Category: Social Media

Build Your Business With Online Reviews

Marci Sepulveda Leave a comment

Your online presence and social media reputation play a vital role in your real estate business — perhaps more than you may recognize. Nearly every homebuyer begins their search online and will look at reviews to see what people say about you. Endorsements carry weight among customers, with nearly 90% of consumers saying they trust online reviews as much as word-of-mouth recommendations. 

That said, glowing online reviews not only can help to enhance and build your online profile — they are likely one of the key factors in a potential buyer or seller’s decision to contact you or use your services. In fact, the National Association of Realtors’ Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers indicates that sellers value the reputation of an agent more than any other factor when selecting an agent to sell their home.

So, whether you’re trying to optimize reviews on your Yelp page, Facebook business page or Zillow profile, here are three must-remember tips for success:

#1. Let Clients Know About Your Online Profiles

There’s a fine line between making your clients uncomfortable by aggressively asking for reviews versus simply letting them know about your online profiles and their ability to leave a review. 

To ensure your clients know they can leave a review, consider adding your social profiles to your website and email signature. If you have a Yelp page, for example, you can add a Yelp button to your email signature, which can immediately take them to your profile. If you’re a broker, you may also consider displaying social media icons in your brokerage’s storefront. 

#2. Make Engagement a Priority

You’re probably running a drip email campaign to keep your contacts up to date on market conditions, new listings and events. Consider adding new testimonials to the footer of your email. This not only helps your testimonials and reviews be seen by a wider audience, but is also a nice way of showing your clients you appreciate that they took the time to review you.

#3. Show Your Thanks

Always send a quick note or thank-you card to clients who review your services. Even if the review was less than stellar, you should still reach out. This is a great opportunity to acknowledge the feedback and put steps into place to learn and grow from the experience. 

How to Respond to Negative Reviews

While 17 percent of consumers say they would write a review after a positive experience with a brand, many reported that they would be more likely to write a review after a bad experience. If you don’t regularly monitor and respond to your online reviews, you risk sending a potential client straight to one of your competitors. But it’s not just the review itself that’s important. How you respond to that review is often just as important, if not moreso, than the review you received.  

When you respond to an online review, here are some things to keep in mind:

  • Don’t let your ego or pride get in the way. 
  • Always keep your response professional — don’t be defensive or let your feelings get the best of you.  
  • Be empathetic and try to imagine things from your client’s point of view. Try thinking of the client as a friend or relative — respond to the review as if you were talking to someone you care about.  
  • Do your best to try to resolve any issues and help the client — offer them an easy way to contact you directly to get the problem taken care of.  

Build Your Online Reputation

The importance of online reviews and your social reputation grows with every click from a client. To learn more about finessing your online presence, try our AgentEDU® course, Yelp for Your Real Estate Business, today. 

Get unlimited access to every other 10-minute video course on AgentEDU when you subscribe for only $19.99 per month.

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Staying safe on social media

Tim Inklebarger Leave a comment

Now, perhaps more than ever, real estate folks should be cautious with their social media presence and make sure they are keeping up to date on the latest in cybersecurity, according to the National Association of Realtors and Bay State Realtor magazine.

NAR has a trove of webinars and other information about social networking, smart phones, e-mail and online safety, and Bay State has dedicated a recent issue to the topic of Realtor safety.

MAR advises that agents and brokers become more familiar with their online accounts if they’re not already; make sure their privacy settings are set properly; be selective in who they allow into their social circles; and think before they post.

One place to start with better securing your online presence is by setting up a Facebook business page, rather than using a personal Facebook profile to promote your business. The pages “are known for their marketing capabilities, but they also allow you to keep your personal and professional posts separate,” the MAR article noted.

MAR also suggests taking a closer look at settings on social media accounts to customize who can see what on your various pages. The association suggests keeping profiles like Instagram public, otherwise followers must request permission to follow your posts.

Although it might make your following look more robust, take a closer look at who is allowed to follow your social media accounts and be selective on who makes the cut, MAR suggests.

“You should carefully vet future friend requests, but you can also clean out your current list of friends and followers, too. Delete anyone you don’t know and anyone you don’t want seeing your personal information,” the article suggested.

Finally, take a step back and evaluate what you’re posting before you hit the send button. Ask whether it is the right kind of post for your platform, according to MAR.

“For example, do you want to share your current location on a public business page, or is that something to share with close friends only? Do you want to share silly, personal photos with a wide audience in Instagram or are those better for your Facebook Stories?”

For more on cultivating your social media presence, watch AgentEDU’s courses on Yelp for Your Business and Developing Your Professional Image.