Nearly all homebuyers now begin their research on neighborhoods, homes, and real estate agents online. Millennials in particular use Google (but only the first two pages), Reddit, Instagram, and finally, a realtor’s own web-based points of contact. Their research will guide them to reviews written by your clients, which will be the most influential factor in deciding whether or not to work with you.

Research has indicated that 45% of consumers searching for a professional have passed on working with an individual because they encountered negative reviews. Clearly, your online reputation has the potential to make or break your career and must be tended to carefully to ensure prospective clients love what they read about you. 

With that in mind, here are our top eight tips for boosting your reputation online. 

1.) Routinely Monitor Your Reputation Online

You can look yourself up on Google to experience what your prospective clients will find when they search for you, but it will consume valuable time from your day. Instead, establish Google Alerts (visit google.com/alerts) and have emails sent to you when anything is posted online that contains your name or your business’s name. 

2.) Deliver Impeccable Service to Your Clients

You don’t need us to tell you how essential it is that you work hard to give your clients outstanding service. Still, nothing we recommend here will work to your benefit without this being the cornerstone of your strategy. Prioritize focusing on the clients you’re working with over anything else, and success will follow.

3.) Request Reviews from Your Clients

If you’re just starting out as an independent real estate agent, it may feel awkward to ask your clients for reviews and testimonials. Consider it—and phrase your request as—a humble request for feedback. People do enjoy feeling as though their opinion and insights are important and helpful, and they certainly are to you.

Anyone who searches for a great real estate agent in their area will want to see that you come highly recommended. Positive reviews are the only way to accomplish this goal! Once obtained, you should share positive reviews on your social media profiles and your blog, and request that your client post it on Google Reviews as well. 

4.) Respond to Each Review

When a review is positive, it’s easy to leave a note of gratitude and mutual appreciation. Of course, you won’t always garner a positive review. But, since negative reviews are inevitable, you have to develop a strategy for responding to them.

Often, a thoughtful, humble response to a negative review is all it takes to strip it of its power to harm your reputation. By showing that you’re invested in helping your frustrated client, learning from their feedback, and making it right if you can, you will demonstrate that you’re personally invested in being the best agent you can be.

5.) Contribute to Discussion Forums

Once you know who comprises your target demographic, go online and search for message boards, Facebook groups, and Reddit subreddits (communities on topics or interests) and enter discussions as a regional expert.  Real estate discussion groups, groups for people who are moving to your region, and neighborhood-specific groups are all good jumping off points. 

6.) Create a blog

A blog populated with insightful, helpful blog posts will further establish your expertise and affability. Share positive reviews, short blurbs with photographs of properties you’ve recently sold, housing market trends, and your current inventory.  

The posts you create are an ideal opportunity to boost your SEO with keywords, lengthy informative pieces, and positive reviews. Remember to cross-post new blog posts across your social media presences.

7.) Continually Work on Your Social Media Presence

According to the National Association of Realtors, 9 out of 10 real estate pros are actively using social media to boost their business. Your efforts to prioritize strategic social media use will pay off in spades, so become an expert user of as many of the top five platforms as you can. If you feel the need, you can begin with the one with which you’re most acquainted, then gradually expand your skill set from there. 

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and ActiveRain are sites that have proven helpful to real estate agents. Going live on Facebook and Instagram will give you a way to connect with interested buyers in real time, while Facebook lends itself to interacting with many people over a period of time. 

Remember to link back to your website to maximize the potential for your social media activities to boost your reputation and drive your presence to the top of search engine results. 

8.) Follow the Competition

As a real estate agent, your colleagues are your competition as well. Find agents whose online presence blows you away and follow them across their social media profiles. Watch what they do; learn from their most successful strategies—then implement them. If possible, shoot your colleagues a DM or email expressing your admiration and gratitude. Everyone likes to hear that they are doing work that inspires and motivates others!

Who knows—maybe you’ll exchange referrals with realtors whose niche is different from your own thanks to your act of reaching out with thanks. 

Do you have any tips on boosting your reputation online? We would love to hear from you in the comments below; our impressive roster of agents is Parks Realty’s greatest point of pride.