This document discusses the importance of online reviews and profiles for real estate agents. It notes that while only about 10% of leads come from online portals currently, post-close marketing is key to preventing past clients from using those portals. It then provides guidance on setting up profiles and monitoring reviews on major industry sites like Zillow, Realtor.com, and RealSatisfied as well as general sites like Yelp, Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The document stresses the importance of authentically engaging with online reviews to manage one's reputation.
3. Only about 10% of all
buyer and seller leads
are generated online,
through portals.
3
4. “Those portal leads, minus the first time
homebuyers, were all, at some point, some
broker or agent’s client. A client that got
away. You want to kill the portals? Get
better at post-close marketing. If you’re
good at that, you’ll stop feeding the lead
machine.”
Quote from 1000Watt Consulting
4
5. If you close your eyes,
ratings and reviews
are not going away
8. If you don’t create a
strategy one will be
created for you
8
9. • What sites are consumers
using in your marketplace?
• Real Estate Specific?
• Non Real Estate
• Do some competitive
analysis
• Who is strong in your market?
Do your
research
13. Create Profiles
Create robust profiles on these venues
- Be appropriate to each site
- Consumer must be able to find:
- Ways to contact you
- What is your expertise in the
real estate business
13
20. When it comes to online reviews of your
business, there are few places that matter more
than Yelp. About 130 million people use the
site or app monthly and that number isn’t going
down. The most important thing about Yelp,
however, is how it affects your image on
Google.
22. ▸Download the App
▸Become a Local Yelp Person
▸Don’t always give 5 stars
▸Never send the link to a client to give you a
review
▸Claim your Business on Yelp.
I have been watching ratings and reviews take off since 2007. I know there are not going away so I am going to share with you some tactical and practical things you can do to make sure you are representing yourself in the mostpositive light on line.
Jeff is going to share with you some strategic thining around reviews.
When you have a chance google your name with the word realtor or real estate and see what comes up
There are so many places people are rating agents that is difficulat to know where to start.
Some sites let you share reviews from other sites, some will shut you down if you even request a review via email to a past customer
Because there are so many sites you need to do some research
Hi Amy,
What I have done a few years ago was to target a particular town out of our Treasure Valley in the Boise, Idaho area. I chose Eagle, Idaho to specialize in. I picked this town for a few reasons. One, I used to live in Eagle, and know it very well. Two, I know that the average sales price is more in Eagle than say Meridian, Idaho nearby. I also find it attracts out of state buyers and for my Zillow marketing this all comes together and works collectively with my other marketing strategies. Zillow is the number one search website for consumers looking for homes. I took down a large market share of exposure on Zillow for Eagle, ID 83616. Zillow calls this "impressions". When a consumer looks for a home in Eagle they will see me next to the property more than 40% of the time. This increases the odds of getting on line leads either by phone directly from the consumer or via an email from Zillow from the consumer. I also feed this leads into my Market Leader Pro platform where I can set up marketing drip campaigns and set them up to receive new listings that fit the criteria of the home they originally inquired about. On my Zillow page where the consumer sees me they will also see my contact information, the brokerage I work for, my video, and my reviews.
I like Zillow for many reasons:
- It is used by millions of consumers
- It has a higher rate of return, ROI
- My listings are protected through our relationship with Zillow and BHGRE. meaning that the consumer only sees me
on my listings and not 3 other Realtors! By the way this is a important statement to share with new could be sellers at listing appointments! Who else knows the listing better than the listing agent?
- It show cases my excellent reviews which instills confidence for the new buyer / seller consumer to reach out me.
- I can have my video that was produced next to me on Zillow. Video is a very powerful tool.
- It creates my on going brand awareness to the local home owners.
- I think that the reviews are engaging and real. Perfect testimonials that I know produce on going business.
I use other websites to grow my brand and business but I have found that Zillow has worked the best for me in since 2011.
I hope that this is what you were seeking for NAR. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Greg
-
I like Zillow for many reasons:
- It is used by millions of consumers
- It has a higher rate of return, ROI
- My listings are protected through our relationship with Zillow and BHGRE. meaning that the consumer only sees me
on my listings and not 3 other Realtors! By the way this is a important statement to share with new could be sellers at listing appointments! Who else knows the listing better than the listing agent?
