Membership organizations benefit from having a deep pool of stories to tell but face the unique challenge of aligning member insights with organizational mission. Read on for public relations best practices specific to real estate membership organizations – which are likely relatable to many other membership associations, too.
A real estate public relations program that is built upon a solid, strategic foundation and takes a multimedia approach to storytelling can build trust, strengthen credibility and grow share of voice. And, while all of those outcomes can benefit brokerages, developers, investors, property managers and more, they offer a unique benefit to membership organizations.
You see, as the voice of an industry, membership organizations benefit from having a deep pool of expert resources and compelling stories at their fingertips. They also face the unique challenge of balancing the organization’s voice and positioning with the groundswell of commentary emanating from hundreds if not thousands of members, each with their own unique mission, messaging and goals. As the voice of the industry, these organizations must carefully balance the conditions that allow members to thrive while advocating for policies, procedures and processes. So, where should membership organizations start when it comes to building an impactful real estate PR program that achieves their organizational needs while supporting members’ goals?
Step 1: Build Consensus
Building buy in is a foundational part of developing a marketing strategy, conceptualizing a public relations program and building a legislative agenda. For membership organizations, it’s also a tool for motivating members to buy into a shared mission. Something as simple as deploying a short electronic survey (think 5-10 questions) can help gauge members’ appetites for everything from co-authoring op-eds to serving as a spokesperson for the media. It can also help to identify potential sticking points and roadblocks to getting key storylines out to the media. Note: You may also have the opportunity to convene small, informal focus groups (think 5-10 people, at max) to start a dialogue around key goals and priority storylines during this process.
As you go through the consensus-building process, consider:
- What’s in it for members? (Think exposure to media, positioning them as a thought leader, face-time with key elected officials and decision makers, etc.)
- How does this advance the organization’s mission?
- How will members input be translated into a real estate public relations program that achieves the membership organization’s primary objectives?
- What are the potential barriers to execution? (These may be other organizations, member’s own organizations, key community figures, business climate, etc.)
- How will our organization evaluate the success of the consensus-building process?
When members are bought into the mission and message, they are more likely to become willing ambassadors who openly share information with their own clients and networks. They are also more likely to become word-of-mouth referral sources who help to cultivate new members.
While building consensus can take a bit of time, it is an investment in ensuring all parties are on the same page and reading from the same sheet of music – both of which can go a long way in amplifying the impact of a public relations program.
Step 2: Audit Resources
While auditing resources is key to determining your organization’s bandwidth for implementing a public relations program, it can also be helpful for identifying spokespersons beyond your staff (e.g. member spokespersons) who could be key resources for the media. Depending on the specialty sector of the real estate industry on which your membership organization specializes, the list of key spokespersons to look for may include:
- A multifamily developer who builds trend-setting properties
- A broker who has earned accolades for listing and selling in a certain neighborhood or property class
- A public affairs executive who has been integral in advancing industry policies
- An investor who has a keen understanding of industry dynamics and market drivers
- A member who is already a well-established, go-to source for the media
When compiling a list of key spokespersons, be mindful of availability. Who can be approached to contribute to a media interview on short notice and whose schedule is booked days, weeks or months in advance? Accessibility of spokespersons is key to executing an effective real estate public relations program and, while it may seem like a small detail in the grand scheme of things, it should not be overlooked.
Once you’ve assessed your membership organization’s pool of prospective spokespersons, audit media assets to determine:
- What, if any, videos can you offer media as b-roll?
- Do you have any samples of spokespersons on camera to help convince the media to pursue an interview?
- Do you have high resolution photos of key properties and projects to share?
- Are there current, high-res headshots of all spokespersons available?
- What assets are you missing?
While by no means exhaustive, these checklists can help to spark deeper considerations around who and what is necessary to launch and execute an effective real estate public relations program for your membership organization.
And, once you know what assets you have in place, it’s time to…
Step 2.5: Map Storylines
Overlapping both the resource identification and campaign planning processes, mapping storylines is one of the most vital components of an effective public relations program. Regardless of whether you are a regional membership association representing residential brokers or a national organization representing the nation’s largest developers, carefully crafted storylines are among your real estate PR program’s most powerful assets.
