Real estate is always a hot topic in the media. Whether it’s daily newspapers, primetime news, podcasts, magazines, online media or digital videos and blogs, there’s plenty of demand for all things real estate!
Place has Brisbane’s strongest media presence in real estate. We have our own dedicated and experienced Public Relations team, which enables our brand, our clients, and our agents to get the publicity they deserve.
As an agent, getting editorial coverage in the media is not only cost-effective (i.e. free), it can help build your personal brand and provide ‘social proof’ of your expertise. Improving your public profile is a good way to get listings and sales, and in turn, revenue.
Importantly, not all property stories are created equal, and often knowing what makes a good real estate news story can seem like an unsolvable mystery! An article on a house with 10 others just like it right around the corner, is not going to cut the mustard.
Agent Drew Davies appears on Sunrise while marketing a house with its own skate bowl.
Therefore, at Place, public relations forms part of our larger brand marketing strategy, with a PR team who have first-hand experience in the media world.
Jenna Fearnley is our Place PR Queen. With a background in film, television and news spanning over 10 years, Jenna knows her way around a newsworthy story! She’s been a part of the Place Family for 6 years now, and in that time, has secured millions of dollar’s worth of free publicity for Place.
We sat down with Jenna to talk all things Media and Real Estate.
Why is having a PR strategy so important in the Real Estate Industry?
A public relations (PR) strategy is so incredibly important to ANY business because it helps amplify a brand’s reputation through credible sources, which include established media outlets and podcasts.
In relation to real estate – PR has the ability to help agents and property managers build their public profiles to attract buyers, sellers, developers and investors.
Often people get confused between PR and advertising – the difference is that advertising costs money and is a hard sell write up on your brand, whereas PR is completely free; an external party, like a media outlet writes a story about your brand because it is newsworthy.
What does your job involve on a day-to-day basis?
My day-to-day job involves researching listings, data and the market to get a better understanding of what media is looking for in real estate content, as this is ever-changing. I speak to many agents and journalists throughout the day and put together pitch briefs for media outlets, often revolving around interesting listings or achievements.
Media are looking for timely stories, so it’s important to be across the news of the day to ensure we can offer them relevant content.
They also love anything quirky, luxe, and data … data is gold!
What is your favourite thing about being the PR Manager at Place?
My favourite thing about being the PR Manager at Place is that no two days are the same– I am constantly finding new, interesting and different stories to help promote our fantastic brand and agents, with the goal of enhancing the company’s reputation and brand presence across Brisbane.
In your opinion, what makes a real estate story newsworthy?
Here are my seven elements of newsworthiness. If you follow this list when strategising PR for your brand, business, or listing, you are guaranteed to find a newsworthy story -
- Timeliness
- Proximity
- Human Interest
- Relevance
- Quirky / Unique / Bizarre
- Celebrity
- Data
What has been the most interesting real estate story you have pitched?
This is a tough question as there have been so many and it's hard to pick just one. From live crosses with various agents into Sunrise and the Today Show, to front cover stories in the Courier-Mail around the market – there have been many memorable stories.
In my first year at Place, we were securing a TV stories every other week around data and research, coupled with agents and their vendors.
The quirky ones are always my favourite – church conversions, major renovations, funny additions to homes.
What has been the highlight of your career at Place so far?
I have a handful of highlights during my six years with Place.
Although I was very nervous, I thoroughly enjoyed MC-ing at the conference a few years back alongside Managing Director, Paul Curtain.
I enjoyed creating and producing the past and most recent corporate videos.
Creating the content marketing strategy alongside former marketing manager Stevie Dillon was also a special chapter of the Place brand and its transition into the digital world.
Further to this, a highlight will always be securing front cover stories and big TV stories for agents and the Place brand as the exposure is limitless.
Jenna Fearnley with Janine Ellis at Place Conference 2019.
There you have it! Free publicity opens opportunities, as it assists in reaching a larger audience. It provides credibility from a third party and helps a potential buyer connect with a home, in a way advertising may not, through storytelling and real experiences.
At Place, we use an independent media analytics program and provide monthly reports for our Place people, demonstrating our market-share in media compared to our competition and how agents can use it to their advantage.
Place HQ are dedicated to providing smarter real estate solutions to our teams, and our PR arm is just one way we make that happen!
Does your agency have PR in their marketing mix? If not, perhaps it is time you consider making our Place, your Place?