Every real estate agent, whether just starting out or an established local expert, can benefit from the marketing power of client reviews. Reviews – a more objective, contemporary term for testimonials – help prospects both on and offline feel confident choosing you to be their agent. In fact, the 2013 NAR Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends report found that the two most important factors for choosing a real estate agent, as cited by buyers and sellers across all ages, are agent reputation and whether an agent is found to be honest and trustworthy. Sharing reviews will help you meet both of these requirements.

The more reviews an agent has, the more experience and stronger record he or she is perceived to have. Does this mean that you need to send every client home with an essay question about their experience working with you? Of course not! Today we'll share with you a variety of easy ways to get and share more client reviews.

Words from Friends (and Clients)

You can send a request for a performance review – not a testimonial – to clients after closing. The easiest way to do so is by email. Ask for honest feedback. Positive comments can be used in your marketing efforts (with their permission) and other comments may help you find ways to improve your service.

You can also ask your customers to leave a review for you on online sites, like Zillow, if they were happy with your services. Make it easy by including a link to the appropriate page. Explain that a positive review not only helps your business, but will also help future buyers and sellers make a smart choice.

Another good option that might appeal to less tech-savvy buyers is to include a short printed survey and self-addressed stamped envelope with your closing gift and thank you letter.

A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words

And it might just be easier to get, too! Even clients who have been thrilled with your services can get caught up dealing with the details of their upcoming home transition and may forget or not have time to complete a written testimonial. So make it simple for them and ask to take a super quick photo with your smartphone.

Take a snapshot of happy new homeowners in front of their house or sellers adding "SOLD" to your yard sign. Then post it on your website (like this) or on your social profiles. Later, you can email them a copy of the picture and ask them for a quote to put with it. If they're still too busy, the smiling photo will speak volumes on its own.

Let a captioned photo of happy new homeowners speak for itself in a gallery on your website. You can add a quote from your client at any time.

But a Video Is Worth Even More!

These days, taking a video with your smartphone, tablet or camera is a breeze – almost as easy as taking a photo. Creating a video library of happy customers has never been easier. Ask to get footage of clients getting the keys to their new home on closing day (when they're likely to be in a GREAT mood) or after they've had time to settle in. Click here for a list of great video editing apps for your smartphone. Or use social video sharing platforms like Instagram and Vine to create and share videos in one easy step.

Check out this 23-second testimonial video we found for Mark Gibson, a broker in Seattle, who was profiled in a great blog post titled Reviews, Testimonials + the Next Generation Client. How would you like to have something like this marketing your services 24/7 on your website, YouTube and wherever else?

Don't Forget to Share

So now that we've established that you're kind of a big deal – and you have the reviews, photos and videos to prove it – it's time to share this information with the world. Build your reputation by sharing positive reviews on pages that you control, like your website and social media profiles. For example, here at Point2, we share our member "Success Stories" on our blog. We also post links to them on Twitter and Facebook. And we use pull quotes from reviews on our website and in our online and print ads.

You should use every tool at your disposal. What's stopping you from adding a page of reviews or gallery of happy customers to your website (like this agent did)? Or quoting a previous client in one of your brochures? Not unlike listings, exposure is everything when it comes to customer reviews. In fact, this post has just inspired us to create a board of Success Stories on Pinterest!

What's the nicest thing a client has ever said about you? Make sure it's posted on your website!

To view the original article, visit the Point2 Agent blog.