- It show cases my excellent reviews which instills confidence for the new buyer / seller consumer to reach out me.
- I can have my video that was produced next to me on Zillow. Video is a very powerful tool.
- It creates my on going brand awareness to the local home owners.
- I think that the reviews are engaging and real. Perfect testimonials that I know produce on going business.
I use other websites to grow my brand and business but I have found that Zillow has worked the best for me in since 2011.
I hope that this is what you were seeking for NAR. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Greg
-
Having a complete Yelp Profile and reviews boosts your Google rankings.
FACT: Yes, you’ll find a fair share of college students rating their local pizza places on Yelp, but statistics show the majority of the site’s traffic comes from the 25-to-44-year-old demographic — many of whom have substantial incomes and could very well be your ideal audience. Regardless of what kinds of reviews you get (positive or negative) take the time to respond back.
For positive reviews, thank those who mentioned your company in a good light and let them know you want to stay in touch. For negative ones, keep in mind the reviewers’ emotions. As Yelp notes, it’s best to simply thank them (yes, even if it’s bad) and ask them what you could’ve done to make their buying or selling experience better.
To get a referral from positive and negative reviewers alike, actively re-engage communications with them and let them know you care about their experience working with you. You could even follow them on Yelp to show your appreciation, which encourages them to spread word about your real estate business.
Learn all about sites like Yelp and what reviews mean for your real estate business by reading The Agent’s Guide to Real Estate Reviews.
Pictyre of my yelp on my poone
Make sure you company is listed on Google Maps. If you are an agent, use a suite number to list yourself under your pbrokers.
You do need a google pls account
Fill out the profiles
Reviews are ta least 3 sentences tell a story
Have a google review party
{ut links in your email signature
I have a strong business network. I was past president of our chamber of commerce and also rotary club. So I use LinkedIn heavily to connect to business contacts and remind them I am here for them for real estate needs. I do not promote listings on LinkedIn. But I have a fully filled out profile and I post updates about what I am doing business wise. Sometimes I post links to real estate articles I write if it is on a national platform such as Inman etc. I find after I post an article or link I will get a few private messages from people who are congratulating me on something or ask me a real estate question. Usually that opens up the door to talking about what they are up to and it is just another way to reconnect and keep in touch.
For example I blogged on Nar Conference Live today about then RU MRE program being in final stages for accreditation. I shared that on LinkedIn. One chamber of commerce member emailed me that he read it and his daughter is starting her masters in nursing. He then asked how the market is for buying her a town home to use during that two year period then he could keep as a rental or sell.
Would he have contacted me anyway? Maybe. Or maybe not! But I think my status update on LinkedIn led to what could be a profitable conversation.
Advice... Make sure your profile is robust. Pick a professional picture. Add as much bio as you can to fill blanks.... Education, prior careers to make those connections with people. It is a small amount of effort that can lead to conversations and connections that open you up to leads.
----- Meeting Notes (11/15/15 23:18) -----
For example I blogged on Nar Conference Live today about then RU MRE program being in final stages for accreditation. I shared that on LinkedIn. One chamber of commerce member emailed me that he read it and his daughter is starting her masters in nursing. He then asked how the market is for buying her a town home to use during that two year period then he could keep as a rental or sell.
Would he have contacted me anyway? Maybe. Or maybe not! But I think my status update on LinkedIn led to what could be a profitable conversation.
Advice... Make sure your profile is robust. Pick a professional picture. Add as much bio as you can to fill blanks.... Education, prior careers to make those connections with people. It is a small amount of effort that can lead to conversations and connections that open you up to leads.
Participation online is one of the best ways to manage your reputation
Social Interactions
Twitter
Social Networks (Facebook, Linkedin)
Blogs
Search Sites
Search Engines
Real Estate Search (Craigslist, Trulia, Zillow)
Email Marketing
Email Signatures
Drip Campaigns
E-Newsletters
Print
Brochures
Newspapers
Home magazines
Video
House Tours
Testimonials
PowerPoint presentations
Housing Matters