Real Estate Virtual Assistant (2026): Cost, Tasks and Where to Hire

A real estate virtual assistant is a remote assistant who handles an agent's admin, database, scheduling and marketing work. Unless they hold a license, state rules limit what they may do for you.

In 2026, Wing Assistant publishes plans at $699 a month for 80 hours or $999 for 160. Time etc, which uses U.S.-based assistants, charges $36 to $39 an hour. MyOutDesk's full-time plans start at $1,988 a month.

Below: prices by provider, where to hire, the in-house comparison, a calculator, and the state and federal rules most VA guides skip. I read every source on 23 October 2026.

Where I stand: I am a Realtor with Samson Properties in Virginia, and I run Jamil Academy, which sells training to agents. This is not a hands-on test of each provider. It is built from the providers' own pricing pages, state and federal rules, and public data. The one product block near the end is my own.

What is a real estate virtual assistant?

Short answer: a remote worker who takes the unlicensed, repeatable work off your plate. Think inbox, calendar, CRM, listing paperwork, social posts and follow-up. You hire one through an agency, a placement service or a freelance marketplace.

Software maker REsimpli sorts real estate VAs into five types: marketing, sales, operations, customer service and admin.

NAR's library page on personal assistants puts the trade-off in one line. It says "virtual personal assistants are cost-effective, available 24/7, and efficient but may lack personalization".

Sources: REsimpli blog (updated 11 June 2026) and NAR Library, "Personal Assistants", read 23 October 2026.

Virtual real estate assistant vs licensed assistant

The license matters more than the location. A licensed assistant can do licensed work under a broker, such as showing property. An unlicensed virtual real estate assistant cannot.

How many agents use an assistant?

NAR's 2024 Member Profile highlights say: "Fifteen percent of members had at least one personal assistant." It does not say how many were virtual or unlicensed. I could not find a 2026 figure, because the full 2026 report is paid.

Source: NAR 2024 Member Profile highlights (10 July 2024), read 23 October 2026.

My view: a VA is a delegation tool, not a growth plan. It pays off when you already have work worth handing over.

How much does a real estate virtual assistant cost in 2026?

Short answer: published plans run from $390 a month for 10 hours with Time etc to $1,988 a month and up for a full-time managed VA with MyOutDesk. Per hour, Wing Assistant's $999 plan for 160 hours is the lowest, at about $6.24. Several big providers do not publish prices at all.

The table shows only prices from each provider's own pages. Per-hour figures are my arithmetic: plan price divided by included hours.

Sources: each provider's pricing, FAQ or services page, read 23 October 2026. Most show no effective date. Wing's was updated 20 October 2026.

What the headline prices leave out

• Hours. Cyberbacker and Stealth Agents do not state the hours behind their monthly figures. MyOutDesk describes its model as "8 hours a day, 5 days a week" but lists no hours on its plan cards.
• Location. Only Time etc and BELAY say their assistants are U.S.-based.
• Unused hours. Time etc rolls them over on plans of 20 hours and up, and Virtual Assist USA's prepaid hours do not expire. Wing's page does not say.

Some pages contradict themselves. Stealth Agents gives two different starting hourly rates, so I list only its monthly price. Wing's page description claims "under $8/hr", which holds only for its full-time plan by my math.

My view: compare cost per hour you will actually use, and get the contract in writing before you pay.

Agency, placement or marketplace: where to hire a real estate virtual assistant

Short answer: an agency costs more but recruits and replaces the VA for you. A placement service or marketplace costs less, but you become the manager.

Sources: Virtual Staff Finder checkout page, OnlineJobs.ph pricing, Upwork help center articles on the Client Marketplace Fee and Business Plus fees, and Fiverr help center, read 23 October 2026.

Upwork's extra fees

Upwork's pricing page shows Basic at 5% (3% by checking account), while its help center says up to 7.99%. The fee varies, so confirm it at checkout.

Upwork also charges a Contract Initiation Fee of "$0.99 to $14.99" per contract on the Basic plan. On Business Plus, "A one-time fee per contract of up to $4.99 USD applies to new contracts under $100 USD," and hourly contracts carry no such fee.

