Realtor reviews on social media leave a lot to be desired. Not only is every agent sporting a nearly perfect five stars on Facebook, but for realtors, acquiring leads from their friend list is a near-impossible endeavour. This is why social media marketing is a pay-to-play game, but it doesn’t guarantee any sales.
Realtor review sites are changing the game in terms of how buyers and sellers find their agents, and how agents get leads.
Along with peer recommendations, review sites like Yelp and Rate-My-Agent.com are where most people start their search for realtors in a new area, a new property type, or when first getting into the market. A survey by BrightLocal found, 76% trust online reviews as much as recommendations from family and friends.
Why? Most trustworthy sites require current reviews, showcasing the agent is active and busy in their area. As well, consumers see realtor review sites as a third-party reference to get honest reviews of realtors, before meeting them.
Moving forward, these sites are the number one source for new leads from prospective buyers and sellers.
For agents, review sites are far more than just a place to have a smiling, profile photo. Not only does it boost agent search-engine optimization (SEO) by attaching their name to a credible site with a lot of traffic, it allows customers to find agents they otherwise may have never heard of.
Like it or not, realtor profiles exist on these sites (with accompanying negative reviews) without their knowledge. According to stats published by the leading realtor review site, Rate-My-Agent.com, 19% of the reviews are 1-star while 71% of the reviews are 5-star. Clearly there is a gap between social media reviews and actual client satisfaction. The inclusion of honest, critical reviews by independent agent review sites is a clear indication of credibility and consumers recognize this.
Agents need to get listed on a trusted review site or risk missing out on potential clients. A complete profile with agent interaction is far more likely to acquire business than a photo-less page that was generated by an angry ex-client with a negative review.
Agents should also reply to reviews; showing both active engagement and professionalism, as well as have the ability to reach out to anyone who may have questions, or has posted a less-than-stellar review.
So here’s a quick action plan for agents looking to grow their business with reviews:
- Choose a realtor review site. Our recommendation is Rate-My-Agent.com because it’s free, gets found in the search engines, and is super easy for your clients to post a review on.
- Post your profile with accurate contact details and a current headshot.
- Collect reviews by requesting a review from all your past clients.
- Integrate displaying and requesting reviews into your client acquisition and retention processes.
- Reply quickly to reviews when they are posted to showcase your professionalism and attentiveness.
You’ll be surprised how fast you start earning new clients and wonder why you didn’t start earlier!