If you ask most estate agents when the “right” time is to request a review, you’ll usually hear the same answer: “At the end of the client journey.” You know, after the keys have changed hands, the contracts have been signed, and everyone’s happily moved on.

And sure, that’s a good time to ask - but it’s far from the only time.

In fact, waiting until the very end means you could miss out on golden opportunities to capture glowing feedback while the client’s emotions are at their highest.

The “thank you” moment

The simplest rule to remember?

If a client says, “Thank you so much!” - that’s your cue.

That could be:

• After a great viewing where they leave buzzing with excitement
• When they’ve just signed contracts for you to act as their lead agent
• The moment you’ve secured them a higher-than-expected sale price
• When you’ve negotiated favourable rental terms for a tenant
• After a landlord’s had a smooth repairs or maintenance issue resolved quickly
• The day a tenant has their repair fixed with minimal fuss

These are the points in the journey where goodwill is sky-high. People are far more likely to leave feedback when the excitement is fresh. Wait too long, and the magic fades.

Every landlord review is another opportunity

For lettings, there’s an extra win: every time you carry out a landlord review, you’ve not just boosted your reputation - you’ve created an opportunity to ask for another review from the landlord.

Repairs and maintenance interactions are also often overlooked review opportunities. Most people expect slow, painful processes, so if you surprise them with speed, efficiency, and friendliness, you’ve earned the right to say, “Would you mind sharing that experience in a quick review?”.

Playing the underdog card 🎻

If you’re an independent estate or letting agent, perhaps a startup then here’s a nice tip: incorporating a *story* to your request makes it more powerful.

Picture it - you’re the small but mighty local agent, competing against big-budget national chains with shiny marketing campaigns. You don’t have a corporate war chest, but you *do* have something they don’t: real relationships with your clients.

And sometimes… yes, this is where you pull out the baby violin 🎻. Let them know that their review doesn’t just make you smile - it genuinely helps you compete. It shows future clients you’re the real deal, trusted in the community, and worth choosing over the “big boys.”

Ask early, ask often (and make it easy)

Reviews aren’t just a “nice to have.” They’re social proof, trust-builders, and marketing fuel all rolled into one.

So don’t treat them as a one-off task at the end of the transaction.

And remember: a Google review can be edited. That means if your relationship with a client grows, or you deliver another win later down the line, their review can evolve into a success story all on its own.

Make the process easy. Use direct links. Better yet, use our *Post a Review* widget to let clients fire off a review in seconds.

Your reviews are your reputation

Every 5-star review is a brick in your wall of trust. Capture enough “thank you” moments, and you’ll have a fortress that competitors can’t break down.

From personal experience, I can tell you that reviews do matter — massively. We get so much new business from people who’ve read our reviews, it’s insane. After asking, “How did you hear about us?”, I regularly get answers along the lines of: “Oh, we heard about you from such-and-such person or company, but after seeing your reviews we knew we needed to talk.”

That’s the power of reviews in action — they’re not just nice words on a page, they’re a constant, silent sales team working for you 24/7.

Get in touch if you'd like to discuss anything to do with reviews, it's something I think about day in day out! 😁