It’s time to level up your business: get endless positive reviews and from each client always get a 5 star review for real estate agent!
5-Star Realtor Reviews = More Business
As a real estate agent, reputation is everything. Whether it’s through word of mouth referrals or online reviews, your success is going to greatly depend on what people say about you. Your online review profile is going to either make you LOTS of free business, or prevent you from getting potential clients.
In this article, I’ll share tips and strategies for always getting positive reviews from clients, how to ask for Realtor reviews, responding to reviews, share some of my own reviews from clients, and share what platforms are the best for requesting reviews for.
Table of Contents
Why are 5-star realtor reviews important?
In our real estate market today, online reviews are more important than ever. Most consumers read online reviews before visiting a business – so if you don’t have any versus if you have MANY positive reviews, that will impact which local market prospects will want to work with you. Each good review adds social proof of your expertise as an agent and is key to winning new business.
Think about it: given multiple options. which Amazon product do you purchase? The one with the most positive reviews! Real estate services are no different.
Positive reviews from past clients can give buyers and sellers the confidence to choose you over your competitors for the good experience and outstanding service your track record says you can deliver. While on the flip side, having no review profiles online may turn a potential client away in search of an agent with a positive track record.
Reviews, combined with other real estate lead generation strategies, can grow your business exponentially! Here’s a downloadable list of 120 realtor lead generation ideas to combine with reviews:
The Impact of Positive Reviews on a Real Estate Agent’s Business
Having lots of positive online reviews as a real estate agent does three good things for your real estate business:
- Attract new clients by improving your search rankings when client leads are searching for the best realtor in your area so that they come across you and your positive reviews and use your contact information to reach out to you
- Build trust with prospective clients by presenting an immediately positive impression as when people search your name online to see if you are a great agent that provides great service and great advice to clients
- Create sharable social proof of your track record as a great real estate agent that you can share everywhere else you are lead generating for your business. I use these positive testimonials all over social media, my website, print materials, & more
Building out your reviews is by far the easiest way to get an endless stream of potential clients to grow your business as a real estate agent! I’m going to share with you exactly how to build up a lot of 5-star reviews as a real estate agent. At the time of this writing, I personally have 70+ 5-star reviews as a Realtor – and I’ve been a full time Realtor for less than a year!
Through building up those online reviews, you can grow your organic online presence via Google My Business, Facebook business page, Realtor.com, Zillow.com, and anywhere else you’d like to build your review profile in order to get clients reaching our to you just by searching online for the area’s star professional real estate agent: that’s YOU!
Want to know how to incorporate realtor reviews into your marketing and lead generation? Check out this post about real estate agent testimonials examples & marketing tips!
The Impact of Negative or Few Reviews on a Real Estate Agent’s Business
Similarly, if you receive some negative reviews, that’s going to deal a HUGE blow to your online profile and may turn future clients away. We’re going to walk through how to ALWAYS get raving clients that absolutely love to give you a great review.
If you have few or no reviews, you won’t show up in search results for potential clients who don’t yet know you, and you won’t look like an experienced and trustworthy agent in the eyes of potential clients who are intentionally looking you up before trusting you with their business. I’m going to share some tips for how to quickly build up your review profiles!
Real Estate Agent Review Platforms to Consider
While it would be great to get a review from each client across half a dozen websites, that’s asking for a LOT, even if it is just copy and paste. I recommend asking clients to provide reviews in at least two different locations, but not more than three.
My two favorite platforms by far to request a 5-star review for real estate agent on are Google My Business and my real estate agent Facebook business profile page. While some may differ on the latter, EVERY AGENT SHOULD BE USING GOOGLE MY BUSINESS. Did I make myself clear?!
Let’s summarize each of the main Realtor review platforms:
- Google My Business – Google My Business is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including search and maps. As a realtor, this platform is crucial for local SEO and provides an easy space for clients to leave reviews and ratings.
- Facebook Business Page – A Facebook Business Page allows realtors to establish a social media presence, post listings, engage with clients, and receive reviews. It’s a beneficial platform for cultivating customer relationships and showcasing real estate services.