Moving a freelancer off the platform within the first two years costs "13.5% of a freelancer's estimated annual earnings".

Real estate virtual assistant salary: what the VA actually earns

When you hire directly, you set the pay. Virtual Staff Finder's own salary guide, dated March 2026, puts a general Filipino VA at $450 to $700 a month full-time. That is a vendor figure, not a survey.

For context only: Metro Manila's minimum wage is ₱755 a day for non-agriculture work under Wage Order NCR-28, effective 26 September 2026. It is not what a VA earns.

A 2023 REALTOR Magazine article quoted one agent who had paid hourly VAs $10 to $15 an hour. Another interviewee warned: "If you are trying to pay just $2 an hour, that's what you are going to get."

Sources: Virtual Staff Finder salary guide (March 2026); Philippine National Wages and Productivity Commission, NCR rates (nwpc.dole.gov.ph); REALTOR Magazine (13 April 2023), anecdotes only.

My view: if you have never managed anyone, start with an agency or a placement service with a replacement option. A marketplace saves money only if you have the time to manage.

Virtual assistant vs in-house assistant: which costs less?

Short answer: at 80 hours a month, Wing's $699 part-time plan costs far less than a median-wage in-house assistant, at about $2,613 with benefits.

The in-house wage: $22.86 an hour, my calculation

BLS gives a median annual wage of $47,540 for "Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive" in May 2025. BLS does not list an hourly median for this group on that page.

So I divided $47,540 by 2,080 hours, a full-time year of 40 hours a week. That gives about $22.86 an hour. For all secretaries and administrative assistants, BLS lists $23.23 an hour.

Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (May 2025 data, page modified 27 August 2026), read 23 October 2026. The $22.86 is my calculation.

Add benefits: wages are about 70% of the cost

BLS's Employer Costs for Employee Compensation for June 2026 says private industry wages "accounted for 70.0 percent of employer costs". Benefits "accounted for the remaining 30.0 percent."

For office and administrative support jobs, wages averaged $25.22 an hour, or 68.7% of a $36.73 total. Benefits were $11.51, or 31.3%.

Sources: BLS ECEC news release, June 2026 (released 9 September 2026) and ECEC tables, Table 4, read 23 October 2026.

If wages are 70% of the total, the total is the wage divided by 0.70. So $22.86 becomes about $32.66 an hour. Adding 30% on top of the wage would understate it at $29.72.

I use the 30.0% private industry share as the default. The office and administrative support share is 31.3%, which turns $22.86 into about $33.28 an hour, or about $2,662 at 80 hours. You can enter it in the calculator.

My calculation from the providers' pricing pages and the BLS figures above. In-house totals use the 30.0% private industry benefits share.

Neither number includes your time for training and review. A part-time employee may get fewer benefits, so lower the share in the calculator if so.

My view: the price gap is real, but it is not the whole decision. An in-house assistant in your office can do things a remote one cannot, such as handling keys and signs.

Real estate virtual assistant cost calculator

Short answer: pick a VA option and your hours, and the calculator compares the monthly and first-year cost with an in-house assistant.

Plan prices are not prorated. Enter more hours than a plan includes and both sides are compared at the plan's hours. Enter fewer and you still pay the full price. In-house cost is wage x hours / (1 - benefits share), so a 30% share turns $22.86 into about $32.66 an hour.

Virtual Assist USA sells hour packages, not monthly plans, so the calculator assumes you buy one package a month. Its hours do not expire.

Try a custom rate of $47.25 for Virtual Assist USA's pay-as-you-go, or a $695 placement fee for a Virtual Staff Finder hire.

My view: run it at the hours you can actually fill with work. Paying for 160 hours and using 80 doubles your real hourly cost.

What tasks can a virtual assistant for real estate agents handle?

Short answer: admin, database, scheduling, marketing and transaction paperwork, all under your supervision. Anything that needs a license stays with you.

Sources: NAR REALTOR Magazine (13 April 2023), NAR Library "Personal Assistants", REsimpli, BELAY and Wishup task lists, 18VAC135-20-335 and Maryland MREC guidelines, read 23 October 2026.

Real estate marketing virtual assistant

For marketing, REsimpli lists blog, SEO, email, social and design work.

