Most agents do not have a review problem. They have an asking problem. In the National Association of Realtors' 2026 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 88% of buyers said they would use their agent again or recommend them. Plenty of those satisfied clients never write a review, usually because nobody asked, the request arrived at the wrong time, or the process looked like work.
This guide covers how Zillow's review system works, what Zillow and the Federal Trade Commission do not allow, when to ask, what to say, and how to make asking a routine.
Why Zillow reviews are worth the effort
Buyers and sellers look agents up before they call, and Zillow is one of the places they look. Zillow says that agents with the most reviews get featured placement in its searchable agent directory, so the number of reviews affects how often you are seen, not only how you are judged once someone finds you.
Zillow also suggests that agents aim for at least five recent reviews on their profile. The word that matters there is recent. A profile with forty reviews, the newest from 2021, tells a reader that something changed. A steady flow of reviews over time tells them you are still doing the work.
How Zillow's review system works
According to Zillow's agent reviews and ratings FAQ, only buyers and sellers who have communicated with or worked with an agent can review that agent. The reviewer creates a Zillow profile and says what the relationship was, for example that you helped them buy, helped them sell, or that they shopped with you but did not buy. Zillow may ask the reviewer for clarification if the relationship is unclear.
Reviewers rate you on local knowledge, process expertise, responsiveness and negotiation skills, and they say how likely they are to recommend you on a scale of 1 to 5. Your overall rating is the average of those likelihood-to-recommend scores. A moderation team checks every review before it is published. You get an email when a review goes live, you can reply to any published review, and you can flag a review for re-moderation if you believe it breaks Zillow's policies. You cannot delete a review.
To ask for reviews, sign in, open your Zillow profile and select "Request a review." Zillow's guide to requesting reviews describes two options:
- Email form. Enter up to 50 client email addresses per day. Each client gets an email with a link to your review form, and you can follow the status of each request under "Sent requests."
- Direct link. Copy the URL of your review form and send it yourself by text or email. Requests sent this way do not show up in "Sent requests," so track them on your own.
Clients without a Zillow account will be asked to create one with an email address. Tell them that in advance, because an unexpected sign-up screen is where many reviews get abandoned.
What Zillow's review policy does not allow
Zillow's Real Estate Professional Rating and Review Policy lists the situations in which it may withhold a review. They include:
- reviews from family members
- reviews from employees of the same company as the agent, even if the employee was a real client
- reviews from users who received or were offered compensation for writing a review
- invalid or disposable email addresses
- an unusually high number of submissions by one user, or an unusually high number of reviews for one agent
By creating a profile, agents also agree not to solicit reviews from people they did not have a true interaction with and not to create fake reviews. The policy says that if Zillow determines an agent is enabling fraudulent reviews, or reviews that were not submitted directly by a client, it may terminate the agent's profile and any Zillow programs connected to it. That is a real business risk for agents who rely on Zillow for leads.
Two practical consequences follow. Never type a review for a client, even one they dictate to you. And do not hand clients your laptop or tablet at the closing table. An older Zillow post on rejected reviews explains that reviews submitted from an office or public computer can look like the work of someone gaming the system, and it recommends that clients write reviews from their own devices.
The FTC rule that applies on every platform
Separate from any platform policy, the Federal Trade Commission's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials has been in effect since October 21, 2024. The FTC announced the final rule in August 2024. It prohibits fake reviews and testimonials, buying reviews, incentives that are conditioned on a review being positive or negative, undisclosed reviews from insiders, and suppressing reviews through threats, intimidation or false accusations. Courts can impose civil penalties for knowing violations.
A few points from the FTC's own questions and answers are especially relevant to agents:
- Incentives. The rule does not ban every incentive, only those that require or imply a particular sentiment. That does not make incentives safe in practice. Google's policy bans incentives for reviews outright, and Zillow can withhold reviews from anyone who was offered compensation. The simple rule is no gift cards, no prize drawings and no closing gifts connected to a review.
- Asking only happy clients. The rule has no specific ban on this, but FTC staff say that selectively asking satisfied customers may still violate the FTC Act, and Google's policy forbids selectively soliciting positive reviews. Ask every client.
- Star language. FTC staff say that implying a positive review is required crosses the line. Some widely shared scripts ask clients for a "five-star review." Ask for honest feedback instead and leave the stars out of it.
