Google reviews for real estate agents and property managers

People choose an agent to sell the most valuable thing they own, often after searching the office name and reading what other vendors said. In a growth corridor where new offices open every year, that page of reviews is frequently the deciding factor between two agents who look identical on paper.

Who to ask, and when

Real estate has more than one kind of customer, and each has a different right moment.

• Vendors, after settlement rather than after the auction. The sale is not finished for them until the money lands, and a review written in the anxious weeks before settlement tends to be shorter and more guarded.
• Buyers, at key handover. It is the happiest day of the process for them and they are standing in front of you.
• Landlords, after a smooth re-lease or at the annual review. Property management relationships are long and quiet, so you have to choose the moment deliberately.
• Tenants, are worth asking too, especially after a quick repair. An office with good tenant reviews reads as one that looks after properties.

The office listing versus the agent

Many agents collect reviews on industry platforms against their own name. Those matter within the industry. The Google Business Profile for the office is what shows up when someone searches the agency name or “real estate” plus a suburb, and it is often neglected because nobody owns it.

Collect on both, but make sure someone is responsible for the office listing: category, hours, photos of the actual team, and replies to every review. See why your business does not show up in Google Maps.

Where a tap point fits

• Reception desk. For walk-ins, rent payments and key collections.
• A card in the agent’s folder. Handed over with the keys at settlement or handover. This is the strongest version, because it arrives with a person and a moment.
• Open home sign-in. A follow stand here rather than a review stand. Buyers who are not buying this house are prospects for the next one, and a follow keeps them in your world.

What to say at handover

Congratulations. If you have a minute this week, tapping this card leaves a Google review for the office. It helps other people find us.

“This week” matters. Keys day is emotional and busy, and a card they keep in the folder with the paperwork gives them permission to do it later.

What you cannot do

Offering a gift voucher or a rebate on fees in exchange for a review is an incentive, and Google bans incentivised reviews. Only asking vendors whose campaigns went well is review gating, which Google bans and the ACCC treats as misleading. And reviews should never come from staff, family, or anyone connected to the office. The detail is in asking for reviews without breaking the rules.

Replies matter more here

A negative review from a vendor who felt the campaign underperformed will be read by every future vendor comparing agents. A calm, specific reply that does not argue the price is worth more than ten positive reviews. See how to reply to a bad Google review.