SEATTLE – Jan. 13, 2011 – Real estate website Zillow.com today launched a program that allows homebuyers and sellers to search for and find local real estate agents based on ratings and reviews from former clients.
Thousands of consumers have rated and reviewed agents since Zillow launched the ability to review agents in December, but the website now allows visitors to search for a real estate agent through the Zillow Directory and use the ratings and reviews as a way to select representation. Zillow claims over 13 million visitors to its website each month.
“Agent Reviews are another huge step towards transparency for buyers and sellers,” says Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff. “For good agents, it’s a terrific way to stand out from the crowd – the next best thing to a referral. “
When visitors use the Zillow Directory to search for a real estate agent by area, agents with the highest overall ratings and greatest number of reviews show up first. Ratings are based on a consumer’s likelihood to recommend an agent to other buyers or seller on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being “very likely” and 1 “very unlikely.” Consumers can compare agents’ based on their overall ratings, or they can compare ratings across several categories of service including: process expertise, local knowledge, responsiveness and negotiation skills.
Along with ratings, Zillow visitors can read “qualitative reviews” that clients have written about their real estate agent. Zillow users can access these agent ratings and reviews everywhere they interact with agents on Zillow.com – directly through for-sale listings, for example, or when agents answer questions in Zillow Advice.
The review process is retroactive, Zillow says. Former clients can also rate and review their agents who have profiles on Zillow by searching for the agent in the Zillow Directory.
© 2011 Florida Realtors®
Thousands of consumers have rated and reviewed agents since Zillow launched the ability to review agents in December, but the website now allows visitors to search for a real estate agent through the Zillow Directory and use the ratings and reviews as a way to select representation. Zillow claims over 13 million visitors to its website each month.
“Agent Reviews are another huge step towards transparency for buyers and sellers,” says Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff. “For good agents, it’s a terrific way to stand out from the crowd – the next best thing to a referral. “
When visitors use the Zillow Directory to search for a real estate agent by area, agents with the highest overall ratings and greatest number of reviews show up first. Ratings are based on a consumer’s likelihood to recommend an agent to other buyers or seller on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being “very likely” and 1 “very unlikely.” Consumers can compare agents’ based on their overall ratings, or they can compare ratings across several categories of service including: process expertise, local knowledge, responsiveness and negotiation skills.
Along with ratings, Zillow visitors can read “qualitative reviews” that clients have written about their real estate agent. Zillow users can access these agent ratings and reviews everywhere they interact with agents on Zillow.com – directly through for-sale listings, for example, or when agents answer questions in Zillow Advice.
The review process is retroactive, Zillow says. Former clients can also rate and review their agents who have profiles on Zillow by searching for the agent in the Zillow Directory.
© 2011 Florida Realtors®
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