- Realtor.com – Realtor.com is a leading real estate marketplace that allows realtors to list properties, interact with potential buyers and sellers, and gain reviews. The site features comprehensive listings and informative resources, making it a key platform for realtors to build a professional reputation.
- Zillow.com – Zillow is one of the most popular online real estate marketplaces that provides tools for real estate professionals to list properties, connect with buyers and sellers, and collect client reviews. Its extensive reach and user base make it an ideal platform for realtors to establish their credibility.
- BiggerPockets – BiggerPockets is a social network dedicated to real estate investing. It provides a platform for realtors to engage with other industry professionals and prospective investors, share their expertise, and gain reputation through networking and recommendations rather than typical client reviews.
- NextDoor – NextDoor is a neighborhood-oriented social networking platform. For realtors, it’s a great space to engage with local communities, promote services and listings, and receive local recommendations and reviews, enhancing their neighborhood-specific reputation.
- Alignable – Alignable is a networking site for small businesses, providing opportunities for building professional relationships and gaining referrals. Realtors can use this platform to connect with local businesses, get referrals, and share positive experiences, which in turn can boost their professional reputation.
Tips for Always Getting a 5 Star Review for Real Estate Agent Services
Go Above and Beyond with Excellent Service
Don’t just deliver, but OVERdeliver. You can’t provide average service and expect an excellent, well-above average review. Here are some real estate transactions pro tips to maximize your positive review oppotunities:
- Exceed expectations as much as you possibly can through the entire process.
- Don’t be afraid of hard work!
- Think ahead and be proactive with their needs every step of the way.
- Anticipate issues and create solutions before they even arise.
- Remove as much stress from the process as possible.
- Provide valuable guidance and advice.
- Give them options when it comes to negotiations, utilities, insurance, etc.
Follow Up and Be Helpful AFTER Closing
This one is EXTREMELY important. If you continue to reach out, ask how things are going, solve minor problems, and advise your clients AFTER you get paid at closing, you will truly demonstrate that you are a Realtor who cares through the whole process for your clients on a whole other level. Make sure your clients were happy with the service you provided!
Plus, during the follow up is when you are going to request a review, so you don’t want to just pop up out of the blue with that request, you will have been communicating positively anyway! They will be far more inclined to provide a review!
Use the Best Lender, Title, and Inspector Partners Whenever Possible
A real estate transaction can go super smooth or be a living hell depending on the partners you work with. Having a terrible, unresponsive lender, having a bad home inspector, or having a title agency that isn’t paying attention will make a transaction terrible for you and far more terrible for your clients. Unfortunately, that experience all reflects back on YOU as their Realtor.
By guiding and advising your clients toward lenders, title agents, and inspectors you know, like, and trust, and know will deliver a great experience, your likelihood of getting a 5-star review when you ask for it goes up EXPONENTIALLY!
Give a Super Memorable Closing Gift
What if when you gave a client a closing gift, they hung it on their wall and looked at it EVERY SINGLE DAY that they’re in the home you sold them? That’s my latest hack that has not only gotten me new client referrals from past clients, but always scores a great 5-star real estate agent review for my business!
I love this Home Sweet Home custom sign on Etsy where I can change the “The Johnson Family” text and they put the actual location coordinates of the home’s address below. It’s not that expensive, it’s truly unique, and every client hangs it up in their new home. You will REMAIN top of mind all the way through when they sell!
Get yours here: Link to this Home Sweet Home Realtor gift idea on Etsy (this is not a referral link, I just wanted to share this with you to benefit your business!).
How to Get a 5-Star Review from Clients
When to Ask for a Review from Clients
Timing is key when requesting a Realtor review from a client. You don’t want to wait too long. So do this:
- Ensure you have your closing gift FOR closing
- Follow up with the client and continue providing value where possible after closing
- Request the review within 2-3 weeks of closing
Remember, you will get exactly ZERO reviews if you ask ZERO times! Go get ’em, tiger!
