It’s when an agent is quoted as an expert on the local housing market for a newspaper. Or an agent writes an editorial for a financial news section on why renters should consider buying. Or a local news station covers a fundraiser hosted by a real estate broker. All these are examples of public relations for real estate and how it works. Public relations is a strategic communications process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.
PR is not to be confused with free advertising or sending out press releases. And while you may not pay for public relations the way you do for your marketing, it does require a significant investment of your time and energy. PR Firms for real estate can be more effective than marketing at times because they can portray you as an expert by a third party. PR Firms provide validation of your credibility and expertise as a real estate agent. It’s more subtle than advertising and very effective in establishing trust with social proof.
Many reports will have a story idea, but need an expert to quote or provide background. This allows you to receive alerts when reporters need a subject matter expert in a certain field. You can sign up for alerts about real estate or your local area, and begin to cultivate connections with those journalists. Another technique to finding public relations opportunities is to create a Google Alert. These are free notifications from Google that let you know if an article is published on a certain topic. Real Estate PR is a valuable tool in order to get the name of your agency out there so that people also come to know about the advantages that your agency has as compared to all of the other agencies out there.
Using the Internet for an Alert
You can create alerts based on phrases that include your local area and phrases such as “real estate,” “home sales” or “home buyers.” Once you get these alerts, you can share them on your social media channels. Then take note of the writer and publications, adding them to your list of potential media contacts. The more you know about the media outlet, the more likely you are to be a good fit. So make sure you know what the publication is about? What topics does this particular writer cover? What is their voice like — is it professional, funny or data-driven? How do they like to be communicated with — email or phone calls? What’s on their editorial calendar? Is there a special issue coming up that you might fit into? Include a personal note to express that you understand their voice. State the reasons why the idea is relevant to their audience. Outline the key points of the story to hook them. Add any other links for context. Mention who you can connect them with. Make sure your contact info is easy to find.