Every seller reads your reviews before they call you. Most buyers do too. If you want to get more online reviews, the secret isn't a fancy tool. It's asking the right person, at the right moment, with a link they can tap. Here's how I do it. I ask at the closing table or the day the client gets the keys, I text the link while we're sitting there, and I ask them to put my name in it. A new agent with ten honest reviews can beat an agent with five years and none.
The short answer
Ask when the client is happiest, usually at closing or key handoff. Text a direct link instead of emailing it. Ask them to mention your name. Follow up once, a few days later, then stop. Reply to every review, good or bad. Never write a review for someone, never pay for a good one, and never ask only the happy clients. Fake or bought reviews break federal rules and can get a business profile suspended.
Step by step
- Pick the moment. The best times are at the closing table, the day they get the keys, or right after a big win like a clean appraisal. Joy fades fast. Ask while it's fresh.
- Get your links ready. Have your Google review link and your Zillow review request saved on your phone before closing day. Fumbling for a link kills the ask.
- Ask out loud first. A personal ask works better than a text out of nowhere. Then text the link right there.
- Ask for your name. "Would you mind mentioning my name? That's the part that helps me most." Reviews with your name follow you for your whole career.
- Follow up once. If nothing comes in three or four days, send one friendly reminder. Then let it go.
- Respond to every review. Thank them by first name and mention something real about the deal, without private details.
- Ask the people who didn't buy or sell too. Someone you ran a pricing report for, a person you referred to another market, a friend you really advised. If the help was real, the review can be real.
Where to ask, in order
| Platform | Why it matters | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Shows up in search and maps when people look for an agent or a brokerage | Text the direct review link from your business profile | |
| Zillow | Attaches to your agent profile, where many buyers and sellers look | Send a review request from your Zillow profile; warn them they'll need to sign in |
| Better Business Bureau or others | Adds trust for sellers who check | Only if your business is listed there |
I ask for Google first. It feeds the profile people see when they search your name or your brokerage. Zillow second. Don't ask one person for four reviews. Pick one or two platforms per client.
The rules on fake and paid reviews
The Federal Trade Commission has a rule on consumer reviews and testimonials. In plain words, it bans fake reviews, reviews from people who never used your service, buying reviews that must say something good or bad, and hiding real reviews to make yourself look better. It also limits reviews from employees and relatives without clear disclosure. Read the current rule at ftc.gov by searching "consumer reviews and testimonials."
Google has its own rules too. Google's policy doesn't allow paying for reviews or giving a discount or gift in exchange for one. It also doesn't allow "review gating," which means asking only happy clients or screening people first. Check the current policy at Google Business Profile Help.
So:
- Never write a review for a client, or send them a draft to copy.
- Never pay for reviews, with money, gift cards, a lower fee or a closing gift tied to the review.
- Never screen clients first. Don't send a "were you happy?" survey and only send the review link to the people who said yes.
- Never review your own business or have your family do it.
- Never buy a review service that posts reviews for you.
Breaking these rules can get reviews removed and a business profile suspended. That can wipe out every honest review your brokerage has earned.
How to respond to reviews
Good review: "Thank you, [first name]. Getting you into your first home before your lease ended was a great day. Enjoy the new place." Short and warm. Use the first name only.
Bad review: Don't argue online. Don't share private details about the deal, because that can break your duty to your client. Write something calm: "I'm sorry this was your experience. I'd like to talk it through. Please call me." Then call. Talk to your managing broker before you reply to anything that mentions a legal problem.
Fake or off-topic review: Flag it through the platform's report tool. Don't fight it in the replies.
How to explain it to your client
Ask like a person, not a script.
"Before you go, can I ask you a favor? Reviews are how my next client finds me. If you have two minutes, would you leave one and mention my name in it? I'll text you the link right now so you don't have to look for it. Whatever you want to say is fine. Honest is all I ask."
The text that follows:
"Congrats again. It was a pleasure working with you. Here's the link: [link]. If you can mention my name, that's the part that helps me. Thank you."
Watch-outs
- Asking by email weeks later. Response rates drop. Text it at the moment.
- Following up three times. Once is a reminder. Three times is pressure.
- Bundling a gift with the ask. A closing gift is fine. A closing gift "for a review" is not.
- Copy-paste replies. "Thanks for the review!" on every one looks like nobody's home.
- Arguing in public. Future clients read your reply more than the complaint.
- Using reviews in ads without care. If you quote a review in an ad, quote it accurately and keep the brokerage name and fair housing rules on the ad.
Further reading
This is training for real estate agents. It isn't legal, tax or lending advice. Check with your managing broker.
Questions
When is the best time to ask for a review?
At the closing table or the day the client gets the keys. Ask in person, then text the link.
Can I give a gift card for a review?
No. Paying for reviews breaks Google's policy, and paying for a review that must be positive breaks the FTC rule.
Can I ask only my happiest clients?
No. Picking only happy clients, or screening them first, is review gating. Google doesn't allow it.
Can a person who didn't buy or sell review me?
Yes, if you really helped them, like running a pricing report. They should describe what really happened.
Should I reply to bad reviews?
Yes, calmly and briefly, with no private details. Then take it offline. Check with your managing broker if it mentions anything legal.
Google or Zillow first?
Google first for most agents. It shows up in search and maps. Zillow second.
Brian Lee Burke is the founder of PadLeaders, a Colorado real estate broker licensed since 2003, team leader of The Kenna Group at Keller Williams DTC (formerly Kenna Real Estate Group) and the author of Mastering Real Estate and The Real Estate Playbook. More about Brian.