Almost 25% of Agent Testimonials Found to Be Written by AI (Here’s How to Use That to Your Advantage)

Ideally, every client you work with would write you a heartfelt, glowing review…without being asked. But, alas, most don’t.

It doesn’t mean they wouldn’t. But you’ve gotta ask…

And a lot of agents just aren’t great about asking for testimonials.

While it may seem like the simplest thing to do for the agents who amass a pile of rave reviews, there are a legit pile of reasons why many agents avoid it:

• You don’t want to come across as pushy or bothersome to clients.
• The idea of seeming self-promotional makes you a little queasy.
• Your clients are busy people — who has time to write a review anyway?
• You’re afraid of opening a can of worms. What if they leave a bad review? Or what if they just say no?
• And sometimes you just don’t know exactly how to ask or where to direct someone to leave a review.

For all these reasons (and more), it’s easy to let the topic slide.

But reviews and testimonials are more important than ever. They’ve always mattered, but in a world where people read in-depth reviews for something as trivial as a pack of underwear on Amazon, it’s no wonder buyers and sellers scrutinize agent reviews for one of the biggest decisions of their lives.

So of course it’d be nice if there was a way to avoid even having to ask people for a testimonial.

Something that takes the pressure off. Something that can churn out a handful of flattering reviews to post on your website, your marketing materials…or, yes, Zillow — the place where so many people size you up by the reviews you have (or don’t have).

Which is probably why some agents are taking advantage of a testimonial tech hack to rack up some reviews…

Zestimates Aren’t the Only Thing Misleading on Zillow…

A recent study from Originality.ai took a deep dive into Zillow agent reviews — and it turns out that Zestimates aren’t the only misleading computer-generated thing on their site.

Between 2019 and 2025, AI-generated agent reviews on Zillow have increased by a staggering 558%.

To put that in context: back in 2019, only 3.63% of Zillow agent reviews were AI-generated. By 2024, that number had jumped to 18.55%, and in 2025, it’s at 23.7%.

That’s nearly one in four reviews that could have been written by an algorithm — and while there are still plenty of human-written ones, the trend is clear…

AI is infiltrating Zillow reviews at a rapid pace, and it’s probably only going to increase, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult for users to tell a genuine review from one conjured by a chatbot.

And with every jaw-dropping picture or video people see online and determine to be yet another AI generated lie when they read the comments, people are becoming more suspicious of everything they see and read.

So perhaps it soon won’t matter how many reviews someone has…as much as how genuine those reviews are.

But Wait… Are Agents Really Behind These AI Reviews?

Before we start accusing every fourth real estate agent of secretly using AI to fluff up their online reputation — and maybe sending little robot thank-you notes to clients — let’s pump the brakes.

The study doesn’t explicitly say that these AI-generated reviews are being generated by the agents themselves.

And maybe it’s not even Zillow that deserves all the blame.

Perhaps it’s just clients who are taking the easy route.

Writing a thoughtful review takes some time, thought, and effort. Even if they loved working with you, it takes a few minutes out of their day to put together a thoughtful testimonial. And let’s be honest — sometimes people just don’t have the brainspace for that. Or the writing chops.

Think about all the websites and apps you use, proudly touting AI features to make life easier. Many platforms now make it just a few clicks to generate a review.

And even when they’re not integrated into the platform, clients may turn to their own AI tools to get the job done quickly. So it’s entirely possible that a review will test positive as being AI-generated, but it’s still coming from someone who genuinely worked with you — they’re just using the easiest method available.

So, while it’s easy to imagine that agents are gaming the system, in many cases it may just be humans being humans. They want to leave a review, they’re happy to do it, and they’re simply using the most convenient method at their disposal. No shady business, just the march of technology meeting everyday human behavior.

But despite the fact that so many people use AI to take care of tasks like these themselves, they may not connect the dots when they hear that more and more agent reviews are AI-generated. They may simply stop putting much weight on them at all.

And if people stop trusting reviews altogether, that’s bad news for everyone — except for the agents who take the time to get real, authentic testimonials. That’s where the opportunity lies.

Don’t Overcomplicate Asking for Testimonials

Has anyone told you that you should be doing more video in your marketing?

That’s rhetorical, of course you’ve heard that…

It seems like everyone is pushing video these days. The only thing people are pushing more is using AI to market yourself!

So naturally, video testimonials might seem like the next-level solution to combat the skepticism.

And yes, a genuine video testimonial can be amazing. Having a living, breathing client on video, raving about how amazing you are is absolute gold.

But it’s not a very practical solution for most agents:

• It’s a bigger ask for clients. If someone struggles to write a quick blurb, asking them to star in a one-person movie about you is… ambitious, to say the least. And if an agent is already struggling to ask someone to write a couple of sentences, good luck getting up the nerve to ask for this.
• Not everyone is comfortable on camera. Some people just don’t want their face on a home video, let alone floating around the internet — even if they loved working with you.
• It’s more work for you. Unless you’re lucky enough to get clients to record themselves and send it to you (good luck!), you’re suddenly juggling the role of camera operator, production assistant, and editor — all before you even think about uploading it online. And that’s on top of your already full plate of client work.
• They can also be faked. Without some elaborate “proof of life” — perhaps a newspaper with the exact date, five forms of ID, and maybe a notary standing by — it’s tough for viewers to trust that the person in the video really worked with you.

So while video testimonials sound shiny and impressive, they’re not a perfect or realistic option for every agent. Sometimes, aiming for the “next-level” can actually backfire if it becomes too complicated, too time-consuming, or too stressful for everyone involved.

But the good news is, you don’t have to go to either extreme. Asking for reviews doesn’t need to be difficult, or overly complicated.

Asking for a Testimonial Just Got Easier, Didn’t It?

No matter how reluctant you might have felt about asking for testimonials when you first started reading this, hopefully you’re beginning to realize it’s not such a big ask after all. In fact, it’s a necessary ask.

And now you now have the perfect excuse to talk to your clients about reviews!

Shoot them a text or give them a call and you can frame your request as:

“Hey, it just came out in a study that nearly 25% of the real estate agent reviews on Zillow are AI-generated? Crazy, right? I want to make sure mine all come across as real and personal — would you be willing to write one?”

And if you’d prefer not to ask people directly, just use that as a blurb for a social media post, and use this meme we whipped up below…

Pin

👉 Click here to share this meme with your own branding for free! 👈

The beauty of this approach is that it’s low-pressure for everyone involved. It gives clients a clear reason to chime in now, it plants the seed for specific and memorable details, and it helps you stand out in a sea of cookie-cutter AI fluff.

Best of all, it’s a way to collect authentic, off-the-cuff reviews without awkward phone calls, endless follow-ups, or elaborate video productions. Just a quick prompt, a relatable meme, and a moment of your client’s time — that’s all it takes to start building a bank of genuine testimonials people will actually believe.

At the end of the day, genuine reviews aren’t about flashy videos or complicated campaigns — they’re about real people sharing real experiences. By giving your clients a simple, easy way to leave a review, you not only build trust with future buyers and sellers, but you also show that you value authenticity over hype.

So don’t overthink it. A friendly nudge, a quick meme, and a little context can go a long way. Start small, keep it simple, and watch your collection of meaningful, believable testimonials grow — the kind that actually make people take notice. In a world full of AI-generated fluff, being real is your ultimate advantage.