Real estate public relations in the digital age

Compared with a few years ago, possibilities for publicity have reached dizzying proportions. Where once real estate professionals confined themselves to a manageable menu of print and broadcast media, today's choices run the gamut from long respected newspapers and TV shows to online pubs, community patches, blogs, comparative shopping sites, email blasts, electronic newsletters, continually enhanced company websites, search engines and a growing number of social media sites. Faced with this array of options and limited resources, many real estate pros are at a loss to know what really works and where they should be spending their precious money and time to market properties and services and to burnish their image and reputation among buyers, sellers, tenants, bankers, brokers, and politicians. The answer is complex and requires analysis for each case. Your plan—and you must have a plan—should contain a mix of all or some of the above. If you are an individual broker looking for your next client or marketing a space, social media and a good interactive website might have priority. If you are an owner or brokerage head, then print and online newspapers and TV shows are still excellent for building brand to a targeted audience. Regardless of your plan and tactical mix, certain public relations requirements remain constant in the digital age: * Content and materials that are well presented and unique * Clear delineation of the audience targeted * Messaging that is articulate/true * Ability to execute well and, of course, * Tangible results Harry Zlokower is president of Zlokower Co. and the 2012 president of the N.Y. chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, New York, N.Y.