In the past, we’ve talked extensively about how to respond to online reviews – especially negative ones – in a positive, professional way. What we haven’t delved into, however, are the reasons why doing this is so critical to the ongoing success of your property management business. Like it or not, the internet is the primary place where people go to research and interact with brands today, and if you’re not reacting accordingly, you could be losing business as a result. Here’s why.

It’s often a first impression

Given the high search engine rankings of many of the popular online review sites (not to mention social media), reviews are often the first thing that a prospective client will come across when doing a search online for your property management business. While you can’t control whether that happens to be a negative review or not, your prompt, positive and professional response is something you do have control over. More importantly, it could also mean the difference between losing or gaining a lead.

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It demonstrates your attentiveness

With so much interaction taking place online these days it can be difficult for consumers to identify brands that are active and attentive, something that’s critically important to establishing and fostering a customer relationship. By responding to every review, you’ll be able to demonstrate to prospective clients that there are real people behind your property management logo, which may be just enough to give you a leg up on your competition.

Related Post: Delivering An Amazing Property Management Customer Experience

It helps you stay engaged

Word of mouth is still ranked among the most powerful marketing tools in the world today. The fact is, you just never know when the opportunity to get a referral may arise, so nurturing past relationships is fundamental. Responding to your online reviews keeps you connected to those who you may no longer be doing business with, but who may consider recommending your property management services to someone they know.

It keeps you grounded

No matter how hard you may try, there will always be room for improvement within your business, whether it’s internal operations, customer service levels or something else. Making a point to read and respond to every review that’s posted about your property management company will help you to stay in touch with how things are going and identify areas where a little attention may be needed. You should view negative feedback as an opportunity to get better.

Reviewing and responding to all your online reviews may seem like a tedious, time-consuming task, but for the reasons listed above, it’s an investment worth making. You never know – it just might win you new business, which is always the ultimate goal.

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