Google Business Profile Update: Why Your “Apartment Building” Category is Costing You Tours
In the world of multifamily marketing, your Google Business Profile (GBP) is often the first point of contact for a prospective resident. It’s where they check your reviews, look at your photos, and most importantly, check your office hours to see if they can drop by for a tour.
Recently, many apartment communities nationwide have noticed something frustrating: their leasing office hours have either disappeared or become impossible to edit.
If you are currently categorized as an “Apartment Complex” or “Apartment Building,” your profile is officially at risk of prospect confusion. Here is exactly what is happening and the urgent update GTMA recommends to restore control over your hours.
The Logic Shift: "Place" vs. "Business"
Google has recently tightened the logic it uses to distinguish between a physical structure and a service-based business.
- Apartment Complex / Building: Google now views these categories as physical locations (similar to a park or a monument). In Google’s eyes, a building is “open” 24/7 for the people who live there. Consequently, the system often disables the “Hours” feature because it assumes the structure never closes.
- Apartment Rental Agency: Google views this as a business with staff, opening times, and closing times. By switching to this category, you signal to Google that there is an active leasing team with specific operating hours.
The Strategy: "Apartment Rental Agency" is the New Primary
To maintain accurate leasing office hours and avoid turning away potential renters who think you’re closed (or showing up when you are), communities must update their primary category.
GTMA Recommends the following 3-step fix:
- Update the Primary Category: Change your main category to “Apartment Rental Agency.” This usually unlocks the “Hours” field immediately.
- Retain Secondary Categories: Do not delete your old tags. Keep “Apartment Complex” and “Apartment Building” as Secondary Categories. This ensures you still appear in searches for those specific terms while maintaining the functionality of a business profile.
- Reconfirm Your Hours: Once the category is switched, republish your accurate office hours to ensure they are visible on Google Maps and Search.
Does This Affect My SEO?
This is the question we hear most often: Will changing my category hurt my rankings?
The short answer is no. In fact, this update preserves your search visibility while restoring the most critical conversion tool you have: your availability. “Apartment Rental Agency” is a high-intent, transactional category that tells Google your location is ready to do business with new prospects.
The GTMA Approach
At GTMA, we don’t believe in “static” marketing. We believe in dynamic strategies that adapt to the algorithm before it impacts your occupancy.
If GTMA manages your Google Business Profile, our team is already implementing these changes to prevent any disruption to your leasing flow. We are constantly monitoring these shifts so your team can stay focused on what they do best—touring and closing.
Need help auditing your portfolio’s Google presence? Contact our team today.