Real estate professionals who want free media coverage need to be able to offer sharp research and fun presentation, according to a world-famous agent.
Million Dollar Listing star Sam DeBianchi, who is travelling to Australia for AREC, said media outlets want commentators who can educate consumers – but with a twist.
“You need to really research the information. Don’t promote the statistics – leave that to the economists – but report about it with your own spin,” she told Real Estate Business.
“If you've seen any of my news interviews on Fox or CNBC, I'm always putting some fun twist to the news so it's memorable and so people can actually understand the information.”
Ms DeBianchi said agents who are too shy to appear in the mainstream media can use social media to build their profile.
The way to build a social media following is to deliver a targeted message while also injecting some personality, according to Ms DeBianchi.
“You have to give people a reason to be interested in you and you need to set yourself apart,” she said.
“When I first started, I needed everyone to know that I was now a realtor, so of course about 90 per cent of what I put out there was real estate-driven.
“But it wasn't just posting new things about 'look at this property', it was more informative mixed in with my twist on real estate and becoming the trusted source.”
Ms DeBianchi said one social media channel with which she has considerable success is LinkedIn, even though it’s aimed at professionals rather than consumers.
She told Real Estate Business that she uses LinkedIn to target high-value clients such as business executives. It can also be used to connect with media professionals, she added.
Ms DeBianchi will be one of the keynote speakers at AREC, which will be held on the Gold Coast from May 31 to June 1.
Subscribers to REB+ will receive a $200 discount on AREC tickets. Click here for more details.
[Related: How agents can be authentic in social media]