Google Base for Real Estate FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why are my listings linked to someone else's website? What can I do about it?
Google collects listings in two ways: by crawling the web, and by receiving uploads through Google Base. If your listings are linked to someone else's website, either we crawled the listings there or the site owner uploaded the listings to us. To fix this error, you can either upload your listings with links to your site or request that your listings be removed from our index altogether.

By uploading your listings to Google Base, you can ensure that potential buyers will be able to find your properties right when they're most actively looking for them. To be certain that your listings are properly attributed to you, just upload them to Google Base with links pointing back to your site. We have a range of upload options to make this easy for you.

If you don't want your listings to be searchable on Google at all, you can request that they be removed from our index. You can learn more about this option on our listing removal page.

2. How do you deal with copyright complaints?
We take copyright very seriously. Here's a detailed overview of how we deal with copyright on Google Base. If your listings on Google are linked to someone else's website, please see the question above for more information.

3. What happens when two or more data providers upload the same listing?
Whenever we receive the same listing from two or more sources, our software groups the listings into one search result. The links to each source's website are ordered according to timeliness and thoroughness, among other factors. So if your site doesn't appear as the first link for a particular listing, go might want to verify that you're providing us with the most complete and up-to-date information.

If you see duplicates that aren't grouped together properly, please file a report to help us correct errors and improve our algorithms.

4. How can I remove my listings from Google?
You can learn more about this on our listing removal page.

5. How do I report an error with a particular listing?
If you see a problem with any listing shown on Google, we hope you'll report the error to us so we can look into it and do our best to fix it.

Here's how to create a report:

Find the listing on Google.
Click the pushpin that identifies the listing, either in the search results on the left-hand side of the screen or on the map. This will cause a balloon on the map to open.
In the balloon, click the gray link to report the error.
Fill out the form to describe the problem and we'll review it.

6. The data for one of my listings is incorrect. How do I fix it?
In most cases, this is because of an error in the data source--your MLS, IDX vendor's database or perhaps even your website. The easiest way to correct such errors is to check with whoever's providing your data to Google. If you're still stuck, you can report the error to us and we'll do our best to investigate.

7. How can Google Base help me?
That's easy: by giving your listings more exposure. Google Base lets providers across all business categories and data types give their content more exposure on Google.com and other Google properties. Now we've customized Base to enable real estate industry professionals to easily upload their listings, for free.

For more detailed how-to information about Google Base, check out our Help Center.

8. Is Google a broker? A national MLS?
We're neither. Our role is to connect users as quickly as possible with the information they need. People come to us looking for all kinds of information, including housing listings, comparable pricing, and how to find an agent or broker in their area. In all cases, we want to deliver these users to the industry experts who can provide the most useful answers.

9. Where can I see my listings once they're uploaded?
Your listings will surface on refined-results pages for relevant real estate queries. Note that we'll only display your listing in our search results when we have enough information to be fairly certain that it's relevant to a user’s query.

10. I'm a property owner with a listing at a real estate firm. I'd like to list my property in Google Base, too. Can I do that?
Sure. As long as you have permission from your broker or agent, just upload your listings via our one at a time interface.

11. I'm an agent. How will my listings compare with those of a broker or MLS? Is it worth uploading?
Absolutely. We recommend that all members of the real estate industry upload their information. The important thing to remember is that you should include as much listing information as possible, and also include a link to your website, if you have one. Your listings will appear alongside other listings that are relevant to a given user's query; it's ultimately up to the user to choose which link they click in order to learn more.

12. I'm a broker/MLS and wish to add my properties to Google Base, but our database changes daily. Is there a way to keep our listings synchronized?
To keep your listings on Google Base up-to-date, you'll need to do an upload at least once per day. If you aren't sure how to set up an automated feed of your listings to Google Base, your tech vendor should be able to help you.

13. I'm a broker. How do I ensure my agent doesn't upload?
We can't prevent anyone from uploading content to Google Base; however, your agents will have less incentive to upload if you're already doing so for the listings they represent.

14. I'm an agent. Why do I need my broker's permission to upload my listings to Google Base?
The Google Base Terms of Service require that you hold all necessary rights (including copyright) to any content that you upload to Google Base. As long as you hold these rights, you may upload your content to Google Base. However, if the rights to the listings reside with your broker, then you'll need your his or her permission.