As you embark upon this process, be sure to think about spokespersons who could help to bring these stories to life, as well as which storylines (1) best represent the depth and breadth of your organization and (2) are most strongly aligned with your PR goals. Also, keep in mind some common attributes you may have seen in your industry’s recent media coverage – from sector specialties, to major milestone anniversaries, to specific company circumstances (employee-owned, women-led, certified MWBE of SDVOB, etc.), to geographic niches – and work to fold at least a few folks who meet one or more of these criteria into the mix.
It can also be helpful to put an ongoing story collection mechanism in place to ensure a fresh feed of story ideas is continuously flowing. This may include a member submission form for circulating news, ways for staff to share member news internally, and opportunities to gather member news at organizational events.
And, don’t forget about building your storytelling network. What affinity groups are you connected with? Are there other industries who play pivotal roles in the stories you are trying to tell? Would the voices of elected officials or policy makers enhance the credibility of your stories? There may be opportunities throughout the course of your membership organization’s PR program to fold these additional sources into your media pitches to place more robust stories with greater impact.
One caveat about planning: While having an arsenal of compelling story lines ready to pitch is important for maintaining a consistent media relations program, being nimble can generate timely press coverage on relevant topics while significantly enhancing an organization’s expert positioning. But, remember, when inserting oneself into the breaking news cycle, adding value is paramount. Relevant sources who are available to provide commentary on short notice are valuable assets to the media. On the other hand, sources who are stretching the boundaries of their expertise to be relevant, are inaccessible and/or add clutter may ultimately erode their trust with the media.
Step 3: Chart a Clear Course
Transparency is an integral component of any public relations program. And, for membership organizations, it starts with laying out a clear and concise plan to share amongst members. Things to consider during the planning process, include:
- Goals & Objectives
- Target Audiences (primary, secondary and tertiary)
- Key Message Points
- Tactics
- Spokespersons & Expert Sources (ideally, broken down by area of expertise and preferred interview mediums/formats)
- Media Targets
- Execution / Implementation Timeline
- Evaluation Metrics
With a clearly defined plan in place, and a carefully planned timeline for implementation, it’s time to delve into developing assets. Do you need short video clips to embed in media pitches? Would a release of new data benefit from some mini-infographics that could be shared with media? And, don’t forget about any fact sheets, media training or other resources that could help various spokespersons to be as successful as possible during media interviews.
With a plan mapped out and a bank of assets ready for use, it’s time to delve into implementation.
Step 4: Launch with Eyes Wide Open
Unveiling a new real estate public relations program can be an exciting moment for a membership organization. It can represent a convening of voices and ideas for the advancement of an industry, and help to shine a spotlight on businesses, leaders and issues that may have otherwise been overlooked. It also requires a keen awareness of the media and industry climate at the time of launch. Do you need to pivot? Shift the timeline slightly? Or swap the first story angle out of the gate for something timelier? Keeping these environmental factors top of mind can help to optimize not only the launch of a campaign but play a leading role in informing its continued success.
Step 5: Monitor – and Adjust Accordingly
There are countless factors that impact the pickup a media story or pitch. Everything from the state of the current news cycle to the contact selected to the day and time the story idea drops play a role in what gets picked up and what falls flat. Just because a pitch doesn’t pique the interest of your top choice reporter or outlet doesn’t mean it isn’t a good story – it may just be a better story for someone, or somewhere, else. As you monitor the impact of your ongoing real estate PR efforts, keep a watchful eye on:
- Story lines that did – and did not – resonate with media
- Key message points that have proved salient, been overlooked and/or been misinterpreted/misrepresented
- Effectiveness of individual spokespersons, but interview topic and format
- Media outlets that have been most – and least – interested in your organization’s news
Executing an impactful real estate public relations program requires ongoing monitoring and refinement. The relevance of various story lines changes over time, media leave and enter the market, member spokespersons change companies and occupy new roles, organizational priorities change, and the list goes on.
The good news is that with a solid, strategic PR strategy in place, making light tweaks to optimize the effectiveness of a real estate public relations program is painless. And, with a bevy of members willing to share their stories and advance the dialogue, your organization is poised for continued PR success.
