Real Estate Press Releases To Increase Your Business:
It's been almost two years since I wrote the last tutorial on writing a real estate press release, so it is time to update it with some more current ideas. Writing press releases is part of Cooper Jacobs Real Estate's marketing plan and we regularly promote our Seattle real estate agents in press releases.
Press Releases are different than blog posts and other articles because they should be short and sweet with little fluff, but also provide something of interest. It should be written in third person as if you are a reporter of the event, not the star of the event. A press release should boldly announce something that may be of interest to anyone. The goal is that someone will read it and be interested in what you have to say and ask for more information. It should be newsworthy, but doesn't have to be earth shattering.
"an official statement issued to newspapers giving information on a particular matter." - Google definition
So what do you write about in a real estate press release?
Often times, a real estate agent may not know what to write about in a press release, but there are lots of options and the medium is quite flexible for getting the word out about your business. Even if it isn't picked up by a news source, it is seen by Google quickly and ranks high in searches.
Here are just a few ideas for appropriate real estate related press releases:
- Announce an award
- Announce a new member to the team or new broker in the office
- Promotions in the office
- Market reports or interesting market trends
- Significant sales or listings of really interesting properties
- Announce when you beat out the competition or are "selected to represent" a stunning property
- Interesting real estate stats or news
- Announce a new website or community blog
- Announce a philanthropic contribution to society
- Recent accomplishments in the office
- Announce an upcoming event
The list can be as long as Inman's recent list covering 300 things to blog about for the rest of your career. It just has to be more news related and written in a more formal manner. Press Releases are formatted differently than blog posts as well. You will want a catchy headline, a short summary, and a body. The ideal press release is just a few paragraphs and 700 - 1100 words (think 7-11). At the end you will need to provide the media contact information (usually your info) so that if your press release is picked up they will know who to credit and contact for more info. If you want more details about writing a press release, please feel free to email me. There is also a great tutorial on PRLog.org if you would like to see it laid out.
Where to submit your press release:
There are many options for submitting a press release to a press release distribution service and many of them are free. The free options are perfectly adequate although paying for a premium service on a significant press release could gain you more exposure. In addition to a PR distribution site, you should also gather local newspaper media contacts, business journal contacts, and real estate publication contacts. For a real estate broker or company, submitting your press release to these local and targeted sources could be more beneficial than even a press release distribution service.
Here are some places to submit your press releases for free. They also offer premium services in some cases.
http://www.1888pressrelease.com
I hope this has been helpful to you. Active Rain has been a long time supporter of real estate press releases and there are some interesting examples of them if you fish around. I would love to hear about your press release tips and what has worked for you. I am no expert, but I know what has worked for me and am always eager to learn from you if you have better advice.
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