Reviews — frequently asked questions

One verified transaction per reviewer per agent. Sign-in lets us keep drafts private, notify you when a moderator verifies (or asks for more evidence), and prevent coordinated fake reviews. We use passwordless magic-link email — no password to remember.

There is no fixed list. A moderator asks one question: "given everything I can see, was this reviewer genuinely engaged with this agent as they describe?" Common combinations: rates notice / utility bill / driver's licence (shows you at the property) PLUS agency agreement / sale & purchase / tenancy agreement / listing URL / sold-sign photo (shows the agent at the property). Emails, SMS, WhatsApp screenshots all accepted. Add what you have — a moderator will ask for more if needed.

Verification typically takes 7–14 business days from when you upload evidence. Content moderation is usually 1–3 business days more. If more evidence is needed you'll receive an email and can add it on your draft page; the clock effectively pauses while we wait for you.

No. Drafts are private: invisible to everyone except you and our moderators. The reviewed agent is only notified at publication, at which point a 14-day right-of-reply window starts. Reply appears alongside your review; it does not change the rating.

Agents can request takedown by emailing [email protected]. Requests are assessed under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 s.24 safe-harbour framework (48-hour passthrough to the author; our notice-and-takedown process). A separate defamation claim under the Defamation Act 1992 can still be brought in the District Court. If a review is found unsupportable, it is removed; a tombstone remains indicating the ID and reason. We do not silently delete published content.

You can request an amendment at any time. Substantive edits are treated as a new review (the old signed version remains on record, the new one is signed independently). Typos and minor wording can be corrected without re-signing, with a moderator note.

Reviews stay attached to the agent individual, not the agency. If an agent moves agencies their review history follows. If they leave the industry, their directory listing is marked "departed" but existing reviews remain.

Email [email protected] with the agent's name and agency. We'll add them to the directory so you can write a review. The directory currently covers six Wellington agencies (Harcourts, Lowe & Co, Tommy's, Professionals Redcoats, NZ Sotheby's, Just Paterson); more ingesting through 2026.

Named individuals listed on the governance page. They have no commercial relationship with any agency. Moderator decisions are recorded with audit-trail notes; a sample of decisions will be published in the annual transparency report.

Yes. Before publication: click "Withdraw this draft" on the draft page; all evidence is deleted immediately. After publication: email [email protected]. Post-publication withdrawal leaves a tombstone (review ID marked "withdrawn by reviewer") because the review was visible and other parties may have relied on it.

Five: Honesty (did they tell you things that were true, including inconvenient ones?) · Communication (timely, specific, proactive?) · Market knowledge (your suburb, property type, buyer pool?) · Value for commission (did the outcome justify the fee?) · Result achieved (price, conditions, timing vs reasonable expectations). Each is 1–5; overall rating is the mean.

Anonymous unverified reviews are why agent reviews elsewhere are low-trust. We trade submission convenience for reliability — a verified review carries far more weight. The target is that the 100th review on Homeowner is worth more than the 10,000th review on a free-for-all platform.

No. We are an independent non-profit. No advertising. No referral fees from agents or agencies. Finances published in real time at /transparency/. Your review's outcome — high rating or low — makes zero difference to us commercially.