Why Buyers Don’t Call Agents With Bad Google Results

In real estate, your Google results often matter more than your pitch. One search can either connect you to a buyer or lose you the lead. And if that search reveals bad reviews, outdated profiles, or missing information, most buyers won’t call at all.

1. Google Is How Buyers Find Agents

Nearly 9 out of 10 real estate buyers begin their search with a Google query. Phrases like “real estate agents near me” or “top buyer agent in Austin” happen thousands of times a month. If your name doesn’t show up—or worse, if it shows up with bad news—you lose the lead before they ever reach out.

What buyers search for:

Local terms (“real estate agents [city]”)
Review-based queries (“top rated agents”)
Urgent help (“need agent fast”)

Mobile searches and voice searches dominate. If your Google profile isn’t mobile-optimized or keyword-rich, you’re invisible. That includes your website, reviews, and Google Business listing.

2. What Counts as “Bad Google Results”

“Bad” Google results for an agent usually mean:

You don’t show up at all
You show up with 1-star reviews
Old listings or outdated content appear first

Agents buried past page one lose 95% of clicks. If reviews are below 4 stars, buyers move on.

Common issues include:

Unclaimed Google Business profiles
No local keywords in your bio
Fewer than 10 reviews
Slow or broken websites

Even one of these can be enough to lose trust. Fixing them isn’t just about ranking—it’s about being seen as reliable.

3. Outdated Profiles Signal Neglect

Buyers notice when a profile is out of date. It suggests you’re not active—or not professional.

Red flags buyers pick up on:

Headshots from 5+ years ago
Missing hours or contact info
Vague service categories
Incomplete or inactive websites

Keep your Google profile and site current. Refresh photos. Confirm contact info. Add accurate service categories, such as “Buyer’s Agent.”

4. Negative Reviews Break Trust Fast

Buyers don’t need dozens of negative reviews to turn away. One or two can be enough, especially when they relate to communication, trust, or fairness.

Examples:

“Agent didn’t return my calls.”
“Pushed me toward homes I didn’t want.”
“Missed key deadlines.”

These don’t just hurt your score. They trigger emotional responses: doubt, frustration, and risk avoidance. Most buyers will never follow up to ask your side.

What to do:

Respond quickly and professionally to every negative review
Show how you’ve resolved the issue
Request reviews after every deal

5. Risk Perception Stops Buyers Cold

Buying a home is a high-risk decision. When your online presence appears sloppy or unprofessional, buyers tend to steer clear.

What makes you look risky:

“Missed closing date” reviews → Time risk
“Poor negotiation skills” → Money risk
“Agent ghosted us” → Emotional risk

You don’t have to be perfect—but you must show you’re dependable. Highlight resolved issues. Add client FAQs—link to verified testimonials.

6. No Social Proof = No Trust

Buyers want reassurance. If they don’t see it in your Google results, they move on.

What builds social proof:

At least 10 recent reviews
Star rating above 4.5
Testimonials (text or video)
Clear success metrics (“Closed eight homes in Q2”)

Even simple visuals, such as a client photo and a quote, can help increase trust. Share stories on LinkedIn, Google, and your site. Let others vouch for you.

7. Weak Online Presence Hurts Credibility

Buyers judge your professionalism by your online footprint. If your site is broken, slow, or generic, they assume your service is too.

Signs of poor online presence:

Outdated or unsecured websites
Inactive LinkedIn profiles
Mismatched branding across platforms

Improve with simple steps:

Use responsive WordPress themes
Secure your site with HTTPS
Post weekly on LinkedIn
Align branding across Google, Facebook, and your site

8. Psychological Reasons Buyers Avoid You

Even if your site functions properly and your reviews are satisfactory, buyers may still hesitate.

Why?

Fear of being pressured
Concern over privacy
General distrust of sales tactics

Make it easier for them to trust you:

Add “no-pressure” language to CTAs
Use clear privacy policies
Offer email and text options—not just calls
Install live chat or click-to-call buttons

Reduce friction, and you increase the odds they’ll reach out.

Final Take

Bad Google results don’t just lower your clicks—they block your calls. Real estate buyers notice everything: ratings, reviews, speed, design, and professionalism. Fixing it isn’t about gaming the system. It’s about showing buyers you’re worth contacting.

The good news? Every part of your online presence can be fixed—and NetReputation can help you do it.

This post may contain affiliate links. Financial Panther has partnered with AwardWallet and CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Financial Panther, AwardWallet, and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact on how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies, or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

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Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
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For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:

M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
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Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.

Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.

Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:

SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $900 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.

Feel free to send Kevin a message here.