How To Get 300+ Five-Star Google Reviews
John Cornish breaks down the exact process behind his 300+ five-star Google reviews — when to ask, how to automate follow-up, and how to respond. He also explains how he packages this knowledge into an agent education class that builds sticky referral relationships without asking for loans. LOs looking to grow organic Google search leads and add a new agent value-add should listen closely.
Your Google review count is a trust-builder that works before you ever speak to a lead — get to 150+ and organic inbound starts to move.
Takeaways you can run this week
- Set the five-star expectation on the very first call: say out loud, 'I expect nothing short of five-star service from my entire team, start to finish' — this plants the standard in the borrower's mind before you ever ask for a review.
- Make your mid-process check-in call at loan approval, not closing — ask borrowers to rate their experience 1-5, log the score in your CRM, and have John personally call anyone who isn't a 5 that same day to find and fix the problem.
- Send a post-closing BombBomb video that answers the 3 most-common post-close questions first, then at the very end of the video tell them a text and email with a Google (and Facebook) review link is coming — this is your one formal ask.
- Automate two follow-up touches: one 1-3 days after closing and a second 45-60 days later for anyone who said '5-star' on the phone but never submitted a review. Keep the 45-60 day message low-pressure: 'Life gets busy — if you had a 5-star experience, the link is still live.'
- Respond personally to every Google review within hours of receiving it — mention something specific about the transaction when you can. John does this from his phone via the Google notification pop-up.
- Host a live Google Business Profile optimization class for 10-20 agents, then immediately add every attendee to your ongoing agent video content list (loan program updates, market news) so the class value doesn't decay after 60 days.
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GET FREE ACCESSThe playbook
- 1. First borrower conversation (app intake or initial consult): state your five-star service standard out loud and explain that referrals are your primary business source.
- 2. Loan approval/commitment call: team member calls and texts every borrower to check in; borrower rates experience 1-5; score is logged in CRM.
- 3. Any score below 5: John calls personally, same day, to identify and fix the issue.
- 4. Clear-to-close: verbally mention that a review request will be coming after closing.
- 5. 1-3 days after closing: automated text + email sends Google review link (Facebook as backup for borrowers without Gmail).
- 6. Post-closing BombBomb video: answer 3 FAQ topics, then at the end verbally prompt the review and confirm the link was sent.
- 7. 45-60 days post-close: second automated soft-touch to all 5-star verbal responders who have not yet submitted a written review.
- 8. John personally responds to every Google review as soon as the notification hits his phone.
Worth quoting
“If I can provide value to an agent and help them increase their business, I'm creating value — they're going to see me as a business partner, not someone asking for loans.”
“You're going to be doing activities right now that are not checks you're going to cash right away, but they will pay out at some point.”
Best for
LOs who have closed dozens of loans but have fewer than 50 Google reviews and no structured process for requesting or following up on them.