In Virginia, an unlicensed assistant may prepare "promotional materials and advertisements for approval of the licensee and supervising broker". So build a review step before anything goes out under your name.

Transaction support vs a transaction coordinator

A VA can track deadlines and send updates. If you want one person to own each file from contract to close, compare that with what a transaction coordinator costs before you decide.

My view: start with the tasks you repeat every week and could explain in a five-minute screen recording. Those are the easiest wins.

What can an unlicensed real estate virtual assistant not do?

Short answer: anything that needs a license. In Virginia and Maryland that includes showing property and answering questions on listings, title, financing or closing. Maryland's guidance also limits contacting the public about brokerage services.

Virginia: the 2026 rule, 18VAC135-20-335

Virginia's rule took effect on 1 April 2026. Its first list: "The following activities may only be performed by an individual or business entity licensed".

• "Showing property;"
• "Holding an open house;"
• "Answering questions on listings, title, financing, closing, contracts, brokerage agreements, and legal documents"
• "Discussing, explaining, interpreting, or negotiating a contract, listing, lease agreement, or property management agreement with anyone outside the firm"
• "Negotiating or agreeing to any commission, commission split, management fee, or referral fee."

The second list starts "The following activities may be performed by an unlicensed individual or entity:". It includes "Performing general clerical duties, including answering telephones", "Scheduling appointments;" and "Computing commission checks;".

It also allows preparing contract forms, promotional materials and advertisements "for approval of the licensee and supervising broker", plus MLS input, keys, signs, courier work and public records.

Source: 18VAC135-20-335, Virginia Administrative Code (Va. Register Vol. 42, Iss. 14), read 23 October 2026. Lists shortened; read the full section.

The section does not mention cold calling or soliciting. Virginia REALTORS reported that the old rule limiting unlicensed assistant pay to a "predetermined rate that is not contingent upon the occurrence of a real estate transaction" was removed.

Source: Virginia REALTORS, 30 June 2026, a secondary source. I did not review Va. Code 54.1-2103.

Maryland: MREC guidelines

The Maryland Real Estate Commission's "Guidelines for the Use of Unlicensed Employees and Online Chat Providers" were first issued in 1995. They cite BOP 17-320(c) and COMAR 09.11.05.03B.

Unlicensed employees may "Answer the telephone and forward calls to a licensee." They may also schedule showings and type contract forms for approval by the licensee and supervising broker.

They may not "Show property." They may not "Answer any questions on listings, title, financing, closing, etc." They may not "Be paid on the basis of real estate activity, such as a percentage of commission".

And they may not "Contact the public concerning the availability of real estate brokerage services unless an inquiry about a specific property is immediately referred to a licensee."

The guidance does not explain that exception. I read the line as keeping an unlicensed VA off prospecting calls about your services, so check with your broker before a VA makes any calls for a Maryland agent.

Source: Maryland Real Estate Commission guidelines (first issued 1995, no update date), read 23 October 2026.

California and Texas

California's DRE says unlicensed assistants "may not perform any activity which requires a real estate license", citing Business and Professions Code 10137.

DRE's guideline, from the Winter 1993 Real Estate Bulletin, calls itself "a guideline, and nothing more". It permits calls "to canvass for interest in using the services of a real estate broker."

But "At no time may the caller attempt to induce the person being called to use a broker's services." Only a licensee may "show or exhibit the property".

Sources: California DRE, Unlicensed Assistants and DRE Guidelines for Unlicensed Assistants (1993), read 23 October 2026.

Texas's TREC FAQ says "An unlicensed person may not engage in any activity for which a license is required." I could not retrieve TREC's full task list. Florida, DC and West Virginia were not researched for this guide.

If you need help at showings, that is a licensed role. See what showing assistants are paid and why the role needs a license.

My view: write the state rule into your VA's job description, so everyone knows the line before the first task.

Can your VA make cold calls or send texts?

Short answer: check your state first, then federal calling rules. Maryland's guidance limits unlicensed staff contacting the public about brokerage services. Everywhere, federal Do Not Call, calling-hour and consent rules apply, and you can be liable for your VA's calls.

