In today’s digital world, online reviews influence who renters choose to do business with. Reviews provide social proof that you are a reliable, high-quality landlord. Manage your online presence and reputation to further enhance trust.
Earning great feedback demonstrates you run a professional operation and provide good customer service. With so many rental options available, reviews help good landlords stand out. But negative reviews can also deter quality renters. That’s why monitoring what current and past tenants say about you online is so important.
Let’s delve into the best practices for using online reviews to highlight your strengths and attract more qualified tenants.
Responding to All Reviews
The first rule is to respond to each review you receive – positive or negative. Thank happy tenants for their kind words. This demonstrates that you value their feedback and care about their experience. For any less-than-perfect reviews, apologize for their experience and outline how you’ll improve going forward. Handling negative feedback reassures future renters that you take accountability.
Enable Review Generation
Actively enable review generation by:
- Asking happy tenants to leave reviews on various platforms. Most won’t without a reminder.
- Providing quick comment cards for move-out feedback.
- Sending follow-up emails after service requests asking if issues are resolved satisfactorily.
- Periodically survey current residents about their rental experiences and gather their suggestions.
Proactively accumulating more reviews enhances your credibility.
Claim Your Online Profiles
Search for yourself online, and also check listings for your rental properties, like The Earnest Homes. If you find them on Google, Facebook, Apartments.com, Yelp, or other sites, make sure to say they are yours. By doing this, you can monitor feedback, respond to comments, and ensure that details like your phone number are accurate. Don’t forget to claim these profiles.
Address Legitimate Concerns
If many negative reviews identify the same problem like slow maintenance response, take action to improve. Then **reply publicly, explaining the steps you’ve taken to address the issue.** This reassures future renters that you value constructive feedback and are committed to making improvements.
Flag Suspicious Reviews
Every landlord can be a target of competitor sabotage or dishonest reviews. If you suspect a review is fake or unethically motivated, flag it for moderation on the site. Platforms will investigate and remove content confirmed as fraudulent. Don’t retaliate; take the high road.
Turn Critics Into Promoters
After addressing a tenant’s complaint, follow up by asking what you could do to “make it right” in their eyes. Offer a concession such as a month of free rent to alleviate their concerns. Then ask if they would consider revising their review based on your response. People often complain because they want to be heard, so it’s essential to listen, respond, and attempt to win them over.
Use Reviews In Listings
Include excerpts from positive reviews prominently in your rental listings and website. This immediately establishes credibility. Video testimonials from satisfied tenants can also be highly persuasive for potential applicants.
Encourage Photo And Video
Suggest tenants include photos or videos in their reviews when relevant. **For instance, you can share photos of family-friendly amenities or offer video tours of newly renovated units.** Visuals provide future renters with a clear idea of what to expect.
Analyze And Improve
Keep an eye on your reviews and see what people often say. Check if things like taking care of the property, cleanliness, or the things in your place get the most compliments or complaints. Use this feedback to do more of the good stuff and make the not-so-good things better.
By consistently monitoring and enhancing your reputation, online reviews will assist you in attracting trustworthy tenants. Leverage this effective strategy to attract more renters.
Encourage Reviews During the Tenant Lifecycle
The most effective way to generate more reviews is by integrating simple review requests throughout the tenant journey:
- Send a review link during lease signing thanking them for choosing you.
- Attach a feedback e-card to introduction emails when new tenants move in.
- Print your review profile QR code on maintenance receipts for easy scanning after issues are resolved.
- Text review links when rent is paid on time or concerns are rapidly addressed. Catch tenants when satisfaction is highest.
- Add review prompts to renewal offers and move-out notices.
- Mail thank you notes with review site links after moving out to capture final impressions.
By prompting reviews during key interactions and milestones, you accumulate authentic feedback showcasing your exemplary service. Reviews shared in real-time most accurately capture tenants’ authentic experiences.
FAQs About Online Reviews
- How often should I check online review sites?
Ideally once per week. New reviews can appear any time so monitoring weekly ensures you see and can respond to feedback promptly, while it’s still fresh in tenants’ minds.
- What’s better – individual review sites or aggregate sites?
Use both. Individual sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp allow claiming profiles. Aggregators like ApartmentRatings synthesize many sources into general ratings, so optimize across channels.
- How should I respond to negative remarks?
When faced with negative feedback, always respond courteously. Say thanks for telling us, sorry if we did something wrong, and tell them how we’ll make things better. And if they still have things to say, tell them they can talk to us directly.
Conclusion
Online reviews provide extremely valuable social proof and instill trust in rental prospects. By proactively managing your reputation across the web, correcting issues quickly, responding professionally to all feedback, and leveraging positive remarks in listings, you can attract great tenants with ease. Instead of fearing reviews, embrace them as valuable marketing assets!