How to get your properties featured in the press

The best part about PR is that it is the most cost-effective way that agents can promote themselves and the properties they have on offer. However, because it is not paid-for advertising there needs to be a bit more to the story and it needs to have an interesting hook for journalists to want to use it instead of an advertorial that would generate revenue for the publication.

When it comes to property PR there are a few aspects that journalists look for and knowing what they want will help you to spot a property that meets the criteria. Ask yourself the following questions:

Is the property unique or quirky? Some examples include a lighthouse, a converted bath-house or converted paint factory.

Does that property have an interesting history? This could be the property itself, the person who designed it or someone who may have lived there. Blue plaque properties are always interesting to the media.

Is the property connected to or owned by a celebrity or well-known personality?

Are there any interesting elements to the design, such as a secret room?

Is the property exceptionally lavish or opulent?

All of these aspects create interesting stories that generally get picked up in the media.

Other ways to increase your media exposure and position yourself as a go-to property expert include:

Providing comment on the market in your local area – Journalists are often looking for an estate agent’s insight on their local market. Every time there is a change in legislation or stamp duty or an important announcement on the housing market, journalists seek out comments from industry insiders to assess the potential impact. If you have ‘a ready created quote’ from yourself on the subject matter that you send them in advance, then they might include you in the feature and will begin to know that they can come to you for comment.

Identify or highlight growing trends – If you see a trend developing in your local market, comment on it. For example, consider what millennial buyers are looking for, as opposed to their older counterparts. Or are more and more people looking to move out of expensive urban areas to move to quieter rural settings.

Talk about possible opportunities – For example, if first-time buyers are struggling to get into the market, can you highlight affordable areas or spot the ‘up and coming’ neighbourhoods which are slightly less fashionable at present but will have more scope for capital growth?

Create ‘how to’ property guides – These are great for building a following and positioning yourself as the local market expert. When thinking about topics, consider recurring challenges that most of your clients face and create a guide that gives them the answer. These guides won’t go out of date and they can be used on your social media platforms. You can also use guides as a free gift to help engage people requesting information about your services.

Build relationships with your local media – Ensure you become a familiar face to them, and someone they can approach for comments. Attend events organised by the publications, follow the journalists on social media and get to know the type of stories they write.

If you are active on Twitter, you might want to consider following local journalists or national ones who write on property as they will often tweet if they are looking for properties or quotes on an article.

Are you looking to generate more leads? Take a look at our guide which includes 10 brilliant lead generation tips.