Google Business Profile for Realtors: Complete 2025 Guide

When someone in your area searches "real estate agent near me" or "homes for sale in [your city]," Google displays a map with three business listings prominently at the top—the coveted "Local Pack" or "Map Pack." The Local Pack appears in 93% of searches with local intent, and these listings receive approximately 44% of all clicks.¹

Your Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly known as Google My Business, is the key to appearing in these results. Yet many real estate agents either haven't claimed their profile or have barely optimized it. This represents a massive missed opportunity—free visibility in front of people actively searching for real estate help.

Why Google Business Profile Matters for Real Estate Agents

The statistics make a compelling case:

46% of all Google searches have local intent²
76% of people who search for something nearby on their phone visit a business within a day³
Businesses with complete GBP listings are 2.7x more likely to be considered reputable²
Listings with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more website clicks²

For real estate specifically, Google Business Profile serves as a trust signal. Before potential clients visit your website or call you, they often check your GBP to see your reviews, photos, and basic information. A well-optimized profile builds credibility before you even speak with a prospect.

Setting Up Your Google Business Profile

Step 1: Claim or Create Your Listing

Visit business.google.com and sign in with a Google account. Search for your business name—you may already have an unclaimed listing created automatically by Google or from previous directory data. If found, claim it. If not, create a new listing.

Step 2: Verification

Google needs to verify you're authorized to manage this business. Verification methods include:

Postcard: Google mails a postcard with a verification code to your business address. Takes 5-7 days.
Phone: Some businesses can verify via automated phone call with a code.
Email: Available for some businesses, verification code sent to email.
Video: Record a video showing your business location and signage.
Instant: If you've already verified with Google Search Console, instant verification may be available.

Don't skip verification—unverified profiles have significantly limited visibility and functionality.

Optimizing Your Profile for Maximum Visibility

Business Name

Use your actual business name as it appears in the real world. Do NOT add keywords, locations, or marketing phrases. "John Smith - Premier Austin Real Estate Expert" violates Google's guidelines and can result in suspension. Just use "John Smith Real Estate" or your official business name.

Address and Service Areas

For real estate agents, address configuration depends on your situation:

Physical office: Enter your complete office address. You'll appear in searches near this location.
Home-based business: You can hide your address while still defining service areas. Google won't display your home address but will show you for searches in your defined areas.
Service areas: Define the cities, neighborhoods, and regions you serve. Be realistic—listing areas you don't actually work in can hurt your rankings.

Contact Information

Phone number: Use a local number, not a toll-free number. Local numbers signal geographic relevance. Make sure this number is answered professionally.
Website: Link to your main website, not a social media profile or third-party listing site.
Appointment link: Add a direct link to your calendar booking tool if you have one.

Business Hours

Set accurate hours. For real estate agents, this might be your availability for calls and showings. Update for holidays and special circumstances. Google may use this information to determine when to show your listing for time-sensitive queries.

Business Description

You have 750 characters to describe your business. This is your opportunity to:

Naturally incorporate your service areas and specialties
Highlight what makes you unique
Build credibility with years of experience or transaction count
Include a call to action

Example: "Sarah Chen has helped over 150 families buy and sell homes in the Greater Phoenix area since 2012. Specializing in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and North Phoenix luxury properties, Sarah combines deep local market expertise with a client-first approach. Whether you're relocating to Arizona or selling your family home, Sarah provides personalized guidance and proven results. Contact Sarah today for a no-obligation consultation about your real estate goals."

Photos and Visual Content

Visual content dramatically impacts engagement. Businesses with more than 100 photos get 520% more calls than the average business.⁵ For real estate agents, photos build trust before the first conversation.

Essential Photos

Profile photo: A professional headshot that matches your other marketing. This appears next to your reviews and posts.
Cover photo: A high-quality image representing your brand—perhaps a beautiful property or a professional branded image.
Logo: Your business logo for brand recognition.
Office photos: Interior and exterior shots of your office location.
Team photos: If you have a team, show them.
Action photos: You working with clients, at closings, showing homes.
Property photos: Beautiful homes you've sold (with appropriate permissions).
Community photos: Local landmarks, neighborhoods you serve.

Photo Optimization Tips

Minimum resolution: 720 x 720 pixels
File size: 10 KB to 5 MB
Format: JPG or PNG
No text overlays or watermarks (Google may reject these)
Add geotags to photos for local relevance
Use descriptive file names (sarah-chen-scottsdale-realtor.jpg, not IMG_4532.jpg)

Google Business Profile Posts

GBP Posts let you share updates directly on your listing. While the direct SEO impact is debated, posts keep your profile fresh and provide additional engagement opportunities.

