Transaction Coordinator (TC) Talks with Vanessa Ursery

Vanessa Ursery

Transaction Coordinator to The Alex Winfield Team

Read the Case Study from the Alex Winfield Real Estate Team

Tell us a little bit about your transaction coordination business?

I own a transaction coordination and virtual assistant company. The need for a remote position (pre-covid) for business professionals that are constantly on the move had been growing and I had been researching ways to fulfill the need. At that time, I had an old colleague that was looking to grow his Real Estate business and needed assistance. Getting me onboard to do his tc work and marketing allowed him to prospect and build relationships that led him to be a top 4% agent in his area.  In 1 year, he has now grown his team to multiple agents and has a better family/work balance. 

What are your big goals for 2021?

My goals for 2021 are ones of growth. Not growth in the traditional growth but growth in systems, automation, relationships with buyers, sellers, lenders, title companies, etc. I'd also love to teach others about building out their systems and growing their TC business. 

What is your biggest challenge as a Transaction Coordinator?

My biggest challenge as a TC is communication. A great coach (David Breckheimer- At Cultivate Wins) told me that you interact with and affect, on average, 16 parties in each transaction. Keeping them all happy, on the same page, and feeling like all of our attention is on them is sometimes the biggest challenge. In today's market the biggest challenge is speed, how quickly can you get offers in, inspections done, etc to satisfy the sellers' market, and continue to stay competitive without losing the personal touch. 

What advice would you give a realtor looking to hire at TC?

Make sure you vet them. Ask for an email or number of at least one agent they represent and make sure your working styles mesh well. After you start you will look back and wonder why you didn't hire one before. Although you are still involved in the transaction, the mundane time-consuming tasks are now taken care of and you have time to prospect, network, get certified in different areas, or have more family time. No more chasing lenders, clients for signatures, making sure titles are pulled, scheduling photos for listings, the list goes on, and the time saved for agents is worth every penny.

Why did you choose Shaker for transaction management?

Shaker was my top choice of transaction management software for many reasons. When I began researching and doing trials for multiple softwares I noticed that they were complex, even visually. When you are handling multiple transactions a month as an agent or a TC you need a clear look at your deals. Shaker provided a clean crisp look of all my deals that did not overwhelm me. 

Shaker had everything I was looking for to streamline my process including a customizable task list, collaborations with all parties if needed to assign tasks, a client portal, CRM, email automation, document storage, and even reports. While on the topic of reports, this set me apart from other TC's as I can give agents reports for their volume, commissions, and even their sources of each client to know what marketing facets are working best for them and their business. 

When I have questions, concerns or even suggestions on how to make the software better, Shaker and their team (specifically Adam) not only reply within an hour, but are sending me personalized videos on how to make things work. I feel like I'm not just a number to Shaker but a valued customer whose opinion or concerns are always taken seriously. 

Where do you go to stay up to date on issues affecting your TC business and the real estate industry?

I attend the local real estate commissions meetings virtually and am a part of investor groups that bring in lenders, flippers, hard money, wholesalers, agents, and local experts to give a state of the region. I also participate in online and forums to keep up with market trends. I am constantly growing and learning from the community of like-minded TC's I've been able to find through social media groups.