Yes, you need to respond to the good reviews, too

Responding to all reviews is a must for real estate professionals — the good, the bad and the ugly. Why? Well, for bad reviews it gives you the opportunity to address any facts that may be detrimental to your reputation, it shows that you can take criticism with grace, and also that you take the time to correct anything that your client is aggrieved about.

I won’t dive into bad reviews in this column, but I will address good reviews and how to respond.

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Responding to a good review shows you appreciate the time that it took your clients to write the review and that you are grateful for their kind words and endorsement. It helps further your relationship with those clients, and demonstrates to potential clients that may be reading just how much you value personal relationships.

It also gives potential clients a glimpse into your personality — a must when working in as personal of a profession as residential real estate. Below I list five factors to take into consideration when responding to positive client feedback.

Take the time to personalize 

If the client has shared their name on the review, be sure to use it in your response. Include other personal items they put in their message, too.

For example, if they thanked you for not only helping them find the home of their dreams but also for taking the time to tour them through the neighborhood or surrounding area, you could respond with something like the following:

Dear Paul, It was a pleasure helping you find your perfect dream home in Los Angeles. I, too, enjoyed showing you your new beautiful neighborhood. Be sure to have a sundae for me at that new ice cream shop I pointed out! 

Don’t cut and paste

Along the lines of the above point, it goes without saying — don’t cut and paste the same generic response over and over again. You’ve seen those businesses that do that and it’s a real turn-off. It gives the impression they are too busy to give personal attention (and who wants a real estate agent who is too busy to give them the attention they deserve) and it looks as if they don’t really, truly care.

It’s better to take a little extra time and personalize than to give a standardized response.  `

Don’t forget the magic words

If a client has taken the time to write a glowing review, don’t forget to say thank you for the actual review itself. For example:

Thank you so much for the kind words. We really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review. It was a pleasure helping you sell your home.

This is not only polite, but it shows others that their reviews will be met with the same gratitude.

All the feels

Another great way to respond to a positive review is to tell the reviewer how it made you feel. This is another way to connect with someone on a deeper level and shows the utmost appreciation. For example:

Thank you so much for your kind words. When I received this review it truly made my day! It was a pleasure to help you relocate. 

Don’t be tardy 

While real estate professionals are busy all hours of the day, be sure when a good review is posted, to put replying to it at the top of your to-do list. It’s a matter of respect for the reviewer’s time and also it will demonstrate that you are very responsive to your clients. Everyone wants a real estate agent to have fast communication while in a transaction, so here is a way to demonstrate just how timely your response can be.

Share the good news 

Once you have a great review and you have replied to it, the next thing to do is to share it. You can post it directly to social media or create a template on Canva that you could use as a static post, or you could add it to a link on your website or newsletter. Now is not the time to be bashful.

A positive review is worth more than its weight in gold — especially when you take the opportunity to respond. When crafting the perfect response, make sure you take time to personalize, don’t cut and paste a generic response, say thank you for the actual review and let the reviewer know how you feel.

Of course, you will want to make sure you respond in a timely manner to show that you have a swift communication style.

And last but not least, you will want to capitalize on your positive review and share the good news far and wide.