- The majority of people (80 percent) trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
- Don't wait for the transaction to close to ask for reviews.
- Respond to every review when it comes in -- positive or negative.
Are you using Zillow reviews to grow your real estate business? Online reviews are vital in today’s social-proof economy.
People want to see your real estate reviews. Often, they place as much or more importance on Zillow reviews and online reviews from Facebook, Google, etc., as they do on personal recommendations.
If you want to learn how to use Zillow reviews to rev up your real estate profits, then Pat Hiban’s podcast guest Samer Kuraishi is a good place to start. Kuraishi has 725 reviews on Zillow — and counting!
In his podcast interview, he shared exactly how he gets reviews, the best time to ask for reviews and an effective strategy to deal with negative reviews.
Zillow reviews and social proof
Why should real estate agents create a Zillow review and social proof strategy?
According to a 2015 Local Consumer Review Study conducted by BrightLocal, “92 percent of consumers regularly or occasionally read online reviews (versus 88 percent in 2014).”
That same survey also revealed “80 percent will trust reviews as much as personal recommendations — if they meet their requirements.”
Another finding that was important to take note of was that, “authenticity of reviews is the most important factor for consumers to trust the reviews they read.”
Zillow puts a high-emphasis on review quality control, according to its website, and “runs every single review that is submitted past a human being.”
Asking for Zillow real estate reviews
In the podcast, Kuraishi shared his exact script for how he asks clients for reviews.
He did point out an excellent strategy to increase your chances of receiving a review from a seller or buyer.
The big mistake most agents make is that they send out an email asking for client reviews after the transaction closes.
In these cases, the timing is what causes a problem. When the clients receive the email, they are likely caught up in the process of moving, unpacking, etc., and the email might just get put off or lost during this hectic time.
He suggests asking for Zillow reviews when your clients receive the clear to close.
[Tweet “The big mistake agents make is asking for client reviews after the transaction closes.”]
Handling negative online reviews the right way
No matter how wonderful of a job you or your real estate team handle client transactions, there will always be instances where you receive negative reviews. This is part of doing business. The key is to handle negative Zillow reviews correctly.
First, you must respond to every review when it comes in — negative or positive. Second, deal with negative reviews proactively by providing a solution and not responding with an ego-driven argument.
Lastly, don’t write clichéd responses (for example: “We are sorry for your experience. We are addressing this and will handle it better in the future”).
Instead, get the facts from both sides, and address the facts with a solution.
Zillow reviews and other online reviews are vital to your real estate business and your bottom line. Make sure you have an online review strategy in place that includes a plan to get more Zillow reviews and a process to deal with negative reviews.
Listen to the podcast to hear Samer Kuraishi share more in-depth knowledge and actionable advice that helped him get 725 Zillow reviews (and counting).
Pat Hiban is the author of NYT best selling book “6 steps to 7 figures – A Real Estate Professional’s Guide to Building Wealth and Creating Your Destiny,” the founder of Rebus University and the host of Pat Hiban Interviews Real Estate Rockstars, an agent-to-agent Real Estate Radio Podcast with Hiban Digital in Baltimore. Follow him on Instagram or Twitter.
