A Broker's Path to Digital and Social Brand Success with Client Satisfaction

When Century 21 Real Estate USA decided to use RealSatisfied as their national customer satisfaction survey partner, Century 21 Redwood Realty, and Broker Eddie Berenbaum were on the frontline of the planning leading up to launch day. The brand was stepping into fast-growth on digital and social media channels, and knew that using real estate agent’s survey results, reviews and testimonials would provide untold visibility and transparency in marketing their award-winning customer satisfaction in the industry.

“As a broker, every December you pick your battles for the year. We knew we needed visibility and real-time surveys. Our corporate brand stepped in and took control. I didn’t expect this to be an easy launch. But it went off without a hitch.”

Little did Eddie know how easy it was and what a powerful impact it would actually have.

"This could have been dangerous for some Agents."

Prior to the launch of RealSatisfied, customer satisfaction surveys at Century21 served to measure satisfaction, but weren’t visible to the consumer. With RealSatisfied, not only are survey results collected and presented to the brokers and factored into satisfaction ratings, but they also provide a forward facing testimonial to the consumer. “ With nearly 60% of our agents having no testimonials on their Century 21 profiles, I knew that the powerful integration into our local and national system would be dangerous to some agents.” Eddie noted. “After the national launch we knew our office would do great with the quality control – but what was even greater? Visible testimonials and 5 star reviews.” Suddenly, the proof of customer satisfaction was real-time, measured, and was becoming a part of their agent’s business strategies, and the company culture of the brokerage.

Customer Satisfaction that teaches both the Customer and the Agent

By openly displaying testimonials and reviews through digital and social media – another world and level of engagement was starting to quickly take shape and provide great opportunities for referral business, greater SEO benefits and new ways for brokers, agents and happy clients to engage online and off. The all in one, simple survey, review and testimonial hub taught agents how to ask for feedback – and taught customers how to write great testimonials. Gone were the simple gold stars of satisfaction, now there was true business intelligence impeccably designed on the web to market the most important aspect of a business: great customer experiences. For many agents using the Visual Testimonials that are curated client comments from the RealSatisfied surveys actually illustrate more in-depth details and true to life experiences. When agents are able to listen and comprehend what their clients love about them, their great service is validated and re-enforced again and again — and becomes a natural extension of post-close follow up and marketing. The example below is just one of the many ways agents can engage, and the Social Activity dashboard for Eddie allows him to stay up to date and engage with his agents and their clients on social media.

“RealSatisfied has become an integral part of my post closing follow up program, ” says Redwood Realty agent Coral Gundlach. “Not only does RealSatisfied send my clients secure requests for a review and give a simple survey as well, they also make it so easy to share with my social networks.”

Impact on Agent Recruitment and Retention:

“By engaging with our agents and their customer satisfaction they achieve- we make it our mission to share as much as we can on social media and on digital profiles, said Eddie. “At the end of the day, if agents are consistently praised – they are happier in their careers – and less likely to go. When we made RealSatisfied part of our culture of excellence, we made it easy for them to stay, and be happy.”

"I am pretty sure that RealSatisfied is the best product we have ever launched. Universal approval across an enormously diverse agent base."

Results like these don’t happen because of a product. They happen when an investment is made at the leadership level – to customers, and to their agents. When a broker places value on true customer satisfaction and their experience – not in the simple collection of reviews – brand advocacy is nurtured, extended, and is always in a position to grow both the business, and the agency of relationships they serve – both in the digital world and in real life success stories.

Author: Laura Monroe