Testimonials are some of the most important parts of your marketing.
They have the power to make or break a deal.
They are the reassurance that goes the extra mile in affirming everything you say and promise to an owner.
If they aren't up to standard (or if they are absent altogether) owners will be susceptible to doubt.
Agents with out the outspoken support of their past clients are at a massive disadvantage.
If you're a new agent, start with referrals from friends or family and get reviews from them.
If there is social proof something works, people are inclined to buy.
Agents with 10 or more reviews see a 300% increase in listings versus agents with no reviews.
And according to Placester.com. 85% of all consumers use reviews to decide on purchases.
They all trust peer recommendations six more times than a normal ad.
These are the difference makers.
Agents who use reviews to generate leads are immediately trusted to start.
You need reviews on Zillow and realtor.com. Not only your own site.
Let's be honest. Your Zillow profile is important. That and realtor.com are two ways people will try and validate you.
If you have a bunch of positive reviews on these sites, it goes a long way for cold leads or leads you haven't actively marketed to.
That's a giant chunk. Agents get listing presentations all the time that are from their reviews on Zillow.
Zillow is a problem with inaccurate information, but it gets so much relevant traffic you need to build your reviews there.
Ask your clients to sign up for these sites and give you reviews when they go to give a testimonial.
If your relationship is strong enough with them, and you did a good job for them, they'll do it.
Don't discount getting these reviews for the most prominent places on the web.
Reviews naturally overcome objections.
This is how big they can be.
Here's something that we recommend at Smart Agents. It is going above and beyond, but it is worth it.
I've heard agents say they'd never do this.
Ask your past clients if they mind a potential customer contacting them for a reference.
See, the agents who would never let an owner call or email a former client, aren't being 100% transparent.
If someone is undecided, this can go a long way in winning a listing. If you offer them a reference to a past customer that was happy with your service, they may not even call them.
The fact that you offered this can be a good enough sign.
They'll start to put their trust in you and recognize your full transparency. Offer to take that past client to lunch or something along those lines if they end up having to speak to an owner.
You should have a system in place that gets you reviews for every sale you make.
Just like you probably have a system for prospecting and marketing you need one for this.
Incorporate reviews into a daily part of your routine.
Since these are as important as any part of your business, it should be part of your day to day routine.
This includes adding asking and mining for reviews into your process for each client. Make it a priority.
Enter it as a calendar reminder and add it to your buyer and seller checklists.
This means going through your client lists and past clients lists and targeting the clients who haven’t given a review yet.
Keep it straightforward and easy for them to give you reviews.
Give them direction and suggestions about certain aspects they can talk about. Offer examples, so they have a type of template to go off of.
You can even include a few standard sentences from other clients that they can basically copy and modify.
Ask your clients what areas you excelled in the most.
Questions like “What led to your decision to buy or sell your home?” or “What did I do best to help your home sale or search?” are good ways to get them to start writing something.
Be upfront and ask for them.
Make sure it’s the right time, but asking is the obvious first step.
Sending out emails to past clients asking for reviews or referrals is alright, but calling them and only asking for that isn’t something they are likely to appreciate.
Talk about reviews from the start of your business relationship and throughout it.
Even before they are your client, mention the reviews and their importance.
This way when you bring it up throughout the process and at the end, they’ll have a good understanding of what these can do for you.
You can even mention it a few different times, though the more subtle the better. Closing is a busy time and if your client hasn’t yet submitted a review, wait until a couple of weeks after closing to ask again.
If you still haven’t got a review, call them and ask how the home is or how everything with it is going. Then request a review.
Consider looking at a survey tool.
There are a lot of options that provide your clients simple ways to deliver a testimonial.
SurveyMonkey, Boast, and Typeform are services you can look into.
Some clients could be more comfortable just answering a few questions and being recorded by you, or doing through one of these websites.
It doesn't make a difference and is up to their digression.
Then get their permission to use it for your marketing.
Add them to your website, post them on social media and promote them anywhere else you can.
When people see you online, you want them to associate you with these glowing reviews.
Testimonials can seal the deal when they are in your listing presentation.
I would add it to the beginning and end. Start off with a happy client, show them your material and then end with another.
This will win over anyone who is somewhat hesitant. It is a must to have them in your presentation.
What if you had help planning out your routine and posting your testimonials everywhere?
Even someone to set them up inside your listing presentation. That's what a virtual assistant can do for you.
That way, you can focus on the big tasks, like getting the actual testimonial.
It takes so much stress and frees up time when you get help with the minor tasks.
So these are some of the tasks you can get done with a VA. But how do you hire them? What do you pay them? How does the training go?
Imagine You Had A Business Like This:
- You didn’t have to set up the appointments.
- You didn’t have to mail out anything or email your list.
- All the grunt work is handled.
Our team has written a book that shows you how to build a business that runs itself. We go over hiring, paying, training and anything else you need to know about VAs.
Joe Nickelson is a real estate professional dedicated to helping home buyers and sellers achieve their dreams of owning property, and helping real estate agents stop using the sometimes-vicious tactics that weigh on their consciences. He believes that the Smart Agents books will, quite literally, change people’s lives for the better. Check out his full bio here! 
