How to get more reviews and why it matters

Why is getting more reviews important?

 

Written by Mark Armstrong, CEO and Co-founder of RateMyAgent

 

 

The more reviews you have, the more confident your prospective clients will feel in making the right decision when it comes to finding the right agent.

Having multiple and recent reviews also builds trust and credibility with your prospects. And as the saying goes “you’re only good as your last job” and in this case, it’s your last review, so ensure you continue to receive recent and relevant reviews.

 

However, quantity also comes with quality. Star ratings provide us with a short-cut to the customer service provided by businesses but the review itself is the golden nugget, as it gives us context to the star rating, provides us with validation and in the real estate industry, helps vendors and buyers differentiate between real estate agents and the level of service they offer.

 

When asking for reviews, make sure you’re asking the right questions. You don’t just want to know if your customers liked your service, you want to know how you have gone above and beyond and provided them with exceptional service and a great result.

Receiving glowing and very personal reviews such as “Josh, what a superstar, I don’t know any other agent who would go above and beyond like him” or “First-class agent. A few weeks into the marketing campaign the restrictions with COVID19 came into play but Sandy didn’t miss a beat, securing a buyer within a few weeks and above our asking price” will certainly provide a competitive advantage and make you stand out from the crowd.

 

Embrace all reviews and don’t be afraid of negative reviews as consumers will appreciate your transparency. In the case of receiving a negative review, respond professionally and providing the bigger picture will only enhance your credibility and build trust.

 

How to get more reviews

Easy steps for requesting reviews

 

Step 1

Plant the idea. During the very first meeting when you take your prospective vendor through your listing report, show them your reviews, provide them with insights into what happy clients have said about you and their unique and positive experience with you.

 

 

Step 2

Reinforce the idea. Discuss the transaction process, the action of writing a review or filming a video review will be requested.

 

Step 3

Nurture the idea. At the signing table, explain how they will receive the request via email and he’s a good opportunity to ask the vendor to deliver a video testimonial at the table or outside the ‘sold’ sign. In the case of using RateMyAgent to request a review, it’s an easy process, choose the listing you want a review from, add your vendor or buyer’s details and press send! If you’re on a RateMyAgent subscription, you’re able to request a review via mobile text message which will increase the likelihood of a response.

 

Step 4

Execute the idea. No later than 48 hours after close and always reply to the review and thank your vendor/buyer.

 

 

Automatic Review Requests

To make your life easy and save you time, we have recently launched Automatic Review Requests, which automates your review requests once you have sold a property. To get started, we just need to integrate with your data feed providers or switch it on in the reviews tab of your agency’s dashboard.

 

One review request for all major platforms

The good news is that RateMyAgent is integrated with Google My Business and Facebook Reviews, so you can turn your RateMyAgent reviews into Google and/or Facebook reviews. It’s a huge opportunity to expand your reach across the world’s most popular platforms. When a seller or buyer submits a review to RateMyAgent, our system will prompt them to post it to Google and/or Facebook Reviews.

 

What speaks louder than words?

Video reviews! They can appear more powerful as they add authenticity and provide real emotion that text and even audio reviews don’t provide. Video clips of clients show prospects that other people—like them – are extremely happy with their agent experience, which is hard to ‘fake.’ We’ve recently launched our video reviews feature which allows agents to upload their video reviews on their profile ‘reviews’ page for each property sold. See an example here and note that video reviews which have not been highly produced or edited work best to provide an authentic feel and capture the vendor’s true reaction and experience.

 

In my next Espresso Series session, I will take you through ‘How to get more reviews and why it matters.’

 

 

Espresso Series

RateMyAgent is here to help as you navigate this ‘new normal’ world with the launch of our free weekly livestream. The Espresso Series are short 15-minute educational sessions to help you learn practical skills so you can thrive in a changing environment.

 

Every Wednesday, Mark Armstrong, RateMyAgent CEO & Co-founder will host and deliver these webinar sessions in addition to Subject Matter Experts from our business and industry leaders.

 

**Espresso Series is no longer running. All recordings are available here.**

 

When:  Every Wednesday at 2pm AEST

Wednesday 10th June topic: “How to get more reviews and why it matters” plus Q&A with Mark.

Host:  Mark Armstrong, CEO and Co-founder of RateMyAgent.