Assistant or Transaction Coordinator? An Ontario Guide
Short answer: Hire an in-house assistant if most of your admin is in person or you need daily office help. Choose a remote transaction coordinator if your pain is the deal paperwork itself and your volume goes up and down through the year.
When the paperwork gets heavy, most GTA agents think about hiring an assistant. Sometimes that's right. Often, the work that hurts is the deal paperwork, and a remote transaction coordinator (TC) can cover it without a fixed salary.
Three options, not two
- Unlicensed in-house assistant: works for you, part-time or full-time, on anything from paperwork to scheduling to errands.
- Licensed (registered) assistant: registered with RECO, so under your brokerage's rules they can do some work an unlicensed person can't, such as speaking with clients about the deal.
- Remote transaction coordinator: focuses on the transaction itself: listing and deal paperwork, signatures, condition and deposit tracking, and closing files. Works remotely inside your systems, usually paid per file.
How they compare
| In-house assistant | Remote TC | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Salary or hourly wage, every month | Per file, so it follows your volume |
| Slow months | You still pay | You pay less |
| Training | You teach your process and the forms | Should already know Ontario forms; learns your preferences |
| Focus | Many tasks, including non-deal work | The transaction, from offer to close |
| Managing | Hiring, scheduling, payroll | Send instructions, review drafts |
| In person | Yes | No |
Not sure which fits? We can talk it through on a 30-minute call. Book a call
When a licensed assistant is the right call
If you need someone who can show properties, talk to clients about offers or do other registrant work, only a registered person can do that. Check with your Broker of Record on what a licensed assistant may do at your brokerage.
When an unlicensed assistant fits
If most of your admin is in person, like dropping off keys, setting up open houses or answering phones all day, a local assistant is the better fit. The same goes if you want one person running your whole back office.
When a remote TC fits
A remote TC fits best when your pain is the paperwork itself: offers and leases to draft, dates to track and files to close. It also fits when your deal count swings, because you're not carrying a salary through the quiet months.
You can combine them
Some teams use an assistant for daily office work and a TC for the files, so the assistant isn't stretched thin. Whoever you hire, advising and negotiating stay with registrants, and deposits stay with the brokerage. More on that line in What can a transaction coordinator do in Ontario?
Common questions
Is a remote TC cheaper than an assistant?
It depends on your volume. I charge per file, so in a slow month you pay less, while a salary stays the same. We work out the numbers on a call.
Can I have both an assistant and a TC?
Yes. Some teams split it: the assistant handles daily office work and the TC handles the transaction files.
