NRC to host Meet-the-Real-Estate-Media luncheon on May 3

How to work more effectively with the real estate press will be the focus of a luncheon Monday, May 3rd, when the National Realty Club (NRC) presents the first of its three Meet-the-Real-Estate-Media events scheduled for the year. The luncheon takes place from noon to 2 p.m. at the Friars Club, 55 East 55th St. The "how-to's" will be covered by a panel of influential New York real estate journalists: Lois Weiss of the New York Post; Anton Troianovski of The Wall Street Journal; Amanda Fung of Crain's New York Business; Tom Acitelli, editor of The Commercial Observer; and Jonathan Schein, President and CEO of Schein Media, publisher of NYInc., Metro Green, New York House, and New Jersey & Company. The moderator will be David Grant, president of LVM Group, a public relations firm that has specialized in real estate for the past 36 years. "NRC members often express interest in learning how they can get more coverage in the press, and how journalists decide what to write about," said Thomas Graf, NRC president and Principal of Mill Pond Capital. "Our response is to let reporters and editors answer for themselves, in person. "Especially in these challenging times, it's important for real estate people to understand how they can get their messages out to the relevant news media. This will be an exceptionally useful panel discussion, with a question-and-answer period to follow." Adam Marsh, NRC program chairman, and principal at Mill Pond Capital, said that past media-oriented luncheons have proved to be among the most popular events on the calendar. "The reason is more than just an interest in learning how to obtain publicity; it's also a desire to hear how journalists view what's going on in the real estate industry," said Marsh. "The experience can offer many useful insights." Graf and Marsh say some of the NRC members' questions, for which they hope answers will be forthcoming, include: * Given the size of our industry, is real estate sufficiently covered? * How do journalists decide what is news? Why one topic over another? Why one project over another? * To what extent does advertising affect news coverage? * What are the best ways to contact a journalist with a story idea? What are the worst ways? * How can real estate entities obtain fair and accurate coverage from the media? * What makes a good interviewee? Members will pay $55 per person in advance. Non-members will pay $125 per person in advance. Registration is at www.nationalrealtyclub.com/events.