Researching online reviews can be an incredibly helpful exercise before choosing your Madison area realtor. Approached the right way, they offer insight into an agent's skills, work ethic, and character.

Unfortunately, reviews can sometimes be misleading, too. Here are a few tips that will help you effectively use online reviews as a helpful realtor selection tool. 

What to look for when researching online reviews

1) Stories that offer insight into the realtor's skills, work ethic, and character 

Numerical ratings can be informative, but we recommend paying more attention to the words of the clients. Look for reviews that share stories of how the agent specifically helped the client. What themes emerge from the stories? Do the stories resonate as authentic and true to you? Can you envision yourself working with this kind of agent? 

2) A pattern of negative reviews

Some businesses will receive an occasional less than stellar review. That's the law of averages. Sometimes the realtor and the client don't click. But if the realtor has several negative reviews, that could be a red flag and a sign that this particular agent isn't the right one for you. 

3) Reviews not written by real clients

Some business owners will ask their work colleagues or friends to post online reviews, even though they've never been served as clients. If the realtor has many reviews with ratings only (with very few or no accompanying words), that could be a sign that not all of their reviews come from real customers. 

Of course reviews aren't the only input that you should be using to evaluate your next realtor. In the end, you should interview the agent and even talk to past clients, to determine if they're the right fit. When the reviews, your interview, and client references all align, you can feel confident that you've made the right choice. 

You can learn more about Mad City Dream Homes by reading our reviews on Google and Zillow.