FCC rules: 47 CFR 64.1200

• Calling hours: no telephone solicitation to a residential subscriber "before the hour of 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.", local time at the called party's location.
• National registry: no telephone solicitation to a residential subscriber who has registered on the national do-not-call registry.
• Your own list: the rule also requires a company-specific do-not-call list. In summary, opt-outs must be honored within 10 business days and kept for 5 years.
• Autodialers and recordings: calls that include an advertisement or telemarketing, made with an autodialer or an artificial or prerecorded voice to wireless numbers, need "prior express written consent."

Source: 47 CFR 64.1200, eCFR (current as of 21 October 2026), read 23 October 2026.

FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule: 16 CFR 310.4

The rule bars calling a number on the registry. Its safe harbor requires using a version of the registry "obtained from the Commission no more than thirty-one (31) days prior" to the call.

The FTC's Q&A says a seller is liable if it calls, or causes a telemarketer to call, someone without first accessing the registry. Your VA's calls are made for you, so the risk sits with you.

Sources: 16 CFR 310.4, eCFR (current as of 20 October 2026) and FTC Q&A for telemarketers and sellers (modified 8 October 2026), read 23 October 2026.

Registry fees from 1 October 2026

"The cost of accessing a single area code in the registry will be $85 in FY 2027." The first five area codes are free, and the maximum is $23,425. The new fees took effect on 1 October 2026.

Source: FTC press release, 26 August 2026, read 23 October 2026.

Texting: I did not verify how each rule above applies to text messages. Check any VA texting campaign with your broker or a lawyer first.

A checklist before a VA dials

• Your state allows it, and your broker agrees in writing.
• The list is checked against a registry copy no more than 31 days old, and your own do-not-call list.
• Calls fall between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the called person's time zone.
• No autodialer or prerecorded message without the required written consent.

Prospecting by phone is its own job. If you want a dedicated caller, compare what an inside sales agent costs and whether one pays off. For scripts and call habits, see my guide to cold calling for agents.

My view: in Maryland, I would keep an unlicensed VA off prospecting calls. Elsewhere, I would get my broker's sign-off first.

Can a VA use your MLS login? Passwords and data security

Short answer: do not share your login. Check your MLS rules and ask about assistant access. Bright MLS makes you responsible for your credentials, and several MLSs ban sharing outright.

Bright MLS

Bright's Subscription Agreement grants access "on a personal, non-exclusive, non-sublicensable, and non-transferable basis". It says "You are responsible for the use and security of your Account Information," "including your login ID and password".

You must notify Bright "immediately" about any unauthorized use. Consequences include denial of access, deactivation and termination.

The agreement also covers "Non-licensed Personnel", defined to include "administrative and clerical staff, personal assistants".

Source: Bright MLS Subscription Agreement PDF. It shows no date in its text; the file name suggests October 2019, so a newer version may apply. Read 23 October 2026.

Other MLSs that ban sharing

• Canopy MLS (North Carolina), July 2025: "Sharing your MLS password with expired listing lead platforms or virtual assistant services is strictly prohibited." It carries "an immediate $1,000 fine." Unlicensed assistants use a separate information form.
• MLS Now (Ohio and Pennsylvania), Rule 7.6: "Passcodes and credentials are personal and must not be shared." It offers an Unlicensed Personal Assistant add-on: "The $5 monthly UPA fee will be added to the agent's invoice."
• ARMLS (Arizona), Rule 7.2: subscribers "may not share their access credentials with anyone".

Sources: Canopy MLS support article (updated 21 July 2025), MLS Now rules (updated 23 September 2026) and UPA article (13 March 2026), ARMLS article, read 23 October 2026.

I found no NAR model rule on participants sharing passwords, so your own MLS decides. Ask whether it offers an assistant or non-licensed personnel account.

Passwords and access for everything else

CISA's advice: "Use strong passwords, and ideally a password manager to generate and store unique passwords." And: "Implement multifactor authentication on your accounts and make it significantly less likely you'll get hacked."

CISA's pages do not address sharing passwords with staff directly.

Sources: CISA, 4 Things You Can Do and CISA, Use a Password Manager, read 23 October 2026.

