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

Breaking News

Why the postcode can make a big difference to your rebuild costs

93% of UK properties are insured for the wrong amount, according to research by RebuildCostASSESSMENT.com. The regional breakdown behind this figure shows why location still matters when calculating rebuild values. National figures demonstrate the scale of the issue and regional data helps show where inaccurate sums insured are more common. “Two similar properties in different…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

New record rents as rental supply falls for first time since 2022

The average advertised rent of homes outside London has risen by 1.9% this quarter to a new record of £1,397 per calendar month, the first quarterly rent record since Q3 2025: The average advertised rents outside London is now 2.3% higher than a year ago, an increase from 1.6% last quarter London also reaches a…
Read More
Breaking News

Our predictions for the property market in the second half of 2026

Allison Thompson, Chief Lettings Officer, Leaders part of LRG. There is a lot going on right now that’s impacting the property market, both in terms of direct legislation and the wider economy: Global conflicts affecting consumer confidence and interest rates Ongoing cost of living issues challenging affordability for homeowners and renters The recent introduction of…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 14/7/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   REVIEW: The Future of Real Estate Education: From Pedagogy to Technology Author Mr. Hugh Kelly, Ph.D., CRE Emeritus   Edited by Karen M. McGrath, Elaine M. Worzala, and Pernille H. Christensen. (Routledge, New York and London, 2026). 330 pp. ISBN 9781032625041. Paperback $70.99; hardcover $170.00; ebook…
Read More
Breaking News

Why 2026 is redefining responsibility in the private rented sector

The landlord rulebook has changed  Insurance experts warn that understanding where landlord obligations end and tenant responsibilities begin has never been more important, following the biggest legislative shake-up of the rental market in a generation. The implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act on 1st May 2026 has transformed the relationship between landlords and tenants, introducing…
Read More
Breaking News

Mortgage demand slowed in Q2

Mortgage demand softened as anticipated in the second quarter due to affordability pressures exacerbated by rising borrowing costs, Stonebridge reveals today. However, mortgage rates remain tricky to accurately predict while borrowers face being wrong-footed by renewed clashes in the Gulf, which sent oil prices and inflation expectations higher last week. Stonebridge mortgage and protection network’s…
Read More