When to ask
Zillow recommends requesting reviews at mutual acceptance or within three days after closing, and it also suggests asking after early wins, such as a pre-approval or the first showing a buyer is excited about. In practice, a simple sequence works for most agents:
- At the first meeting. Mention that you will ask for feedback at the end and that you read every review. This is not a request yet. It makes the later request feel expected.
- At a high point in the transaction. Mutual acceptance, a clean inspection or a tough negotiation that went their way are good moments for a short, informal mention.
- Within three days of closing. Send the actual request with the link while the experience is fresh and before the move takes over their attention.
- One reminder about a week later. Keep it short and easy to ignore. After that, stop.
For past clients, Zillow suggests a phone call. Use the call to recall a specific moment from the transaction, then send the link right after you hang up. Limit this to people you actually represented or worked with, since soliciting reviews from anyone else breaks Zillow's policy.
What to say
Short and personal beats polished. Here is an email to adapt for the day after closing.
Hi Sarah, congratulations again on the new house. It was a pleasure working with you through a busy spring market. If you have a few minutes this week, I would value an honest review of your experience on Zillow. The link is [your review link]. Zillow will ask you to sign in or create a free account with your email first, which is how it keeps reviews limited to real clients. Thank you either way, and let me know if anything comes up with the house.
A text message should be even shorter.
Hi Mike, it was great working with you on the sale. If you have a minute, an honest review on Zillow would help other sellers who are deciding who to hire. The link is [your review link]. Thanks again.
In person, a single sentence is enough.
When we wrap up, I'll send you a link to leave a review. Most people choose an agent by reading reviews, so honest feedback from clients like you matters a lot.
Zillow's moderators reject reviews that lack detail, and a review that says only "great agent" helps no one. You can make it easier to write something useful by offering prompts rather than wording. Questions like "What were you most worried about at the start?" or "What happened that you did not expect?" lead to reviews that describe real work. Zillow's guidance says it is fine to guide clients toward topics you want covered, such as your knowledge of a neighborhood, as long as you ask only for accurate and honest information. Topics are fine. Drafted sentences are not.
Make it a system, not a favor
Agents who collect reviews steadily treat the request as part of closing, like ordering the final walkthrough. A few habits make that possible:
- Add "send review request" to your closing checklist with a due date of closing day plus two.
- Track every request in your CRM with the date sent, the platform, the reminder date and whether a review arrived.
- Use Zillow's "Sent requests" view when you send through the email form.
- Ask for one review on one platform. If a client already uses Google every day, a Google link may be easier for them than a new Zillow account. Asking for reviews on three sites at once usually gets you none.
- Reply to every review, positive or negative. Our guide on how to respond to client reviews has examples.
If you want to see how your Zillow reviews combine with your Google and Realtor.com reviews into a single number, the free Agent Score check does that with your public profiles.
Mistakes that get reviews rejected, or worse
- Letting a client write the review on your device or an office computer.
- Writing or editing the review text for a client.
- Asking relatives, friends or colleagues who were not clients.
- Emailing your whole sphere, including people you never worked with.
- Collecting dozens of reviews in a single week after years of silence, which can look like the unusual activity Zillow's policy describes.
- Offering anything of value in connection with a review.
- Asking only the clients you are sure will be happy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I offer a gift card in exchange for a Zillow review?
No. Zillow's review policy allows it to withhold reviews from users who received or were offered compensation, Google bans incentives for reviews, and the FTC rule prohibits incentives tied to a positive review. A closing gift is fine as long as it has nothing to do with a review.
Can a buyer who never closed with me leave a review?
Yes. Zillow allows reviews from buyers and sellers who communicated with or worked with an agent, including people who shopped but did not buy or listed but did not sell. They select that relationship when they write the review.
Can I delete a negative Zillow review?
No. Agents cannot delete individual reviews. You can reply publicly, and if you believe a review breaks Zillow's policies you can flag it for re-moderation. If a review is fraudulent because the person never interacted with you, Zillow's policy says to report it to Zillow's Consumer Care team.
How many Zillow reviews does an agent need?
Zillow suggests at least five recent reviews. Beyond that, recency and detail matter as much as the total, so a steady pace of new reviews is worth more than a large batch from years ago.
Is it legal to ask only my happiest clients for reviews?
The FTC rule does not specifically ban it, but FTC staff say selectively asking satisfied customers may violate the FTC Act, and Google's policy forbids it. Asking every client is the safer and more credible approach.
This article is general information and is not legal advice.
