Rewarding Reviewers: How to Show Appreciation to Your Clients

People will always debate about whether it’s acceptable to offer clients a reward to review you (it’s not) or appropriate to thank them after they complete one (it is). Timing your gesture of appreciation makes all the difference; if your target audience suspects that you will pay for reviews, you risk losing their trust and having them dismiss you entirely. But acknowledging online reviews shows clients that you truly appreciate their business, and it demonstrates to leads that you’re a caring and responsive professional.

Here are a few ways to reward real estate clients for completing a review.

Swag

There’s nothing wrong with giving someone a gift after they submit a review. You can send each client something small, like a $5 gift card, or randomly choose a review to win a monthly prize of token value, such as a $25 gift basket of local goodies. Thanking clients for completing a review — good or bad — is simply showing your gratitude for the time and effort they took to provide feedback.

Prestige

You can give reviewers a feeling of elite status by making them a star: Create a video testimonial of them talking about the great service you provided. Feature the short videos on your website and post them on your social media pages. When each client mentions what they liked best about working with you — your positive attitude, quick responses or creative approach — you might compile those remarks into themed videos and include them in email drip campaigns to share with your bigger audience.

Influence

Posting unfavorable reviews and responding proactively to them demonstrates how genuine you are. Reply to clients who posted a negative review by thanking them and letting them know you plan to address the issue as a company-wide initiative. Whatever “bad” feelings the reviewer still has after reading your humble reply might be tempered by the idea that they’ve had an impact on you and your business — it’s a powerful feeling that just might make them rethink their position.

Acknowledgement

In the end, people want to know they’ve been heard. A simple thank-you is always welcome and appreciated. Your reply to a review might drive more traffic to your profile page and website, encourage others to read more about you, and impress your audience with your responsiveness and professionalism.

How often do you see businesses shout from the rooftops that they want and appreciate reviews, yet never reply when customers submit one? Reward every reviewer with recognition and your thanks for taking the time to provide you with feedback, even if it’s negative. Acknowledging clients for reviewing you is an easy relationship builder and an ideal way to nudge those who haven’t posted their feedback yet.