The problem
Sellers choose agents partly on reviews, but asking at completion is easy to forget on a busy day. With 8 completions a month and both sides to ask, that is 16 requests, and many go unsent. If more reviews brought in 1 extra sale every 6 months at a $3,990£3,000€3,570A$5,760C$5,640 fee, that would be $665£500€595A$960C$940 a month of fees on average.
What the AI does
Keep a Google Sheet of completions with the client's name, email, whether they were the buyer or seller, and the date. A two-step Zapier automation starts on each new row and sends an email from your Gmail account thanking the client and asking for a review, with a direct link to your Google review page. The negotiator adds the row on completion day. Everyone who completes is asked, not only the happy ones.
A worked example
An independent agency in Lincoln completes about 8 sales a month and rarely remembers to ask for reviews. They add a completions sheet and a Zapier email to every seller and buyer they acted for or dealt with.
Before
16 possible review requests a month, mostly unsent
After
All 16 sent on completion day, with an assumed 1 extra instruction every 6 months that completes at a $3,990£3,000€3,570A$5,760C$5,640 fee
What it's worth
About $266£200€238A$384C$376 a month in profit, at an assumed 40% margin on $665£500€595A$960C$940 a month of extra fees (one $3,990£3,000€3,570A$5,760C$5,640 sale every 6 months). This assumes a modest effect from more reviews; your figures will differ. Zapier's free plan allows two-step Zaps and 100 tasks a month, enough for 16 emails.
How to set it up
- Get the direct review link from your Google Business Profile.
- Create a Google Sheet with columns for name, email, buyer or seller, property and completion date.
- In Zapier, start a Zap on each new row and add one action: send an email from your Gmail account with a short thank you and the review link.
- Make adding the row part of the completion-day checklist, for every client, whatever the sale was like.
- Check the Zap history weekly against the sheet, and reply to every review yourself.
What goes wrong
- Google's policies don't allow asking only satisfied clients or offering anything in return for a review. Ask everyone, with no incentive.
- Zapier can fail silently. Compare its history with the sheet each week.
- Only email people who expect to hear from you; check your privacy notice covers it under UK GDPR.
- Zapier's free plan allows two-step Zaps only. Adding a delay or a second email needs Pro at $19.99 (about $20£15€18A$29C$28) a month billed annually.