As a real estate agent, online reviews are one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal. A huge number of potential clients will start their search for a realtor by looking at reviews and testimonials from past clients. Having a strong online reputation with plenty of glowing 5-star reviews can make all the difference in attracting new leads and growing your business.
Why Online Reviews Matter for Realtors
Your reputation is your most valuable asset as a real estate professional. Positive reviews from previous clients serve as social proof of your skills, expertise and commitment to excellent service. Reviews reveal the kind of experience a client can expect when working with you.
Online reviews are the digital equivalent of word-of-mouth referrals. When a satisfied client raves about you online, it carries significant weight with potential new clients. Over 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation from someone they know.
Having a robust collection of online reviews also boosts your visibility in search results. When someone searches for a realtor in your area, agents with more reviews tend to show up higher in the rankings. Reviews on your Google Business Profile in particular can help you rise to the top of local search results.
Where to Focus Your Review Efforts
While there are many platforms where clients can leave reviews, some carry more weight than others for real estate agents:
- Google: As the world’s top search engine, Google is often the first place people turn when looking for a realtor. Having a strong rating and plenty of reviews on your Google Business Profile is crucial.
- Zillow: Zillow is the most popular real estate website, making it an important place to collect reviews from past clients.
- Realtor.com: As the official site of the National Association of Realtors, Realtor.com is another useful platform for agent reviews.
- Facebook: With its huge user base, Facebook can be a good secondary place to gather additional reviews and recommendations.
- Yelp: While popular for restaurant and service business reviews, Yelp is less crucial for realtors. But it doesn’t hurt to have some presence there as well.
In addition to being a place for your online client reviews, these platforms often serve as a beneficial source for ‘local SEO’—or third-party sources that confirm your business details and address. It’s typically quick, easy and free to sign up, so you might as well claim your account!
Read our free guide on SEO for Real Estate Agents: How to Get More Leads & Traffic to Your Realtor Website
Strategies for Realtors to Get More 5-Star Reviews
The best way to get more glowing testimonials is simple – just ask! Reach out to past clients who had a fantastic experience working with you, and ask if they would be willing to share their opinion online. Make the process as easy as possible by providing direct links to your review profiles.
Ideally, aim to get reviews on multiple platforms, with an emphasis on Google and Zillow. While Yelp discourages directly soliciting reviews, most other sites have no issue with this.
Timing is key when asking for reviews. The best time is immediately after closing, when the experience is still fresh in the client’s mind. Following up with a personal email or text requesting a review often gets the best results.
Consider creating an email template that you can quickly personalize and send out after each closing. Automate the process as much as possible to make collecting reviews a regular part of your workflow.
Read our free guide on Email Marketing for Real Estate Agents: How to Grow Your Business
Leveraging Reviews in Your Real Estate Agent Marketing
Once you’ve accumulated a solid collection of 5-star client reviews, it’s time to put them to work in your real estate agent marketing! Showcase those glowing testimonials prominently on your website and landing pages. Sprinkle quotes from happy clients throughout your site content, like a magic review fairy. 🪄
Feature your best reviews in social media posts to engage your followers. Create graphics highlighting a killer testimonial and share it on Instagram or Facebook.
You can even use strong reviews in your print marketing materials like brochures, flyers, and mailers. Pull out the best quotes and make them a centerpiece of your designs.
Learn how to harness The Power of Social Media Advertising for Real Estate Agents
Positive reviews make terrific trust-building content for your email marketing as well. Include testimonials in your newsletters and lead nurturing sequences. This is especially impactful when targeting leads who are still in the consideration phase.
Use Real Estate Agent Reviews to Grow Your Business
In real estate, your reputation is everything. And these days, a realtor’s reputation lives online in the form of client reviews and testimonials. 5-star reviews serve as powerful social proof for potential new clients that you are a top-notch agent who delivers outstanding results and service.
Make gathering reviews a priority in your real estate business. Focus on key platforms like Google and Zillow. Reach out to satisfied clients and make it easy for them to sing your praises online. Then leverage those glowing reviews extensively in your online and offline marketing efforts.
By proactively managing your online reputation and staying focused on delivering 5-star service to your clients, you’ll soon have a stellar collection of reviews that will help you rise above the competition and take your real estate business to the next level!
Want help growing your real estate client reviews and establishing yourself as the go-to local expert? 23 Window Media was created to help you do exactly that. Reach out to our team of real estate marketing specialists and let’s win you more leads and close more deals! Contact us here.
P.S. Before you go—don’t miss our 10 Effective Online Marketing Strategies for Real Estate Agents to Boost Leads in 2024
