Real Estate Communications: Add Color to Concrete

By Uwe Schmidt – Industrie-Contact AG

PR for real estate projects should always be focused on ensuring that clients sell properties. Our clients sell luxury properties as second homes abroad. In addition to traditional PR tools, we have used numerous tactics in past years to further improve the results of our work and help the sales process. For the moment, some of these tactics cannot be deployed due to social distancing amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. However, these tactics form the backbone of effective real estate communications and they are best kept in mind for post-Covid-19. Our agency Industrie-Contact is located in Hamburg from where we can operate throughout Germany, plus Austria and the German-speaking part of Switzerland if need be.

Here are some examples of our tried and tested tactics:

1. Organize and escort individual & group press trips

We offer planning of individual press trips for journalists and specialized bloggers. This is a proven method to guarantee a large volume of high-quality coverage in leading nationwide media (newspapers, news sites, blogs and social media) as well as in the trade press.

2. Trade show PR

ITB Berlin is the world’s leading trade show for the international tourism and second-home industry. Therefore, we participate at the ITB Berlin, highlighting our clients’ locations as top destinations for tourism and second homes. Exclusive press briefings and media events, as well as press conferences, secure a lot of touchpoints for the client.

3. Brokers events/tours

In addition, we organize broker events in Hamburg or any other city in Germany. We assess the broker landscape exactly according to our clients’ needs. For example, we book the Business Club Hamburg and arrange meetings for our clients with potential brokers. Afterwards we assess which brokers are likely to be a good fit. After the decision the client continues with a deeper in-depth introduction to the broker to make him or her 100% convinced and a true ambassador of the project.

We do the same in the German-speaking countries Austria and Switzerland. But in these countries, it makes sense to visit brokers one-on-one as they are spread around in the countries – sometimes also in smaller towns with high density of high net-worth individuals.

4. Brand collaborations

We often choose to collaborate with luxury brands. In such programs, these luxury brands host events at our clients’ properties. By doing so, the property will be featured in the brand’s catalogue as well as on its advertising images. The image of the selected luxury brand will swap over to the client’s image, thus it will be perceived as a luxurious hotspot worth visiting and investing in. By increasing media presence of the client, we aim to create images of high quality and increase awareness among a high-income target group. Trust and credibility are key!

5. Engagement Marketing

Using engagement marketing tactics creates direct touchpoints with clients. Destination branding events at the client’s resort such as MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions), sports events and tournaments aim to reach face-to-face contact to potential buyers, journalists, bloggers and influencers. Engagement marketing supports the activation of target groups by turning the audience into participants.

6. Chances during Covid-19 Pandemic

Tourism and the second-home industry have been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. Although travel restrictions are about to be withdrawn, the future of many companies directly or indirectly involved in tourism is still uncertain. Therefore, we also recommend other tactics that do not require travel. For example, webinars and virtual tours are a good way to introduce fascinating properties to journalists and bloggers and grab their attention.

During these uncertain times, PR is more important than ever. PR generates trust and sales. Second-home resorts will very likely benefit from the pandemic at the end, as investors understand that a second home can also be a safe haven in crisis times. Thus, it is money well invested.

This article was originally published on the Public Relations Global Network, here.

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Leeza Hoyt

Founder and President at The Hoyt Organization

With over 25 years of experience, Leeza’s campaigns have garnered over 150 awards from top public relations organizations nationwide. Additionally, THO serves as the Los Angeles area partner of the Public Relations Global Network, granting clients access to over 50 global markets. The agency was also named to one of the top 200 firms in the country by Forbes magazine in 2021, and she has been named by Globest.com as a Woman of Influence and a Woman to Watch, among other designations.

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