Public Relations is a key communication practice for leading MLSs. Silicon Valley, California-based MLSListings is leveraging Public Relations to promote the relevancy of the MLS in the best possible way. They have developed communications for the real estate trade media and the consumer media that are both having positive impact.
Consumer Media Trade
The real estate industry has brokers and agents who continue to invest in newspaper advertising. By and large, newspapers may not display real estate listings from the MLS unless there is a special consideration. To save brokers and agents money, MLSListings has developed an agreement with 12 BANG Bay Area newspapers that allow the newspaper to display the broker and agent contact information and listings (fair display) if the newspaper provides MLSListings with a monthly bi-line. Articles written by MLSListings CEO James Harrison or their Board of Directors President appear each month in these newspapers though the agreement. As a result, MLSListings has gotten $400,000 in media trade. MLSListings subscribers further benefit because every article points buyers and sellers to the value brokers and agents provide.
Consumer Press Release
MLSListings’ press release strategy has shifted from market statistics to lifestyle and is generating incredible results. For example, a snapshot from March of this year generated $120,000 in earned media advertising.
It has become very difficult for Associations and MLSs to get decent exposure to their publication about market stats. For a variety of reasons, newspapers publish data from Zillow Group, CoreLogic, or RealtyTrac. This shift by media company pickups has caused MLSListings to innovate around lifestyle.
Here is a sample headline that talks about foreign buyers –
MLSListings Becomes the First Real Estate Platform in California to Offer Chinese Translation
Silicon Valley Property Information Translated for Agents and Brokers
MLSListings Compiles List of Most Affordable Bay Area Homes
Silicon Valley Property Information for Homes Under $300k
As MLSListings issues press releases, they not only capitalize on supporting journalists with interesting consumer stories, but also educate consumers about the MLS, working with real estate professionals, and viewing listings on MLS- powered consumer websites.
MLSListings has parlayed their PR strategy into tens of thousands of consumer visits to their consumer facing website, MLSListings.com. Moreover, the press release gets published to hundreds of news wire sites, driving links back to their website for improved search engine optimization.
The secret behind the success at MLSListings is Myra Jolivet, the vice president of Public Affairs. Myra has spent her career in broadcast media before turning her attention to the real estate industry – first with the Houston Association of REALTORS® then PacWest Association of REALTORS, and has spent the past 5 years working with MLSListings.
If you do not have a pro like Myra, be sure to discuss your public relations needs with WAV Group. We are a full service Public Relations agency with deep relationships in both the real estate trades, and mainline consumer news. Call Victor at 805-709-6696 or email victor@wavgroup.com
