How To Get Online Reviews And Position Yourself As The Trusted Expert
There is no doubt about it, in real estate, word-of-mouth referrals are worth their weight in gold, and having a process for collecting client reviews is a must.
In today’s digital world, online reviews are just as or, in some cases, more important than personal referrals. A 2017 study found that a staggering 85% of consumers trust these online reviews with the same confidence that they would have an in-person recommendation.
How does this translate to real estate?
According to the 2019 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers:
Based on those statistics, you can see there is a high likelihood you will be able to collect a review from past clients.
Securing multiple reviews is also key. According to this study, 25% of consumers will trust online reviews as much as in-person recommendations only if there are multiple reviews available.
Where To Display Your Reviews?
The answer to this question is truly anywhere and everywhere.
The more places you can show off your positive reviews, the better.
Obviously, you will be adding testimonials to your book, but you can not forget your online presence.
As an agent, you most likely have at least three different online profiles to keep up with. Whether it be Facebook, Zillow, Realtor.com or a Google My Business Page, potential clients are going to find you in a variety of ways. You need to make sure each of those profiles have up-to-date reviews.
As an agent, you should absolutely be managing a Facebook Business Page.
Facebook’s reviews are displayed in the form of recommendations; however, a star rating is assigned based on these recommendations, as well.
To direct clients to leave a review on your Facebook page, you can include the following link to your request:
facebook.com/BUSINESSNAME/reviews
Zillow
Love it or hate it, Zillow is a household name by now, and you as an agent have to make sure you keep an updated profile on the platform.
With your Premiere Agent Profile, Zillow makes it very easy to request reviews.
When logged in and on your profile page, you will see a button titled “Request Review.”
Clicking that button will bring up an email template that can be modified as you see fit.
Simply add the email addresses of the intended recipients.
Note, there is a button to “indicate this person is a past client.” Check the box if applicable.
Google My Business
Google My Business pages are a great way to increase your online presence. If you do not yet manage a Google My Business page, you can go check out our course where we walk you through every step, from claiming your business page to populating it with useful information.
Step 4 specifically goes through the entire process for requesting reviews on your Google My Business Page.
Asking For Reviews
In order to populate all of your different profiles with reviews, you have to first ask for them. By incorporating a review collection process into your routine, you are more likely to be successful.
Upon the closing of a deal, you can send a congratulatory text using one of these templates:
For Buyers:
Congratulations on your new home, [customer name]! Did I do a good job of helping you navigate the buying process? Please let me know here: [Review link].
[Customer name], now that the closing is over, are you happy with my services? Did I do a good job negotiating on your behalf? If so, please consider leaving a review! [Review link].
For Sellers:
Congratulations on selling your home, [customer name]! Would you list with me again in the future? Your feedback is vital. Would you leave some here? [Review Link].
[Customer name], I just wanted to again congratulate you on the closing. Will you do me a favor? Your feedback is vital to my success, and I would really appreciate it if you took a few moments to leave a review here [Review Link]. Thanks!
If email is more your style, you can use a template like this:
“[Customer Name], thank you so much for choosing me as your real estate agent! I hope you are as happy with how your transaction went as I am. May I ask you the favor of writing a review about your experience with me? I use this feedback as a way to continually improve. Here is the link to leave your comments: [Review Link] “Thank you again, [Customer Name]. I appreciate you taking the time to give me feedback, and I look forward to reading your remarks.”
Don’t be afraid to include a little gift like an electronic gift card to a nearby coffee shop as a token of appreciation.
Ideally, you will be collecting all of your reviews right after closing, but things happen, and in some cases, you will need to reach out to clients you worked with months or even years ago.
The key to reaching out to these clients is to have a reason for your communication.
And there is no better reason than an anniversary.
Email is best for reaching out to past clients, and you can use a template like one of the following:
For Buyers:
“[Customer Name], thank you again for choosing me as your real estate agent! I wanted to wish you a happy [###] anniversary in your home! I hope the home has been everything you dreamed. May I ask you the favor of writing a review about your experience with me? These reviews go a long way with prospective clients, and I would them like to hear about the experiences of my previous clients. You can leave your comments here [Review Link].
“Thank you again, [Customer Name]. I appreciate your feedback and look forward to reading it.”
For Sellers:
“[Customer Name], thank you again for choosing me as your real estate agent! I wanted to wish you a happy [###] anniversary on the sale of your home! I hope things have settled down a bit and that you’re as delighted with the end results as I am. May I ask you the favor of writing a review about your experience with me? These reviews go a long way with prospective clients, and I would like them to hear about the experiences of my previous clients. You can leave your comments here [Review Link].
“Thank you again, [Customer Name]. I appreciate your feedback and look forward to reading it.”
How To Get The Right Reviews
The best reviews include personal stories that reflect your effectiveness, personality, work ethic and qualifications. These specific stories will provide potential clients something to relate to when they’re making a decision on who to hire.
So, how do you get these types of reviews?
It all starts with asking the right questions.
There is no reason to shy away from asking a past client specifically if they would recommend or use your services again in the future. Just don’t forget to follow up with the most important question — Why?
Here is a list of questions to help elicit the type of reviews you are looking for:
By asking these questions, you’ll have a handful of short stories to add to a review page on your website, your social media and even the testimonials section of your book.
