Before I entered the world of real estate PR, I spent many years as a news writer and producer at a top station in Philadelphia. I learned how to work under intense pressure while meeting deadlines. I learned the value of fact-checking because it’s better to be right than to be first. I covered everything from tragedies to incredible feats of humanity—and through it all, there was one question every editor asked: Why does this matter to the audience?
Although I’ve left journalism behind, I realize this same question applies every day in real estate communications. We’re in an era where we are flooded with content—some good, some bad and some downright misleading. With all the competing narratives circulating in the real estate world, it’s more important than ever to be a source of trust—and this is one goal every brokerage should strive for.
In order to establish an effective communications platform, you need to think like a newsroom. Journalists don’t start with what they want to say; they start with what readers need to know. Real estate brokerages spend a lot of time communicating their own perspectives, but consumers and agents care about very different things. Before you say anything, you have to understand who is receiving it.
The great debate over private listings is a great example of a controversial subject that means different things to different people. Agents care about how the industry shift will affect their business and their customers; consumers care about how private listings could affect sales prices and access. There is a similar chasm when it comes to property press—just because an agent feels a property is well-priced and pretty does not mean a reporter at the Wall Street Journal is going to want to write about it. You always have to question your why before sending anything out—or it will fall flat. It’s my job to tell agents whether I think there’s a story worth telling, or how to effectively communicate the same basic talking points to different audiences because they care about fundamentally different aspects.
Over the years I’ve learned that credibility is not earned overnight; trust is earned in small moments over time. In news, one inaccurate story will damage credibility. The same is true for brands. Whether your message is going to reporters, agents or consumers, accuracy and consistency matter. As much as we try to avoid them, mistakes happen because we’re human (even AI hallucinates!). It’s important to own those mistakes and rectify them. Transparency is key because it builds confidence. However, brands should recognize that one big announcement is not going to make you suddenly credible. You have to invest in your messaging and build trust over time whether it’s with reporters, agents or consumers. If you get comfortable, you are doing it all wrong.
Becoming a source of trust also means putting out content that matters. When I started in PR, brands relied almost exclusively on third-party credibility through newspapers, magazines and television. Today we have a shrinking news landscape but no shortage of self-promotion platforms such as blogs, social media, podcasts, websites and video.
This is a tremendous opportunity for brands to broadcast their messaging, but the responsibility remains the same: Who is receiving this, and why should they care? Brown Harris Stevens has done an incredible job creating its own media channels like the BHS Now Blog and the MoRE Podcast Network, producing everything from a variety of 18 different agent- and executive-led podcasts to comprehensive blog and op-ed pieces that have been cited by major publications, most recently by The New York Times.
The reach of our channels has never been higher, with our blog receiving over 22,000 weekly unique visitors and our podcasts netting 18,000 to over 270,000 views/downloads per episode. Our award-winning marketing team offers an in-house content studio, on-location production teams and staff writers who also collaborate with our agents to create meaningful material for consumer- and agent-facing audiences. We fully realize that simply publishing does not automatically build authority, so we strive to make every piece informative, worthwhile and most importantly, accurate.
While the platforms continue to evolve, the principles remain the same. Whether you’re reporting the news or leading communications for a brokerage, you must always put your audience first. Accuracy and transparency cannot be compromised. You have to learn when to push back and when to push on (even if—especially if—it can be a little scary!). Artificial Intelligence is completely changing the communications game, and brands that are not pushing out their own content consistently are going to be left behind.
Still, facts matter and your audience will care about your commitment to being honest, fair and clear. One of my first mentors in the newsroom said it best: The devil is in the details. Having your own platform is a powerful thing, so use it wisely!
For more information, visit https://www.bhsusa.com/.
