Do you send out press releases to help promote your real estate services?
If you use real estate press releases, good for you. If you don’t, why not?
I know, if you aren’t using them, your first thought might be “Because I don’t do anything newsworthy.”
But think about the other news you see in your local newspaper.
Have you seen tidbits about new people being hired at businesses in your community? I have.
Have you read news about fund-raising projects that mention the names of organizers and volunteers? I have.
Have you seen news about participants at Chamber of Commerce meetings or read that some local person attended an out-of-town conference or won an industry award? I have.
All of those things are considered news, and you probably do some of them, at least occasionally.
When that happens, send out press releases and get yourself in the news!
Why should you bother with real estate press releases?
Because when you show up in the news it sends a subliminal message to the readers. You must be someone special because things you do are newsworthy. When a newspaper writes about you, it’s almost an endorsement of you and your service. (That is, of course, unless the news is negative.) This is another, even more powerful, version of word-of-mouth advertising.
Next, because press releases are advertising you don’t have to pay for.
Today, you can submit your press releases to print newspapers and to online news magazines. So look around and see what is out there. Does your local community have a small newspaper that serves the population that you serve? Local “freebie” publications are a good place to be seen by local residents.
Why should they print your news?
Because they want to print things that will interest their readers. The only way they can earn ad revenue is to show advertisers that people are reading their publications.
They might not print your story immediately, unless it is time sensitive, because they may have plenty of other news. But when a slower news day comes along and they need to fill space with something interesting, they will look to press releases to fill that space.
Articles are another powerful marketing tool…
When a newspaper prints your articles, they are implicitly saying that you are an expert whose information can be relied upon. When you show up on those pages repeatedly, the message will be reinforced.
And again, there’s no monetary cost. All you have to do is create good articles that the newspaper editors know will interest their readers.
Not many agents in our area do any kind of marketing, but one enterprising soul in a nearby community writes a quarterly report that’s published in the Co-op magazine. That magazine is sent to every residence in the county.
His article – usually a full page – includes sales statistics and year to year comparisons for the 3 northern Counties in Idaho. He shows pricing, number of sales, and inventory. The accompanying article is his take on where and how the market is changing. Note that in spite of covering more than 4,000 square miles, the population of our counties is relatively small, with a combined population of less than 200,000.
Your articles can be about a variety of topics. As long as they’re real estate related, they’ll be establishing you as the local expert. So think about it.
Keep in mind that there’s a format to follow…
It is important that you follow the accepted format if you want an editor to pay attention and take you seriously. Just writing a letter telling them what you’re doing won’t get you anywhere.
The format will give them the pertinent information: who, what, when, where, and why.
Remember that a press release is there to give you exposure to your market, but it cannot be an obvious advertisement for your services.
Don’t forget about on-line news magazines…
Their readers want interesting and informative articles too. So send your press releases and submit your 
articles. If you’re a subscriber, send them directly to the news editor. Otherwise, use one or more of the free press-release distribution sites. Here’s a list of free press release sites to choose from.
More information and ideas:
For more press release content ideas and to see the proper format for submitting a press release, visit https://copybymarte.com/real-estate-press-releases-and-articles/
There you’ll also find a list of common mistakes that will send your press release directly to an editor’s trash file or wastepaper basket.
And finally…
if you want a press release written but don’t want to write it, get in touch. I love helping real estate agents build their businesses.
