Agent Reviews and Ratings FAQ
- What are agent reviews and ratings?
It is when former, potential or existing clients of real estate agents can write a review and rate agents on Zillow.
- Why are you offering this service?
Zillow is the largest online real estate network in the United States, and many of our visitors have not yet found a real estate agent. Since Zillow’s goal has always been to empower consumers with information about real estate, we feel reviews and ratings of local agents can be an incredibly useful tool to help consumers choose an agent.
- As an agent, why would I want a client to review and rate me?
In this digital age, potential buyer or seller clients will look you up online to see your reviews. Don’t be afraid to ask for them. It’s much easier to ask a satisfied client for a review than to ask a prospective client to work with you. Our research indicates that having at least 5 recent reviews published in your profile give your customers more confidence in doing business with you. But most important is to establish trust with your existing and potential clients. Instead of aspiring to achieve a stellar list of perfect reviews, showing up authentically and addressing customers’ questions will be the key to gain their trust.
- How can I get a client to review and rate me?
There are two easy ways. First, sign into your Zillow account, go to your Zillow Profile and select “Request a review.” A form will appear where you can ask for reviews two ways:
- Email multiple clients using one general form (up to 50 email addresses allowed per day). Each of your clients will get an email from you, with a link to the agent review request form.
- Send a client a direct link to your review form. Cut and paste the URL that goes directly to a review for you.
- What if I don’t want to be reviewed or rated on Zillow?
You have that choice. Only agents with Zillow Profiles can be rated and reviewed, so if you don’t want to be reviewed, you can remove your Zillow profile. But, we highly encourage you to allow reviews and ratings of your services so potential clients can learn about you, which could lead to more business.
- How does the review and rating system work?
Reviewers can enter remarks about an agent in a free-form review box. Reviewers can also rate the agent on several criteria: local knowledge, process expertise, responsiveness, and negotiation skills. Ratings run on a scale of 1 to 5, indicating how likely a consumer is to recommend an agent with 5 “very likely” and 1 “very unlikely.” An agent’s overall rating is then calculated by averaging the “likelihood to recommend” ratings. The ratings and reviews appear on the agent’s profile.
Related resources
- Can anyone write a review?
Only buyers and sellers who have communicated, or worked with an agent can write a review and submit a rating on that agent. Note that reviews may also be left for cases of “attempted contact”. Reviewers must register and create a profile on Zillow, then indicate the appropriate: the agent helped them buy or sell a home, or both, they shopped but didn’t buy, listed but didn’t sell, etc. Zillow will determine whether such a relationship exists at our discretion and based solely on information contained in the review itself, or upon subsequent requests for clarification from the Reviewer, where we deem such clarification necessary.
Zillow also reserves the right to withhold submissions where suspicious activity or potential conflicts of interest could be present, according to the Real Estate Professional Rating and Review Policy.
- Are these reviews moderated?
Absolutely. A dedicated team of specially trained moderators will evaluate all reviews before they are published. Reviews must adhere to Zillow’s Good Neighbor Policy and Real Estate Professional Rating and Review Policy which means all contributed content must be respectful and appropriate. Content that we feel is inappropriate, off-topic, or not useful will not be published. If suspicious patterns are identified in an agent’s reviews, those reviews will be removed and the agent will receive a formal warning.
- As an agent, will I be alerted when someone reviews me?
Yes, as soon as a review is published on Zillow, agents will receive an email notification. Use this opportunity to say thank you, or tactfully address any potential dissatisfaction in a professional manner. This is an opportunity to build trust with potential buyers who check your reviews later on.
- Will I know who has reviewed me?
When you receive an email notifying you of a review, you can see the username of the person who has reviewed you. And you can also see,
- What if I don’t like my review? Can I delete my reviews?
Reviews cannot be individually deleted; however, agents have the opportunity to respond to any reviews published. If an agent feels a review does not meet our review policies or any of our other applicable policies, the review can be flagged for re-moderation by Zillow’s moderators. At any time, agents can opt out of being rated by deleting their Zillow profile. This will remove all reviews and presence from Zillow.
- What happens after I flag a review? Will Zillow contact me?
After you flag a review it is re-moderated by our customer service team, who may then contact you for more information.
- As an agent, can I rate other agents that I have worked with?
No, only buyers and sellers who have who have communicated, or worked with an agent can participate
