Online reviews are the cornerstone of your leasing team’s foundation. A Pew Research Center study reveals that around two-thirds (65 percent) of people who regularly read online reviews believe they are generally accurate, and more than half (54 percent) pay more attention to extremely negative reviews when trying to make decisions. In a world where even just one negative review can do damage, these tips can help you hone your digital word-of-mouth. Consider them one more set of tools you need to manage your online reputation.

Check yourself

Start by knowing where you stand. Check your Zillow and Hotpads listings for ratings and reviews by current and prospective renters, then set up Google Alerts so that you know when your company is mentioned in reviews on your other business profiles (Yelp, Google Reviews, Facebook, etc.). Write down the most common negative comments. Maybe residents consistently complain about response times or delayed service requests. Review the list: How have these complaints been handled in the past? Was the solution satisfactory?  

Coach your leasing team on how to offer a better customer service experience before a customer goes online. Follow up on complaints, answer problems in a friendly manner and always reaffirm the resident’s frustrations. Take negative feedback as constructive criticism and make improvements.

Establish realistic expectations

While managing expectations can be hard when you’re trying to put your best foot forward in a competitive market, providing accurate portrayals of your properties can help avoid pesky negative reviews.

Customers don’t write negative reviews because their experience was bad, but because it didn’t meet their expectations. In a study of 1.3 million reviews of online fashion stores, the most commonly used negative words were “disappointment” and “disappointed.” Those words were mentioned almost 20,000 times; the word “bad” appeared about 7,500 times. This highlights the need to manage and establish realistic expectations for a consumer’s experience.

Filter complaints before they go public

Consumers often head to social media or a business page to lodge a complaint because that’s where they believe those conversations take place. Reclaim those conversational avenues by providing clear, direct channels to privately handle any problems. Establish a place on your website where renters can message you directly about any difficulties they may have. This allows for the negative feedback to stay private.

No matter where you welcome reviews, be mindful of your response time. This applies to private channels of communication as well. The faster you acknowledge the problem — and offer a solution — the faster a solution can be reached. Residents will feel less disappointed, and you’ll have dodged a negative review.

Keep it personal

Negative online comments are easy for customers to make when the leasing agent on the other side of the screen feels like a computer program and not a human being. It’s harder to lodge a public complaint against someone you feel like you know. Craft social media posts and website bios that let renters get to know your leasing team. Putting a face to your brand can greatly reduce the amount of public negative comments.

Know that mistakes happen

On the rare occasion someone leaves a negative response, don’t panic. Respond calmly and publicly. Outline what customers can expect to change. This will show you are willing to admit your mistakes and are proactive in fixing them. Here are some tips for responding to common complaints.  

Cultivating an online environment with strong reviews takes time and effort, but by following these tips you’ll avoid hiccups that might tarnish your leasing team’s hard-earned reputation.