Why You Should Reply to Every Review

Reviews. Love them or hate them, they're pretty much here to stay.

There seems to be a common mantra out there that says, 'You should reply to all negative reviews.'

While that is indeed a true statement, I think it's only partially correct. The mantra should be:

You should reply to all reviews — good, bad or neutral.

Huh? What purpose does replying to a positive review serve? It makes sense to reply to a negative review, but a neutral or positive one? What is the point?

There are several reasons you should consider replying to all reviews.

• It's an opportunity to say "thank you." Your client took the time to create an account and write a review. Isn't it simple courtesy to thank them for their effort?
• Other people will see you thanking your clients. People like to work with people they trust, respect and like, and saying "thank you" is a likable trait. It's OK to demonstrate that you are a nice person.
• It is another opportunity to broadcast information and get it on the Internet. This isn't to say that you should use review replies to fill the page with talk all about you. On the contrary, the last thing people looking for an agent on the Internet want to see is, "Me, me me, look at me!" But an opportunity to softly drive home a point should never be overlooked.
• Replying to a review adds another dimension of humanity to what can sometimes be seen as impersonal words on a page. Adding a reply helps personalize the review and lends credibility to it.

Here are some examples of responses to good reviews, as seen on Zillow Premier Agent April Rager's profile. April is an agent with Keller Williams Realty Clermont in Clermont, FL and has done a great job replying to the reviews she has received.

On this reply, April does a terrific job helping highlight the number of photos taken, as well as introducing a bit of her own business philosophy on the importance of creative ways to portray properties:

Here April leaves a short, simple reply just thanking someone for leaving a review and mentioning that she would love to work with them again:

You do not need to over-think and deeply analyze your review replies. Just reply with a thank you, and if the opportunity presents itself to naturally work in a mention of something you do as part of your business operations, all the better (but don't force it).

How to respond to a review on Zillow

Responding to a review on Zillow is super easy. Simply log on to your Zillow account, navigate to the review you want to reply to and click on 'Respond to review.' A text box will open up; just type your response there and click save. It's that easy! Reviews, and your response, can also be shared on Facebook and Twitter.

Give responding a whirl when that next review rolls in. If nothing else, your client will appreciate it, and taking 15 seconds to publicly appreciate your clients just makes sense, doesn't it?

Geordie Romer, Managing Broker with Winderemere Real Estate / NCW in Leavenworth, WA summed it up best when he said: