I'm one of those people who checks things out online BEFORE I go. Why not? I figure there is more to be gained from taking advantage of the benefit of other people's experiences before spending the gas, time and money to discover the truth myself. Apparently, there are a lot of folks like me.
Did you know that the according to Wikepedia, the first ratings site was created by Michael Hussey and called 'RateMyFace.com. I was intrigued to discover that ratings sites started out as dating sites for the most part and evolved over time to include all sorts of other services, including sites rating professionals such as lawyers, doctors and teachers.
It was also interesting to learn from this book about the founding of Facebook that this popular site also had a ratings component behind it's inspiration. It's founders envisioned it as tool to enhance their social/dating scene during the college experience at an Ivy league school.
Today, the concept of consumers determining the Value of a product or service through ratings is quickly developing a huge cache in terms of credibility. People trust what other people have to say about something, even more than the owner or creator of the product.
The viral nature of social media has accelerated the trend. In Grand Rapids, the concept of ratings by a community took a giant leap forward through the launching of Art Prize this fall. Artists from all over the world will be displaying their work from September 23 through October 10, 2009 in venues throughout the city. The winner of the Art Prize ($250,000) will be decided on by...you guessed it, members of the public who register to vote!
This is why I find it especially intriguing that a Google search for the term 'Rating Services for Realtors' with a hit total of approximately 2 Million, does not highlight a single comprehensive ratings database for real estate professionals or their services on the first 2 pages! A perplexed consumer asks the question on Ask.com... wondering WHY one can find information on a number of other professions, but not a comprehensive database for Realtors?
There are a few associations which are exploring the utilization of a Ratings Service such as the Houston Association of Realtors®, but these are few and far between. It might also interest you to know that the Google search results for Rate your Realtor number 13,000,000! Some of the sites on the first page are powered by consumer generated content and data exchanges. This is something consumers want, are searching for...and may ultimately successfully create for themselves.
And it won't just be about Realtors®. Can you foresee a time in the near future in which community ratings will play a bigger part of defining the value of any particular area? Today, Walkability scores for neighborhoods are increasingly a part of the data supplied to prospective new home owners on some aggregate databases.
The list of options which consumers might be interested in about a community is potentially endless...think school ratings, environmental awareness, diversity, employment opportunities, medical services. From a consumer perspective, it would be helpful to be able to download a comprehensive profile of a community, then select the issues that were most important and see what others are saying or not saying in one place. What do you think? Are Realtors® missing the boat by their lack of proactivity in this area?
Picture courtesy of Wolfgang Staudts' photostream on flickr
Lola Audu, is the Designated Broker & Owner of Audu Real Estate. Our company specializes in helping people buy and sell homes in the greater Grand Rapids, West Michigan area. We've had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients succeed in their goals of purchasing and selling property including demonstrated success in the negotiation of Short Sale Transactions. You can contact us via e-mail @ info@auduhomes.com or by phone at 616-791-0511.
I have some client testimonials on Linked In. I think I'll see if they show up under Rating Services for Realtors.
I recently had a client choose my firm because of my BBB rating. I had a client actually write the BBB and tell them what a great experience it was to work with a broker they trusted. I was so touched when the BBB sent me a copy of the letter. I'll have to look and see if anyone in town has made angie's list.
Vickie, client testimonials on Linked are good in 2 ways. First, your clients are validating their experience with you & secondly, it's a professional forum so not only is it a traditional recommendation, it also serves to bolster your reputation as an expert. Good move! :)
Wow Tammy, that's great! More and more people are looking for 2nd & 3rd party endorsements as a criteria they evaluate when making a decision about choosing a service provider. That they even went so far as to send a letter of commendation is noteworthy. Congratulations on a job well done.
We have always been graded except now everyone else knows our grade.
In this house we always check things out online before venturing out. Sometimes we are pleased to find that the online reviews were ... off a bit, and other times we have been totally confused as to how a topic/place/event got such high ratings.
While I can understand the desire to want to know as much as possible about something before investing time/effort/money/faith in it, I also believe that many of those reviews are subjective in nature. And once we have read the reviews we do our best to make a informed decision as to whether we want to pursue or discard. :)
I think once we all read those reviews it is up to us to decide if it's something we want to believe in totally, evaluate against our own expectations, or just throw caution to the wind and forge ahead!
You've raised the consciousness level with this one, my friend!
I have always thought we should have a place for Realtor only comments on our listings. I would love to be able to make a comment like, "a toilet in the middle of a basement does not constitute a 2nd bathroom"
I've recently come across
Outrageousagents.com
and
Incredibleagents.com
Both are for rating us real estate agents! I don't know that they are very widely used ..... don't know very much about either one, yet....
Hi Lola: I too came across a site here in British Columbia that rated agents, mostly populated by Agents rating themselves I suppose as no one had more then a couple of 'rates' . I just tryed to find it and couldnt.
And to Tami, A toilet in the middle of the basement!? You selling Dungeons & Prisons? :)
I think Lola that much of the word of mouth greatness about Realtors will eventually find its way on to the web in some format in the future...