Guide to Working with Cyberbackers

Cyberbackers are remote virtual assistants—real people working in another country—who can become an indispensable part of your real estate business when onboarded and managed correctly. Here's how to get the most out of your partnership, broken down into three core phases:

Prepare: Before Your Backer Starts

To set your Cyberbacker up for success, start with clarity on what your business needs:

Audit Your Workflow:

-Make a list of every program or platform you regularly use (e.g., Command, Canva, DocuSign, MLS, Asana, Brivity, Gmail, Slack, Chat GPT, etc.). Cyberbacker can pre-train your new backer on these programs.

-Document repeatable tasks you do each day/week—everything from posting social content to updating your database.

-Highlight tasks that can be delegated—anything that doesn’t require a license

Prioritize What to Offload First:

-Choose tasks that are relatively easy to teach and time-consuming for you.

-Start small and build. Think: "What could someone else do if I trained them once?"

Prepare Your Expectations:

-Set goals for what success looks like in the first 30, 60, and 90 days.

-Know that strong communication from you is the key to long-term success.

Training & Onboarding (First 30–60 Days)

Your Cyberbacker needs exposure to how you work before they can be expected to do it for you.

Let Them Shadow You or your Admin Team:

-Schedule several screen-sharing sessions via Zoom or Google Meet so they can watch you in real time.

-Let them hear your tone, approach, and client conversations (when appropriate).

Begin With Observation, Then Transfer Ownership:

-Create a training list of tasks you want them to learn.

-After Shadowing then fully train them on one task at a time, then turn it over once you’re confident.

Assign SOP Creation as First Task:

-If you don’t have a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), ask your Cyberbacker to create one as they learn each task this becomes your training asset for the future.

Have a Down Time To-Do List:

-Always have a list of items the cyberbacker can do if they have completed all of their assigned tasks. This can be a list of viewing training videos for programs you use, auditing your database (after trained), using chat gpt to create articles to post, creating social media posts etc. 

-Never have your backer looking for something to do or they may focus on the wrong task.

Set a Communication Rhythm:

-Morning Check-in: Align on the plan for the day.

-End-of-Day Recap: Ask what they completed, where they need support, and what’s next. This can be a report they send to you.

-Stay accessible via Slack, WhatsApp, or text for real-time questions. Don’t let them stay stuck.

Track Progress:

-Use tools like Google Docs, Asana, or Trello to manage training status and assign tasks with due dates and priorities.

Ongoing Management Tips (After 60 Days and Beyond)

Now that they’re part of your operations, continue to lead and develop them like a true team member.

Weekly Structure:

-Monday Meetings: Use this to set the tone, review priorities, and delegate new tasks.

-Midweek Check-In (Wed/Thu): Re-align priorities and unblock any issues.

-Friday Recap (optional): Short summary of wins and challenges that week.

Use a Task Manager:

-Tools like Asana, ClickUp, or Trello help you visualize their workload and set deadlines clearly.

Help Them Prioritize:

-It is still your job to direct what’s most important each week.

-Give clear deadlines and “must do” vs “down time to do” instructions.

Monitor Ongoing Tasks:

-Cyberbackers will keep doing ongoing tasks until told otherwise. Periodically check that these ongoing actions are still relevant and aligned.

Encourage Growth:

-Use Cyberbacker's Monthly Trainings. Provide a list of topics that would benefit your business and ask your VA to choose two to attend each month.

-Examples: Canva Mastery, Social Media Strategy, CRM Management, Lead Nurture Systems, AI tools for agents, etc.

Build Culture & Appreciation:

-Make sure your Cyberbacker knows when they are doing a good job!  They respond well to praise and gives them pride in their work.

-Include them in your team celebrations, virtual events, or birthdays.

Send small gifts or handwritten thank-yous when milestones are hit.

Quarterly Review:

-Assess their growth, identify new areas to train or promote them into, and ask for their feedback too.

Additional Tips for Working With a Cyberbacker

• Be Patient: It takes 30–90 days for most VAs to fully acclimate and add measurable ROI.

• Over-communicate early: Clarify tone, branding, and your preferences clearly.

• Encourage Questions: Often Cyberbackers do not want to look like they don’t understand so make sure to encourage them to ask and also ask them to repeat back the assignment to make sure it is fully understood.

• Use Loom or Google Meet to Record Training: Record how you do tasks once and store the links in a shared SOP doc.

• Give Feedback Often: Praise what they’re doing well and correct gently but directly.

• Trust, but verify: Spot-check their work regularly, especially early on.

Ready to be Connected with Cyberbacker?

If you have not connected with Cyberbacker yet and would like to connect please reach out to jcapili@cyberbacker.com and let them know the Cullen & Company team connected you. 

Our team currently utilizes two cyberbackers which we use a variety of functions including Listing Coordinator, Database Management, Social Media Management, Email Marketing and more.  If you would like to schedule a call with our Director of Operations to find out more about how we use Cyberbackers for our team please reach out to Lisa Strump at lisa@beanopenerofdoors.com