Need to share your best reviews with the world and leverage them to get more business? Try RateMyAgent.com for free today!
With all the competition and noise out there, it’s no secret that reviews control today’s consumers. How else will you know which restaurant to choose for dinner or which contractor to hire for your home?
Most agents don’t leverage their own reviews, despite how powerful they can be in influencing potential clients. Today, I have a new idea for you: check out RateMyAgent.com. I had a great conversation with them at the 2019 National Association of Realtors Convention, and I believe their site is a great way to easily leverage your reviews and attract more home sellers or buyers to your business.
I spoke to Ana at RatemyAgent.com, and she told me some of the amazing things agents can do to leverage reviews, since they’re so important. Perhaps one of the first questions you’re asking is, how is Rate My Agent different from Yelp or Zillow, the “big two” that most people think of when they think about reviews?
The first thing to keep in mind is that Rate My Agent is NOT just about collecting reviews. It’s also about actually sharing those reviews with potential clients who are looking for agents in your area. I once met an agent who would get her clients to handwrite reviews about her. Then, she’d put those reviews into a drawer and frankly, they didn’t do much for her sitting inside a piece of furniture.
Here’s something I think is pretty darn cool about Rate My Agent: all of the reviews are verified. What exactly does that mean? It means only people who have actually bought or sold property through you can leave a review on your particular page. This is different from Yelp, where anyone with a keyboard can leave a nasty note, just because they didn't like a phone conversation with you — or, heck, just because they’re an internet troll. Things like that don’t happen on Rate My Agent, and those real, verified reviews mean they’re even more valuable to potential clients. That doesn't work here because verified reviews are the ones most trusted by consumers.
This also negates folks who might leave a shabby review about you, their agent, in the case of a transaction going wrong for other reasons — financial difficulties, bad inspections or whatever else.
When I spoke to Ana at the convention, she showed me some examples of agents’ pages. One particular agent, Arabella, had 29 reviews and they all averaged well. The best part is that all of her stellar reviews are actually connected to the property, so there’s no ambiguity, and the consumer immediately knows which property she helped someone buy or sell. And, in turn, those properties are connected to certain neighborhoods, areas and zip codes, so consumers in those areas are likely to determine that Arabella is the best agent for the job.
So, essentially, that’s another good thing about Rate My Agent. Consumers can determine if the agent they’re evaluating is the best in the area and for their needs.
Reviews on your Rate My Agent Profile can be shared on your site. According to Ana, reviews can be shared on Facebook and on Google Display Network. Any of the singular reviews you want to show potential clients show up, and if a lead Googles you, those reviews are something they’ll see.
What is so special about that? Well, let’s be clear: because each review attached to each property is separate, Google shows the reviews separately! And that means Google sees a lot of value in Arabella. That also means agents who choose to use Rate My Agent naturally boost their SEO visibility.
I know you’re getting excited about what this new platform can do for your business, so let’s talk price particulars. The best thing about Rate My Agent is that it’s free to use. You can set up a profile and collect reviews at no cost whatsoever — you can also post to Facebook for free. Now, for a more complex version of the site that creates ads for your individual reviews on the Google Display Network, it’s still affordable — starting at just $39 a month! Plus there’s a 30-day free trial, but most agents end up loving it.
Oh, and here’s yet another perk. If you switch brokerages, these reviews are yours and yours alone — not on a page the brokerage created for you, which puts you in control.
Think about all this site can do for your business: a five-star review that you control, that you put out there, that helps new clients feel guided to you. The site is so powerful because it builds trust, rapport, and likability. And it puts potential clients’ minds at ease, knowing the agent they’re considering has proof of success. Check them out at RateMyAgent.com. I believe this is a great way to leverage your reviews and get more listings.