How to Ask for a 5-Star Realtor Review from Clients
Here is the EXACT email template I use to request a review – feel free to copy, paste, and make it your own:
Hey Nick and Liz!
How is everything with the home? My landscaper will be reaching out to you to help with your sprinklers and get you a lawncare quote. Please let me know what else I can help with!
I just wanted to say thank you so much for your trust and I appreciate the opportunity you gave me to serve as your Realtor! Reviews and referrals are key to my business as a real estate professional serving military families. If you were happy with my service as your 5-Star Realtor, would you do me a huge favor and review me on the platforms below?
[Google My Business Review Request Link]
[Facebook Realtor Business Profile Link]
If you BOTH could provide a review on both Google and Facebook, it would be much appreciated! (Feel free to use copy paste for each website!)
I really enjoyed getting to know you. Please reach out any time if there is anything in the world I can help you with! And if you know anyone else I can help, I would be honored for the opportunity to assist them in any way I can.
Thanks again! Your Realtor and Neighbor,
Charlie
And now here are the reviews that this simple email resulted in:
This email template has never failed me, unless I sent it WAY too late! Don’t forget to keep following up with clients post close and request reviews within a few weeks of closing.
Check this post out to see more real estate agent testimonials examples that this review request email template has produced!
Personalize Your Request & Make it Easy
Be sure to personalize this template to each and every client. Ask them how the home is, say something personal that shows you are still helping them and that you are still willing to help. You can even mention something super personal that shows how much you care, like: I hope little Molly loves playing in that big yard!
Ensure that you aren’t making it difficult to find where to review. There should be links to your profiles, preferably – if available – a DIRECT link to where they can write the review so that they don’t have to click around and can just get right to it when they open the link! If it’s hard, they WON’T do it.
Get Two Reviews from Married Clients!
Notice that I asked for EACH of the two married clients to post a review on EACH platform. That’s two reviews per platform for ONE closing! This is a great way to DOUBLE the speed at which you can grow your positive review profiles online.
Don’t Forget to Ask for Referrals
Did you see my sneakily mention that I’d be honored for the opportunity to help others they know? Make sure they know you want to be referred additional business to capitalize on that opportunity. The timing is better now while their positive experience is fresh!
Be Sure to Follow Up
Timing and follow up is just as important for the review as it is for converting a prospective lead to a client.
You can always follow this email up with a reminder text or two as well and after a few weeks, replying to this same email asking if they received it is a great way to remind them that you’re still hoping for that review!
Never Ask for Reviews from Nightmare Clients
We’ve all been there. I hate to say it, but occasionally we have clients out there who… no matter how much effort you put in are absolutely TERRIBLE clients. These folks are never grateful for the effort you put in, blame everything that goes wrong on you, and rarely see the value of your services. It just happens.
Unfortunately, these are the ones to skip asking for a review from because it is always better to have no review than a BAD review. It isn’t worth the risk.
Responding to Realtor Reviews: Why it’s Important and How to do it Effectively
Why Responding to Reviews Matters
Responding to reviews is just as important as asking for them. Here’s why:
- It shows that you care. By responding to reviews, you’re showing your clients that you care about their experience and value their feedback.
- It can improve your search engine rankings. Responding to reviews can help improve your search engine rankings by providing fresh content for search engines to crawl.
- It can turn a negative into a positive. Responding to negative reviews in a professional and helpful way can actually turn the situation around and show potential clients that you’re committed to providing excellent service.
How to Respond to Positive Reviews and Negative Reviews
When responding to reviews, here are a few tips:
- Be professional. Always respond in a professional and courteous manner, even if the review is negative.
- Address the issue. If the review is negative, address the issue head-on and offer a solution.
- Thank the reviewer. Regardless of whether the review is positive or negative, always thank the reviewer for taking the time to leave feedback.
Realtor Review Examples
Here are a few of the 100+ reviews I’ve received across different platforms as examples:
Sara R.
“Charlie and his team were truly exceptional. They were always willing to go over and above! Moving from Ohio, he was always available to answer questions, even video tours of properties as they went on the market! He is versed in dealing with other agents, any issues were quickly resolved! Charlie and team made the move to Florida an extremely easy process! I could always count on them! Highly recommend!”
