Review Management Platforms for Estate Agents: A Comparison Guide

We have written extensively about why online reviews matter for estate agents. The question most agencies face next is: how do you systematically collect, manage, and respond to reviews across multiple platforms without it consuming hours every week?

The answer is a review management platform. These tools automate the collection process, centralise reviews from multiple sites, and provide templates for quick responses. This guide compares the leading options and helps you choose the right one for your agency.

Why You Need a Dedicated Platform

Manually managing reviews does not scale. An agency handling 50 transactions per year needs to send review requests, monitor responses across Google, Trustpilot, Facebook, allAgents (UK), Zillow (US), and RateMyAgent (AU), and respond to every review promptly. Without a system, this either does not happen or happens inconsistently.

A review management platform solves this by:

• Automating requests. Sending review requests at the optimal time after each transaction, with automatic follow-ups if no review is submitted.
• Centralising monitoring. Pulling reviews from all platforms into a single dashboard so nothing gets missed.
• Enabling fast responses. Providing notification systems and response templates that allow you to respond to any review within hours.
• Tracking performance. Showing review velocity, average ratings, and sentiment trends over time.

Platform Comparison

Here are the platforms most commonly used by estate agents, with an honest assessment of their strengths and limitations:

BrightLocal

A comprehensive local SEO platform that includes review management alongside citation tracking, rank monitoring, and reporting. Best suited for agencies that want an all-in-one local SEO tool.

• Monitors reviews across 80+ platforms
• Automated review request campaigns via email and SMS
• White-label reporting for multi-branch agencies
• Pricing: from approximately £25/$35 per month
• Best for: Agencies serious about local SEO who want review management bundled in

Trustpilot Business

The business tools from Trustpilot itself, focused specifically on collecting and managing Trustpilot reviews. Particularly strong in the UK market where Trustpilot has high consumer awareness.

• Automated review invitations via email
• Review widgets for your website
• Analytics on review performance and sentiment
• Pricing: free tier available; paid plans from approximately £200/$260 per month
• Best for: UK agencies where Trustpilot carries strong brand recognition

Podium

A customer interaction platform with strong review management capabilities. Podium combines review collection with messaging, payments, and webchat.

• SMS-based review requests (higher response rates than email)
• Webchat widget that converts to SMS conversations
• Integration with popular CRM systems
• Pricing: from approximately £200/$270 per month
• Best for: Agencies wanting to combine review management with customer messaging

Birdeye

An experience marketing platform that covers reviews, referrals, and customer surveys. Widely used across North America and Australia.

• Monitors reviews across 200+ platforms
• AI-powered review response suggestions
• Review marketing tools for displaying reviews across your website and social channels
• Pricing: from approximately £230/$300 per month
• Best for: Larger agencies or multi-branch operations in North America and Australia

Grade.us

A dedicated review management platform popular with digital marketing agencies and smaller businesses. Straightforward to set up and use.

• Custom review funnels that direct customers to your preferred platforms
• Drip email and SMS campaigns for review collection
• Review stream widgets for embedding on your website
• Pricing: from approximately £70/$90 per month
• Best for: Independent agencies wanting a focused, affordable review tool

Automation Capabilities That Matter

The most important automation features for estate agents are:

• Trigger-based requests. Automatically send a review request when a transaction completes, ideally triggered from your CRM system when a status changes to “completed.”
• Smart follow-ups. If no review is submitted within 5–7 days, send a gentle reminder. One follow-up typically increases response rates by 20–30%.
• Platform routing. Intelligently direct satisfied customers to public review platforms (Google, Trustpilot) while routing dissatisfied customers to a private feedback form, giving you a chance to address concerns before they become public.
• New review alerts. Instant notifications when a new review is posted on any platform, ensuring you can respond within hours.

Response Templates for Common Scenarios

Having pre-built response templates saves time without sacrificing personalisation. Every review management platform supports templates. Here are the scenarios you need to cover:

• Positive review (seller). Thank them, reference a specific detail from the transaction, and mention you are available for future property needs.
• Positive review (buyer). Congratulate them on their new home, thank them for the review, and wish them well.
• Negative review (legitimate concern). Acknowledge the issue, apologise sincerely, explain what you have done to address it, and offer to discuss further offline.
• Negative review (unfair or inaccurate). Respond professionally, correct factual inaccuracies politely, and offer to discuss the matter privately.

Always personalise templates before sending. A clearly templated response feels insincere and can damage trust more than a delayed response.

Choosing the Right Platform

The best platform depends on your agency size, market, and existing technology stack:

• Independent agency, tight budget: BrightLocal or Grade.us for affordable, focused review management with good local SEO features.
• Multi-branch agency: Birdeye or Podium for enterprise-level features, multi-location management, and deeper analytics.
• UK-focused agency: Consider Trustpilot Business alongside BrightLocal for maximum coverage of UK review platforms.
• Agency with existing CRM: Choose a platform that integrates with your CRM to automate review requests based on transaction milestones. Many CRM systems have built-in review request features that may be sufficient.

Whichever platform you choose, the most important thing is consistency. A systematic review collection process that runs after every transaction will compound over time, building a review profile that becomes one of your most powerful marketing assets and a key signal for both local SEO and AI search visibility.

Want help choosing and setting up a review management system? Book a free consultation and we'll recommend the right platform for your agency and help integrate it with your existing tools.