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3 Steps to Receiving More Client Reviews

Written by Posted On Wednesday, 08 August 2018 10:47

3 steps to receiving more client reviews

By Mark Armstrong, CEO & Co-Founder RateMyAgent

The numbers really do say it all. According to Bright Local, 97 percent of consumers look online for local businesses. 85 percent of consumers read and trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

What’s more, according to the National Association of Realtors, 72 percent of sellers in 2015 contacted just one realtor before signing them up to sell their property.

This means that by the time they call a realtor, 72 percent of sellers have been online, read reviews and all-but-made their decision!

Here’s how to make sure you capitalize on this market for online reviews, and capture the attention of buyers and sellers alike, in three simple steps.

Step 1 – Capture their euphoria

A positive review from your buyer or seller can be your most powerful marketing tool – yet many agents receive relatively few of them. Often, this is simply because agents don’t ask for them!

Make review requests a routine part of your business practice. Ask for a review for each and every transaction, within 48 hours of the contract being signed.

That’s when buyers’ and sellers’ euphoria is at its peak – right in the aftermath of sealing the deal; at the end of a stressful process; and before the next wave of stressful logistics like financing and moving house.

This is when reviews are likely to be the most heartfelt, the most accurate, and the most positive.

Step 2 – Tell your client that their feedback matters, and make it easy to provide

Don’t be shy! Let your client know that their opinion matters – not just to you as a professional who’s always looking to improve, but to the next buyer or seller, who really wants to know about the experiences of other people in the area.

When your buyer or seller agrees to write a review, make it seamless for them. Don’t create a barrier when there doesn’t have to be!

They’re busy people, so make sure they can write and send a review at a time that suits them; from whichever device is most convenient: cell phone, tablet, laptop or desktop.

Make it simple for them to submit the review. RateMyAgent uses a one-click review process. The person writing the review doesn’t have to register, log in, or follow a series of complex steps. All they have to do is click a link and type the review.

This simplicity is why agents who request reviews through Ratemyagent.com get a response rate of around 65 percent.

Step 3 – Centralise your client reviews, and boost your digital presence

Most agents have reviews all over the place – on their own website or page, on Google, in emails, or even letters and cards.

Digitizing and centralizing all your reviews onto one platform makes it much easier for buyers and sellers to find them.

And if each review on the centralised platform generates its own webpage, it becomes a unique marketing tool that’s not just searchable across the web, but shareable – through your own website or page, and social media channels like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Better yet: you can target the best of these reviews by harnessing the power of Google Ads to reach people in your desired market at the times of day they’re most likely to see them.

This ‘shareability’ compounds the power of each review – turning it into a valuable asset with an influence far beyond its original reach, and substantially boosting your digital presence.

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Mark Armstrong

Mark Armstrong is CEO & Co-Founder of RateMyAgent. He is an experienced property professional with 20 years’ experience in the areas of property advisory, tax, negotiation, and development. He is a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA), Licensed Real Estate Agent and member of the Real Estate Institute of Australia.

https://www.ratemyagent.com/

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