I won’t spend $6 on a vegetable brush at Amazon.com without first checking customer reviews.

It would be an understatement, then, to say that it blows my mind that a guy wanting to sell his house (his HOUSE, for pity’s sake) picks the first agent that comes along.

After all these decades, real estate consumers still find the pool of agents in their town interchangeable. “You’re all alike” is a statement that deserves a look of shock in polite society, yet people think nothing of using it to describe real estate agents.

So, how does a knowledgeable, hard-working, awesome customer-service-providing agent combat this?

By getting your clients to do it for you, via testimonials (or, reviews as they are more commonly known).

Reviews are critical in the current marketplace

We recently read a study published at BrightLocal.com, that found nearly 90% of consumers age 35 to 54 (which is roughly the average age of buyers and sellers) routinely read reviews for businesses.

Sadly, only 15% of those folks were reading reviews of agents. As Millennials get older, however, experts predict this number to grow.

There is a right way, and there’s a wrong way

We’ve found several real estate trainer blog posts recommending that agents give a “thank-you gift” in exchange for a “positive” testimonial.

There’s a difference between encouraging honest feedback from your clients and requesting “positive” reviews specifically in exchange for something.

This suggestion violates federal law and, sometimes, the terms of service of the testimonial site.

“Companies must make it clear when they have paid their customers to write favorable testimonials,” according to Jessica Rich, director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Google will ban users for offering to pay for positive testimonials. And, over at yelp.com they state that “Business owners should not be asking customers to write positive reviews for their business.” Learn more about Yelp’s terms here.

Other things to consider about real estate testimonials

• Like most online content, it’s only as good as its recency. If you aren’t consistently posting fresh reviews, you may lose business to the agent who does.
• The average number of reviews Americans read before making a decision is 10 (statista.com). Keep this in mind when updating or creating your website’s testimonial pages. Put the 10 best reviews you have at the top of the list.
• An unsigned testimonial, or one signed with first and last initial, has the potential to create distrust in the viewer. Don’t use them.
• Always ask permission from a client to post their review but never ask him or her to give up intellectual property rights to the content in the review. Oh, and get that permission in writing (or via email) and keep a copy in the client’s file.

Consider including testimonials in your direct mail marketing pieces, specifically if they come from the same niche you are targeting.

For instance, a rave review from a client with a rental property that you helped sell, would be a highly credible addition to the marketing pieces in an absentee owner campaign you’re launching.

Did you know Absentee Owner Scheduled Campaigns are currently on sale 10% OFF the first month? (sale ends 5/22/21).

TO LAUNCH AN ABSENTEE OWNER CAMPAIGN:

Hit “CLICK HERE”, below, to get started on your Absentee Owner Scheduled Campaign (from a desktop or laptop computer).

And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change each mailing up until the night before it goes out. The price shown at check out is per mailing, not campaign total).

Launch an Absentee Owner Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

Please reach out to our support team at 866.405.3638 with questions or if there is anything we can do to help you with your success.

PLUS: When you have time…here are some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

1. The Free 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, Niche Marketing, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan allows you to enter your business goals for this year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, closing, and so on are needed to reach your goals.  – Click Here

3. Become a Neighborhood Brand

Become branded in a specific neighborhood with a 12X15 marketing piece sent automatically each month to an exclusive carrier route. Watch this video to learn more or Click Here.

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

The Real Estate Mailing List Guide outlines the top tools for generating targeted prospecting lists including Baby Boomers, Empty Nesters, Investors, Lifestyle Interests, High-Income Renters, Move-Up Markets, and more. The Guide also defines done-for-you marketing campaigns to match these markets. –Click Here

5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

Ready to take a vertical leap in your real estate career? If you’re looking for inspiration…and the tools and methods to dominate a market and go to the top in real estate…you’ll find them in this free book. – Click Here

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

Consistency and automation are the keys to success. Discover how effective direct mail marketing can dramatically increase your bottom line. Enter your statistics in our Free online ROI Calculator and click the ‘CALCULATE MY ROI’ button to see your results instantly! –Click Here

7. The Free Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT” 

The “Crush It” Guide includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted prospect list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here