How To Respond To Negative Reviews About Your Real Estate Business

You’ve heard the old adage: Bad news travels fast. In today’s crazy world of social media, that’s putting it mildly. According to Pew Research Center, 85% of Americans go online at least once a day to peruse social media and/or research goods and services; and yes, they’re reading reviews! Of that percentage, 48% say they’re online several times a day while 31% report being online all day long! Just one bad review or negative social media post from a disgruntled client can do a lot of damage to a good reputation in a short amount of time. As a real estate professional, you know that your reputation (and your team member’s reputations) can potentially “make or break” your business. Keep in mind, even the “best of the best” receive a negative review at some point. At the end of the day, it’s how you respond and remedy the problem that matters. Here’s a few things you can do to protect your reputation and reduce the possibility of a lawsuit if a bad comment or review pops up about your real estate business: 

Monitor Reviews

You and your team should make it a point to monitor social media platforms closely so you can deal with any complaints as quickly as possible. You can also set up social media alerts through Google and other platforms that will notify you when your name or business is mentioned on the Internet. Also, proactively reaching out to clients can help prevent negative comments online by providing them a chance to vent before any complaints go public.   

Check The Facts

The first thing you’ll want to do is verify if the negative review is real or not. There are unscrupulous people out there who leave fake reviews just to cause trouble for businesses. If you can prove it’s a bogus review, you can work with most platforms such as Yelp, Facebook, Google and Rate My Agent to have it removed. If the review is legit and is about you or one of your agents, you will likely have some damage control to contend with.

Assess The Damage

Most negative reviews are complaints about customer service or other minor issues. However, allegations of negligence, misconduct, misrepresentation or other more serious matters can stir up major trouble for you and possibly escalate into a lawsuit. When assessing the damage of a negative review consider the long-term and the short-term impacts.

Ask yourself: Will this review cost you and/or your business money? Could it permanently scar your reputation?

Respond Quickly & Professionally

Negative reviews are no fun and can be stressful for you and/or your real estate team. However, a bad response to a bad review can make things even worse. If the complaint is minor, personally reach out to the reviewer right away with an apology and/or an offer to help rectify the situation. If there are allegations of something more serious do not admit responsibility as this could be used against you in a lawsuit. You may want to seek legal advice before you respond. 

RealShield Insurance can provide you with E&O and General Liability Insurance to protect your real estate business. Go to RealShield Insurance’s Website.