8 Tips for Becoming a Local Media Superstar

At the 2015 Zillow Group Premier Agent® Forum in Las Vegas, an annual event that brings together thousands of Premier Agents, attendees got the inside track on how to build their brand by becoming a local celebrity in their markets. Jay Thompson, Zillow Group director of industry outreach, and Katie Curnutte, vice president of communications and public affairs, shared how to become the media’s go-to real estate expert in your local area; like working with clients, it’s all about building relationships.

Here are 8 tips for becoming the local media’s real estate superstar.

1. Know when you’re ready

Jay Thompson became the media’s go-to guy in Phoenix — a sizeable market — when he was just three years into his real estate career and his blog. So it isn’t decades of paying your real estate dues that makes you ready for the big-time: it’s being able to speak confidently, knowledgeably and objectively about your chosen industry.

2. Understand that being quoted by the press doesn’t generate leads

At least, not directly. What you’re doing is implementing a long-term strategy that builds your brand, and television, radio or newspaper exposure can be an enormous boost in consumers’ awareness of you. Being able to say that you’ve been consulted as an expert by your local TV station lends a certain cachet and credibility to your listing presentation. It certainly is a gangbuster conversation starter.

3. Focus on building the relationship — just like real estate

A successful real estate agent builds mutually beneficial client relationships that are based on honesty and respect. To be a successful media source, you should take the same approach. Reporters are constantly searching for stories and sources and they are always on deadline — so they need you as much as you need them. Respect their time; when you email a reporter, don’t follow up five minutes later asking if they received your message. When you call, always ask if it’s a good time to talk. Understand the reporter’s needs and how they work, and you’ll soon build rapport that blossoms into a partnership.

Don’t hesitate to interact with media contacts whenever you can. If you’re called into their studio or office for an interview, chat up the producer or interns. When your interview is done, ask the reporter when the piece will air or be published. Keep building the relationship after you part ways: Get the reporter’s email address and social media handles so that you can engage online as well.

4. Remember that it’s not about you

A reporter’s audience is the consumer, not real estate agents. When you pitch them your ideas or expertise, make sure your angle is around homes, trends and the overall real estate market — topics that will appeal to buyers and sellers. Reach out with something of substance. Don’t just say you wrote a blog article; say you did a statistical analysis of a certain city or neighborhood and would like to offer your unique, professional insight.

Realize that you will be edited — the reporter might only give a glancing summary of your 1,000-word blog article or cut your 30-minute pre-recorded interview down to a two-minute segment. The objective of your interview wasn’t for you to expound, it was to get exposure. Have an opinion, but leave your ego at the office; a reporter will cut you off if they feel you’re on a soapbox.

Also, don’t be demanding by asking the reporter to include a link to your site. If you cooperate with the media, you have to be flexible and not try to dictate what they put in the article. The reporter might not be able to include a link to your site due to corporate policy.

5. Respond quickly

As with calls from leads and contacts, you have to answer your phone and respond with lightning speed when a reporter calls. You might only have a few minutes to drive to their studio or come up with an opinion about the story they’re covering. Be flexible and accommodating; when you can’t make yourself available, the reporter will very quickly move on to the next real estate agent who can. When becoming the local media’s go-to real estate person is part of your marketing strategy, you must have the mindset that at any second, you might need to drop what you’re doing and hot-foot it to meet a reporter.

6. Give them what they need and know your stuff

Any reporter can trawl the Internet for facts and figures, but they need you to put real estate data into context for buyers and sellers, share what it means and offer your expertise on how people might use that information. For example, is there a strip mall going in next to a residential neighborhood? You’re the expert — what do you think will happen to home values? What should people do? Become an expert in a complicated but newsworthy story or event, then write a blog post based on major industry reports and relevant public data from respected sources, such as Zillow Research. Call your local reporter to see if it’s something they can turn into a story today or tomorrow. Make sure you’ve identified key messages the audience should take away from the story. You stand a better chance of getting on air or in print if you’re willing to speak openly and honestly about the not-so-sunny side of real estate, such as when it might not be such a good time to buy or sell. Useful news isn’t always good news. Objectivity is credibility: When you’re willing to speak out about “standard business practices” and challenge the status quo, you make it clear that you do what’s best for your clients. The media might also find you compelling because your blog or social media covers a range of topics that explore the human condition. For example, reporters were attracted to Thompson’s blog because he wrote about many things that were loosely — if at all — related to real estate. The topics were personal and engaging, as was Thompson himself, which the media knew would appeal to their audience.

7. Do your own PR

Becoming the media’s go-to real estate expert isn’t just a case of “if you build it, they will come.” Yes, chances are that when reporters are filing stories, they have interns scouring the Internet for information sources and they just might stumble across your name. But why not make it easier for them to find and qualify you? Start by building content — for example, blog or social media posts where you share who you are and what you think about things in an interesting, relevant and unbiased way. Don’t write your blog articles with the sole intention of having them picked up by the news, but if the topic is compelling, you should definitely send the link to your media contact. You’ll quickly start to get a good feel for what they’re looking for.

Next, identify your target media contacts. Make a list of the local reporters you follow, watch or listen to on radio, then find their email addresses and phone numbers. Call or email your media contact and see if they’re interested in running a real estate story based on the compelling blog article or market analysis that you’ve put together. Make sure the piece you pitch coincides with newsworthy current events.

8. Follow up with your contacts

Once you get your name out there with the media, keep your mojo going by staying active and accessible in your blog, social media channels and professional network. Visibility as an active participant in real estate helps boost your exposure to the media and increases the likelihood that they will call on you as a reliable, available expert.

The idea of being quoted on television or radio or in the newspaper sounds exciting and glamorous — and the exposure can certainly help build your brand among your local market — but the opportunity doesn’t happen overnight or without a great deal of effort on your part. Like cultivating real estate leads, you have to build relationships with reporters; prove yourself to be a source of thoughtful and actionable real estate content, and they will seek out your expertise.