Choosing the Right Google Business Profile Categories for Real Estate.
Google Business Profile categories help Google and potential clients understand the type of real estate business you operate. Learn how to choose a suitable primary category, use additional categories carefully and avoid choices that may confuse your profile.
The category selected for a Google Business Profile may influence when and how the profile appears in local results.
It also affects which services and profile features may become available.
For a real estate business, the category should clearly describe what the business is. It should not be used as a list of every service, property type or suburb the agent wants to target.
Understand the role of the primary category.
The primary category describes the main purpose of the business.
Ask:
“If we could choose only one description for this business, what would it be?”
For a traditional residential real estate business, a category such as Real Estate Agency may be suitable if it is available in your market and accurately represents the business.
An eligible individual practitioner may have a category such as Real Estate Agent available.
Category names and availability can change, so select from the options Google currently provides rather than relying on an old online list.
Use the “is a” test.
Google recommends choosing categories that complete this sentence:
“This business is a…”
For example:
This business is a real estate agency.
This person is a real estate agent.
This business is a property management company.
This business is a commercial real estate agency.
Do not choose a category because the business merely has access to that service.
A residential sales agency that sometimes refers clients to a mortgage broker is not a mortgage broker.
Match the category with the profile owner.
The correct category may depend on whether the profile represents:
an agency office;
an individual real estate agent;
a property management business;
a buyers agency;
a commercial agency; or
another specialist property business.
Do not treat the agency profile and an individual agent profile as though they are the same business.
Before adding an individual agent profile, confirm that the person meets Google’s practitioner requirements and can be contacted directly at the verified location during the stated hours.
Choose the most accurate primary category.
The primary category should reflect the business that clients actually contact.
For example:
Residential real estate agency
A profile representing an agency office that lists and sells residential property may use the closest available real estate agency category.
Individual sales agent
An eligible public-facing agent may use the most accurate individual agent category available.
Property management business
A business focused mainly on rental management should choose a category that represents property management rather than selecting a sales category simply to reach homeowners.
Buyers agency
A buyers advocacy business should select the closest accurate category available. It should not describe itself as a selling agency if it does not represent property sellers.
Commercial agency
A business focused on commercial sales and leasing should choose an available category that reflects commercial real estate.
The category must match the real operation, not the type of enquiry the business hopes to attract.
Use additional categories carefully.
Additional categories can describe other important parts of the business.
An agency may provide:
residential property sales;
commercial property services;
property management;
auction services; or
property consultancy.
However, not every service requires a separate category.
Google recommends using as few categories as possible to describe the overall core business. Categories should be specific and representative, not added only as keywords. Google Business Profile guidelines
Do not confuse categories with services.
Categories describe what the business is.
Services explain what the business does.
For example, a residential sales agency does not need separate categories for:
property appraisals;
auction campaigns;
private treaty sales;
pre-sale advice;
apartment sales;
downsizer sales; and
tenanted property sales.
These may be better placed in the services section.
This keeps the category selection focused while still giving potential clients useful detail.
Avoid unrelated categories.
Do not add categories for connected businesses unless they are genuinely part of the same operation.
A real estate agency should not automatically select categories for:
conveyancing;
mortgage broking;
building inspections;
accounting;
property styling;
photography;
financial advice; or
removal services.
Referring clients to another professional does not make your business that type of provider.
Incorrect categories may confuse clients and misrepresent the business.
Do not choose categories for every department.
Some agencies provide sales and property management from the same office.
Whether one profile or separate profiles are appropriate may depend on how the departments operate, whether they are independently public-facing and Google’s current rules.
Do not create extra profiles or add categories without checking eligibility.
Unnecessary duplicate profiles can create ownership problems and inconsistent information across Google Search and Maps.
Review competitors carefully.
You may look at how other local businesses appear, but do not assume their setup is correct.
Another agency may:
use an inaccurate category;
have an old profile;
operate under a different business structure;
offer services that you do not;
have an eligible practitioner profile; or
be breaching Google’s guidelines.
Choose categories based on your own business, not simply on what appears to work for a competitor.
Change categories with care.
The general process is:
Sign in to the Google Account that manages the profile.
Open the Business Profile.
Select Edit profile.
Find the business category section.
Review the current primary category.
Search Google’s available category list.
Select the most accurate option.
Add only relevant additional categories.
Save the changes.
Check the profile after the update.
Google may ask for the business to be verified again after significant changes.
Do not make frequent category changes without a sound reason.
Check the rest of the profile.
Changing a category may affect suggested services or available features.
After updating it, review:
services;
business description;
opening hours;
appointment options;
photographs;
service areas;
website link;
profile features; and
public display.
Make sure the profile still presents the business accurately.
Review categories when the business changes.
Reconsider the categories when:
the business introduces a major service;
sales and property management operations separate;
the agency moves;
an individual agent becomes the sole practitioner;
a department becomes independently operated;
the business changes its main focus; or
Google changes the available category options.
Do not change the primary category because of a short-term marketing campaign.
Category selection checklist.
The profile owner has been clearly identified.
The primary category describes the main business.
The category completes the “this business is a” test.
Only categories from Google’s available list are used.
Additional categories represent genuine operations.
Service names have not been used as categories.
Unrelated professional categories are excluded.
The website supports the selected category.
The business description agrees with the category.
The profile has been checked after changes.
Eligibility has been confirmed before creating another profile.
The category selection is reviewed when the business changes.
The strongest category choice is usually the most accurate one.
Do not try to describe the entire business through categories. Choose the category that best represents the main operation, then use services, website pages, posts and business information to provide the detail.