• Give your VA their own user in your CRM, email and transaction tools where the tool allows it.
• Share access through a password manager, never in a chat or a document.
• Turn on multifactor authentication, including on the password manager itself.
• Remove access the day the work ends.

My view: that list is my own practice advice. An assistant account costs little next to losing MLS access.

Is your VA a contractor or an employee? Tax forms to collect

Short answer: it depends on how much control you have, and the label you choose does not decide it. For a U.S. contractor, collect a Form W-9 and check the $2,000 Form 1099-NEC threshold for payments made in 2026.

The IRS tests

The IRS says "The keys are to look at the entire relationship and consider the extent of the right to direct and control the worker." It groups the evidence into three categories:

• Behavioral: "Does the company control or have the right to control what the worker does"
• Financial: "Are the business aspects of the worker's job controlled by the payer?"
• Type of relationship: "Are there written contracts or employee type benefits".

You can file Form SS-8 for an IRS determination, which may take at least six months. The SBA warns that if a contractor is later found to be an employee, "you may need to pay back taxes and penalties".

Sources: IRS, Independent contractor or employee (reviewed 19 May 2026) and SBA, Hire and manage employees, read 23 October 2026.

The federal wage law test is in flux

On 1 May 2025, the Department of Labor said "WHD will no longer apply the 2024 Rule's analysis" in its own enforcement. It now enforces in line with Fact Sheet #13 (July 2008), "as further informed by Opinion Letter FLSA2019-6". The 2024 rule "remains in effect for purposes of private litigation".

On 26 February 2026, DOL proposed rescinding the 2024 rule; comments closed on 28 April 2026. As of 23 October 2026, I found no final rule. State tests were not researched.

Sources: DOL Field Assistance Bulletin 2025-1 and DOL 2026 rulemaking page, read 23 October 2026.

Forms to collect and file

• Form W-9 from a U.S. contractor before you pay them.
• Form 1099-NEC if you pay a contractor $2,000 or more in 2026. The IRS says "For payments made before 2026, the reporting threshold is $600." After 2026 it may be adjusted for inflation. File by January 31.
• Form W-8BEN is not for U.S. persons. The IRS tells a U.S. citizen to "use Form W-9" instead, and says "Do not send Form W-8BEN to the IRS." Ask a tax professional what applies to a VA abroad.
• Employees are different: the SBA lists an EIN, Form W-4, Form I-9 and state new-hire reporting.

Sources: IRS, Am I required to file a Form 1099, IRS Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC and IRS Instructions for Form W-8BEN, read 23 October 2026.

If you pay an agency rather than the VA, ask your tax professional what you need to file. This section is general information, not legal or tax advice.

How to hire a real estate virtual assistant, step by step

Short answer: list the tasks, pick a route, test with a real task, run a short trial, then write it all down. These are the steps I would follow, drawing on NAR's 2023 advice where noted.

1. Write the task list

NAR's article starts here: list the tasks you want off your plate. Mark each one allowed or licensee-only under your state's rule. That list becomes the job description.

2. Pick the route and set the hours

Count the hours those tasks take in a normal week. Then choose an agency, placement service or marketplace, and set the hours you need the VA online.

3. Give a test task

Ask finalists to do one real, small task, such as cleaning 50 CRM records or drafting one listing flyer. Time etc offers a free first task, "No credit card required". Elsewhere, I would pay for the test.

4. Run a trial period

Month-to-month terms make a trial easy. Wing and BELAY say they run month-to-month, and Time etc lets you cancel any time. Prialto has a 90-day minimum per unit, so a trial there runs at least 90 days.

5. Write SOPs and set KPIs

BiggerPockets suggests documenting your processes and using screen recordings, and having the VA create a manual. For KPIs, I would track tasks done on time, response time and CRM records updated.

Real estate virtual assistant skills to test

• Clear written English, for drafts you approve.
• CRM data entry and cleanup, ideally in your CRM.
• Calendar and scheduling across time zones.
• Social media and design tools, if marketing is on the list.
• Following a written SOP without reminders.

My view: the test task tells you more than the interview.

How to onboard and manage your VA in the first 30 days

Short answer: give access in stages and review work daily at first. NAR's 2023 article says to expect "a few months" to settle in. The 30-day plan below is my own.

