In today’s technology-driven world, broker reviews are easy to find. And although most brokers work hard to perform well for their clients, even the best brokers get a bad review once in a while. However, knowing how and when to respond can mitigate negative reviews and could even turn them into a positive for brokers. Whether good or bad, word of mouth recommendations carry a certain level of authority among consumers, with nearly 90 percent of consumers saying they trust online reviews as much as word of mouth recommendations. If you want to know how to get more online reviews, we’ve got you covered.
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. Once something is posted online, it’s there forever; as a result, many agents worry that a bad review would be detrimental to their business. That’s one of the reasons why building a strong collection of online reviews is a smart way to set yourself up for long term success and part of this strategy is managing negative reviews by addressing them quickly.
Responding to negative online reviews
If you don’t regularly monitor and take care of your online reviews, you are risking 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 more, than the review you received.
And keep in mind that improperly responding to a negative review can often be just as detrimental as not responding at all. And just like the review, your response will live online for all to see — anyone who searches for you will likely come across your response, so always remember that there’s a huge audience for whatever you post.
When it comes to responding to negative online reviews, a good rule of thumb is this: simply handle your response the same way you would in person. Even if the customer is in the wrong, begin your response with a sincere apology.
Here are some other tips for responding to negative online reviews:
- Don’t let your ego or pride get in the way.
- Always keep your response professional — don’t be defensive and let your feelings take over or get the best of you.
- Be empathetic and try to imagine things from your client’s point of view. It can help to think 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 resolve any outstanding issues and to get the problem taken care of.
Lastly, remember that people are looking at how you respond, so it’s always in your best interest to show that you are trying to be as understanding and helpful as possible.
Using Yelp to Grow Your Real Estate Business
For real estate agents, having a Yelp profile can give you the edge to help you get ahead of your competition. You may already have a strong online presence marketing your real estate business on social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, but if you’re not actively promoting your business on Yelp, you may be missing out on a valuable source of referrals. Starting a newsletter or blog is another great way to build your referral network.
Many agents are getting referrals and growing their business through Yelp. To learn more about how Yelp can work for real estate agents, how to set up your Yelp profile, how to regularly get reviews, and how to respond to negative reviews, sign up for our course Yelp for your Real Estate Business today.
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