How Google My Business (GMB) can help realtors generate more leads

When you do a Google search for nearby places to eat, you’ll get a list of local restaurants—but only those that have registered with Google My Business (GMB). 

The same goes for any business, including real estate businesses. 

So if you’re a realtor or you’ve thought about becoming one, this article is for you. We’ll go over what GMB is, how you can create a GMB listing as a real estate agent, and some tips to be successful with it.

Let’s get started!

What is Google My Business?

GMB is like the yellow pages of Google. It’s a directory of businesses sorted by business location and type. Most entries include the business name, operation hours, reviews, FAQs, and the business address and phone number.

As a realtor, you can create or claim your own GMB listing, even if you are partnered with a broker and even if they already have one. 

By listing yourself as a real estate agent on GMB, you can increase your online visibility and drive more traffic to your business website. Your business will appear in search results on Google and Google Maps. 

So it’s a great way to maximize your exposure to potential leads.

How to Create a Google My Business Entry

Fortunately, creating a GMB listing is free and pretty easy. Here are some basic instructions on how to do it:

1. Make sure you don’t already have a GMB record. Just type your name or business name into Google and see what comes up.

2. If nothing pulls up, you’re good to create a new listing. If you do have an existing business listing already, that’s alright. You’ll just need to claim it. 

3. To create or claim a GMB listing, you’ll need to have a Google account first. Use a business account if you can, so you aren’t sharing your personal email information with the world.

4. Follow the instructions on entering your basic business information, including business name, address, and phone number.

5. When entering your business name, include “realtor” or “real estate agent” next to your name. That way, people know at first glance what you have to offer.

6. Google will then ask you to label your business under primary and additional categories. Make sure to select relevant categories like “real estate agent” and “realtor.”

7. Once you’ve completed the online registration process, Google will want to verify the physical address of your business. This is usually done by sending you a postcard in the mail with a verification code. However, sometimes you can verify over a phone, text, or email.

Tips for Optimizing Your Google My Business Entry

Now that you know how to create your GMB listing, let’s go over some ways you can optimize it to appear high in search engine results. 

First, make sure to add some relevant photos to your GMB entry. If you actually have an office, include a picture of it (but not of your home). You could also include photos of you working with clients, your business logo, or a FAQ sheet. Whatever you do, make sure the photos are high quality. 

Then you want to have raving Google reviews. If you have some already, be sure to reply with a short thank you. And if you don’t have any, consider asking past clients to review you. 

Google makes this easy by providing a “get more reviews” link that you can share with anyone. Having positive reviews is important because they are a top ranking factor for GMB listings. The more reviews you have and the better they are, the higher you’ll appear in search results. 

And finally, keep your GMB entry updated. If your business grows or changes, you’ll want to adjust it accordingly. This tells Google that your business is active and running.

Wrapping Things Up

Creating a GMB entry is a no-brainer for realtors. It’s a free and easy way to market your business by boosting your search engine optimization (SEO). Not only that, but it helps with local SEO. After all, when people are looking for a realtor, they are usually looking for one that is area-specific. And GMB is all about local search results.

So if you haven’t claimed or created your GMB entry yet, now is the time. It only takes a few minutes to do and then 3-4 days to appear on Google.