Getting Client Reviews in Real Estate & The Power of Social Proof

In our industry, trust isn't just important – it's everything.

Buying a home is one of the largest purchases most people make in their lifetime. When clients choose an agent, they’re choosing someone to guide them through one of the biggest decisions in their lives. Not only that, but most agents have access to the same properties.

What really differentiates you from the next realtor in your market is who you are. Your personality, expertise, and what your clients think about you are some of the biggest advantages you have when it comes to closing new business. 

And yet… Most agents neglect one of the best tools we have to showcase this: client reviews.

In this article, we break down highlights from our recent /RealEstate podcast with Todd Tramonte — including his exact process for maximizing client reviews, plus how to approach it whether you’re a solo agent, part of a team, or working in a brokerage.

Be sure to catch the full conversation on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

Now, let's explore the recent shifts in consumer psychology and marketing research. We'll also dig into the science behind social proof, and how the future of real estate will be shaped by reputation more than advertising.

The Psychology of Social Proof

Psychologists Robert Cialdini and Noah Goldstein define social proof as the tendency to look at others’ behavior to determine our own. In marketing, this means people are more likely to trust a business if they see others vouching for it.

That’s exactly what reviews do. They’re the modern equivalent of word-of-mouth referrals—but infinitely scalable.

·  A BrightLocal study (2023) found that 98% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, and 76% trust them as much as personal recommendations.

·  According to RealTrends, 78% of homebuyers and sellers consider Google reviews essential when selecting a real estate agent.

As Todd explained on the podcast, “If you don’t have a Google profile, you need to get one. If you have one, you need to work on getting reviews. And not just any reviews—reviews with the keywords that describe who you want to attract.”

That last point is critical: reviews aren’t just validation; they’re search-engine friendly social proof.

For example, if you specialize in luxury homes, make sure your customers write something like: "Sarah is the best luxury home realtor in the area…", or if you're a relocation expert or investment property advisor, ask them to include those terms.

Why Google > Zillow, Facebook, or Yelp

For years, agents chased reviews on platforms like Zillow, Realtor.com, and even Facebook. Todd admitted he watched this happen and deliberately chose another path:

“Everyone I talked to was like, ‘I got to get every Zillow review. I got to play the Zillow game.’ And I was like, I don’t like the feel of this one. I’m going to go invest in the Google game, which I also do not own, but Google’s playing in every industry on the planet.”

Todd’s bet was right. Zillow’s influence has dipped in recent years, while Google has become the universal trust broker. Think about it: when people search “realtor near me” or “best real estate agent in Dallas,” reviews on Google Business Profiles are what show up first.

And the data backs this up:

·  There are an estimated 9.5 million Google searches per minute (SEMRush, 2025).

·  86% of consumers use Google Maps to find local businesses (AIOSEO, 2023).

·  Businesses with 200+ Google reviews generate twice as many leads compared to those with fewer than 10 (Findstack, 2022).

For agents, the message is clear: your Google profile is your new storefront.

The Compounding Effect of Reviews

One of Todd’s biggest points is about momentum. He explained how new agents on his team can sign a buyer a week—not because they have decades of experience, but because they’re riding on the wave of the team’s 849 five-star reviews.

That’s the power of cumulative social proof: every review doesn’t just help the agent who earned it—it strengthens the entire brand.

This aligns with research on “bandwagon effects” in consumer psychology. When a business has a high volume of positive reviews, it signals legitimacy and safety. People assume, “If so many others trust them, I can too.”

And consistency is key. As Todd put it, “I wouldn’t even say we’re brilliant, but we’ve been very consistent. I think consistency is one of our superpowers.”

Reviews Are More Than Stars—They’re Stories

Todd emphasizes that not all reviews are equal.

“It’s not just like, ‘Chris is the best. If you don’t use Chris, you’re an idiot.’ We’ll take those. But what we want is the full story arc. We want reviews that say, ‘We ran into crazy challenges, but without Chris, we wouldn’t have made it. He and his team were incredible.’”

Why does this matter? Because reviews with narratives are more persuasive than generic praise. Neuroscience research shows that stories light up multiple parts of the brain, creating deeper memory and emotional resonance.

This is why Todd even offers to draft reviews for clients (ethically, based on their own words) to help them tell a compelling story. It’s not about faking it—it’s about lowering friction so clients can express their genuine experience more fully.

Todd’s Review Script (Even When Clients Push Back)

So how do you actually ask for a review?

First, it's important to have one thing in mind: your customers want to help you. But more often than not, they'll forget, they'll get busy or they won't know exactly what to say.

If you go in with that in mind, then the script practically writes itself.

Here’s the playbook, in Todd’s own words:

“Hey Chris, I noticed you hadn’t had a chance to do a review yet. No sweat, I get it, everybody’s super busy this time of year. Any chance you could take three minutes to do it today before the end of the workday? If not, no problem — is there a day in the next few days you could block five minutes for it? Or would it help you if I summarized your experience, text it to you, and you just copy-paste it?”

This is genius for three reasons:

1.  Lowers friction. Clients don’t have to figure out what to write.

2.  Sets a deadline. By asking for “today” or “in the next few days,” Todd creates urgency without being pushy.

3.  Makes it collaborative. Todd offers to write the first draft, but the client still has control to tweak it.

As Todd joked, “It’s like ToddGPT — I just wrote my own review!” The brilliance is that it stays ethical: he uses the client’s own words and real experiences, just packaged into a compelling story.

Reviews: Solo Agent vs. Team vs. Brokerage

Another thing Todd emphasizes is that not all agents should handle reviews the same way.

For Solo Agents:

Reviews are non-negotiable. As Todd said, “If you’re an individual agent, you absolutely have to do this.” With no team momentum to ride on, your personal reviews are your Google footprint.

For Teams:

Todd recommends collecting reviews collectively. Some agents make the mistake of holding off on asking for reviews in case they ever leave the team, but the truth is, if that happens, you can always take two days to call your clients personally and ask them to paste their previous reviews on your new profile. In the meantime, it would be stupid not to benefit from collective team reviews.

For Brokerages:

It depends on structure. Smaller “team-like” brokerages can pool reviews to boost credibility. Large brokerages with multiple teams should train each unit to build its own review strategy, while still encouraging individual agents to get their names and niches into the testimonials.

For teams and brokerages, Todd adds: “The best way we get reviews as teams is we have contests. Our people are super competitive. We do contests for an hour, for a day, for a week. And then we celebrate the winners and talk smack to each other.”

The Future of Real Estate Reviews

Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, reviews won’t just be optional—they’ll be central to the business model. As AI-powered search (like Google’s Search Generative Experience) becomes mainstream, local service businesses will increasingly be ranked and recommended based on review quality and consistency.

This means the agents who build review momentum now will dominate visibility later. This is no longer a nice-to-have in our industry, it's a non-negotiable.

Final Thoughts

The future of real estate isn’t about who has the biggest advertising budget—it’s about who has the most trust. Reviews are the currency of that trust.

Todd Tramonte’s strategy is simple but profound: pick the right platform (Google), be consistent, and go beyond stars to tell stories. It’s not glamorous, but it works—and it compounds over time.

If you’re a solo agent, start building today. If you’re on a team, collaborate for collective momentum. And if you’re a brokerage, train your agents to use reviews strategically.

Because in the end, reviews aren’t just feedback—they’re fuel.

Want more strategies like this? Join Todd and our Real Geeks team at the Real Growth Summit, where top agents and thought leaders share the exact tactics driving success in 2025.

From AI tools to social proof hacks, you’ll leave with an action plan to scale your business.