When someone searches for a real estate agent on their phone, the first thing they see is not a website. It is three map listings with star ratings. Getting into those three, and being the one that gets tapped, is mostly about a Google Business Profile that is complete, specific and alive.
Choose the category carefully
Pick the most specific primary category that describes what a real estate agent does, then two or three secondary categories for the services people search for separately, such as residential sales, property management and free appraisals. Do not add categories for work you do not want. The primary category decides which searches you can appear for at all.
List every service, one by one
Add each service as its own entry with a sentence of description — residential sales, property management, free appraisals, auction campaigns, leasing and suburb market reports. Where sensible, add a price or a 'from' price: publish property management fees and what they include. for sales commission, explain how it is structured and that it is negotiable. Services listed individually match more searches than one paragraph does.
Photos that get tapped
Profiles with recent photos get noticeably more clicks. For a real estate agent, upload the team, the office and streetscapes of your suburbs rather than generic house facades. Add three to five every month and remove anything that looks like stock. Name the files sensibly before uploading.
Reviews: build the routine
Ask every customer, at the moment they are happiest, with a one-tap link. Reply to every review within a few days, mentioning the service and suburb naturally. Reviews that mention residential sales or property management help the profile appear for those searches.
Hours and the phone number
Hours must match the website and the door exactly, with public holidays added a week ahead. A profile that says 'open' when you are closed earns the review you least want. Name, address and phone must be identical everywhere they appear.
Posts and questions
Publish a short update every few weeks — a recent job, a seasonal note, a new service. Seed the Questions section with the questions customers actually ask, such as Do agents need a website when listings are on the portals?, and answer them plainly. Google shows these to searchers, and AI answers borrow from them.
Make the website back it up
The profile links to your site, and searchers click through to check you. The pages that need to exist are an agent profile page per person and a property management page with fees and what is included, with the same services, prices and area the profile promises. Mismatches cost trust and rankings.
Timing
Spring listings and February re-starts drive appraisal requests; landlord enquiries rise at lease-renewal peaks in January and July. Post about it on the profile a few weeks ahead and update the relevant service description at the same time.
The monthly hour
- Check hours, phone and address against the website.
- Add three to five new photos.
- Reply to every new review and question.
- Post one update.
- Search real estate agent your suburb and note who appears.
Common questions
What should a suburb page contain?
Recent sold prices, days on market, who is buying, local schools and transport, and your own commentary.
Do agents need a website when listings are on the portals?
Yes. The portals sell properties; your site sells you. Vendors research the agent before they call.
Do I need a .com.au domain?
For an Australian business, .com.au signals you are local and requires an ABN, which customers and search engines both read as a trust signal. Keep the .com too if you already own it.
If you want the profile, the website and AI visibility checked together, that is what YINO's search visibility review covers, from $699+ one-off or $799 a month+ ongoing.
