Why Cant I Write a Zillow Review for an Agent

I speak to successful real estate agents who use Zillow Group's Premier Agent plan on an almost daily basis. (Side note: To be perfectly clear, I'm defining "success" in this case as converting contacts to closings.)

Invariably, these agents will tell me that a central component to their success is getting reviews from clients. Which leads, of course, to a natural follow-up question: "How do y'all go more reviews?"

Here are 19 tips from real manor agents who accept dozens — if not hundreds — of reviews:

Be upfront with your clients

1. Ask for reviews. Very few people volition but write a real estate agent review on their own. You have to inquire them to do information technology. If you're just starting out, aim to get at least five reviews.

"A large change we made — one that changes the ball game and one I highly recommend every team makes — is to utilise the team review system," remarked Robert Trefethren, director of strategy and development for Fargo, ND-based Hatch Realty, which has more 400 reviews. "Nosotros were doing them all under individual profiles, but if people expect their agents to go out and go reviews, they're kidding themselves."

2. Start talking almost reviews from day one. If the starting time fourth dimension a client hears how much yous value a review is at closing, how likely are they to believe that it'south important at all? Don't make endmost time the starting time time yous mention reviews: Permit people know you'll be requesting a review, then bring them up early on when coming together a client or potential client.
3. Driblet a hint. In your solar day-to-twenty-four hour period dealings with a client, they volition often say things like, "Wow, thanks for pointing out that stain in the ceiling. Not certain I would take noticed that." What a keen opportunity to say, "That would be a perfect statement to put in a review!" Even if they don't use that specific example in the review, dropping those hints helps reinforce the importance of reviews. One Premier Agent I talked to is VERY straightforward when information technology comes to this and he volition oft say, "Here's a pen and some paper, write that downwardly because information technology's going in my 5-star review you're writing afterward."
4. Don't expect until endmost. Ideally, you've been mentioning reviews from the commencement. All the same, lots of real manor agents say they wait until endmost to ask for a review, every bit that'south when the clients are happiest. True, but it's besides when they are the busiest. Endmost is a stressful fourth dimension; if your client hasn't withal submitted a review, wait until a couple of weeks afterwards closing to inquire once more — merely no longer than that. Here's where that drip e-mail campaign tin can come in handy.
5. Make a personal phone call. Information technology'southward even harder to ignore a personal telephone call. Yeah, it takes a little more effort, but even if you don't get the review, you've made contact with a past customer — and that's never a bad idea.

Make getting reviews a regular habit

6. Make reviews part of your daily concern. Real estate agents who have the most success getting reviews consider them integral to their business marketing. They mention reviews (and the process for writing them) to every customer.

"Well-nigh a year agone, we started putting a focus on getting reviews," recalled Joe Garcia, managing director of marketing and innovation for Mark Spain Real Estate in Alpharetta, GA, a squad that has more than than 1,000 reviews. "We saw stats from Zillow showing that people accomplish out to three, four, five agents at a time, and when consumers run into someone with 100 reviews versus someone with five reviews, it's an overwhelming indicator to choose the 1 with more reviews."

7. Incorporate "the ask" into your process. It never ceases to amaze me how oftentimes I hear a real estate agent say, "Oh, I only forget to ask for reviews." Don't forget. Brand information technology a part of your process. Enter it every bit a calendar reminder and add together information technology to your heir-apparent and seller checklists. You can even include it in the material you hand out to clients: "Don't open a credit card account. Read all documents. Leave me a five-star review!"

"We have two strategies for requesting reviews: We bandage a broad net to people who are older in our system — who bought a while ago — and we send a more personal message to people who closed in the last calendar month or so," Trefethren explained. "You have to do both: Casting a broad net gets a rapid response while personal messages get a higher response."

8. Don't rely simply on closed transactions for the opportunity to get a review. Many agents seem to feel that the only people they should ask for reviews are clients who closed a transaction with them. Not so. On Zillow, there are several types of client relationships that don't include a finalized transaction for which you can go real manor agent reviews. There's no reason you can't get a nifty review from a buyer who didn't close the transaction.
9. Use a baste e-mail campaign. People tend to demand reminding more than in one case to write a review. It'south hard to keep bugging people to practise information technology. If you employ a baste email system, set up a "request review" campaign and send monthly emails requesting reviews from those who haven't left them.

"Information technology's of import to take a system to track who you've done business with and do gentle follow up later," Garcia pointed out. "It'due south never too tardily to share your experience nigh your home buying or selling experience."

10. Personalize the language in the standard review invitation. Nigh review systems employ canned linguistic communication in their review requests. Delete it and write a personal bulletin instead. Remind clients of what you did and how important reviews are to your real estate business.

