Reviews and feedbacks are among the most important elements of your real estate business, especially since it helps to provide proof of quality service and as a way to gauge your trustworthiness and reputation as a real estate agent.
As important as they may be, many clients often forget this crucial step in the process especially when they are unaware of any mechanism or channel to get this done.
In addition, adding another step in the after-sales or service process of getting client reviews makes the task all the more challenging.
Getting a client to write a review or testimonial takes time, so asking them to do it on multiple platforms is difficult.
In addition, all agent searches on the portals will have the comparison component, which presents side-by-side profile tiles or agent information on user screens.
What should agents be doing with all this information to boost their brands?
There are industry-specific platforms as well as more generic business review and testimonial sites such as Google, Facebook, and your own website.
A strategic decision must be made regarding which platforms agents will direct their clients to.
Consider the following factors when choosing what works best for your online profile and real estate business;
*The ease of managing and moderating reviews on the platform
*Does the platform use reviews to disguise its true business model, which is to generate leads?
*How can a real estate agent’s success be reflected in the platform he chooses?
Real estate portals
It’s critical that your clients recognise the brand and wouldn’t need a lot of convincing to leave a review on the real estate portal – the more recognisable the platform, the better.
It is no secret that real estate portals are powerful tools, and reviews could be used to generate more revenue for agents by offering seller lead-generation packages.
A downside, though, is that some portals charge a commission rate earned by agents on leads or sales generated by the agent through the portal.
However, consider it an investment especially if it can provide a steady stream of revenue and leads for the agent.
You can also boost your online profile by having your reviews on these portals in the short term.
There’s just too much at stake to ignore or exclude them.
Google Reviews
The main reason why real estate agencies are dragged into Google Reviews is that they have to respond to negative reviews left by their clients.
In many cases, customers who have not bought or sold through an agency may only be able to leave a review here without their review being moderated.
A high percentage of tenants seem to have complained about the agency, particularly about the loss of bonds and not being able to obtain a tenancy.
It is inevitable that these reviews will continue to arrive, but you can always respond to them.
It is likely that most people reading your response will recognize that the negative review was likely made in a hurry and can easily be overlooked if you respond politely and logically.
Nevertheless, it is critical to counter negative reviews with positive ones when they build up.
In this way, your business will be portrayed in its best light and your star rating will be raised.
Having a Google Review strategy is therefore crucial.
Google’s power to help you be found online cannot be ignored, no matter how you put it.
One of the most important ranking factors for local SEO is the quality and quantity of reviews on Google.
Customers are more likely to click on business listings that include customer reviews when looking for a local product or service on Google.
As part of your SEO and review strategy, it is highly recommended that you make a conscious effort to garner more Google Reviews.
Facebook Reviews
Probably the same strategy should be used for Facebook reviews as for Google reviews.
It would be remiss of you not to pay attention to the reviews on Facebook and Google because of their reach and influence.
Your real estate website
You should promote reviews and testimonials on your website if you want to have total control over them.
You can copy testimonials from any of the above-mentioned platforms onto your website once they have been provided.
It is not just a place where you display listings, but also where prospective clients can find out more about you!
Put yourself in your customers’ shoes when designing your website.
Instead of an image of a nice property on your website, consider having testimonials from happy clients.
With video testimonials, you can quickly disseminate how you operate and evoke the feelings of visitors.
Unlike other written testimonials and reviews, video testimonials carry a human element.
There are many prospective clients who visit your website – don’t think they don’t!
A priority of your Review and Testimonial strategy should be your real estate website because it is the one platform you have complete control over.
Conclusion
There is no precise answer to how to advertise reviews and testimonials successfully.
If you want to have a successful online presence, you should consider all your options carefully and take the time to manage your reviews and testimonials.