Creating a Consistent Real Estate Review Collection Process.

Reviews may come from more than residential vendors.

Suitable people may include:

• Property sellers

• Successful buyers

• Buyers who received helpful service during a campaign

• Appraisal clients

• Past clients who returned for another transaction

• Interstate owners

• Investors

• Referral partners

• Clients who received valuable early advice

Describe each person’s relationship with the agency accurately.

A buyer who purchased a listed property should not be presented as a vendor. A referral partner should not appear to be a sales client.

A trigger is the point at which the team considers requesting feedback.

For residential sales, triggers may include:

• The contract becoming unconditional

• Settlement

• A successful post-settlement check-in

• The client sending a positive message

• Resolution of a difficult matter

• Completion of an appraisal or advice service

• A repeat client transaction

Settlement is a useful standard trigger, but it should not force an inappropriate request.

Before asking, confirm that:

• The client is satisfied

• Known concerns have been addressed

• The transaction is at a suitable stage

• The request will not add pressure during a busy period

• No one else from the agency has already asked

Every review request should have an owner.

Depending on the agency, this may be:

• The listing agent

• Sales associate

• Client care manager

• Sales administrator

• Marketing coordinator

The person with the strongest client relationship should usually make the request.

Clearly assign responsibility for:

• Checking client satisfaction

• Sending the request

• Recording the date

• Following up

• Responding to the published review

• Saving permission for future marketing

If responsibility is shared vaguely across the team, it will often be missed.

Choose where reviews will provide the most value.

Possible locations include:

• Google Business Profile

• The agent’s main property profile

• The agency website

• Relevant real estate review platforms

• Social media recommendations

Do not ask the client to post the same review across several platforms at once.

Select one main destination for the first request. Make sure the profile is current and the direct review link works on a mobile phone.

If a client independently provides feedback by email, ask for permission before turning it into a website testimonial or social post.

A template can provide consistency, but it should be adjusted for the client.

A simple request may include:

1. A personal thank-you

2. A reference to the property or experience

3. A short explanation of why reviews are helpful

4. One direct review link

5. A warm closing

For example:

“Thank you again for trusting us with the sale of your home. It was a pleasure helping you through the preparation and campaign.

If you would be comfortable sharing a short review, your feedback would help other homeowners understand what they can expect when working with our team.

You can leave a review here: [Review Link]

A few sentences about the communication, advice or overall experience would be greatly appreciated.”

Do not ask for a particular star rating or tell the client what opinion to express.

Some clients want to leave a review but do not know what to include.

Offer questions such as:

• What did you value most?

• How did you find the communication?

• Was the sales process explained clearly?

• Was there a challenge that was handled well?

• What made the experience easier?

• What would you tell another homeowner?

The client can answer one question or write in their own way.

Do not prepare the complete review and ask them to post it. Genuine feedback should use the client’s own thoughts and language.

One reminder may be reasonable when a client has agreed to provide a review but has not completed it.

Set a standard, such as:

• Initial request after the suitable trigger

• One polite reminder after seven to fourteen days

• No further requests

Record each contact in the CRM.

The process should also prevent the agency from sending an email, text message and phone reminder within a short period.

A review is voluntary. Repeated follow-up can make a positive client relationship feel uncomfortable.

Create fields or activities for:

• Client type

• Property address

• Settlement date

• Satisfaction checked

• Review requested

• Request date

• Platform selected

• Review completed

• Reminder sent

• Public response completed

• Permission to reuse

• Approved client name

• Testimonial category

Automated reminders can prompt staff to take action. The final message should still be reviewed and personalised.

A public response shows that the agency notices and values feedback.

For a positive review:

• Thank the client

• Refer briefly to the experience

• Keep private details confidential

• Avoid turning the reply into an advertisement

For a negative review:

• Pause and investigate

• Acknowledge the concern

• Avoid arguing publicly

• Protect private information

• Offer direct contact

• Escalate serious allegations where appropriate

Assign responsibility so reviews do not remain unanswered for weeks.

A public review may be visible online, but the client may not expect it to appear in an advertisement, proposal or printed brochure.

Where appropriate, confirm permission to use:

• The full review

• A shortened quotation

• The client’s name

• Their suburb

• The property address

• A photograph

• Video feedback

Store the original wording and permission.

If shortening a review, do not change its meaning.

A review library becomes more useful when feedback is categorised.

Possible categories include:

• Communication

• Local knowledge

• Negotiation

• Property preparation

• Interstate vendors

• Investors

• Downsizers

• Tenanted sales

• Problem-solving

• Buyer care

• Settlement support

This allows the agency to use the right review in the right place.

For example, an interstate vendor testimonial is more useful on a remote-selling page than a general comment about a local apartment sale.

A monthly review process may track:

• Eligible client experiences

• Requests sent

• Reviews received

• Average response time

• Platforms used

• Public responses completed

• Permission records

• Common positive themes

• Repeated concerns

• Missed opportunities

Do not judge staff only by the number of positive reviews collected. This may encourage pressure or poor practices.

Use feedback to improve the service as well as the marketing.

Avoid:

• Asking before checking client satisfaction

• Leaving responsibility unclear

• Sending requests from several team members

• Providing a broken review link

• Asking for a five-star rating

• Writing the review for the client

• Following up repeatedly

• Reusing comments without permission

• Failing to respond publicly

• Changing the reviewer’s meaning

• Collecting reviews without organising them

• Ignoring patterns in negative feedback

Check that your process includes:

• Defined client groups

• Suitable trigger points

• One responsible team member

• A working review link

• A personal request template

• Optional writing prompts

• One follow-up limit

• CRM tracking

• Public response standards

• Permission records

• A review library

• Monthly reporting

• A process for addressing concerns

A consistent review process should feel organised inside the agency and personal to the client.

When the timing is right, the request is simple and the feedback remains genuine, reviews become a dependable record of the service the agency provides.