From Intern to Insider: My First Year in Real Estate PR

When I began my career in real estate PR, I was a recent graduate with a bachelor’s in communication, along with coveted internships with Marino and the U.S. House of Representatives under my belt. Throughout the last year, I have had the opportunity to work with leaders in the real estate industry and learn from some of the best minds in PR. Here are some of my biggest takeaways from the first year of my journey toward becoming a better PR professional:  

Media relationship development is critical  

One of the primary value-adds that a publicist brings to their clients is a bench of strong media relationships. Media relationships go far beyond simply having a reporter's contact information; it is about knowing a reporter personally, understanding their preferred interests, writing style, and workflow process. While broad outreach may serve a purpose in some cases, a more bespoke, delicate, and targeted approach is required to take media visibility to the next level.  

The first key to developing relationships with reporters is to know their interests and what they are writing about. Any reporter will tell you they receive hundreds, if not thousands, of pitches a day, many of them irrelevant to their beat. The easiest way to build relationships with reporters is to pitch them announcements or story ideas that are relevant to their interests and areas of coverage. Take the time to ask a reporter what they are interested in and keep that on file. The goal is to break through the noise and ensure that when a reporter sees you reach out to them, they know the information you are giving them is relevant and specific to their writing.  

The second key to building reporter relationships is to know how to approach a reporter and how to conduct follow-ups. Some reporters prefer phone calls; some would prefer email. If a reporter wants information over email, they may, for example, have ways they prefer it to be formatted. Remember, anything you can do to ensure that your pitch is easily readable, accessible, and relevant increases the chances that your pitch will be the one a reporter reads and actions upon. 

Embrace technology the correct way 

The increase in availability and power of AI has fundamentally changed every industry, and public relations is no different. Writing is such a critical part of PR, and the advent of platforms such as ChatGPT has made AI’s ability to reduce writing time a tempting prospect.  While utilizing ChatGPT as a writing service may be attractive to industry newcomers, especially those who entered the workforce during the “AI age,” removing the human touch from your writing can ultimately be a disservice to you and your clients. While ChatGPT and other similar platforms can be useful in PR work, they should be viewed as helpful tools rather than being solely relied upon for writing clear and concise press releases, pitches, or commentary that properly conveys a client's messaging.  

Despite their limitations, AI platforms can serve a critical purpose in day-to-day work as a means of brainstorming, supplementing research, and compiling complex search results for niche topics faster and more accurately than Google. The key to successful outcomes when using AI is ensuring that you are checking the accuracy of the platform’s output and performing your own due diligence.  

A strong grasp of market trends is your greatest strength  

The greatest strength a PR professional can have is to remain up to date on market and industry trends. Real estate is ever evolving, and throughout the last year, the industry has experienced many changes: discussion of interest rates has shifted drastically, tariff threats have disrupted construction, and varying demand across sectors has altered investments nationwide. In a market that changes by the minute, knowledge of what is occurring at a macro level across the industry allows for more informed decision-making and creates opportunities to align your clients with current events.  

The best way to stay up to date on market trends is to read as much as possible, especially trade publications and beat reporters covering the industry you work in, to provide insights into the major storylines of the moment. Reading these trade publications not only gives you a better grasp of market trends but also allows you to better understand what specific journalists are writing about, their style, and their interests.  

Know when to stick to a plan and when to adapt  

Planning ahead for a media campaign is essential among teams in aligning on timing, media angles, and expectations. In a perfect world, a plan would be absolute; however, it is important to remember when developing a plan that timelines are subject to change, and initiatives evolve as they progress. For example, in real estate, there are many hurdles to getting a project to completion: construction timelines get pushed, TCOs get delayed, and financing falls through. These hurdles can poke holes in a plan, disrupting the anticipated timeline for a PR push, however the key to developing a plan that can remain intact in the face of hurdles is to be flexible and knowing when to pivot. It is easy to get frustrated in situations where everything does not go to plan, but instead of viewing schedule changes as obstacles, view them as new opportunities. The flexibility to accept that your plan will change and develop over time is a massive strength that may lead to better opportunities going forward.  

The public relations sector is constantly changing and evolving, and with it, PR professionals must adapt. The lessons I learned in my first year in the industry will serve as a guiding star through the balance of my career. Understanding media relationships is critical, especially as prominent outlets alter the way they distribute information to adapt to the digital age. Embracing technology correctly is imperative as new technologies enter the market and AI continues to advance. And as market trends shift more frequently and drastically than ever, staying on top of the news cycle becomes even more necessary. While you can plan around these industry fundamentals, the most important thing to remember is that plans are always subject to change, so never be afraid to adapt.