Today we operate in a media saturated environment, which is at times blamed for all manner of ills. The 30-second grab and the 24 hours news cycle are sometimes seen as negatives. However when marketing real estate there is an important role that public relations can play a role, which now embraces both traditional and new media.

Over the last few weeks as the trophy Bishopscourt was taken to market I have been involved in a first hand and compelling example of how well managed PR can deliver powerful results. I think that it is worth briefly recounting how the Bishopscourt appointment was managed.

I am sure we all accept that across all aspects of real estate marketing the use of public relations is an essential tool and can pay great dividends. I also think we need to embrace all of the PR tools available to us and this includes all on-line media.

While advertising will always play a central media, the power of public relations can drive exposure that money cannot buy and with Bishopscourt that exposure included front-page coverage across several major newspapers.

It can be a great tool to get detailed attention for a particular aspect of a property that would otherwise be harder to communicate but as was the case with Bishopscourt, detailed planning was required. By connecting with the widest range of media outlets it was possible to generate high-level exposure in newspapers as diverse as The Telegraph, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian Financial Review and The Australian.

The PR generated for Bishopscourt was achieved across a wider target market so that people read an article, saw TV news or heard a radio interview about the project in an environment that interests them, and so this played an important role in demystifying this high profile property.

If my memory serves me well I think that within a few hours of releasing the news that Bishopscourt was for sale, we had exposure on several on-line publications and then we engaged this blog to boost our presence of Google. What all this means is that a potential buyer who might not be looking at a Bishopscourt advertisement, because ‘they are not in the market’ may have come across some editorial content that then captures their interest.

I should also add that a key part of our planning was to have available concise media statements, some relevant background material and a good selection of photography.

Media exposure however is not only product driven, context in the wider market is important and as already mentioned this was an important aspect for Bishopscourt where the sale of such an historic property was also important at a wider community level.

How is the success of public relations measured? The results in different markets will always influence the PR strategy used, and a feel good outcome alone can be worthwhile. It is also worth appreciating that for Bishopscourt a well planned and managed PR profile played a central role in building general awareness of the property and that type of effort will always continue to be of value.

With Bishopscourt launched on the market the planning of the PR elements, while not an overly complex task, did require the engagement of our client and our willingness to work closely with the press, TV, radio and digital media. The PR generated to-date (all of which was generated during the final stages of a federal election), has been extensive and covering local, metro and national media and importantly avoided any possible negative publicity.

Click here to visit Craig’s Blog