A real estate agent’s online reviews are important for their marketing and reputation. So, how is it done? What’s the approach to winning more real estate reviews?
It can be awkward to think about asking for reviews, and you may easily miss your opportunity. But, you need positive online reviews in order to appear on Google, Zillow, and other real estate platforms.
If you want to get more clients, you should try to get more five-star reviews. Both sellers and buyers want to be assured that you are competent and successful. Social proof, in the form of positive online reviews, can help you become a top-rated agent.
Why Are Reviews Important?
Approximately 93% of customers consult reviews before making a purchase decision. People want to make sure they have a great agent working for them when they are making the biggest purchase of their life. Looking at reviews of potential real estate agents on a website is a great way to make sure they find a good fit.
A majority of home sellers in 2021 said they found their agent through a referral from a friend or family member. If you ask them, 69% of recent home sellers will write a review for their sales agent.
Elements of a Great Review
A great review doesn’t need to be long. They don’t need to write a lot to communicate what you need. A few sentences or a paragraph is usually enough.
When customers write positive reviews, they usually consider the following:
- It starts with praise for the agent.
- How did the agent make them feel?
- Tell the story of their house-hunting journey.
- Describe how quickly the agent (you) were to respond.
- How the agent (you) acted on a phone call.
- How the agent showed benefits of the house (and pointed out shortcomings).
- Give a specific example of what they appreciated about your helping.
- Talk about an obstacle that you worked through together.
- Mention that they would use you again.
- End with some kind words.
Every review does not need to have all of these parts, but the bolded ones are the most commonly seen.
The aim is to communicate their experiences in a way that anybody reading the review will comprehend what they went through, and how you (the agent) supported them. Prospective home sellers place a high importance on an agent’s professional reputation.
Online reviews and testimonials
Asking previous clients to post reviews about your services on different review sites can be awkward, especially when there are many to choose from. A common challenge when real estate agents are trying to expand and gain new clients is making themselves stand out amongst the competition. Requesting reviews can help you create the social proof you need.
The good news is that there is a winning formula for getting reviews in real estate:
- Ask early
- Create a home buyer success story
- Ask again
- Make reviewing extremely easy (use a tool like Cloutly)
The key to getting great reviews from your clients starts from the very beginning of your relationship with them. If you’ve done a good job and provided a positive experience, your clients will be happy to write a review.
Next, create the review you want to see. If you want people to write positive reviews about your business, you need to provide them with outstanding service.
Make a good impression on your clients and they will say positive things about you in the future.
Finally, you’ll need to make it easier for your client to review the project. Make things easier for them by doing the hard work and sending them a link to your review site. You can use Cloutly to do this automatically!
People expect to leave reviews for businesses as a part of their customer experience. Therefore, asking for a review from a customer is not unusual or out of the norm. Fingers crossed, they’re happy to do it! It is your job to make it easy for people to find the online real estate reviews they need in order to build their reputation.
Ask for reviews early
Asking for reviews without seeming desperate requires a bit of social tact. That’s the last thing you want to do! While it is important to mention the topic to your clients, it is just as important to stress how much more reviews mean to you as their real estate agent, as well as to the agency. Don’t be afraid to bring it up.
It’s great to get feedback from past clients, especially on review sites that matter to you. It helps you understand what you’re doing well and what you could improve upon.
Ask in offboarding emails
Your job is not quite done when your client’s home sells or is purchased. Write one email or a series of emails that help to offboard your clients after the property changes hands.
You should add writing a review to the offboarding checklist, or mention that you would love it if they could share their story.
Create a success story
You play a big role in achieving positive results and making clients happy as a real estate agent. People will remember how they felt listened to, heard, and cared for during the buying or selling process. If you want your clients to leave positive reviews, make sure you have lots of opportunities for them to do so.
The best reviews come from your own success stories.
Start by creating great experiences. You’re always going to be better at some things than others, so it’s important to focus on what you’re good at and keep practicing. You should create a culture where people are successful and happy with the outcome of what they did. This means that the sellers are satisfied and the buyers are ecstatic.
Make your clients happy by giving them more than they expect.
Make reviewing easy
To get a detailed, positive review, make sure your clients can easily review your business. There is a critical window of time after closing but before the client-agent relationship wraps up.
You can show your support in many ways, like sending emails, preparing a congratulatory hamper or gift, or leaving little reminders on social media. But the most important thing is to always include a clear and easy-to-follow link or easy instructions. Both parties will never have to manually chase each other up since Cloutly makes this process simple.
Provide a link directly to your review pages
Making it easy for your clients to leave you a review will increase the chances of them actually doing it. Do the hard work in advance!
To leave a review on Google Maps or Google My Business for your own business, go to the review page and click “Write a review.” Copy the URL from that page to post elsewhere.
The best way to get reviews for each platform you care about is to use this method. If you are the administrator of a Google My Business listing for your agency, you can follow these instructions for a more streamlined approach.
You can help your real estate business by leaving a link to review you as an agent in your email signature! But why stop at a Google review?
Ask for platform-specific reviews on each review platform
If you want to get more than one positive review from a client, you can Sometimes ask them to leave a review on more than one platform. You can try sending a friendly message through Zillow or Facebook to see if you can earn a review.
Ask for the right reasons
Last but not least, know how to ask. Some clients will be more responsive to a direct request for a review, while others may appreciate a more subtle approach. Consider your audience and which approach is more likely to result in a positive review.
Spread the word, you’d love to help friends and neighbors
Make sure to ask your clients to tell their friends and family about the great experience they had with you. If you’re a top-performing real estate agent in your area, they’ll be doing them a favor!
Referrals from existing clients is the best way to quickly spread the good word about your business.
Final thoughts
It is important for real estate agents to have positive reviews in order to win the trust of new clients in a competitive market. When prospective clients compare you to others, they will be more drawn to your services if your client reviews are more personal and specific.
Don’t assume that your reputation is enough, and don’t rely on a verbal agreement to finalize the deal. Make an effort to collect Google reviews, Zillow reviews, or reviews from other places where your potential clients are looking at you in comparison to other agents.
