{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/62b9793631c9c00018b3f6a2/6a7e49aef8e81c4395a5d802?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"How to Hire a Virtual Assistant (with Damon Simms, VentureX)","description":"<p>Most salespeople I talk to are not short of effort. They are short of support.</p><p><br></p><p>I am joined by Damon Simms from VentureX, who places offshore staff directly with New Zealand businesses. Damon spent six and a half years in the Philippines, three in Malaysia and several more in Hong Kong recruiting in that market, and his approach is different to what most people picture when they hear \"virtual assistant\".</p><p><br></p><p>We get into the detail: what these people actually cost, what sort of candidate you get, how the working relationship functions day to day, and what separates the agents who get real leverage out of it from the ones who end up disappointed.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>What we cover:</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>Why the skills that make you good at selling and the skills that support selling are two completely different things, and what happens when you try to do both</li><li>The three ways New Zealand businesses hire offshore, and why the model you choose matters more than the price</li><li>What a typical candidate looks like: mid-career professionals, university graduates, and the real estate experience already sitting in that talent pool</li><li>Real examples, including a candidate running a 200-property rent roll for a South Island agency</li><li>What it costs and how long the hiring process takes</li><li>Time zones, working hours and weekend cover</li><li>The cultural difference nobody warns New Zealand employers about, and how it quietly derails these relationships</li><li>Why documenting your procedures is the first job you should hand over</li><li>The scrapbook technique that will save you hours of frustration</li><li>The shared assistant model for offices, and how it solves the new agent onboarding problem our industry has never fixed</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Free download: What to Delegate to an Offshore Virtual Assistant</strong></p><p>If you are sitting there wondering how you would keep someone busy all week, I have put together a task list covering over 100 jobs a capable assistant can take off your plate. Database and CRM work, prospecting support, appraisal prep, campaign coordination, buyer enquiry management, vendor reporting and settlement tracking, with a separate section for property management.</p><p><a href=\"https://www.agentmonday.com/how-to-hire-an-offshore-virtual-assistant-for-your-real-estate-business/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Download it here</a>.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Want to talk it through?</strong></p><p>If you would like to look at where your time is actually going and whether this fits your business, <a href=\"https://calendly.com/andrewduncan/agentmonday?month=2026-08\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">book a free call with me</a>.</p><p>To reach Damon directly, visit venturex.co.nz or email <a href=\"mailto:damon@venturexnz.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">damon@venturexnz.com</a>.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Disclaimer:</strong> I am a referral partner for Venture X and may receive a fee if you engage them through me. I shared this conversation because I think the model is genuinely useful for our industry. As with any hiring decision, do your own due diligence.</p><p><br></p><p>Agent Monday helps real estate salespeople in New Zealand and Australia list more homes with practical training, scripts and done-for-you marketing content. Find us at <a href=\"https://agentmonday.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">agentmonday.com</a>.</p>","author_name":"Agent Monday"}