This post comes to us from the BoomTown blog:

Thanks for joining us for Part Two of our "Everything You Need to Know About ISAs" series. In Part One of our series, we discussed the differences between licensed and unlicensed ISAs. We will continue this series by addressing some questions regarding training, compensation, and virtual assistants.

How Do You Pay Them?

Mike Grbic, the guest speaker in a BoomTown U webinar series "Ignite Your ISA Model," discussed his pay structure, among other things. He found it problematic to have a commission-based salary for the ISA. First of all, some agents expressed negativity over having to split their hard-earned commission. Secondly, the ISA's role is not only to contact but also to nurture leads. The average lead spends approximately eight months in the database searching for homes before an agent can close a deal with them. A commission-based worker is less likely to take the time and focus to incubate those leads. Mike found that ISAs who were hired on a consistent wage were better at long-term nurturing compared to commission-based agents who focus on, and cherry-pick the "now" buyers.

Though there are a few brokers who do prefer to pay their ISAs based on a percentage of commission, more brokers are starting to employ a pay structure that is based on an hourly rate, plus a flat dollar amount per pre-qualified appointment (for example, $15/hour plus $50 per pre-qualified appointment). This is a good pay structure because it rewards the ISA for something they themselves can control, as opposed to the closing of a deal which depends more on the agent.

How Do You Train Them?

In Session Two of the same webinar series, ISA Manager Adam Bailey discusses their training plan for their ISAs. One important aspect of an ISA's training is role-playing, so they sound natural and comfortable on the phone. He also suggests live training with your top agents at least once a week, so the ISAs can pick up tips and strategies from the more experienced. Another helpful training tip is quality control--to record every conversation the ISA has during training, so they can review, correct, and learn gradually from each experience. Having a set written script may be a good way to guide the ISA during the first few days as they get their footing and start to develop their own skills.

What About a Virtual Assistant?

Some brokers expressed wanting their ISAs to be physically present in the office, as they feel it would be more productive. However, we have several users who have virtual assistants and couldn't be happier. Many BoomTown owners shared that they were more than satisfied with their virtual assistants from MyOutDesk, but there are several other virtual assistant services available. Whether you hire a virtual assistant or a local ISA, there is a direct correlation between how much time is spent training and working with them and their levels of success.

An ISA is responsible for being the initial contact that filters, scrubs, and nurtures the lead before they are ready to talk to an agent. The biggest benefit of having the ISA model is that it allows agents to focus on showing homes and selling real estate instead of the time-consuming task of qualifying and nurturing leads. Whatever compensation or training system you develop, and whether you prefer an in-house or virtual ISA, investing in a great ISA will allow you to save time and focus on growing your business.

To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.