People have come to rely on reviews, using them to make most purchasing decisions. Their decision to go with a particular real estate professional is no different. Leveraging these reviews to gain additional business is an easy and solid way to expand your client base. Think of reviews as the lifeblood of your business. Satisfied clients are more likely to recommend you to their friends and families. Additionally, if you play your cards right, your client will be a repeat buyer down the road. Selecting a home is personal and you’ve heard it before, likely the largest purchase your client will make. Bottom line, it’s a huge deal. And people want to work with an agent they can trust. Customer reviews are a sure-fire way for people to know you’re the perfect agent for their needs.
In today’s ever-more-competitive market, it’s vital that you’re getting the most out of your reviews and testimonials. Below, we outline some simple, yet crucial, ways you can put your great reviews to work for you.
Your Website
One of the first things you should do with every positive review or testimonial is give it a home on your website. You’re likely already featuring them on industry-specific and review websites, which is great because those will help drive traffic your way. But additionally, your website is the perfect place for your reviews to call home. And it allows you to categorize each review by transaction type, so buyers can read buyer reviews and sellers can read seller reviews.
Email and Direct Mail
You may already be utilizing email and direct mail marketing. Adding a review or two each time you send out new pieces of marketing is a great way to reinforce the value you provide. This can be as simple as an exact quote or more detailed like a recurring spotlight that elaborates on the customer’s full experience working with you. You can include a link in your email to direct people to the review section on your website. Plus, you never know when a potential client might recognize one of your customers from their review.
Get Social
Before social media, this would have meant networking at professional and personal events. And while you should still network the old fashioned way, you should also be expanding your reach and network online with social networks like Facebook or LinkedIn. Social media is also a great place to host and promote your most recent reviews. Emphasis on recent. Social media is all about relevancy. So the more recent the reviews you’re sharing, the more likely they are to create an impact for you.
Google It
For many, Google is the first stop potential buyers and sellers make in their search for a real estate agent. So it’s important to ask your clients to leave reviews on Google. Great reviews can boost your SEO, making it easier for potential clients to come across your business. You’ll be surprised how many clients will do this simply because you ask!
Video Reviews
Written testimonials are great. Always have been and always will be. But in today’s ever-increasing world of screens, video testimonials may give your marketing a huge boost.
Getting customers on camera can add a degree of authenticity to the review that other mediums can’t capture. You don’t have to spend big bucks to make them either. If they have good production value and are short and simple, they’ll work wonders.
Be Grateful
Great reviews and testimonials are a gift from your client. With all gifts, it’s important to be grateful. This is especially true of client reviews. Make sure you are publically responding to your review as a demonstration of your appreciation.
Reviews matter. More than ever. And these tips will help you leverage them for marketing purposes. You don’t have to share every review you receive. Oversharing could be a turn off. And not every review will be positive. We challenge you to start incorporating reviews into your marketing materials and see how they expand and grow your business.