Sarah Mitchell had been a successful real estate agent in Austin for eight years. She closed 20+ transactions annually, had happy clients, and got plenty of referrals. But she had a problem: only 3 Google reviews.
The Wake-Up Call
"I lost a listing to a newer agent," Sarah recalls. "The sellers told me they went with her because she had better reviews online. That stung. I had years more experience, but on paper - or rather, on Google - I looked like a beginner."
The Old Approach Wasn't Working
Sarah had tried asking for reviews before, but inconsistently. Sometimes she'd remember, sometimes she'd forget. When she did ask, it was usually face-to-face, which felt awkward. Most clients said "sure!" but few followed through.
The System That Changed Everything
Sarah implemented a three-part strategy:
1. Consistent Automation
She set up automated review requests to go out 5 days after every closing. No more forgetting, no more awkward asks.
2. Sentiment Filtering
Before directing clients to Google, the system asked about their experience. This meant only her happiest clients were asked for public reviews.
3. Follow-Up Sequence
Clients who didn't respond got a gentle reminder one week later. This alone doubled her response rate.
The Results
- Month 1: 3 reviews → 8 reviews
- Month 3: 8 reviews → 22 reviews
- Month 6: 22 reviews → 50 reviews
"The best part," Sarah says, "is I don't have to think about it anymore. The system runs in the background while I focus on serving my clients."
The Unexpected Benefit
Beyond the numbers, Sarah noticed something else: more inbound leads. "People tell me they chose me because of my reviews. I'm getting calls from people I've never met who found me on Google."