How to Get More Google Reviews (Without Breaking FTC Rules)

Quick answer

Ask every owner and tenant for a review at the moments they’re most likely to give one: after a repair is finished, 30 days after move-in, at renewal and after an owner’s first statement. Send a direct Google review link. Never pay for reviews, offer anything in return, or only ask happy customers.

Key takeaways

• Google says review count and score factor into local ranking, and owners read your reviews before they call.
• Ask everyone, not just happy customers. Google bans selectively asking for positive reviews.
• Never offer discounts, gift cards or credits for reviews. Google and the FTC both prohibit it.
• Ask at natural moments: a finished repair, 30 days after move-in, renewal and an owner’s first statement.
• Reply to every review, and never share a tenant’s private information in a reply.

An owner searches “property management” and your city. Google shows three companies next to a map, each with a star rating and a review count. Before they read a word of your website, they’ve already compared you on those two numbers.

More reviews help you rank and help you win the call. But the shortcuts many businesses used, like paying for reviews or only asking happy customers, now break Google’s rules and, in some cases, federal law. This guide shows how to grow your reviews steadily and safely.

Why do Google reviews matter so much for property managers?

Because they help decide who appears in Google’s top three, and they’re the first thing an owner compares. Google’s own guidance on local ranking says review count and review score factor into local search ranking, as part of how prominent your business is.

For a property manager, the stakes are higher than for most businesses. An owner is about to hand you a valuable asset and a monthly cash flow. Reviews are how they check whether tenants get answered, repairs get done and owners get paid on time. A company with 140 reviews and a 4.8 looks like a safer choice than one with 9.

If you’re not sure where you rank today, read How Do Landlords Find Property Management Companies in Your City? and why other property managers rank higher in the Map Pack.

What do Google and the FTC allow, and what do they ban?

You can ask anyone for an honest review. You can’t buy reviews, reward them, fake them or only ask the people you expect to be happy. Google’s review policy and the FTC’s rule on fake reviews, finalized in 2024, both draw the line in roughly the same place.

Google can remove reviews that break its rules and restrict a business profile that keeps breaking them. The FTC rule adds the possibility of civil penalties for fake reviews, reviews bought for a particular sentiment, undisclosed insider reviews and review suppression. If you’re unsure about a specific program, ask your attorney before you launch it.

Who should a property manager ask for reviews?

Owners and tenants: everyone you serve, every time. Asking everyone is both the rule and the best strategy. A steady flow of honest reviews, including the occasional 4-star, reads as more trustworthy than a wall of identical 5s.

• Owners: the people your next clients are most like. Their reviews speak to statements, communication and how you protect the property.
• Tenants: the biggest group you serve. Their reviews speak to maintenance and responsiveness, which owners care about too.
• Not your vendors or staff: Google treats current or former employees and contractual relationships as a conflict of interest, so their reviews can be removed.

When is the best time to ask for a review?

Right after a moment that went well for the customer, while it’s still fresh. Build these moments into your process so the ask happens every time, not when someone remembers:

1. When a maintenance request is closed

Ask every tenant whose work order was completed, not only the ones who said thank you. A fixed problem is the moment most tenants feel good about their property manager.

2. Thirty days after move-in

The tenant is settled, the keys worked and the first rent payment went through. It’s early enough to remember the welcome, late enough to judge the service.

3. At lease renewal

A tenant who renews is telling you they’re happy to stay. Ask in the same message that confirms the renewal.

4. After an owner’s first statement, and after a vacancy is filled

Owners remember two things: getting paid on time and getting a good tenant in fast. Ask right after both.

What should you say when you ask?

Keep it short, personal and neutral, with one link. Don’t ask for five stars or specific wording; just ask for an honest review. Google lets you create a direct review link or QR code from your Business Profile.

Send one reminder a few days later if they haven’t left one, then stop. More than that starts to feel like pressure.

How should you respond to Google reviews?

Reply to every review within a few days, and keep private details private. Your replies sit right under the reviews, so every owner who reads your profile also sees how you handle praise and complaints. A calm, specific reply to a bad review can do more for you than another five-star rating.

• Positive reviews: thank them by first name and mention the specific thing they praised.
• Negative reviews: acknowledge the frustration, don’t argue, and invite them to call or email so you can fix it.
• Never mention a tenant’s unit, rent, balance, lease terms or any private detail. Google’s own guidance says not to share a reviewer’s private information.
• Fix the pattern: if three reviews mention slow maintenance replies, that’s a process problem, not a reviews problem.

How do you make asking for reviews automatic?

Tie the review request to the events that already happen in your systems. When a work order closes, a lease renews or a statement goes out, the request should send on its own, to everyone, with the same link.

That’s how PMP handles it. Your Brand on Every Tenant Message shows how branded tenant updates during maintenance turn everyday repairs into reviews. The PMP Content Engine keeps your Google Business Profile active with posts and drafts replies to your reviews for your approval.

Frequently asked questions

Can I offer tenants a discount or gift card for a Google review?

No. Google prohibits offering incentives such as payment, discounts or free goods or services in exchange for reviews, and the FTC’s rule on fake reviews restricts paying for reviews too. Ask for an honest review with nothing in return.

Is it okay to only ask happy customers for reviews?

No. Google’s policy bans selectively soliciting positive reviews and discouraging negative ones. Ask every owner and tenant at the same moments, such as a finished repair or a renewal, and let the reviews fall where they will. Honest mixed reviews also look more credible to owners.

Can my employees or vendors leave reviews for my company?

They shouldn’t. Google treats current or former employees and contractual relationships, like vendors, as a conflict of interest, and those reviews can be removed. Undisclosed insider reviews also fall under the FTC rule.

How many Google reviews does a property manager need?

There’s no magic number. Compare yourself with the three companies at the top of the Map Pack in your city, then aim for a steady flow of new reviews each month rather than a one-time push.

Sources

1. Google Maps User Contributed Content Policy: Fake engagement, incentives and conflicts of interest
2. Google Business Profile Help: Tips to get more reviews
3. Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking on Google
4. Federal Trade Commission: Final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (Aug 2024)