Removing References of your Former Real Estate Firm – Google Showing Old Information

Brad once again you've come through with some great help on an issue I really need to follow up on, Thanks again and again - I'm heading over to read. Cheers

Great points Brad - This is not a easy situation to rectify and in some cases requires legal action. Another important thing to watch out for is old disclosures and policies. Those pages are often neglected and not update with other media.

This is an issue I've been through.  It became necessary for me to spend more time working at home due to some health problems of my husband & I knew I would not any longer be able to meet even the required minimum production figures for my Broker.  I agreed to sell (verbally) my website (self created using FrontPage - many ages ago so Google is kind to it) and maintenance service to another realtor in the same company who I felt had a lot of potential (I wasn't wrong!).  Well, I didn't realize she and 6 other of this company's agents were moving to a new company!!  Well, to put it mildly this created a very BAD situation!  I didn't have any problem with the Broker that I was aware of and actually we were friends.  To make a very long story short, once the Broker realized that now I no longer owned the Domain Name she had her legal beagels get after the agent I sold the site to due to all the presence I had created on the Website.

It took me weeks and weeks to try & get it cleaned up and get it straightened out!!  Plus a STRONG email to the former Broker/friend who has a hard time understanding anything about the internet -- she has gotten a lot better since this episode and now appreciates its benefits and pitfalls!  It is amazing and unbelievable where all you show up on the internet!

I leaned a very important lesson -- for any link exchanging DO NOT mention a company name!!  Your name will not change, but, the company name may!!

Sue -- now a licensed Web Assistant to Robin

Great article Brad. I just went through each step as I"ve recently changed my brokerage name. Thanks for the insight.

I know it goes to servers and is saves forever and ever and you are correct we sometimes do not have control. Plus when people subscribe to list you do not know how old that list is and then you are connect to the other firm again. It is like a dog chasing their tail.

Hi Brad:

Good information! I recently had to change the name of my site as it contained a geographical location paired with the trademarked term "REALTOR". I was unaware that I was breaking trademark rules when I named the site, but my competition quickly brought it to our board's attention that I was in breach. I had the name switched over within hours, but it is definitely difficult to erase all the traces. In my case, I have worked extra hard to make them disappear as I could be faced with a fine if it still appears!! The even harder part though has been trying to explain why I don't have the control to just make it all go away... especially to a board that is a bit behind in the technology department. I think I will just refer them to your blog from now on!

Thanks again for the good tips and a great post

I can see where this could create plenty of issues.  I've noticed how long it can take Google to recognize changes that I have made and am glad I'm not in the position to have to be concerned about this.... yet.

I shudder at the thought of having to do that kind of "housecleaing".  As things like blogs are generally time stamped, then that should cover a lot of the problems.... at that time, that was the company one works for. 

Indeed very difficult, I've been struggling with this for 5 months and still find new things popping up.

That is a pretty arduous task to remove all those references.  Sounds like there was some sour grapes from the former firm.

Thanks for taking the time to share the steps remove information.  We have some onld information we need removed.

BRAD!  When I google my name, and old reference from when I was with a subprime lender is still showing up - rather high I might add!  I never even put it up.  I am not sure what should be done.  At this point it is not a big deal since that companyis out of business but I am not sure if I should be concerned.  Good post!

Hi Brad---yes great post and thanks for sharing

I just changed companies as well and I have been searching for every link where I posted my info. Thanks for the info.

Brad,

Thank you for the post. As a newbie I am finding a wealth of info on Active/Rain.

I have been at a loss as how to rid the search engines of my time with a former brokerage. Maybe now armed with a new wealth of knowledge I can solve the problem.

Great post, Just to check I "googled" some agents that I know recently changed brokerages and sure enough they're showing up with the old brokers information...  I'll be sure to pass this post on to them...

thanks for the post and information -- I will have to use some of the techniques for this