In our last entry, we discussed how rampant business reviewing has become, how just about anyone can do it nowadays, and how a lot of the times, reviews are unfortunately negative, and often, undeserved.
It is true that anyone with a computer can review your real estate business and your agents. Qualifications do not include being an impartial judge, having any experience or knowledge of your business, or having actually done any business with you or your Real Estate Agents. You will often find that being literate also does not appear to be of any importance when writing a review.
Unfortunately, aside from maybe the most ridiculous, badly-written and illiterate reviews, potential customers, business partners and people, in general, do read and take seriously the reviews and complaints people post online. A lot of consumers base their buying decisions solely on the reviews for a product or service. Yet, a lot of companies and businesses seem to take the stance of avoiding or denying the existence of negative reviews as if they have no impact… that is never a good idea.
To keep your agency successful, take ownership of your Real Estate business reviews, and tackle reviews or complaints head-on. If your business does not have a social media presence, be sure to get in on the action. Facebook has an embedded review system that anyone visiting your page can see. Google also has review features. Yelp is also a mainstay for self-proclaimed company critics, however, in recent years, its confusing code and pay-to-play tactics have somewhat lessened its monopoly on reviews.
Be sure to check your social media outlets often. If someone gives you a good review, be sure to thank them. If a happy home buyer or seller commended yours or your agent’s performance, be sure to ask them to leave a review online. If a bad review posts, be proactive. Respond to the review, and try to rectify the problem. Do not be defensive, but make sure to show that you are willing and ready to make things right. Either the negative reviewer will take the opportunity, allow you to fix the problem, and change the review, or at the very least, others will see that you are trying to help.
If you are not tech-savvy or do not have the time to maintain your reputation on social media, you can always hire a Social Media Manager, or simply contract a reputable Social Media company to manage it for you. Many real estate agents and agencies have a dedicated in-house Social Media manager or outsource their Social Media.
Check back later this month, we will continue discussing Real Estate Agent Reviews, RealEstateAgent.com Agent Reviews, your own Agent Reviews, and Real Estate Scams over the next few weeks.
