The Google Business Profile Checklist for Real Estate Agents
Build a profile that belongs to you, not your brokerage. (Formerly Google My Business.)
By Matthew Fowler, Founder of Highly Favored Digital · Updated September 2026
Your Brokerage's Profile Isn't Yours
When someone searches "real estate agent near me" or "realtor Richmond Hill," Google shows a map with three names under it. Most agents assume their brokerage's listing covers them. It doesn't. Those reviews, calls, and clicks belong to the brokerage, and if you ever move firms, they stay behind.
Google lets real estate agents have a Google Business Profile of their own. It puts agents in the same group as doctors, lawyers, and financial planners, which it calls individual practitioners. A profile you own is a profile whose reviews follow you for your whole career.
Brokerage Profile vs. Your Profile
| Brokerage Profile | Your Profile | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The firm's name | Your name only |
| Category | Real estate agency | Real estate agent |
| Phone | The office line | Your direct line |
| Website | The firm's homepage | Your agent page or site |
| Reviews | Belong to the firm | Belong to you, wherever you go |
Name
Brokerage: The firm's name
Yours: Your name only
Category
Brokerage: Real estate agency
Yours: Real estate agent
Phone
Brokerage: The office line
Yours: Your direct line
Website
Brokerage: The firm's homepage
Yours: Your agent page or site
Reviews
Brokerage: Belong to the firm
Yours: Belong to you, wherever you go
Who Qualifies for Their Own Profile
Under Google's guidelines, you should have your own profile if you're in a public-facing role and customers can reach you directly at your verified location during your listed hours. Support staff and corporate lead-gen agents don't qualify. When several agents work out of one office, the brokerage keeps its own profile, and each agent's profile uses only the agent's name.
The license-law piece (don't skip this)
Google says your profile name should be just your name. Your state has rules too. In Georgia, GREC Rule 520-1-.09 says agent advertising must be supervised by your broker and done in the firm's name, and internet advertising has to show the firm's name and phone number. So your profile name stays clean, but your description and website should clearly show your brokerage. Get your broker's approval before you set it up. South Carolina and other states have their own rules, so check yours.
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Your broker and your state's real estate commission have the final word on advertising. Georgia Real Estate Commission.
What changed in 2025–2026
Google retired the Q&A section on business profiles in late 2025. Now when people ask a question, Google's AI answers it using your profile, your reviews, and your website. For agents, that means your service areas, your description, and your website's neighborhood pages are now answering buyer and seller questions for you.
On this page
The 40-Point Agent Checklist
Open your profile next to this page and go line by line. Only check a box if the answer is a clear yes. "Kind of" counts as no.
Your score
0 / 40
1. Eligibility & Setup
Get these right first. Mistakes here are how agent profiles get suspended.
2. Contact & Compliance
Make it clear the profile is yours, while staying inside your state's rules.
3. Profile Completeness
This is how Google learns what kind of agent you are.
4. Photos & Video
People are hiring you, not just a house. Let them see who they're getting.
5. Reviews
Your reviews are your career portfolio, and on your own profile they're yours to keep.
6. Posts & Activity
Posts won't jump your ranking by themselves. They show you're active and working.
7. Beyond the Profile
Google checks your profile against the rest of the internet.
What Your Score Means
You're ahead of most agents in your market. Now keep it up after every closing.
A solid start, but other agents are getting found first. Start with sections 1, 2, and 5.
Your brokerage is getting found instead of you. This is the fastest place to fix that.
Your score: 0 / 40. Your brokerage is getting found instead of you. This is the fastest place to fix that.
Progress is saved automatically in your browser. 40 points total.
Switching brokerages?
This is where owning your profile pays off, because your reviews come with you. Update your description, brokerage details, website link, and address if you were verified at the old office. Expect Google to ask you to verify again after an address change. Plan for it before your move, not after.
A Rhythm Built Around Your Business
Your deals already give you something to post about. Here's how to turn them into a routine that takes about 30 minutes a week.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Every week | Publish 1 post: a new listing, a just-sold, an open house, or a tip. Reply to every new review. Add 1–2 photos from showings or the neighborhoods you work. |
| Every closing | Send your review link within 48 hours of closing, while the excitement is fresh. Post a just-sold with the client's permission, keeping private details out. |
| Every month | Post a local market update. Check Performance data for calls, website clicks, and searches, and compare to last month. Look for edits someone else made to your profile. |
| Every quarter | Re-run this full checklist. Compare your profile to the top 3 agents showing in your area. Refresh your description, services, and service areas. Spot-check Zillow, Realtor.com, and your brokerage agent page for matching info. |
Every week
Publish 1 post: a new listing, a just-sold, an open house, or a tip. Reply to every new review. Add 1–2 photos from showings or the neighborhoods you work.
Every closing
Send your review link within 48 hours of closing, while the excitement is fresh. Post a just-sold with the client's permission, keeping private details out.
Every month
Post a local market update. Check Performance data for calls, website clicks, and searches, and compare to last month. Look for edits someone else made to your profile.
Every quarter
Re-run this full checklist. Compare your profile to the top 3 agents showing in your area. Refresh your description, services, and service areas. Spot-check Zillow, Realtor.com, and your brokerage agent page for matching info.
Post Ideas That Actually Work for Agents
Just sold: "Just closed on a 3-bed in Richmond Hill. Congrats to my clients!" Add a photo at the sign, with permission.
Neighborhood spotlight: "3 things people love about living in Pooler." Focus on places and amenities, not who should live there.
Market update: "Average days on market in Savannah this month." Use your MLS data.
Buyer or seller tip: "What to fix before you list, and what to leave alone."
Open house: Post it as an Event with the date, time, and your firm's info.
Frequently Asked Questions
Download the Agent Checklist PDF
Want it on paper or saved to your phone? Get the full 6-page PDF, including the checklist, the scorecard, and the agent posting rhythm, sent straight to your inbox.
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Or download the PDF directlyNot a real estate agent? See the Google Business Profile Checklist for local businesses →
Want a Second Set of Eyes?
Highly Favored Digital helps agents and local businesses across Georgia and South Carolina get found. We'll compare your profile to the top 3 agents in your market and show you exactly where you're losing leads.
Advancing the Kingdom Through Business.
Sources: Google Business Profile Help, "Guidelines for representing your business on Google"; Georgia Real Estate Commission Rule 520-1-.09 (Advertising); Whitespark, 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors. General guidance only, not legal advice. Reflects the platform and rules as of September 2026.