Your chance to influence renters in the place they search for property
Choosing a new home is one of the biggest financial and emotional decisions people make, so it’s no surprise that renters look for reassurance before committing. Reviews play a central role in that process, helping renters build confidence, reduce uncertainty and understand what life at a development might really be like.
Rightmove research shows that 75% of renters would look at reviews when choosing a rental home or development1, placing rental decisions alongside other high-consideration purchases such as holidays and cars. For existing Built for Renters residents, that reliance is even stronger: 93% of Built for Renters residents looked for reviews, and 74% say reviews directly influenced their decision2.
Renters use reviews throughout their journey
The renter journey is becoming longer and more considered. Renters are spending longer researching, comparing developments and validating their shortlist before they enquire. In that kind of journey, reviews are not just a final sense-check – they shape perception throughout, from discovery through to decision.
Reviews work alongside your brand marketing
Reviews also complement other forms of marketing. Listings, imagery and brand messaging help set the scene, but reviews add something different: independent, lived experience. They help renters move beyond what a development says about itself and start to understand what it actually feels like to live there.
A chance to show quality of your service and building management
This is particularly important in Build to Rent, where management plays a central role in the resident experience. In our latest Build to Rent Report, management is the category where BTR most clearly outperforms comparable new-build rentals, averaging 16% higher ratings3 over the past five years.
If management is a key driver of experience, reviews are one of the clearest ways for future renters to see that quality before they commit.
Reviews build confidence and drive decisions
For many renters, choosing a home is not a single moment. They may discover a development in search, return to it later, compare options, and only then decide whether to enquire or book a viewing.
Reviews support that whole journey:
This is especially valuable in a category where experience is hard to judge from a listing alone. Reviews help answer the human questions – what the management is like, how issues are handled, and whether the development lives up to expectations.
Reviews support improvement and demand
Reviews don’t just influence future renters – they also help improve the experience for current residents. They highlight what’s working well and where to focus, creating a feedback loop that strengthens satisfaction over time.
They can also support lease-up. When renters are comparing similar developments, reviews provide reassurance that helps turn interest into action. They reduce perceived risk, add credibility and help renters move forward with greater confidence.
Why reviews matter more than ever
As the renter journey becomes longer and more considered, there are more opportunities to shape perception – but also more opportunities to lose confidence. Reviews help fill that gap.
They bring brand promises to life, make management quality visible and help renters make confident decisions. In today’s journey, reviews don’t just support decisions – they actively shape them.
Your future tenants aren’t just reading your reviews – they’re looking at how you respond to them too.
Rightmove research shows that while 82% of renters value positive reviews and 77% consider negative reviews important, more than two thirds also look at managers’ responses when choosing a development1.
This reflects a broader shift in what renters trust. Our latest Build to Rent Report reinforces this, highlighting management as the single biggest driver of resident experience, with BTR schemes outperforming traditional new-build rentals by up to 16% on management ratings3.
If management is the most important factor in how a place is experienced, then review responses – in the place where future tenants are actively searching – are one of the clearest and most immediate ways to evidence that quality during the consideration phase.
Responding to positive reviews
Responding to positive reviews reinforces loyalty and creates a dialogue and a connection with a resident.
The most important thing about a response is that it’s authentic – for example saying thank youor letting the reviewer know you’ll share their feedback with the team.
Don’t copy and paste the same response to every post.
Responding to negative reviews
Approaching negative reviews head-on can leave a positive impact on your brand and team’s reputation. It shows confidence and generates trust with existing and future residents.
Be respectful, courteous and aim to reply quickly. Try to clarify any unanswered questions and let the reviewer know what actions you’ll be taking (if any).
The more personalised your response, the better, to ensure those receiving the response feel that their feedback has been heard.
If someone is really upset, we recommend taking the conversation offline by inviting the resident to speak to the concierge or property management team. If you have a customer service contact, you may also want to share their email address or phone number.
Signing off your response
There is the opportunity for you to name the person giving the response. This could be ‘Sarah, General Manager’ or ‘Customer Service Team’ – ensure the name of the person responding is relevant and makes sense to the reviewer.
How to submit your response and get it published
Responding via the Review Portal is easy. Simply log in and go to the ‘Reviews’ section of the portal.
When you click on the review you want to respond to, a window pops up on the right side of the screen. Here you can read the review in detail. At the bottom, you’ll have 3 boxes to fill out:
When you’re happy with your response, click ‘Submit for review’ and our Reviews team will check over everything. They will aim to publish your response as soon as possible, with responses to reviews showing on your Rightmove listings within 2 working days.
Understand how your Star Rating is calculated to take review recency into account
Your development’s Star Rating is calculated based on the scores reviewers give for each of the 6 categories, “Overall”, “Facilities”, “Design”, “Location”, “Value” and “Management”, all of which are rated out of five, over all-time.
Included in this calculation is also the date when the reviewer gave these ratings, with the most recent reviews (those within the last 12 months) having the greatest weight; as they are likely to most accurately represent the current development.
Unverified reviews, whilst still important, count towards a smaller weighting on scores. Verified reviews will count towards the full weighting as they are confirmed to have lived in that development.
Any persistent lower scores in one or more of these categories will have an impact on your development’s overall star rating now and in the future.
Therefore, making an effort to resolve these will aid in helping improve your scores. For example, introducing or improving visibility of resident events might have a positive influence on resident perceptions of management and/or facilities.
What is the decay algorithm?
Reviews that are older than 12 months are typically going to be less relevant than reviews written 1 month ago, therefore these older reviews contribute less towards your Star Rating.
The decay algorithm refers to this depreciating value of reviews after 12 months.
Reviews that have been submitted within the current year carry a 100% weighting towards your scores. After a year, these reviews drop to a 75% weighting. After two, weighting remains at 50%.
This also ensures that any changes within your development – including addressing any feedback from your resident reviews – are quickly reflected in your star rating and category scores.
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