When someone searches "real estate agent near me," Google shows a map and a short list of businesses. That box is fed by Google Business Profiles. A strong Google Business Profile for agents puts your name, your reviews and your phone number in front of people at the exact moment they're looking for help. Here's how I set mine up and keep it running. It's free. It takes an hour to set up and ten minutes a week to keep alive. The biggest risks are a wrong address, a stuffed business name, and fake reviews, which can get the whole thing suspended.
The short answer
Claim and verify your profile at Google Business Profile Help. Use your real business name with no extra keywords. Pick "Real estate agent" or "Real estate agency" as the main category. If clients don't come to your office, hide the address and set a service area. Make your name, address and phone match everywhere online. Add real photos, post once a week, and reply to every review. Check with your brokerage first, since many brokerages have rules about agent profiles.
Step by step
- Check your brokerage policy. Some brokerages let agents have their own profile. Some only allow the office or team profile. Ask your managing broker before you create anything.
- Search before you create. Look for an existing profile for you or your team. Duplicates split your reviews and confuse Google. Claim the one that exists instead of making a new one.
- Use your real name. The business name should be what you use in the real world, like on your sign and business card. Don't add "Best Denver Realtor Homes for Sale." Google treats keyword stuffing as a policy violation.
- Pick the categories. Main category: "Real estate agent" if it's you, "Real estate agency" if it's the team or office. Add one or two related ones only if they're true.
- Address or service area. If you meet clients at a staffed office during posted hours, you can show that address. If you work from home or meet clients at homes, hide the address and list the cities you serve. Never use a P.O. box or a virtual office you don't really work from.
- Phone and website. Use a business number that rings to you and logs in your CRM. Link to your real website, ideally a page about you or your team. A tracking tag on the link helps you see how many visits came from the profile.
- Verify. Google may ask for a video, a phone call, a postcard or other proof. Follow the steps exactly. Don't change the name or address while it's under review.
- Fill out everything. Hours, description, services, service areas, opening date. A full profile looks more trustworthy to people and to Google.
NAP consistency: match it everywhere
NAP means name, address and phone. Google compares your profile with what it finds on other sites. If Yelp shows your old address, Facebook shows an old phone number, and your website shows a third version, Google is less sure which is right.
| Where | What to check |
|---|---|
| Your website footer and contact page | Same name, address (if shown) and phone as the profile |
| Brokerage roster page | Same name spelling and phone |
| Zillow, Realtor.com, Homes.com profiles | Same phone, current brokerage |
| Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram bios | Same name and phone |
| Yelp, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, BBB | Old addresses and old numbers fixed |
Make a list and fix them one at a time. Old addresses from a past office are the most common problem. Bing Places can import from your Google profile, which saves time.
Photos
- A real headshot, a logo, and a cover photo.
- Real photos of you at work: open houses, signs on your listings, closings (with written permission from anyone shown).
- Photos from your own listings only. Don't post other brokers' listing photos.
- No stock photos pretending to be you or your office.
Posts
Post once a week. Good post ideas: a market update with the area and month, an open house, a new helpful article from your site, a "we know houses" tip. Keep posts short and add a "Learn more" button to the matching page on your website. Don't put phone numbers in the post text, because Google may reject the post. Your phone is already on the profile. Same rules as any ad: brokerage name, fair housing, no rate quotes.
Q&A and messages
If your profile still shows questions and answers, check it every week. Anyone can post a question, and anyone can answer it, including people who are wrong. Answer real questions yourself in plain words. If Google offers chat or messages, only turn it on if you'll answer fast. A slow reply looks worse than no chat button.
Reviews
Reviews are the heart of the profile. Ask every client at the right moment, text the link, and reply to every review. Never pay for reviews, never screen for happy clients first, and never post reviews for yourself. See how to get more online reviews for the full process and the rules.
Suspension risks
Google suspends profiles that break its rules. A suspension can hide your profile and its reviews. The usual causes:
- Keyword stuffing in the business name.
- Fake addresses: a virtual office, a mailbox store, or a home address shown when you don't meet clients there.
- Duplicate profiles for the same business at the same place.
- Fake or paid reviews, or reviews posted by you, your staff or family.
- Big edits all at once: changing the name, address and category in one day can trigger a review.
If you're suspended, fix the problem first, then request reinstatement through Google's help center with proof like a business license or a utility bill.
How to explain it to your client
Sellers sometimes ask how people will find you, or why they should trust you.
"When someone searches for a real estate agent around here, Google shows a short list with reviews. My profile is on that list, and every review on it is from a real person I worked with. It's also where I post market updates every week. If you want to see what working with me is like, read those reviews. That's the honest version."
Watch-outs
- Two profiles for one business. Merge or remove duplicates through Google support.
- An old office address still live on other sites. Clean it up.
- A personal cell as the main number. Leads won't log and get lost.
- Abandoned profiles. A last post from six months ago tells people you might not be busy.
- Agent profile without brokerage OK. Ask first.
Further reading
This is training for real estate agents. It isn't legal, tax or lending advice. Check with your managing broker.
Questions
Can an agent who works from home have a Google Business Profile?
Often yes, as a service-area business with the address hidden. Check Google's rules and your brokerage policy first.
What category should I pick?
"Real estate agent" for an individual. "Real estate agency" for a team or office.
Can I add keywords like "Denver homes" to my business name?
No. Use your real-world business name. Extra keywords can get the profile suspended.
How often should I post?
About once a week. Short, useful, with a link to the matching page on your site.
Why does NAP consistency matter?
Google checks your name, address and phone across the web. When they match, Google trusts the profile more.
What happens if my profile gets suspended?
Fix the cause, then ask for reinstatement through Google's help center with proof of your business.
Brian Lee Burke is the founder of PadLeaders, a Colorado real estate broker licensed since 2003, team leader of The Kenna Group at Keller Williams DTC (formerly Kenna Real Estate Group) and the author of Mastering Real Estate and The Real Estate Playbook. More about Brian.