Today we’re talking about your online reputation and more importantly – how to get more property management leads from that reputation.
Before we dive into the details, let’s first understand why your online reputation is crucial for getting more property management leads. In today’s digital age, a strong and positive online presence can make or break local businesses. Potential clients are likely to research your company before even considering reaching out to you. This makes it vital for property management companies to have an effective online reputation management strategy.
Imagine yourself buying a product online. The first thing you’re going to do is find a product that matches your price point. Then, you’re going to choose a product based on its reputation. Since most property owners have no idea what you charge, in many cases they’re calling management companies based on brand reputation and online reviews alone.
Having a positive brand reputation will mean more leads for your business. Therefore, having an effective reputation management strategy can set you apart from your competitors and help you attract more clients. Now, let’s dive into the tips for using your online reputation to generate more leads.
Asking for Positive Online Reviews
So how do you improve your brand’s online reputation?
To improve your online reputation, you need to get more positive reviews. Ask owners and tenants – specifically, happy owners and tenants. Don’t be afraid to ask them for reviews two or three times. When you ask for positive reviews regularly, you can better offset the negative reviews you will inevitably get just for doing your job. Try to ask for positive reviews right after you have an interaction with your client.
Another good category of potential reviewers is vendors. Vendors will have a great online presence and they will be happy to review you because you’re giving them consistent business.
Dealing with Negative Reviews
Go to a search engine like Google and type in your company’s name. Once you get the results of your search, ask yourself this: If I was an owner, would I let this company manage my most valuable asset? If the answer is no, you clearly need to make a change.
Property management companies tend to have a lot of negative reviews online. That’s because you don’t hear from the 90 percent of people who are happy with your work. Instead, the reviews you’re getting come from the tenants you evicted, or the people who didn’t get their full security deposit back, or the potential renters who had their applications declined. While this is all part of the job, it does hurt your brand’s reputation.
Monitor and Respond to All Reviews
Monitor and Respond to All ReviewsThe first step in building a good online reputation is to monitor what people are saying about your company. This includes keeping an eye on review sites, our social media presence, and any other online mentions of your business. You can also set up Google Alerts to receive notifications whenever your company is mentioned online.
By actively monitoring your online reputation, you can quickly address any negative reviews or comments and prevent them from impacting your brand’s perception.
Another essential aspect of effective online reputation management is responding to all reviews, whether positive or negative. This shows that you care about your clients’ feedback and are willing to address any issues they may have. Responding promptly also demonstrates your professionalism and dedication to providing top-notch service.
When responding to negative reviews, it’s important to remain calm and empathetic. Take the time to understand the issue and offer a solution that shows you are actively working towards resolving the problem.
3 Tips for Reputation Management
There are three things you need to remember when it comes to earning more property management business with your online reputation strategy.
- It takes five Google reviews for your stars to start showing up. That means it only takes five to increase your business.
- Make sure if you’re asking for good reviews, it’s done outside the office. It won’t help you to have an iPad set up just for people to leave you good reviews. Google and Yelp track IP addresses. It might not be today or tomorrow, but they will eventually pull down those reviews. Go after good reviews that will stick.
- You only have one chance at making a good first impression. The company that’s most effective in making good first impressions will get the most business.
Andy’s Reputation Challenge
Andy’s Reputation ChallengeSo here’s your challenge: Get 100 Google reviews over the next year.
If you can do this, your competition will have to play catch-up to match your reputation online. You’ll generate tons of new business because if your reputation is about the same as someone else’s reputation and you have more reviews, you’ll be the company that people choose. Having this many reviews also helps to create such a strong brand reputation that the odd negative review won’t hurt your star rating.
Conclusion
Your online reputation management plays a pivotal role in attracting more leads for your property management business. By actively seeking positive online reviews, managing and responding to negative reviews, and consistently monitoring your online presence, you can build a formidable brand reputation.
Remember to solicit genuine reviews in a natural setting, and take every opportunity to make a lasting first impression. The goal is not to avoid negative reviews entirely, but to accumulate such a vast number of positive reviews that they overshadow the occasional negative feedback. Take up the challenge, strive for 100 Google reviews in the next year, and see your business flourish.
If you have any questions about your online reputation and how to use it to attract more business, please contact us at Fourandhalf – Internet Marketing for Property Managers.
