5 Ways to Market Yourself with Testimonials

While social media posts, blog content, and listing advertisements are important to expanding a real estate agent’s sphere of influence, it’s testimonials that really convince leads to buy and sell with you.

 

Why Do Testimonials Matter?

Because they build trust. Buying or selling a home is a huge commitment, and clients want to hire someone they know will represent their best interests. Testimonials are one of the most effective ways for you to prove you’re that person.

Even more importantly for new agents and small brokerages, a few good reviews do a lot to strengthen your online presence and reputation. Here’s how to select and market the reviews that will bring in business:

 

1. Ask the Right Questions.

• What led to your decision to buy or sell your home? This question gives leads context for the kinds of work you do and helps them imagine working with you.
• Why did you hire me to represent your home sale/purchase? This question lets your previous clients explain your qualifications. Hearing about your successes, professionalism, and commitment from past clients does a lot to convince new leads to trust you.
• What did I do best in helping you with your home sale or search? This question elaborates on the one above. It asks for specific details about your qualifications.
• What could I have done better to help you buy or sell? Answers to this question might not go on your website, but you should ask it anyway. The answers will help you refine your business skills.
• Would you recommend my business to others? Why? This is the most important question for bringing in new business, so ask your former clients to be specific. Different buyers and sellers look for different things an agent, so try to secure a wide range of reasons people chose to work with you.

 

2. Make a Video.

Especially if you’re planning to share your testimonials on social media (which you should be!), videos have a wider audience than text posts or images of reviews. Ideally you’d film clients as they describe working with you. If this is impossible, you have other options. Get their permission to read their testimonial aloud and place this recording over a montage of images from the new home.

 

3. Repurpose Reviews on Sites Like Zillow.

Consumers increasingly respond to real estate agents through reviews on sites like Zillow, Angie’s List, and even Yelp. Set up profiles on these sites to make it easier for clients to review you and repost positive reviews to your website. You want your good reviews to appear on as many sites as possible to increase the likelihood that leads will see them. Also stay up to date on what people have said about you on review sites, as savvy leads will check them early in their search for an agent. If there’s a bad review, you want to be ready to explain it.

 

4. Pick the Testimonials that Provide Details.

Enthusiasm is an important part of a testimonial but not as convincing to new leads as details. Highlight testimonials that lay out lead’s specific, benefit-driven reasons for hiring you. Consider the difference between:

“Sam was a great agent! She spent a lot of time with us!”

And

“When the first three houses she showed us weren’t what we were looking for, Sam took us back to her office and spent two hours talking through every feature of our dream home to make sure she understood our needs.”

Which review would make you hire Sam?

 

5. Automate the Process.

Automation is the best way to make sure you don’t forget to ask a client for a testimonial. You should already be adding former clients to a keep-in-touch drip campaign, so use one of those first three emails to request a testimonial. Make sure you’re clear about your intentions, though; always ask before putting someone’s words or images online.

 

Bonus Tip: Include snippets of your testimonials throughout your website! Instead of limiting your reviews to a single page, scatter some of the best lines across all the pages leads are likely to visit. Link back to the testimonials page so leads can learn more.

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