--- title: "FTC Fake Reviews Rule: Audit Agent Website Testimonials" description: "Check experiences, review incentives, insider disclosures, and misleading displays before publishing testimonials beside buyer and seller inquiries." canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ftc-review-rule-agent-testimonial-audit" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Services - Services - [AI systems](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-systems) - [Site build](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#site-build) - [Whole website fix](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#whole-website-fix) - [Content library with SEO](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#content-library) - [Working session](https://scalewithsearch.com/audit) - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Example scope](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#review-the-example-scope) - [Prices and terms](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prices-and-terms) - Industries - Real estate - [Real estate agents and teams](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - [Platforms, ownership, and IDX](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-platforms-ownership-idx) - [Search, content, and AI](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-search-content-ai) - [Inquiries, campaigns, and handoffs](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-inquiries-campaigns-handoffs) - [Buyer, seller, and local pages](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-buyer-seller-local-resources) - [Rules, privacy, and trust](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-rules-privacy-trust) - Browse by business - [Trades and home services](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-trades) - [Health, wellness, and animal care](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-practices) - [Law, finance, and IT](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-professional) - [Marketing and SEO agencies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-agencies) - [Shops and manufacturers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-manufacturing) - [Restaurants, shops, studios, and nonprofits](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-local-services) - Chiropractic practices - [Chiropractic and wellness practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-wellness-practices) - [Chiropractic and physical therapy clinics](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-physical-therapy-clinics) - [All industries](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/) - Resources - Free tools - [AI readiness check](https://scalewithsearch.com/check) - [Free tools](https://scalewithsearch.com/tools/) - [Free Starter Kit](https://scalewithsearch.com/kit/business-memory-starter-kit.zip) - Guides - [AI-native library](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-native) - [Industry intelligence](https://scalewithsearch.com/intelligence) - [Office job guides](https://scalewithsearch.com/guides/) - [Business memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) - [Agent governance](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-agent-governance-guide-small-business) - [Migration and ownership](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - Articles - [All articles](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/) - [What changed](https://scalewithsearch.com/changes/) - About - Evidence - [Proof](https://scalewithsearch.com/proof) - Scale With Search - [About](https://scalewithsearch.com/about) - [How it works](https://scalewithsearch.com/how-it-works) # FTC fake reviews rule: audit testimonials on your agent website Audit your agent website's testimonials before reusing them in a redesign. Check the underlying experience, any incentive, the speaker's relationship to your business, and what the display claims. The FTC says testimonials featured on a business website are advertising. They do not receive the rule's exception for merely hosting consumer reviews. [FTC rule questions and answers, checked 2026.10.14](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/consumer-reviews-testimonials-rule-questions-answers). Prepare a record for each testimonial on your bio, seller page, buyer page, and reused cards. Give your broker and attorney the findings. Give the builder approved public material and a contact route to test. This article is not legal advice. The audit below is a recommended preparation process, not a certification that a website complies with the law. ## Record the source before accepting the card The FTC's Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule addresses fabricated speakers, experiences that never occurred, and material misrepresentations of actual experiences. Businesses can face liability for disseminating testimonials they knew or should have known were fake or false. [FTC final-rule overview, checked 2026.10.14](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/08/federal-trade-commission-announces-final-rule-banning-fake-reviews-testimonials). Use this worksheet in your business's approved private storage. The fields are recommendations, not FTC-mandated records or retention periods. | Record | Question to resolve | | --- | --- | | Original feedback | Where is the original message, recording, or permitted source? | | Speaker and service | Who supplied it, which agent helped them, and what did they experience? | | Public version | Does the proposed wording preserve that experience and identify the correct business? | | Benefits and connections | Was anything offered? Is the speaker connected to the agent, team, or brokerage? | | Permission and reuse | What public wording and attribution are approved? What source-platform terms apply? | | Placement and decision | Where does it appear? Who approved it, held it, or requested a correction? | Keep private verification material out of public website files. Supply the builder with the approved card and its permitted uses. Hold any card whose source or experience remains unresolved. Do not fill a template with an invented client or completed transaction. If AI helped prepare the material, compare the final version with the original experience. Apply the same source check to material supplied by a vendor. ## Check the request behind an incentivized review Section 465.4 prohibits incentives expressly or implicitly conditioned on a consumer review expressing a particular positive or negative sentiment. Disclosing payment does not make a paid five-star review permissible. Neutral incentives are not categorically banned by that provision, but disclosure duties and other restrictions can still apply. [FTC incentive guidance, checked 2026.10.14](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/consumer-reviews-testimonials-rule-questions-answers). Ask for the actual request, promised benefit, and eligibility conditions. Do not assess the published