NAR's article advises setting expectations and a regular check-in cadence. A short daily message plus a weekly call is a simple start.

Keep the license line visible: if a client asks about an offer, financing or a contract, the VA passes it to you.

My view: clear SOPs and steady feedback in the first month matter more than which provider you pick.

Who should hire a virtual assistant for real estate, and who should not?

Short answer, in my view: agents with steady deals and a real admin backlog. Agents still building income should usually wait.

NAR's 2026 Member Profile puts the median Realtor's gross income at $59,200 for 2025. The typical agent had nine transaction sides and worked 35 hours a week.

By my math, Wing's $699 plan for a year is $8,388, about 14% of that median income. Agents with two years or less earned a median of $8,000, less than a year of that plan.

Sources: NAR press release (25 June 2026) and Economists' Outlook feature sheet (19 August 2026); 35 hours from NAR Research's 2026 Florida Member Profile report (July 2026). My arithmetic.

A VA can fit if you

• Close enough deals that admin work crowds out client time.
• Can write down how you do things, or will learn to.
• Have a broker who agrees to the task list.
• Plan to grow toward a team. My guide to growing from solo agent to a team covers where an assistant fits.

Think twice if you

• Are new and have little paperwork to hand off.
• Want someone to show homes or prospect for you in Maryland.
• Will not review work for the first month.
• Mainly need help in person.

My view: hire for the hours you have now, not the business you hope to have. You can add hours later.

What I could not verify

• Prices not published by BELAY and REVA Global. Hire Smart Virtual Assistants' site could not be checked, so it is left out.
• Conflicting vendor figures: Stealth Agents ($10 vs $15 an hour), Prialto ($1,500 vs $1,600) and Time etc ($380+ vs $390).
• VA location for Wing, Virtual Assist USA, Prialto, Cyberbacker and Stealth Agents.
• A BLS hourly median for this exact occupation; $22.86 is my calculation.
• A 2026 share of agents with assistants. The latest public figure I found is 15% from the 2024 Member Profile.
• Reliable data on hours a VA saves. Vendor figures had no primary source.
• Bright MLS's current rules text on password sharing and its current assistant subscription option and fee. Its support site could not be checked.
• How the federal calling rules apply to texts, and state telemarketing laws.
• Virginia's statute, Va. Code 54.1-2103, and the rules in Texas (full list), Florida, DC and West Virginia.
• Tax treatment of payments to VAs abroad and to VA agencies.
• A final DOL rule rescinding the 2024 contractor rule, as of 23 October 2026.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does a real estate virtual assistant cost?

Published 2026 plans run from $390 a month for 10 hours (Time etc) to $1,988 and up for full-time (MyOutDesk). Wing Assistant charges $699 for 80 hours or $999 for 160, about $6.24 an hour.

Can a real estate virtual assistant show homes?

Not an unlicensed one. Virginia's 2026 rule reserves showing property and open houses for licensees, and Maryland's guidance says unlicensed employees may not show property.

Can my virtual assistant make cold calls for me?

Check your state first. Maryland's guidance limits unlicensed employees contacting the public about brokerage services. Federal calling-hour, Do Not Call and consent rules also apply.

Can I give my VA my MLS login?

Check your MLS rules. Bright MLS makes access non-transferable and you responsible for your login. Canopy, MLS Now and ARMLS ban sharing. Ask about assistant access.

Do I need to send my VA a 1099?

For a U.S. contractor, the IRS Form 1099-NEC threshold is $2,000 for payments made in 2026, up from $600. Collect a Form W-9 first. Ask a tax professional about VAs abroad.

Is a virtual assistant an employee or a contractor?

It depends on control. The IRS looks at behavioral control, financial control and the type of relationship. You can file Form SS-8 for an IRS determination.

Where can I hire a real estate virtual assistant?

Through a managed agency, a placement service such as Virtual Staff Finder ($695 per hire), or a marketplace such as OnlineJobs.ph, Upwork or Fiverr, where you manage the VA.

How many real estate agents have an assistant?

NAR's 2024 Member Profile highlights say 15 percent of members had at least one personal assistant. It does not separate virtual assistants. I found no public 2026 figure.