How to get press coverage for your property development

With dwindling property pages in local media and huge competition for space in national supplements, residential and commercial developers need to think differently about their property PR campaign.

Here are five points to consider when planning how your scheme will make headlines.

1. What’s the problem?

Strange question perhaps, but what problem does your property solve?  Does it meet a requirement for sustainability? Are you providing housing where there is a shortage? Are you offering co-working space where office leases are high?

Each and every product is designed to solve a problem. Yours will be no different. The trick with building a story is to highlight that problem, then present your property or development as the solution.

2. The news agenda

What timely or topical hook can you use to promote your property?  We saw a great example of this recently when property portal Rightmove published research to show that the number of Londoners searching for rural properties is up 10 per cent because of Covid-19.  Immediately following this, we saw an upturn in media requests looking for out of town properties to feature along with case studies of buyers making the move.

Keep things current and topical. Talk about your roof terrace or outside space when a heatwave is forecast, promote sustainable buildings on World Environment Day, focus on Cornish homes when Poldark airs…..you get the gist.

3. What’s your point of difference?

Think about firsts and superlatives – this may also be what sets your property apart.  Is your property the first of its kind in an area?  Is it the largest, the most energy efficient, the first homes with dedicated live-work spaces, a new delivery model, the first social housing built in an area for 20 years?… the list goes on.  Chances are, your scheme will have one.  And it will be what makes it genuinely newsworthy.

4. Images

Just one thing to say here.  GOOD PICTURES ARE EVERYTHING.

5. Tell the human story

The fifth, but most important element is human interest.  Every story worth its salt revolves around people.

Think of it in these terms: if you have a new office building launching in the city, what will it mean to the people who work there? What impact will it have on local businesses? What new opportunities will it drive for employment? what different will it make to peoples’ lives?   If you want to evoke emotion and reaction, put people at the centre of your story.

Here at AMBITIOUS PR we love working with property companies to amplify their brand message and reach new clients and customers. We work with the likes of Origin Workspace and Artisan Real Estate to global brands including CBRE. For a chat about how we can support your residential property launch, contact the AMBITIOUS team.