Part 2 of 3 part series: Agent Reviews

Client reviews are realtor’s bread and butter. However, many agents forget, rarely ask, or use wrong practices. By informing clients that reviews help other customers make informed decisions, you feel more confident requesting feedback.

Online reviews matter. Approximately 80% of people in the United States believe online reviews are reliable. 60% of them trust online reviews more than a friend’s recommendation.

“Our research shows that 90% of US adults check reviews when searching for property,” said Mark Jones, a real estate analyst. “Agents can’t afford to ignore reviews anymore,” he added.

Here are four reviews best practices for agents.

1.    Proactively ask for feedback

Requesting feedback from clients is an effective way of getting and managing online reviews. Numerous platforms allow realtors to get in touch with clients and obtain their feedback through text or email.

Based on clients’ experiences, these platforms give them a chance to leave comments. The response can either be positive or negative.  If the feedback is bad, the platform redirects a client to another forum to share their grief. This allows you to address the issues.

2.    Respond to all reviews

Most people are scared of negative reviews—including agents. However, always respond to reviews, more importantly, negatives ones. Most of your customers want to be heard. They will probably change their opinion given an opportunity. If you don’t respond, you are denying them the chance and refusing to make amends.

Don’t let negative reviews languish. Respond to them ASAP. Bad reviews are wildfires. A response mitigates any reputational damage that a review may have caused. Positive reviews should not be left hanging either. Thank customers and use the opportunity to inform them of available offers or discounts.

3.    Maintain professionalism

When you get a negative review, don’t take it personally. Some agents get defensive when they receive bad feedback. A hostile response turns off potential clients.

If possible, find a solution and provide a remedy instead of an explanation. When an aggrieved customer is shown empathy, the situation is defused and they may become your good ambassadors.

4.    Monitor your reviews

Track your reviews daily on platforms such as Yelp, social media and Google Reviews by setting reminders. Reviews are some of the information that comes up when potential clients Google search properties. Therefore, it is paramount to track and manage them.

Review management software is also another option you can use. You can also use a Reputation Management Software to consolidates all reviews from different platforms and locations into one dashboard. Some of these softwares also track your competitors’ reviews to learn and stay ahead of the game.

Don’t forget to also display your reviews on your website. Zealder provide an easy way to display reviews from all the top review sites directly on your website.

As a real estate agent, don’t shy away from reviews. Embrace technology and change your leads to clients. How do you manage your reviews? We would love to hear from you.