Keyboard Warriors, Online Reviews & Ferris Wheel Terror

Nowadays, we live in a world where online reviews mean everything.

I don’t know about you but whether it’s right or wrong, I’ve been guilty of using one service over another or perhaps eating at one restaurant over another simply based upon the ‘rating’ and number of reviews that the business has incurred.

Unfortunately, a lot of us are very impatient these days and there’s plenty of ‘keyboard warriors’ out there so one mildly disappointing experience (that’s been blown up out of proportion) could cost the business a lot of money.

A few days ago, I saw someone in a local Facebook community group complain about a local nail salon that’s just been taken over by new owners.

There were plenty of people that jumped on board and really went to town on the business, citing a constant issue of nails falling off after only a few days.

A few people defended the business but the overwhelming majority of people that shared a negative experience has surely tarnished this business to a large degree.

I couldn’t help but feel for the business owner in question.

I don’t know this business owner at all but I was left wondering whether it could have been something as simple as a defective batch of the product that sticks fake nails to the existing ones (pardon me for my ignorance in nail technology but it’s certainly not my area of expertise).

Perhaps they deserve the negative exposure but on the other hand, anyone that starts a new business is under pressure and bound to make mistakes and it just solidified to me that the livelihoods of these owners could be under extreme pressure for reasons that may not have been their fault.

As a real estate agent, online reviews are increasingly important and I certainly know the feeling of being blamed for something for which I had no control.

The first bad online press I received was a buyer that settled a property and (unbeknownst to me), there was an issue with the ensuite plumbing that became evident to the new owners after settlement.

These buyers took the time to provide me with a ‘one star’ review online and comment how dissatisfied they were with me and my team.

When I contacted them, they explained why they were dissatisfied and to rectify the situation, I paid for a plumber to attend the property and fix the issue.

Additionally, I paid for the entire family to eat at a local restaurant…a gesture that they happily accepted.

Despite a plumbing bill that cost me $350 and a restaurant bill that cost about the same (yes they must have had a good time), they seemed happy enough and thanked me profusely.

They offered to remove the review…a gesture that I explained to them would be a really wonderful thing for them to do but it must have slipped their mind as it’s still there to this day.

It was then that I realised that there’s some people that you’ll just never please.

As a real estate agent, you tend to be somewhat of a target at times for online trolls.

There’s a ‘closed’ Facebook community group that often goes to town on me at any opportunity they can – the last reason was because my team and I handed out ‘Aussie Day’ flags on Australia Day and this didn’t sit well with a few people for various reasons.

This particular community group is moderated by a competing real estate agent so it’s not surprising that the press for me here isn’t great.

A few years ago, we had a few ‘mystery’ reviews that appeared on ‘Google’ for ‘Innov8 Property’.

These reviews were from an apparent buyer that was dealing with one of our agents.

When we investigated it, we hadn’t received a single enquiry from anyone by the name of the reviewer so we took the measure of tracing it and the review was made by a rival agent.

And that’s one of the issues of online reviews – often times, you aren’t sure if the person that made them has an agenda.

It’s a very low blow but any business is an easy target for those that have an axe to grind.

Recently, I read an article by an online tech guru who estimated that at least 30% of negative online reviews were those that were trying to gain an advantage over their competition – that’s a pretty sad indictment of society if we’ve come to this.

If you’ve dabbled in real estate circles for some time, we’ve probably been subjected to agents shoving their testimonials down your throat if you’re considering using them.

There’s now a myriad of online platforms that agents promote where you can leave a review…but are agents’ reviews a good indication on the agent’s ability?

Next week, I’ll share a few of the platforms you might have seen and explain to you how these platforms work but more importantly, how they can be manipulated by dishonest agents.

Until then…Happy Listing and Happy Selling.

Feature Property Of The Week

Our ‘Feature Property Of The Week’ is 54 Emerald Street, Burpengary East – Heading a little further North than we normally do for our feature property of the week, this near new low-set brick residence is a real ‘show-stopper’ for those that demand luxury, privacy and want to the very best of Queensland’s outdoor living. Featuring modern tones and textures through an extensive use of feature walls and chic modern colours, you’ll love the three internal living spaces, the stunning gourmet kitchen with upmarket stainless steel appliances, the four generously sized bedrooms and the two palatial bathrooms. Bit it’s the outdoor design that will leave you breathless with a gorgeous array of timber decking that extends from the rear alfresco to the separate gazebo that’s ideal for entertaining or just relaxing. With a side access suitable for vehicles, a host of extra features and a prime position that’s close (but not too close) to the highway, there’s plenty that discerning buyers will love about this one. Brand new to the market yesterday, make sure you check this one out at the first open home on Saturday.

Click Here To View Listing

Insights Article…

The data is in and we’re now seeing property prices decreasing at the fastest rate since the GFC. This is a very in-depth analysis of how the property market in Australia is performing from state to state…

Click Here To Read Article

Did You Know?

For those that don’t know, Michael has a huge fear of heights. He can go on fast moving rides such as roller coasters with no problems but silently freaks out on slower rides such as Ferris wheels. He took the kids to the Pine Rivers Show on Sunday and from all accounts, his young kids handled the rides better than he did. He does look a little nervous in this photo as you can see…

Michael and his team make an average of 1500 phone calls per week. Thank heavens for unlimited mobile phone plans.