"We've constitute that the most effective method is sending a personal text message, dropping in personal linguistic communication, and making the client understand the purpose behind getting a review," Trefethren explained. "Don't be afraid to tell them, 'This helps me earn time to come business.'"

Make it like shooting fish in a barrel to review you

11. Explicate the importance of real estate agent reviews in your business. Yep, asking for a review is a very "me" thing. But sometimes that'south what you accept to exercise. Explaining WHY you'd like an honest review helps people understand the importance of them. "Reviews are an integral role of my business. Y'all saw my reviews and they helped you make a determination to rent me. I'd appreciate it greatly if you would help others do the aforementioned by leaving me an honest review."
12. Offering examples. For many people, looking at a blank screen and trying to come up up with words is extremely difficult. Make information technology as piece of cake as possible for your clients. While you want the review to reverberate the reviewer's voice and not yours — in other words, don't write the review for them — yous can provide lots of examples of previously written real estate amanuensis reviews, and even include a few sentences that clients can copy and modify. Likewise, don't strive to get only five-star reviews: you don't want any potential clients to question your authenticity. Let your clients know y'all want their honest and fair opinion about their satisfaction with you and the services you provided, and that information technology'south OK to give you lot fewer than five stars.
13. Mine your database of by clients for those who haven't written a review. Recollect the client you sold a home to three years ago whom y'all haven't reached out to in forever? Here's your chance. Forget the awkward, "If you know anyone in the market, I'd appreciate a referral" discover and instead hit them up with a friendly asking for a review. "Hey, Jim and Sally! Long time no talk! Hope you are doing well. I've started a new thing in my real estate business — customer reviews — and would really capeesh it if you would consider writing one for me."

"In the Zillow dashboard for real estate agents, yous can literally go in there, type in the 25 emails you want to ship and it tracks them for you," Trefethren remarked. "If a review gets rejected, a client submits a review or if the customer does nothing, it tells you and y'all tin can resend the email if you want. Our agents apply the dashboard quite effectively in conjunction with text letters."

14. Send a video email. It's easy to ignore an electronic mail, even if it'due south personalized. It's much harder to ignore your grinning face up in a short video requesting a review.
15. Post a "review of the week" on your Facebook business page. This appeals to the ego. People like to be recognized and encounter their "name in lights" so be sure to tag the person who gave you lot the review in your postal service. Information technology's simple to do and helps remind others to write a review for you.

Give thanks your clients for their time

16. Offering a reward for completing a review. I know what some of you are thinking right now, but this is not "buying" a review. Allow's face information technology, leaving a review is a fleck of a hassle. Information technology takes time. A modest token of appreciation — a VISA souvenir card, a Starbucks card — is not buying a review; it's thanking someone for their time.
17. Have a review party. Throw an end-of-the-yr "client appreciation party," merely arrive selective and only invite those who accept left reviews. Actually, throw two customer appreciation parties, ane for reviewers, and 1 for those who accept yet to leave a review. For the second party, broil some cookies with icing that says, "Review me today!"
18. Hold a monthly drawing for a simple prize. In one case a month (or one time a quarter), enter everyone who has left you a review into a prize cartoon. Again, it doesn't have to be an elaborate or expensive gift. It'south just an opportunity to remind clients that you lot're seeking reviews and offering a advantage for their time. Offer something elementary that everyone needs — a free carpet cleaning, fruit handbasket or bottle of wine.

"We might do a monthly or quarterly drawing for anybody who gives usa a review to win a really nice gift, and that seems to be plenty for nearly clients," Garcia acknowledged. "But they're really doing a review for the relationship or feel, and virtually say they'd practice it for the states anyway."

19. Invite reviewers to a special "only-for-reviewers" result. Some other mode to advantage those leaving real estate agent reviews (and encourage others to do so) is to hold a individual effect but for reviewers; people will come up. Take them out to a ball game, treat them to a movie, even just spring for pizza. You can likewise utilise this as an incentive in your follow-up emails when requesting reviews: "Hey! The only-for-reviewers ballgame is coming upwards next calendar month. Get that review in now so you don't miss the game!"

Bonus tip

Answer to negative reviews right away. Nobody'due south perfect and with the best intentions and professionalism, you might receive a less-than-stellar review from a dissatisfied customer. Present your side of the story professionally and tactfully, and don't come off as criticizing or deriding the unhappy client. If possible, offer a solution to the problem or make some other goodwill gesture to the client.

Practise you have a great idea for getting more reviews? Share it in the comments beneath!

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Source: https://www.zillow.com/agent-resources/blog/real-estate-agent-reviews-19-tips/

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