Yelp’s software classifies certain reviews as “not recommended” and does not count them toward the site’s star rating feature, according to a study by David Kamerer posted on the peer-reviewed journal website First Monday. The software is designed to protect the integrity of the site and to filter out fake reviews. Business owners can find themselves in situations where low star ratings are prominently displayed, while more positive reviews are filtered out.

Yelp does hold advantages for agents looking to expand their reach. Anyone can create a profile and write a review, and while businesses do have to keep up with some site maintenance – updating listing information, for example – the site is easy to use. Businesses can also move their profiles higher in the search results by buying advertising.

Giovanna Calimano of Keller-Williams sees Yelp as an excellent way to generate new business. She maintains a five-star rating across 18 reviews on the site.

“I get a ton of calls and e-mails from my reviews, particularly on Yelp,” she said. “Unfortunately, not all of my client reviews are shown on there, but the majority are. I think it appeals to people because it’s a very honest site.”

Sites with a more concentrated focus on real estate draw attention to specific aspects of an agent’s business, while providing space for in-depth commentary about the client’s experience. Yelp’s five-star review model carries over with Trulia, which eliminated its “Thumbs Up” recommendation system in 2014. Instead, the site now lets users rate agents on a scale of one to five stars based on five categories: honesty and integrity, local knowledge, responsiveness, negotiation and process expertise. Zillow, which purchased Trulia last July, has used a similar star rating system since 2010. Realtor.com does not currently offer rankings, even though they have tested them in the past.