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Don’t just sell houses – sell yourself, say PR experts, Helen Evison and Holly Addinall. The art of PR T


he boom years, for the property industry, saw a sharp rise of new estate


agents setting up all over the country and despite the recession forcing many to close branches or even fold altogether, for those that have survived, competition remains fierce. So, how do you stand out from


the crowd, and how can smaller agents compete against the ‘big boys’ for their market share? A key element to the marketing mix is ‘promotion’ and most estate agents do this very well on behalf of their customers, placing advertisements for properties, establishing partnerships with property search engines and such like. However, many forget that despite that new logo or modern branch re-fit, the fact is, this gives the customer very little clue as to why they should use you, what you can offer over others and the type of operation that you run, leaving them to think, as many do, that all estate agents are about the same as each other.


Key messages The key is not just marketing property, but marketing your agency. One of the problems is that few agencies have not considered what their own key messages are, let alone put vehicles in place for the delivery of these, and this is where a specialist PR agency could assist. No matter how big or small the


estate agent, PR can help raise the brand profile, be that within a specific regional area or within the industry. It has the crucial responsibility of both a


38 l April 2012 l TheNegotiator


working with a PR agency can provide an external counsel that will give you a perspective that may not be visible


“Sometimes,


from within your own company.”


company’s identity and reputation and without influencing that, you leave others to make up their own mind about you. Using a PR agency that specialises in your field means that you can be advised on the best way to get your message out and where to go with it so that it reaches your target audience. So why shouldn’t you just


employ someone to carry out PR in-house?


This is not always an option for


all companies and can be costly and time-consuming to set up if not already in place, with the added burden of managing whoever you employ. PR is one of those things that many companies always have the intention of doing, but never find


time to budget for, which often results in a half-hearted attempt. Sometimes, working with a PR agency can provide an external counsel that will give you a perspective that might not be visible from within your own company. This could mean hearing things that you don’t want to, but a good PR agency should challenge your ideas if they don’t consider them newsworthy. After all, good PR, as well as having the right contacts in place, is about the power of the written word put together in a no-nonsense, specialised news format, not sending out blatant commercial messages. It is the PR’s reputation with journalists on the line too if the content is not suitable. In addition, external agents act


on behalf of other clients and consequently may unearth opportunities that in-house staff would not. As a result, they have built relationships with a wider selection of editorial staff outside the ‘property’ box, and will recognise if a story could be of interest to other outlets such as money magazines or lifestyle magazines, therefore offering greater opportunity for coverage.


Maximise the investment To make the most of a PR agency you should look to ‘adopt’ them as another department within your business. Taking them on and letting them loose to carry out PR activities on your behalf is all well and good, but effort should be made on both parts to develop a strong working relationship just like any other. This will enable the agency to


better understand how you operate and give you the opportunity to alleviate your work load knowing that you can trust it is being taken care of. With that said, elements of PR


are very time sensitive and it is important to remember you are the expert in your field. Therefore, providing a spokesperson for the company that PRs can get hold of easily is crucial in order to make the most of editorial opportunities. Responding to an email or calling back the next day could be too late. Whilst agents should be guided


by what their PR agency tells them will and won’t make a good story, they should also be confident enough to suggest possible stories, it is better to make a suggestion and it not be accepted than not mention it all, your PR agency will know if it is any good. Always think ‘case study’ and bring anything unusual to their attention. Finally, introducing and making your PR representative known to other key figures in your business gives everyone the opportunity to put their ‘PR hat’ on, thereby maximising opportunities and ensuring that your PRs are kept abreast of any developments and changes which you might not consider significant, but they may. Most importantly, remember a


continuous flow of information creates a constant awareness and a constant influx of enquiries.


Contact Helen Evison or Holly Addinall at the In-house Way. www.theinhouseway.co.uk l


www.the-negotiator.co.uk


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