How Online Reviews Impact Estate Agent Business (And How to Get More)

Online reviews have become one of the most influential factors in how homeowners choose an estate agent. Research shows that 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, and 79% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. For estate agents, where trust and reputation are everything, your review profile can be the difference between winning and losing an instruction.

How Reviews Affect Your Business

Reviews influence your business in three distinct ways, each compounding the others:

Local Search Rankings

Google has confirmed that reviews are a significant ranking factor for local search results. The quantity, quality, recency, and diversity of your Google reviews directly affect where you appear in the map pack when someone searches for agents in your area. Agents with 50+ reviews and 4.5+ star ratings consistently outrank those with fewer reviews, regardless of how long they've been in business.

AI Search Citations

When someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google's AI Overview for the best agent in their area, the AI considers your review profile as a key authority signal. Agents with strong, consistent reviews across multiple platforms are far more likely to be cited by name in AI-generated responses. Your SEO and GEO strategy should treat review collection as a core activity.

Conversion Rate

Even when a lead comes from a different channel — a portal, a referral, a paid ad — the homeowner will almost certainly Google your name before booking a valuation. What they find shapes their decision. A strong review profile with detailed, recent testimonials converts more valuations into instructions because the homeowner is pre-sold on your credibility.

Where Reviews Matter Most

Not all review platforms carry equal weight. Focus your efforts on the platforms that have the greatest impact:

• Google Business Profile. This is the most important platform by far. Google reviews directly influence your map pack ranking and appear whenever someone searches for your business name.
• Trustpilot. Particularly important in the UK market. Trustpilot reviews appear in Google search results and carry strong brand recognition.
• RateMyAgent. Widely used in Australia and growing in other markets. Industry-specific reviews carry extra credibility.
• Zillow/Realtor.com. In the US and Canada, portal reviews are heavily weighted by consumers researching agents.
• Facebook. Facebook recommendations appear in your business page and are visible to anyone considering your services through social media.

How to Systematically Collect Reviews

The agents with the best review profiles don't have them by accident. They have a system. Here is a proven review collection process:

• Ask at the right time. The best time to ask for a review is immediately after completion, when your client's positive feelings are strongest. Don't wait a week — ask the same day.
• Make it effortless. Send a personalised email with a direct link to your Google review page. Every additional click reduces your response rate.
• Automate the process. Set up your CRM to automatically trigger a review request email when a transaction status changes to “completed.”
• Follow up once. If a client hasn't left a review within a week, send one gentle reminder. More than one follow-up feels pushy.
• Thank publicly. Respond to every review with a personalised thank you. This encourages others to leave reviews and shows potential clients that you value feedback.

Handling Negative Reviews

Negative reviews are inevitable, and how you handle them is often more important than the review itself. A professional, empathetic response to a negative review can actually build trust with potential clients who read it.

• Respond within 24 hours.
• Acknowledge the client's frustration without being defensive.
• Offer to resolve the issue offline — provide a phone number or email.
• Keep it professional. Never argue publicly.
• If the review violates platform guidelines (fake, defamatory, from someone who was never a client), report it through the appropriate channels.

Displaying Reviews on Your Website

Don't just collect reviews — showcase them. Display your Google review score and selected testimonials on your website homepage, service pages, and area pages. Use schema markup to make your review score appear in Google search results as rich snippets, significantly increasing click-through rates.

Setting Your Review Goals

As a benchmark, aim for at least 50 Google reviews with a 4.5+ star rating. This is the threshold where local search rankings and consumer trust begin to compound meaningfully. If you currently have fewer than 20 reviews, make review collection your top marketing priority for the next quarter.

Want help building a review collection system for your agency? Book a free strategy call and we'll set up automated review requests through your CRM and show you how to leverage reviews across your entire digital presence.