review alone. Flag any benefit tied to praise, a particular rating, or a favorable revision. Ask counsel to review the arrangement before reusing the resulting material. Keep consumer reviews and commissioned advertising testimonials distinct. The FTC explains that § 465.4 applies to consumer reviews; hired influencer testimonials remain subject to other provisions. [FTC distinction, checked 2026.10.14](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/consumer-reviews-testimonials-rule-questions-answers). Do not treat that distinction as permission to buy unsupported praise. Review truthfulness, connections, and the proposed display together. Check the destination platform's current policy before requesting reviews there. ## Identify insider praise before labeling it client feedback Section 465.5 sets disclosure requirements for specified insider reviews and testimonials. It covers business dissemination of testimonials by officers, managers, employees, or agents whose relationship is not otherwise clear. This provision applies when the business knew or should have known the relationship. It also covers specified insider solicitations involving relatives, with exceptions. [16 CFR § 465.5, checked 2026.10.14](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-465#p-465.5). Ask the reviewer to classify each actual relationship. Do not assume that everyone at the same brokerage has the same relationship to your business. Keep colleague feedback separate from claims about a buyer's or seller's experience. The Endorsement Guides also address unexpected material connections that could affect credibility, including relevant family or business relationships and benefits. Required disclosures must be clear and conspicuous. [16 CFR §§ 255.0(f) and 255.5, checked 2026.10.14](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-255). Ask the builder to show the approved disclosure with the endorsement on a phone and computer. Hold a card when its attribution hides a relationship the reviewer says must be disclosed. ## Describe the selection and rating accurately For a curated marketing section, use a label such as **Selected client testimonials** only when it accurately describes the material. Record who selected the cards. Check any displayed average against its stated source and included reviews. Section 465.7(b) addresses a review-receiving display that misrepresents it contains most or all submissions while suppressing reviews by rating or negative sentiment. That differs from selecting testimonials for advertising. Nonrepresentative marketing testimonials can still be deceptive under the FTC Act. [16 CFR § 465.7(b), checked 2026.10.14](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-465#p-465.7), [FTC selection guidance, checked 2026.10.14](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/consumer-reviews-testimonials-rule-questions-answers). Inspect the section heading, filters, default view, rating label, and moderation process. Do not call a selected-card average the complete client rating. Send unclear completeness claims to counsel before publication. Section 465.6 separately prohibits materially misrepresenting a controlled review site or entity as providing independent opinions about a category including your business. [16 CFR § 465.6, checked 2026.10.14](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-465#p-465.6). Flag any comparison page your business controls that presents its recommendations as independent. Ask for review of the whole presentation, including ownership wording. ## Keep criticism and results claims in the review The rule prohibits specified review-suppression tactics, including groundless legal threats, intimidation, and certain knowingly or recklessly false public accusations. [FTC final-rule overview, checked 2026.10.14](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/08/federal-trade-commission-announces-final-rule-banning-fake-reviews-testimonials). Keep complaint handling with the responsible broker and counsel. Preserve the review and relevant evidence before proposing a response or removal request. The Consumer Review Fairness Act generally voids covered form-contract provisions restricting reviews, penalizing them, or requiring transfer of review intellectual-property rights. The Act has exceptions. [FTC CRFA overview, checked 2026.10.14](https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/statutes/consumer-review-fairness-act). Send restrictive website or client terms for separate legal review. Keep permission to feature feedback separate from control over what the client may say elsewhere. Authenticity also does not establish a result claim. The Endorsement Guides require support for claims conveyed through endorsements and address implied generally expected performance. Editing must preserve the speaker's meaning. [16 CFR §§ 255.1(b) and 255.2, checked 2026.10.14](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-255). Hold sale-price, savings, and speed claims for a separate evidence review. Do not add a generic disclaimer and mark them approved. - [Consumer Review Fairness Act: check your real estate website terms](/articles/agent-review-contract-clauses-crfa) ## Confirm state advertising requirements with your broker Federal review checks do not settle state real estate advertising requirements. As one jurisdictional example, Texas rules address misleading transaction involvement, team names, and required broker identification. [TREC §§ 535.154–535.155, checked 2026.10.14](https://www.trec.texas.gov/agency-information/rules-and-laws/trec-rules). Confirm with your broker who may advertise the sale, whether its sold price may appear, and which team or brokerage names are required. Obtain the applicable state commission source before publishing those details. Check MLS permissions and client approval separately. Keep the Texas example within Texas. ## Accept the approved display beside a working inquiry route The testimonial inventory marks which cards are approved, held, or awaiting correction. Bring approved public material to [whole website fix: testimonial approval records](/for/real-estate). Written acceptance checks define the whole website fix before payment is due. [Published website scope, checked 2026.10.14](https://scalewithsearch.com/work). - [Test the seller inquiry path on your real estate website](/articles/seller-inquiry-path-agent-website) - [Check your real estate website in 30 minutes](/articles/real-estate-website-audit) - [Own your real estate website: domain, hosting, editing, and leads](/articles/own-your-site) ## Related: Real estate - [Test the seller inquiry path on your real estate website](/articles/seller-inquiry-path-agent-website) - [Check your real estate website in 30 minutes](/articles/real-estate-website-audit) - [Own your real estate website: domain, hosting, editing, and leads](/articles/own-your-site) ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. 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