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

Property auctions generate complaints at four times the rate of the wider housing market

Property auctions account for just 2% of home sales but generate more than four times their share of complaints, according to a new insight report by the Property Ombudsman. The report highlights that while auctions remain a relatively small part of the wider residential property market, they are generating a disproportionately high level of consumer…
Read More
Breaking News

UK rents see upward trend in early 2026

Lomond’s report finds UK average rents rise to £1,384pcm in the first three months of 2026, compared to 2025. Average rent in London reaches £2,339pcm, 69% higher than the UK average. Kent records the network’s highest rental uptick of +9%, in early 2026. Tenant demand strengthens with a +28% increase in viewings activity in 2026.   Lomond observed the average rent across its network of lettings…
Read More
Breaking News

Landlord repossessions rose 6% ahead of Renters’ Rights Act

Landlord possession claims rose by almost 6% in the first quarter of 2026 as property owners moved to regain control of homes before the Renters’ Rights Act came into force on 1 May, according to analysis by LegalforLandlords. LegalforLandlords analysed the latest repossession data* and found that during Q1 2026, a total of 22,733 possession…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

Tenant confidence in RRA compliance sits at just 32%

Barely a third of managed tenants believe their management company is compliant following RRA changes   The latest insight from property management specialist, Rushbrook & Rathbone, reveals that whilst managing agents had until 31st May to distribute new documentation following the latest RRA implementations, almost 60% of tenants living in managed properties have seen no changes…
Read More
Breaking News

Six issues that make your property unmortgageable

The latest market insight from House Buyer Bureau has revealed six common issues that could see a homeowner’s property deemed unmortgageable by lenders, drastically reducing the pool of potential buyers and making it far harder to sell on the open market. House Buyer Bureau analysed some of the most common reasons properties fail lender criteria, alongside the…
Read More
Breaking News

Homebuyers could make over £26,000 before completion

Buying off-plan: London homebuyers could make over £26,000 before completion The latest research from Foxtons has found that buying a home off-plan can deliver a significant financial uplift, with London buyers potentially making more than £26,000 in added value before they’ve even picked up the keys to their new home. Foxtons analysed average monthly new-build…
Read More