiality.

The annual salary of clerks is $10,284 lower than the average salary of real estate assistants.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between real estate assistants and clerks are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like administrative tasks, office equipment, and word processing.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a real estate assistant are more likely to require skills like "mls," "open houses," "purchase agreements," and "client database." On the other hand, a job as a clerk requires skills like "basic math," "math," "data entry," and "customer service." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Clerks really shine in the health care industry with an average salary of $31,380. Comparatively, real estate assistants tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $38,345.On average, clerks reach similar levels of education than real estate assistants. Clerks are 1.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Real estate assistant vs. Transaction coordinator

A transaction coordinator is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties for the clients regarding their real estate contracts and transactions. Transaction coordinators sometimes do fieldwork to inspect the property area, write findings reports, perform cost and expenses analysis, and inform the clients of required documentation. They also identify resources and other alternatives that would most likely fit the client's budget limitations and interests. A transaction coordinator must have excellent organizational and communication skills, especially in coordinating with other organizations to process the client's requirements for property acquisition.

Transaction coordinator positions earn higher pay than real estate assistant roles. They earn a $345 higher salary than real estate assistants per year.A few skills overlap for real estate assistants and transaction coordinators. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "mls," "open houses," and "sales contracts. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real real estate assistant resumes. While real estate assistant responsibilities can utilize skills like "purchase agreements," "client database," "scheduling appointments," and "lenders," transaction coordinators use skills like "customer service," "data entry," "transaction process," and "transaction coordination."

Transaction coordinators may earn a higher salary than real estate assistants, but transaction coordinators earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $64,010. On the other hand, real estate assistants receive higher pay in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $38,345.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Transaction coordinators tend to reach similar levels of education than real estate assistants. In fact, they're 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for real estate assistants in the next 3-5 years?

Dr. Jessica LautzDr. Jessica Lautz LinkedIn profile

Vice President of Demographics and Behavioral Insights, National Association of Realtors

Within the real estate sector, there has been increased growth in virtual tours, virtual listings, and even virtual open houses. Real estate consumers are looking at new ways to explore properties without leaving their homes. These tools are important in finding new ways to do business in this heavy tech world. Changes like these are inevitable moving forward.

Real estate assistant vs. Internship

Interns are trainees who are engaged by a company to work for them for a brief period. Interns usually use this opportunity to gain actual work experience, fulfill university or college requirements, and ensure that they are working towards the right career path for them. They sign on for a fixed amount of time. The responsibilities of interns depend on the company and the department that handles them. They do a variety of tasks that exposes them to the type of work that the company is engaged in and to the different aspects of the professional world.

On average, interns earn lower salaries than real estate assistants, with a $6,193 difference per year.By looking over several real estate assistants and interns resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "administrative tasks," "powerpoint," and "market research." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a real estate assistant is likely to be skilled in "mls," "open houses," "purchase agreements," and "client database," while a typical internship is skilled in "financial statements," "c++," "mental health," and "data analysis."

Interns make a very good living in the telecommunication industry with an average annual salary of $36,977. On the other hand, real estate assistants are paid the highest salary in the finance industry, with average annual pay of $38,345.interns typically earn similar educational levels compared to real estate assistants. Specifically, they're 3.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Real estate assistant vs. Office administrator

Office administrators are employees who ensure that the office is running in tip-top shape. They manage the administrative needs of the office. They answer calls directed to the official company phone, manage the inventory of supplies, take charge or purchase requisitions for needed supplies, and ensure the office equipment and fixtures are taken care of. Office administrators also manage correspondences, official memoranda, and other official company documents. They also keep track of files and records to ensure that these are properly organized. At times, office administrators also take charge of welcoming guests and accompanying them to their respective meetings.

Office administrators tend to earn a lower pay than real estate assistants by an average of $4,024 per year.While both real estate assistants and office administrators complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like scheduling appointments, administrative tasks, and office equipment, the two careers vary in some skills.While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "mls," "open houses," "purchase agreements," and "client database" are skills that commonly show up on real estate assistant resumes. On the other hand, office administrators use skills like customer service, patients, data entry, and front desk on their resumes.In general, office administrators earn the most working in the government industry, with an average salary of $39,681. The highest-paying industry for a real estate assistant is the finance industry.The average resume of office administrators showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to real estate assistants. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.2%.

Types of real estate assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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