What makes a useful review response?
A useful reply is brief, respectful and limited to information appropriate for a public audience. Thank the reviewer where appropriate, acknowledge the concern when one exists and move private issues to the approved contact process. Some situations need brokerage or legal review before any public reply.
The Review & Testimonial Collection System has five written response templates and guidance for a sixth scenario where no public response is appropriate. They are starting points for judgment, not a requirement to answer every review with a script.
Assign an owner and a review target
Choose who checks the platform, who prepares the response and who must approve sensitive cases. Our suggested service target is to review new feedback within 48 hours. That is a working goal, not a Canadian legal deadline or a promise made by the platform.
Keep the review link, date noticed, internal owner and next action in an approved system. If the content involves a complaint, threat or legal issue, follow the brokerage’s existing process. Do not put a detailed complaint file into a broadly shared marketing spreadsheet.
Manual checking is still necessary. The kit’s tracker has no platform connection and does not send alerts when a review is posted or edited.
Positive reviews: thank them without adding a property story
ILLUSTRATIVE PUBLIC RESPONSE
“Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I appreciate the feedback and the opportunity to work with you.”
Personalize the tone without adding the address, price, financing circumstances, family situation or a story about negotiations. Even when the client has disclosed something, pause before repeating or expanding it in an agent’s public response.
Google’s guidance recommends clear, conversational replies and protecting private information. Avoid turning a thank-you into a promotion or a request to send more business. The review has already served its purpose as feedback.
Critical reviews: acknowledge, then use the private process
ILLUSTRATIVE HOLDING RESPONSE / REVIEW BEFORE USE
“Thank you for raising your concern. I would like to understand it through the appropriate private process. Please contact [approved business contact] so it can be reviewed.”
This does not admit a disputed fact or promise a particular remedy. Adapt it only after considering whether a reply is appropriate. Do not argue point by point, identify another party or disclose confidential records to prove your side.
Give the concern an internal owner and a follow-up task. A polished public sentence does not resolve a service problem. Record the private response and any next action through the required complaint process.
Suspected policy violations: use the platform’s route
If you believe a review violates the platform’s rules, assess it against the actual policy and use the reporting route. A low rating alone is not evidence of a violation, and reporting does not guarantee removal. Do not describe a reviewer as fraudulent in a public reply simply because you cannot immediately match the name.
Google’s policy bars incentives in exchange for revising or removing reviews. Do not offer a refund, discount or gift conditional on deleting criticism. Keep any legitimate service remedy separate from pressure over a rating.
Escalate threats, allegations or legal matters through the brokerage process. No public response may be the appropriate interim decision. Preserve necessary evidence in the approved file rather than posting it.
Close the internal loop
Record whether a reply was approved, posted or deliberately withheld. Note who owns any private follow-up and when it will be checked. Revisit the process if a template repeatedly needs the same correction; that may reveal a service or communication issue worth addressing.
For new requests, use the post-closing workflow. For the destination itself, read the platform comparison. Reusing praise on your own website or in video is a separate decision from responding on the original platform.
Official sources checked October 19, 2026: Google review and reply guidance; Google content and review policy. Recheck current guidance before using a template. General information, not legal advice.