How to make clients love writing reviews (so you can win)

In March’s Marketing and Branding Month, we’ll go deep on agent branding and best practices for spending with Zillow, Realtor.com and more. Top CMOs of leading firms drop by to share their newest tactics, too. And to top off this theme month, Inman is debuting a brand new set of awards for branding and marketing leaders in the industry called Marketing All-Stars.

We get asked a lot about getting testimonials and reviews, and for good reason. Not only do they boost your credibility in the eyes of potential clients, but they also provide valuable insight into what makes your services stand apart from the competition.

The trick is getting customers to actually participate in such a system. The good news is that there are plenty of simple ways to set up a review system that will encourage your clients to share their thoughts without taking up too much of their time.   

Make it easy and accessible 

The key to getting your customers to leave positive reviews is found in making it as easy and accessible as possible. If you’re asking them to take time out of their day, make sure the process is quick, straightforward, and simple.   

Make sure all review platforms are mobile-friendly; today’s tech-savvy consumers don’t want to be bothered with logging into a laptop or desktop computer just to leave a review. This means providing links directly from your website or email campaigns so that customers can quickly and easily access the review platform from any device. Too many fields or questions can lead clients to abandon their review halfway through, so keep it short and sweet.   

Ask at the right time 

I love the idea of taking a quick video at closing to commemorate the moment. You can ask your clients some quick questions about how they are feeling right now and how their experience was working with you. They are often happy and excited and will leave you with some positive feedback you can use.  

For others, asking for reviews immediately after closing might feel too soon, so you may want to give them some space before requesting feedback. On the other hand, waiting too long may mean that their memories of working with you have faded away (we all know how quickly life moves). A good rule of thumb is one to two weeks after closing — this gives them enough time to settle into their new home without forgetting why they chose you as their agent in the first place.  

Be specific 

When sending out emails requesting feedback, make sure you are specific about what information you are looking for — this will make it easier for customers who may not be sure what type of information they should include in their review.

For example, if you want them to share their experience working with you during negotiations or house viewings, let them know exactly what kind of details you would like included in their testimonial or review (e.g., “What was it like negotiating with me? Was I helpful? Did I answer all your questions?”). Doing so ensures everyone gets on the same page about expectations before submitting feedback. 

Incentivize participation 

People love rewards. Let your clients know that anyone who leaves a review is automatically entered into a drawing for a gift card or other prize. You could even offer discounts on future services in exchange for reviews — this is a great way to bring in repeat customers. 

Promote reviewing everywhere  

Don’t be shy when reminding clients about submitting their reviews – send out emails, post reminders on social media, talk about it during meetings — you get the idea. The more noise you make about leaving reviews, the more likely people will take the time to leave one. When you remind them of their feedback incentive, that should help move them to action. 

Create a dedicated website page 

You should have a dedicated review link that is easy to find and navigate — preferably at the top of your website or in the main menu — so that customers don’t have any trouble finding it. You can also create a “Review Us” tab on each page of your site; this serves as an additional reminder that buyers and sellers have the option to provide feedback if they choose to do so.  

Include links in your email signature 

If you frequently email customers or potential buyers, including links in your email signature can be a great way to get more people involved in your review system. Having those links listed below your name whenever you send out emails will increase the likelihood that someone will take advantage of the opportunity and submit their thoughts about working with you.

Try adding something like “We would love for you to share your experience with us. Click here for more information” at the end of every email you send out. 

Use a review management software 

We are big fans of automating whatever we can, and that includes the process of collecting and managing our testimonials and reviews. After all, being able to use these reviews to your greatest advantage to promote you and your business is why we ask for reviews in the first place.   

A review management company can be your best friend in this facet of your career, and here at POWER Headquarters, we love Oggvo. They offer a simple yet humble way of asking for reviews (without being annoying) and the tools you need to automate and manage your reviews to optimize them for the most significant impact.   

Without getting lost in the black hole of technical jargon for search engine optimization (SEO), one of the best places to post and get reviews is Google. Aside from their outstanding SEO, there are many perks to having reviews in Google that have great benefits for real estate agents.   

Another company we love is Trustpilot. Not only can you collect reviews with this handy site, but it will also attach to your business website as well, so you can have all your reviews in one place.   

We also highly recommend Rate My Agent as a place to collect and display reviews. This is available both in the U.S. and Canada and is known to be one of the best places for homeowners to find an agent they would like to work with.    

If you don’t have a fancy online platform, just create a Google Form or use survey software like Survey Monkey or Typeform — all of these platforms require minimal effort and no coding experience. 

Setting up an easy-to-use system for collecting customer reviews doesn’t have to be complicated — in fact, it shouldn’t be. By keeping your testimonial review system fast, easy to access and uncomplicated, you can give clients ample opportunities and motivation to participate in sharing their experiences.

Not only does this provide you with insight into what people found most valuable about working with you, but sharing that with others will give them confidence in your skills as well. So go ahead and get started — with these tips in mind, you are sure to start seeing a boost in client feedback.