Self-Realization is real God -Realization.

In Vedas the God  has been described as:-

The Self or Atman is God and God is Self or Atman.

  Sakshi (Witness)

  Chetan (conscious)

  Nirguna (Without form and properties).

The Soul/God further has been told as

  Nitya (eternal)

  Shuddha (pure)

  Buddha (omniscient)

   Mukta (unattached).

       Thus, it indicates that the above qualities are nature of God and above qualities are nature of the soul ,the innermost self . thus the soul , the innermost self is God. There is no other God other than the soul,which is in the form of consciousness.  

It means the ultimate truth is god.  That is Atman is Brahman.  That is the true self is ultimate truth. The Self or Atman is God and God is Self or Atman.

In Advaita Vedanta: - Brahman is without attributes and strictly impersonal. It can be best described as infinite Being, infinite Consciousness and infinite Bliss. It is pure knowledge itself, similar to a source of infinite radiance. Since the Advaitins regard Brahman to be the Ultimate Truth, so in comparison to Brahman, every other thing, including the material world, its distinctness, the individuality of the living creatures and even Ishvara (the Supreme Lord) itself are all untrue. Brahman is the effulgent cause of everything that exists and can possibly exist. Since it is beyond human comprehension, it is without any attributes, for assigning attributes to it would be distorting the true nature of Brahman. Advaitins believe in the existence of both Saguna Brahman and Nirguna Brahman; however they consider Nirguna Brahman to be the absolute supreme truth. 

Atman is the true self.   The true self or Atman is in the form of consciousness is ultimate truth and it is God.   

 The Atman is within the mind (universe) and mind (universe) is within the soul. The universe) is within the self and self is within universe. The chicken is in the egg and the egg is in the chicken. The tree is in the seed and the seed is in the tree. The same thing that was told by the Vedas was repeated by the Saint John (10-38)? Father is in me and I am in Father. Thus the father (soul or self) is our immediate, neighbor- love thy neighbor.  Therefore, one has to love the soul or Christ in order to become one with the formless spirit or soul or  Christ, which are the creator, sustainer and dissolver of the world or duality.  

Therefore, Self-Realization is necessary in order to realize the ultimate truth or God.  Self-Realization is real God -Realization.