Why Other Lagos Real Estate Businesses Get More Calls From Google Than You

In Lagos real estate, phone calls are everything.

A phone call means intent.
It means trust.
It means a buyer is ready to move from searching to acting.

Yet across Lekki, Ajah, Ikeja, Yaba, and Victoria Island, many real estate businesses are asking the same question:

“Why are our competitors getting more calls from Google when we offer similar properties?”

The uncomfortable truth is this:
Google is already deciding who deserves those calls, and it’s doing that through Google Business Profile.

If your competitor’s Google Business Profile gets more calls than yours, it’s not by chance. It’s because their profile is aligned with how Lagos buyers search, evaluate trust, and make decisions.

This post explains exactly why that happens and what most Lagos real estate businesses are doing wrong without realizing it.

Google Business Profile Is Where Lagos Buyers Decide Who to call.

Before calling a real estate company in Lagos, buyers rarely start on a website.

They start with Google searches like:

• “real estate company in Lekki”
• “land for sale Ajah”
• “property agent near me”
• “trusted realtor in Ikeja”

What appears first isn’t a blog post or Instagram page.
It’s the Google Maps results, also known as the local map pack.

This is where buyers:

• Compare businesses side by side
• check reviews
• view photos
• verify location
• decide who looks legitimate

Your Google Business Profile is not just a listing.
In Lagos real estate, it’s your first sales conversation.

If your competitor gets more calls, it means their profile answers buyer doubts faster and better than yours.

Lagos Real Estate Has a Trust Problem

Lagos property buyers are cautious for good reason:

• fake agents
• recycled listings
• land scams
• unverifiable businesses

Because of this, buyers trust signals, not promises.

Google Business Profile provides those signals instantly:

• verified business name
• physical location
• real photos
• public reviews
• activity history

Your competitor’s profile likely looks alive, established, and safe.
Yours might look passive, incomplete, or generic even if your business is legitimate.

In Lagos real estate, perception equals credibility.

Reasons Lagos Real Estate Competitors Get More Calls from Google

• They optimize for location, not just service
• Their Profile Builds Trust Faster Than Yours
• Reviews Are Working For Them
• Your Competitor Treats GBP Like a Conversion Tool
• Google Trusts their Business More Than Yours

Let’s discuss each further to provide a solution on how you can optimize yours to start getting calls from Google.

1. Your Competitor Is Optimized for Location, Not Just Services

Many Lagos real estate businesses make this mistake:
They describe what they do, but not where they dominate.

Your competitor’s Google Business Profile is probably optimized around:

• Lekki Phase 1
• Ajah
• Sangotedo
• Ikeja GRA
• Victoria Island

This matters because Google ranks profiles based on local relevance rather than general expertise.

A profile that clearly signals:

“We serve Lekki real estate buyers”

will always outperform one that vaguely says:

“We offer real estate services in Lagos.”

Calls follow relevance.

2. Their Profile Builds Trust Faster Than Yours

When a buyer opens two Google Business Profiles, they subconsciously ask:

• Does this business look real?
• Have others trusted them?
• Do they operate in my area?
• Are they active?

Your competitor likely has:

• office photos with signage
• inspection photos
• team photos
• location-tagged images
• recent uploads

Meanwhile, many profiles rely on:

• stock images
• outdated photos
• empty galleries

In Lagos real estate, visual proof reduces fear.
And fear kills phone calls.

3. Reviews Are Working For Them

Most real estate businesses misunderstand reviews.

It’s not about having many reviews.
It’s about having the right reviews.

Your competitor’s reviews are likely:

• mention locations (Lekki, Ajah, Ikeja)
• reference specific services (land purchase, inspections, documentation)
• appear consistently over time
• Receive responses from the business

Google reads this as:

“This business is trusted, relevant, and active.”

Buyers read it as:

“People like me have worked with them.”

If your profile has old reviews, no responses, or generic comments, Google and buyers quietly downgrade your credibility.

4. Your Competitor Treats GBP Like a Conversion Tool

Most Lagos real estate businesses treat Google Business Profile as:

“Something we set up once.”

Your competitor treats it as:

“A sales channel.”

They:

• Post updates regularly
• Share new listings or inspections
• answer questions in the Q&A section
• update services
• Keep business hours accurate

Each action sends signals to Google:

• freshness
• reliability
• relevance

And signals to buyers:

• responsiveness
• professionalism
• seriousness

A dormant profile doesn’t just rank lower, it converts poorly.

5. Google Trusts Its Business More Than Yours

Google Business Profile rankings are built on trust signals:

• consistent business name
• correct address
• accurate phone number
• category relevance
• external citations

Your competitor likely has consistent information across:

• Google Business Profile
• property directories
• business listings
• social platforms

Many Lagos real estate businesses unknowingly hurt themselves with:

• multiple phone numbers
• inconsistent names
• vague addresses
• wrong categories

Google doesn’t punish immediately, it simply stops prioritizing you.

Less visibility equals fewer calls.

Why Having a Website Alone Is No Longer Enough

A common Lagos mindset is:

“We have a good website. That should be enough.”

It isn’t.

Websites explain.
Google Business Profiles decide.

For high-intent searches like:

• “real estate company near me”
• “property agent in Lekki”

Google sends buyers to profiles that:

• look trustworthy
• are nearby
• show activity
• reduce risk

If your competitor’s profile answers these needs faster, your website may never get visited.

The Conversion Gap: Visibility vs Calls

Many Lagos real estate businesses say:

“We show up on Google, but calls are low.”

That gap exists because:

• Visibility doesn’t equal confidence
• Ranking doesn’t equal trust
• Presence doesn’t equal conversion

Your competitor closes that gap by:

• aligning with buyer psychology
• reinforcing trust at every touchpoint
• removing doubt before the call

Calls happen when hesitation disappears.

What This Means for Lagos Real Estate Businesses

If your competitor’s Google Business Profile gets more calls than yours, the issue is not:

• pricing
• listings
• market demand

It’s presentation, trust signals, and local relevance.

Google Business Profile is now a gatekeeper.

It decides:

• Who looks credible
• Who deserves visibility
• Who gets contacted

Ignoring proper optimization doesn’t keep you neutral, it puts you behind.

The Hard Truth Most Businesses Avoid

Google Business Profile optimization is no longer basic setup work.

In Lagos real estate, it requires:

• local market understanding
• buyer behavior insight
• trust engineering
• consistent optimization

Most businesses don’t do this well, which is why a few dominate the calls.

Final Thought

Your competitor isn’t getting more calls because they’re lucky.

They’re getting more calls because Google and buyers trust them more at the moment of decision.

In Lagos real estate, that moment happens on Google Maps, not on social media, not on billboards, not even on your website.

If your Google Business Profile isn’t built to win that moment, someone else’s is.

And Google is already sending your calls to them.

I manage brands’ Google Business Profiles to keep them visible. Let’s discuss how I can help your brand get more calls from Google