What’s the value of your agency’s reputation?

It’s been said that your reputation is what people say about you when you are NOT there.

Nowhere is this more true than on the internet.

Having worked in crisis management PR and also being on the other side of the fence as a prying, mischief making journalist I know how things can turn out when something played out in public or on the net is handled badly.

For example does anyone remember the story about the B & B that made national headlines for refusing to give the deposit back to a grieving widow whose husband had just died?

It was catastrophic publicity for the B & B. So much so they have had to change their name. I would have stopped that from becoming a problem before it became national news.

Closer to home recently one of our clients called me on Monday morning saying a rival had posted a damning (and so fictitious that JK Rowling would’ve been proud of it) Google Review about their estate agency.

My client was angry, frustrated and wanted to reply accusing the rival online and going around to his office. Thankfully he called me first and draining all the negative emotion out of the incident I created a response to the review which was factual, balanced and left my client with their great reputation and dignity intact.

We then contacted Google and they removed the review as it was so blatantly malicious and untrue.

Google Reviews are becoming an extremely popular way for people to make decisions on choosing an estate agency to instruct and give feedback on the services they have then received. Ignore this at your peril.

One of the PR packages we offer includes something called PRICE. It stands for Public Relations in Case of Emergency.

It does what it says on the tin. For just £20 per month (based on a 12 month booking) we offer the service. It’s kind of like an insurance policy which covers your businesses’ reputation.

If you are interested in hearing more about our PRICE service drop me an email at Jerry@propertyprexpert.co.uk.

A real easy (and free) way to keep tabs on what might be being said about your agency online is to create a simple Google Alert. It takes two minutes to do but can give you the heads up if someone mentions you online and Google finds it.

Thanks for reading and here’s to your next instruction.

Jerry

Alex Evans

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agents should not all look the same
Letting Agent Talk

Opinion: Why Letting Agents Are The Cape-Wearing Heroes Landlords Need 

By Sally Lawson | Agent Rainmaker Let’s be honest – no landlords signed up to become compliance officers, legal experts, or legislative gurus. They signed up to invest in property. And yet, the weight of the regulatory obligation that’s landed on their shoulders has never been heavier.  And that’s even before the Renters’ Rights Act…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

Void periods ease following RRA implementation, but remain higher than a year ago

The latest analysis by property management specialist, Rushbrook & Rathbone, has found that average rental void periods across England have eased since the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act (RRA) in May, suggesting that landlords are beginning to adapt to the new legislative landscape. The firm believes many are using this period of change as…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

76% of Poor Conveyancing Experiences Feature Communication Issues

Konnect You analysis finds that communication issues feature in more than three in four poor conveyancing experiences, with missing updates, slow responses and repeated chasing emerging as common frustrations. Communication problems, including limited updates, delayed responses and repeated chasing, featured in 76% of poor home-mover conveyancing experiences analysed by Konnect You. The findings suggest communication is a major factor in how home movers experience delays.…
Read More
Breaking News

1 in 8 new-build homes unsold after six months

Developers hold their nerve as one in eight new-build homes remain unsold after six months   Jonathan Samuels, CEO of specialist lender, Octane Capital, believes that developers are increasingly prioritising profitability over speed of sale, with new-build homes spending longer on the market as developers resist unnecessary price reductions and instead look to protect scheme…
Read More
Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – July 2026

Year-on-year Rental Price Growth Moderates, Yet High Demand and Limited Supply Continue to Push Rents Higher London recorded the strongest monthly rental growth, with average rents rising from £2,385 to £2,484 (+4.2% month-on-month). As a result, the representative annual salary needed to secure the average-priced rental home increased from £70,050 to £74,520 (+6.4% year-on-year). The…
Read More
Breaking News

Holiday let reforms fail to boost housing market activity in Devon and Cornwall

The latest research by LandSale has revealed that the introduction of council tax premiums on second homes, alongside wider measures designed to curb the growth of holiday lets, has yet to deliver a stronger housing market in Devon and Cornwall, where sales activity continue to lag behind the South West and England as a whole.…
Read More