Blake D.
“Charlie has been the most knowledgeable agent I’ve worked with. He and his team negotiated a great deal for my purchase and then handled the transaction like a pro! Keep in mind this was a deal where the selling side threw everything but the kitchen sink at us and this team kept the deal alive and we closed for $20k under listing price! I highly recommended!”
Derek R.
“We needed a house and fast! We got relocated to Fort Walton Beach with less than 3 months notice. We reached out to Charlie and his team and they were so lovely, asked us everything and told us everything we needed to know about the area and with his added military background it helped us so much. As we had to buy from afar we were completely in his hands, trusting his judgement on the houses and location for all things we couldn’t see/feel from pictures and videos! He did an amazing job and we are truly happy and couldn’t recommend him more!!”
Will B.
“Charlie and the his team were awesome throughout the entire home buying experience and afterwards as well. It was our first time buying a home, and Charlie was able to answer all our questions. Despite my wife and I having unpredictable schedules, Charlie did an excellent job making time to meet with us for showings, and was always responsive to texts and phone calls. We never felt pressured to buy, and Charlie always gave his honest opinion when we were looking at homes. If you’re looking for a strong real estate team to be on your side, especially as a first time homebuyer, I definitely recommend him.
Christine T.
“Charlie and his team are the best! He is a great person and a great agent. He went out of his way to help answer questions and do research before, during and after the deal. He helped us acquire an amazing property when we didn’t think it would work out (we were a back up offer) and made sure everything stayed on track with a very tight timeline. We will definitely be working with this team again in the future!”
Zack K.
“I cannot recommend Charlie and his team enough to anyone looking to buy or sell in the Florida panhandle. He went above and beyond to guide us through our journey as first time home buyers during an out of state military move. His military background, experience as a real estate investor, and level of trustworthiness set him apart from other realtors. His impeccable responsiveness and experience working remotely with military families also contributed to an outstanding experience. You cannot go wrong with this team no matter what your real estate goals are!“
How to Get Realtor Reviews When You Are Brand New
I coach agents all across the country completely for free with our eXp Realty partnership team. A lot of new agents ask a very valid question: how to I build up a positive review profile when I’m brand new and haven’t closed many deals?
The answer is easier than you’d think: ask for reviews from people who know, like, and trust you. You don’t have to have had dozens of clients to have some initial reviews on your profile.
Now let me be clear: I do not want you to go get a bunch of fake reviews. This is NEVER ethical or a good idea. What I’m saying is there are people – family and good friends – who know, like, and trust you that would also trust your real estate advice and services.
You would simply do the following:
- Reach out to each friend and family member who know, like, and trust you
- Let them know that you are excited about your new business and that you are working to build it up and could really use their help
- Ask them to write a generic review, that can outline things like:
- Your work ethic
- Your real estate knowledge
- Your customer service skills
- Your passion to service others
These reviews can say things like “Mary is an absolutely joy to work with and is one of the most knowledgeable Realtors I’ve ever met. I would 1000% recommend her services to anyone!”
That’s a simple example that compliments Mary’s strengths that a friend could easily observe. We often encourage new agents on our entire team who have gotten to known one another share reviews to help build up their profiles!
Want some more lead generation ideas as a new agent? Check out this list and explanations for 120 realtor lead generation strategies:
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Asking for Reviews
Finally, let’s talk about some common mistakes to avoid when asking for reviews:
- Don’t be too pushy. Asking for a review is one thing, but badgering your clients for a review is another. After two reminders, it’s best to let it go.
- Don’t ignore negative reviews. Ignoring negative reviews can make the situation worse. Always respond in a professional and helpful way.
- Don’t forget to say thank you. Always thank your clients for taking the time to leave a review, regardless of whether it’s positive or negative.
- Don’t request reviews from nightmare clients. Review that section above again!
Hope enjoyed this post all about how to grow your online presence and positive track record by always asking for a 5 star review for real estate agent business.
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