The 3 Step Online Reputation Audit for Realtors

When customers aren’t sure where to go or what service they’re looking for, many make a search online. Approximately 90% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase and approximately 70% of customers say positive and negative reviews influence their opinion of a business. If you aren’t sure about or aren’t confident in your online reputation right now, an online reputation audit can help. Use this 3 step online reputation audit for Realtors to get a good handle on the status of your online reputation and see how you can improve it.

Step 1: Google Audit

Most consumers start with a basic Google search. So, the first step in a reputation audit for Realtors is also a basic Google search. Start with your name and your company name. Then, combine that with any locations you operate in. When you do this, use an incognito search or the equivalent in your browser, as your search history can impact your search results.

Set Google Alerts

Google offers a number of helpful, free tools to help users and business owners get more utility out of Google’s products. Google Alerts is one such tool. This is a particularly helpful tool for an online reputation audit for Realtors. Use Google Alerts to monitor online activity related to your name, business name, location, or any combination of it. If your name or business name is common, combine it with your location to get more specific alerts.

Monitoring activity on Google will show you if anyone is writing or blogging about you or your business, and other mentions that pop up online. If you see a positive review, you can get in touch to thank the reviewer. Or, if you see a negative review, you can get in touch to try and remedy the situation.

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Step 2: Social Media Audit

Many consumers still rely on recommendations from friends and family when choosing products and businesses to work with, especially for decisions with a big impact, like real estate. Increasingly, these conversations take place on social media. This makes social media monitoring an important part of an online reputation audit for Realtors.

You don’t have to be active on every social media platform to monitor the conversations around your brand, though you should be active on platforms your target markets are using. For example, if you’re primarily working with Millennials purchasing their first home, Instagram may be useful for you. About 70% of American adults use Facebook, so it’s ideal to have a presence on this platform as well. To start, take stock of the value of your social media; do you have positive reviews? Is your information up-to-date? Are you posting valuable content? Take some time to make some updates if you need to.

Social Media Monitoring

Regardless of what platforms you use, you should know what people are saying about you on these platforms. A wide range of social media monitoring tools will help you hone in on keywords across many different platforms, even if you don’t have an account. You can use these tools similarly to Google Alerts (see above) and monitor mentions of your name, business, location, or any combination of them. If conversations on the platform are relatively quiet, it’s not a concern. But, if you’re noticing a lot of negative mentions, it may be time to create an account and intervene. If you’re noticing a lot of positive mentions, it’s a sign that this is a good platform for promoting your real estate business.

Step 3: Review Audit

There are literally hundreds of review sites out there, with many sites for specific industries or professions, like doctors, landscapers, hotels, and even real estate agents. The next stage of the online reputation audit for real estate agents is to audit your reviews. Just like your social media audit, you don’t have to be active on every single platform to monitor your reviews effectively.

First, take a look at the most important review sites for Realtors, including Google, Zillow, Yelp and Realtor.com. Many consumers look for reviews and recommendations for Realtors on these sites, so this is a good place to start. If you don’t have reviews on these sites, encourage your clients to submit them where you can.

Monitor and Manage Reviews

Managing and monitoring reviews is an important part of an online reputation audit for Realtors, but this can also be time-consuming. Many social media monitoring tools will also help you monitor review sites.

Except for the previously mentioned review sites, don’t worry if you don’t notice much activity on a particular site. But, if a negative review pops up, you should intervene. Respond to the message if you can, and address the reviewer’s concerns. Some platforms allow the reviewer to change their review, so see if you can change their mind and their negative review. If you can’t respond or can’t change the reviewer’s mind, make a focused effort to get more reviews on that platform.

Get the tools you need to wow clients, gather praise, and generate leads. Download the Realtor’s Referral Marketing Playbook

In three easy steps, you can audit your online reputation and make sure you’re heading in the right direction. This will take more time the first time, but once your alerts and monitoring tools are set up, it will be easier to make a second audit. Set aside time monthly or quarterly for this 3 step online reputation audit for Realtors, so you can stay on top of the conversations happening around you.