Opening the door on property PR: How to engage with the media

As a response to the supply and demand issue in housing leaving a majority of the nation’s millennials unable to buy a home, both established industry players and PropTech start-ups have stepped up to offer the house hunter and tenant a better way to deal with the perils of the lingering UK Housing Crisis.

In the world of property PR, this is as an opportunity.

Whether it is Brexit, Trump or a snap general election in the spotlight, your company’s voice should be one of the first heard in the market. A quick-fire reaction to the news agenda is the epitome of great coverage in the property sphere and is something the property press particularly favour. After all, the property landscape is something that will endure the test of time and will forever be a discussion needed to be had.

To elevate a company’s profile, whether it is a tech realtor like Square Feet, a flatmate matchmaking site like Ideal Flatmate or rental search service like MoveBubble, the end goal is to have your brand seen as an authority on the topic. Why? Well, if your CEO is seen as a thought leader in your target media, your potential demographic will grow to trust your brand. Association is a powerful thing in business.

This doesn’t mean relentlessly forcing your product offering or new start-up into the inboxes of randomly selected journalists claiming that your company can solve the housing crisis – that will get no meaningful coverage for your brand. It means you have to construct a reactive comment that reflects the issue at hand, show you understand the implication it will have on the sector and offer any predictions you may have for the future. Whilst doing so, try your absolute hardest to not turn it into a sales pitch.

There are three long term goals that property companies search for when they look to potentially source PR; to receive investment, boost user numbers in current or new territories, and to see more deals through the door. It is crucial that before you set out to pitch your brand that you clearly identify what you want to see happen to your company following the PR campaign:

  • If it is to receive investment: Target outlets that are watched, read or listened to by key investors and decision-makers in the property avenue. Fine-tune your messaging in each pitch to show why your company is worth their money.
  • If it is to boost user numbers and get more people to your site or app: Make sure you target media with a high consumer outreach in circulation and by rule of thumb, always aim to get a link back to your site to boost both your SEO on Google whilst simultaneously increasing the number of users landing on your homepage.
  • If it is to get more deals through the door: Say for example you work in real estate as an investor or lender, you need to target trade publications, associations and you shouldn’t underestimate the power of specialist publications with lower readerships, in both the UK and abroad. You will find these magazines go by the quality over quantity rule. It is often that these pieces of coverage are the ones that result in the direct closing of deals – because your voice was the one behind the article outlining how Brexit will stagger global real estate investor attention on the UK, not the voice reading it.

Let the overcrowded market know you fully understand and acknowledge a geopolitical shift’s impact on your industry, and let your potential customers and investors know that the company you run is part of a change that needs to happen.

Don’t be afraid to be a thought leader. Compile your opinions into a compelling argument and the media will listen.

If you would like to learn how Property PR could help benefit your business or brand then please get in touch.

Get in touch with the team