Two businesses, one Google listing, and thousands of reviews belonging to the wrong owner. In a November 2026 Google Business Profile Community discussion, a restaurant operator reported that reviews from a previous business at the same address had been merged into the current restaurant's profile. The operator said the mix-up lowered its rating and left roughly 2,000 unrelated reviews attached to the listing.
For real estate agents, brokerages, and other small businesses, duplicate Google Business Profiles can create similar headaches after ownership changes, relocations, or account handovers. One listing may hold years of customer feedback, while another carries updated contact information. Removing the wrong one could disrupt access to content the business wants to preserve.
The complaint is a user-reported account, not a confirmed platform-wide issue. Still, it illustrates why businesses should identify the correct listing before requesting removal or a merge.
Check both profiles before making changes
Start by comparing the listings. Record:
- Profile URLs and Google Business Profile IDs
- Ownership and verification status
- Customer review counts and existing content
- Business names, addresses, phone numbers, and categories
Save screenshots, particularly if an employee or marketing agency previously managed the account. An established review history is valuable, but the profile worth keeping must accurately represent the business today.
Which Google Business Profile should you keep?
Under Google's duplicate-profile rules, businesses generally qualify for one profile per eligible business, with exceptions for distinct businesses and individual practitioners.
The appropriate remedy depends on the situation:
- Someone else controls the existing profile: Request ownership.
- You created an accidental duplicate: Confirm which listing is unnecessary before removing it.
- Two listings represent the same business: Request a merge.
- The business relocated: Update its existing address.
- Separate profiles advertise different services: Consolidate them under one eligible listing.
- Two legitimate businesses were incorrectly merged: Contact Google support to appeal.
How to reclaim a Google Business Profile
If another account controls the correct listing, request ownership instead of creating a replacement.
To request access to an existing profile:
- Visit business.google.com/add and search for the business.
- Select the existing profile, then Request Access.
- Complete and submit the ownership request.
- Check your email for Google's response.
The current owner has three days to respond. If there's no response, Google may offer a claim or verification option, although access isn't guaranteed.
Service-area businesses without storefronts should contact Google support and specify "Transfer ownership of listing."
How to remove or merge duplicate profiles
If you control an unnecessary listing, follow Google's profile-removal instructions:
- Sign in to the account managing the unwanted profile.
- Select More > Business Profile settings.
- Choose Remove Business Profile > Remove profile content and managers.
- Select Continue > Remove > Done.
Only the primary owner can remove profile content and managers, and newly added owners face a seven-day restriction.
Removing profile content permanently deletes owner-created photos, posts, and review replies. Customer reviews remain on the public listing, which may still appear on Search or Maps; they aren't automatically transferred to another profile.
If two profiles represent the same business and both contain reviews, request a merge through Google Maps using Suggest an edit. Approved merges combine reviews, although replies may be lost.
When you should keep both profiles
A shared address doesn't necessarily mean two profiles are duplicates. Google's individual practitioner guidelines permit eligible real estate agents to maintain separate listings when they work directly with clients and can be contacted at the verified location during stated hours.
If an agent is the only public-facing practitioner at a branded office, Google recommends one shared profile. Individual properties for sale or rent don't qualify for separate listings.
Check that the duplicate is gone
Once Google processes the request, check Search and Maps for the surviving profile's contact information, reviews, and ownership access. Consistent details also help maintain accurate business listings across other directories.
Keep primary ownership with the business and assign employees or agencies appropriate permissions. If the profiles still conflict, contact support before making further changes. The business should retain control of the correct listing and the customer reviews it has legitimately earned.