Why do you need to ask for real estate reviews?
BrightLocal’s local consumer survey shows that 91% of consumers between the age of 18 to 34, and 80% of consumers from 35 to 54 years old are big believers of online reviews, trusting them as much as personal recommendations.
Andrea Swetland – one of the top agents in San Francisco found that 3 out of 4 of her clients know about her through her real reviews online.
“It might’ve been three or four times every year that people said that. I’ve had a couple of people tell me that specifically in the last month — they found my information and then reading the reviews is why they decided to call me.”
Now, that’s why if you know how to utilize this, it would be a huge win and go a long way.
When should you ask for real estate reviews?
Asking for reviews sometimes is very difficult, especially if you’re not used to it. You definitely don’t want to be obsessed with that thought all the time – This is very unusual. So, don’t hang out with them and always think of: “How can I get a real estate review from them?”.
You should prepare in advance some particular event that is appropriate for you to ask for a review. There are 3 events that certainly can ask for some real estate reviews.
1. After giving advice
Imagine it. After running some marketing campaigns, generating a huge surge of new real estate leads. It’s obvious that you’re going to get a lot of questions and concerns from your new prospects and subscribers.
And after giving them valuable real estate advice, the chance of them willing to give you something back is pretty high. So, don’t miss out on this opportunity. By doing this you can also help your clients feel more fulfilled and comfortable because they’re not just solely receiving things from you.
2. After offering them the first offer
For example, if now you’re going to take your client on a home tour tomorrow, you should be ready to ask for a review. Mention in private why you need it and show your enthusiasm – don’t be aggressive, then follow up with an email attached with a link to where they can give you a review.
The more you can make it easier for your clients to give you a real estate review, the better.
3. Right after closing the deal
I’m sure you already know this but it’s necessary to mention this event. Most real estate agents don’t do this immediately – they wait… and then throw away this precious opportunity themselves.
It’s particularly important when asking for a real estate review right after you close your clients. This is when they’re at the highest level of happiness, desire, fulfillment,… Simply ask and you’ve hit the “magic real estate review button” in your client’s minds. So, don’t wait!
Now, here’s the most interesting part:
4 proven strategies to get more real estate reviews
1. Go an extra mile
This is the easiest and most effective way to get good reviews. Not just in real estate, but in almost any other industry. Doing a little more than what you’re expected to do helps you become a great real estate agent in your client’s eyes – sometimes it’s just about giving more valuable tips or showing them that you’re trying to be over-delivered.
Who does not want to give a good review to the ones who always try to help them? – That’s why you should try to be known for a person who is willing to do whatever it takes, and even beyond what you need to do, to deliver the best to your clients.
Take an example from How to attract new leads as a real estate expert: If your clients just want to know the price of some particular houses – Simply research and give them ALL the prices of the nearby properties so they can make decisions more easily.
And of course, this is time-intensive – sometimes bad clients don’t even appreciate your help. However, just keep up the great work, one day all your effort will be paid off.
2. Make a call, ask for a review
This is easier said than done. You can’t simply just jump on the phone and say: “Hey, can you give me a real estate review?”
Although it’s easier than making an effective cold call to close the transaction, you need to be well-prepared in advance.
You should warm them up first… check how much they like their new house, ask for their feelings,… And then explain how important it is for you to receive a good review from your clients, then ask them for writing you a real estate review.
Sometimes, when you feel like you don’t want to do this because it looks very self-promotional and annoying, just get over it. Your clients would be more than happy to give you a review if you do a great job.
3. Email
Effective and personalized emails not just help you increase your conversion rate and potentially double your income, it can also help you generate tons of real estate reviews.
Simply sending them an email telling them how appreciative you’re working with them, the reason why you sent this email, how important it is to get a real estate review from them,… doing this can help you slay your clients into writing for you an incredible review immediately.
Don’t forget to attach the link to where they can give you a review. The easier they can leave their reviews, the better.
4. Choose the right review platform to keep all of your real estate reviews
For example, gaining one extra star on Yelp can potentially help you increase your revenue by 5-9%
Although Yelp is a common platform people use to research businesses, it’s still an untapped source for reviews. With that said, it’s not very hard to be ranked as the top agent on Yelp. That’s why you should use Yelp to leverage your real estate business.
Conclusion
Real estate reviews are one of the most important components when it comes to building trust and increasing your authority. So, don’t hesitate to ask for a review after 3 above-listed events, it’s not self-promotional, it’s giving your clients a chance to share their experience, thoughts, feelings,…
