The COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives permanently, including our attitude toward remote work. About one-third of Australians will continue to work remotely over the long term, according to a survey in the Sydney Morning Herald. These remote workers fill various professional roles, including building design.

A Virtual Building Designer

A building designer is one type of property management virtual assistant and a vital member of the property development team. While a building designer's duties will vary depending on the company, typically, the designer will

• - Recommend designs based on budget, trends, building purpose, and building site

• - Produce plans for approval

• - Provide cost estimates for their designs

• - Interact with the rest of the design team

Software and communications tools make remote building design possible. As with any transition to remote work, companies may need to acquire some of these software tools. They also will need to get their design teams on board with the change.

Benefits of a Virtual Building Designer

For many Australian property development firms, the benefits of a virtual building designer outweigh any of the initial challenges.

Cost

Australia ranks 14th for the highest living costs in the world. Because the cost of living is so high, wages for a building designer in Australia are also high.

With remote work, however, Australian property managers can hire a building designer who lives in any part of the world. Several Asian Pacific countries have significantly lower living costs yet still have highly-skilled building designers available to hire. The Philippines is one example. The Philippines is a popular real estate BPO (business process outsourcing) destination. Filipinos speak English fluently. The Filipino government also offers several incentives to encourage workers to continue their education. The result is a highly-trained workforce.

Fewer Hassles

Because destinations such as the Philippines are conducive to real estate virtual assistants, real estate staffing solutions firms locate there. Australian property development firms can contract with these staffing solutions firms. The firms will recruit building designers from their vast networks and present the Australian company with a short list to interview and consider. They'll also handle payroll details and compliance with local laws.

A real estate staffing solutions firm can also provide tips on the software and communications technology you'll need to make your virtual relationship successful. And they can help you develop a strategy to integrate the virtual employee into your team.

Better Employee Satisfaction

Many small property development firms employ only one building designer. Without the professional stimulation of being around others who do similar work, some designers become dissatisfied and less productive.

A real estate BPO firm will place building designers working for several companies together in a central office. They can discuss best practices, find solutions to challenges, and feed off each other's creativity. The result is a more satisfied employee who is more likely to stay with the company.

Final Words

So, building designers can perform their duties virtually. Moreover, many Australian companies will reap great benefits by working through a real estate staffing solutions firm to hire an offshore designer.