Post Types for Real Estate Agents

What's New: General updates, market news, just listed/sold announcements
Events: Open houses, community events you're hosting or attending
Offers: Special promotions (free home valuation, buyer consultation, etc.)

Post Best Practices

Post at least weekly to keep your profile active
Include a relevant image with every post
Add a call-to-action button (Learn more, Call now, Book, etc.)
Keep text concise—first 100 characters show before "read more"
Posts expire after 7 days (except events), so maintain consistency

Managing and Getting Reviews

Reviews are crucial for both rankings and conversions. 98% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, and 87% of consumers used Google to evaluate local businesses in 2022.⁶

Why Reviews Matter

Ranking factor: Review quantity, quality, and recency are significant Local Pack ranking signals.
Click-through rate: Listings with higher ratings get more clicks.
Trust building: Reviews provide social proof before prospects contact you.
Keyword opportunity: Reviews containing relevant keywords may boost relevance.

Getting More Reviews

Ask consistently: Make review requests a standard part of your closing process.
Time it right: Ask when client satisfaction is highest—typically right after closing or when they receive keys.
Make it easy: Send a direct link to your Google review form. You can get this link from your GBP dashboard or create a short URL.
Use multiple channels: Ask in person, follow up with email, include in closing paperwork.
Don't incentivize: Offering rewards for reviews violates Google's guidelines and can result in review removal or profile suspension.

Responding to Reviews

Respond to ALL reviews—positive and negative. Google has confirmed that responding to reviews shows that you value customer feedback and may improve local rankings.

For positive reviews:

Thank the reviewer by name
Reference something specific about working together
Keep it genuine, not templated

Example: "Thank you so much, Mike and Jennifer! It was such a pleasure helping you find your first home in Chandler. I loved how you knew exactly what you wanted and we found it in just three weeks! Wishing you many happy years in your new place."

For negative reviews:

Respond promptly and professionally
Acknowledge their concerns without being defensive
Take the conversation offline by providing contact information
Focus on resolution, not winning an argument

Example: "I'm sorry to hear about your experience, David. This isn't the level of service I strive to provide. I'd like to understand what happened and see how I can make it right. Please call me directly at (555) 123-4567 so we can discuss."

Q&A Section

Google Business Profile includes a Q&A feature where anyone can ask questions—and anyone can answer. Monitor this section carefully.

Best Practices for Q&A

Seed your own Q&A: Ask and answer common questions yourself. This is allowed and encouraged by Google.
Monitor for new questions: Set up alerts so you can respond quickly to questions from potential clients.
Upvote helpful answers: If someone asks a question and another person provides a helpful answer, upvote it to keep it visible.

Questions to seed might include:

What areas do you serve?
Do you work with first-time home buyers?
Do you help with both buying and selling?
What makes you different from other agents?
How long have you been in real estate?

Messaging and Direct Communication

GBP offers direct messaging where potential clients can message you from your listing. Consider:

Enable messaging: More communication options means more lead opportunities.
Set response expectations: Google tracks your response time and displays it.
Use automated welcome messages: Greet inquiries immediately while you prepare a personal response.
Respond quickly: Aim to respond within minutes during business hours.

Tracking GBP Performance

Google provides insights about how people find and interact with your listing:

Search queries: What terms people searched to find you
Views: How many people saw your listing in search and maps
Actions: Website visits, direction requests, phone calls
Photo views: How often your photos are viewed compared to competitors

Review these insights monthly to understand what's working and identify opportunities for improvement.

Common GBP Mistakes to Avoid

Keyword stuffing your name: Adding keywords to your business name violates guidelines and risks suspension.
Fake reviews: Google can detect patterns and will remove fake reviews—or suspend your profile entirely.
Inconsistent information: Your NAP (name, address, phone) should match across your website and all directories.
Ignoring the profile: An outdated, neglected profile signals you're not active in business.
Poor photos: Low-quality images hurt your credibility.
Not responding to reviews: Unanswered reviews—especially negative ones— look bad to prospects.

Conclusion

Your Google Business Profile is free, powerful, and essential for local visibility. A fully optimized profile with strong reviews can generate a steady stream of leads without any advertising spend.

Start by claiming and verifying your profile, then systematically optimize each element covered in this guide. Build a consistent review generation system, keep your profile active with weekly posts, and monitor your performance metrics.

References

BrightLocal. (2023). Local Consumer Review Survey.
Google. (2023). How Local Search Helps Consumers.
Google/Ipsos. (2023). Understanding Consumer Local Search Behavior.
Whitespark. (2023). Local Search Ranking Factors Study.
BrightLocal. (2023). GBP Photo Impact Study.
BrightLocal. (2023). Local Consumer Review Survey: Google Usage Statistics.

Google Business Profile for Realtors: The Complete Guide