There is no question that online reviews are an important part of doing business today. People are likely to check internet reviews before purchasing a product or making any type of commitment to a company. Having quality reviews can make all the difference for your company.
Reviews are especially crucial for a brokerage. Not only do they help clients determine whether they want to buy or sell with the company, but they also help agents decide whether they want to join and stay with the company.
Let’s take a look at why brokerage reviews are important for agent retention and go over some tips on how you can help your company stay ahead of the competition.
How reviews can help brokers with agent retention and acquisition
It’s in every company’s best interest to maintain stellar reviews as that’s what attracts customers. But with a brokerage, it’s about attracting and retaining agents as well.
Every brokerage needs high-performing agents. When agents are looking for a brokerage to partner with, they are looking at reviews, just as any customer would. They are researching to find out what clients, former and current agents and industry sources are saying about the company.
If they like what they read, they may join. If not, they may move on to another brokerage.
Good reviews are also important because they will help your company move to the top of search engines. Google recognizes companies that are well-reviewed and features them prominently on search pages.
Good online visibility means more clients coming in the door. And the more clients you attract, the more money your agents will make and the happier they will be.
And while it’s important to get good reviews, it’s also important to maintain them. If those reviews start slipping, it could negatively affect your client base and cause your agents to seek employment elsewhere.
Five reasons why brokerages should be keeping up with online reviews
1. They improve your business’s reputation: Good reviews will improve your business’s reputation helping you to attract and maintain agents and clients.
2. They provide valuable feedback: Not every review is a stellar review, but they can all help you determine what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong so you can make necessary improvements.
3. They improve your SEO: if your company has good reviews, it will improve your SEO ranking, so you are better able to attract clients and agents.
4. Helps you address concerns: Before reviews were ‘a thing’ customers may have simply never returned to a company that offered a bad experience. Today, they take to the internet to share their experiences. While no one likes their dirty laundry displayed in public, most review sites give businesses a chance to respond so they can resolve issues.
5. Responding to reviews makes your business look more trustworthy: Brokerages should be responding to all reviews, whether they are good or bad. Responding to a good review lets the customer know you are grateful that they took the time out of their day to say something positive. Responding to a bad review lets them know that you want to resolve the issue. Either way, when users see you are responsive to customer reviews, it makes you look like a trustworthy source.
How brokerages can improve their online reputation with good reviews
There is no doubt that good reviews are important. So the question is, how do you get good reviews and ensure they are doing all they can to improve your brokerage’s reputation? Here are a few tips.
Do a great job: It may seem obvious, but if you want good reviews, you must provide good service. Make sure your agents are knowledgeable and enforce a code of ethics for them to follow. They will be at the forefront of your business so it’s imperative that they are well prepared.
Ask for reviews: Getting reviews can be challenging. The easiest way to earn reviews is to ask for them. After a property closes, follow up with an email letting the client know that their reviews are appreciated. You can even offer incentives such as a chance to win a gift card or other prizes.
Respond to reviews: It’s essential that brokerages respond to reviews. If a customer leaves a good review, thank them for taking the time to write something nice. If the customer writes a bad review, apologize and try to come up with a way to make it right. You should never argue with a client through a review site. This will only make your company look bad.
Make reviews visible: if you have good reviews make the most of them by sharing them on your website and on social media. This will let people see that you are doing a good job.
Get your reviews on multiple platforms: There are several real estate review platforms including Zillow, Google My Business, Facebook and more. Don’t just concentrate on one of them. Get reviews on all platforms. This will ensure you reach a diverse group of clients.
Keep track of your reviews: It’s important to respond to reviews as soon as they come in. This will let people with positive things to say know you appreciate them. It can also keep a negative issue from escalating.
There are several ways you can keep track of your reviews. For example, you can use Google alerts to be notified whenever your company is mentioned online. You can also use special software that monitors your reviews and invites clients to review your company online.
Reviews help brokerages bring in clients and retain agents. The information in this article shows you just how important they are. What will you be doing to maintain a stellar online reputation?
Chris Heller is a real estate industry expert, best-selling author and currently serves as the chief real estate officer at Ojo Labs.
