Some real estate professionals can generate news coverge for themselves or their companies by helping to organize fundraising events for worthwhile causes. Others can get publicity by taking part in those events, as the following excerpt from a Feb. 8, 2008 story in The Patriot Ledger shows:
IT ALL STARTED TO HELP CHARITY: ‘Dancing with the Realtors’ finale is set for tonight in Boston
By KAREN GOULART
The Patriot Ledger
If you’d told (Chairel) Baker or (John) Heaney six months ago that they’d be hoofing it for a top prize tonight at the Eastern United States Dancesport Championships - one of the nation’s premiere dance competitions - they’d probably have said you were crazy.
Their expertise, after all, is not bringing down the house; it’s selling the house. Baker and Heaney are Realtors.
But when they heard about ‘‘Dancing with the Realtors,’’ an event to raise money for local chapters of Habitat for Humanity, they slipped on their dancing shoes and never looked back.
‘‘I’ve done a lot of things with Habitat for Humanity in the past, and knowing how much I love to dance, I decided I had to do it,’’ said Heaney, of Century 21 Annex Realty in Quincy.
Baker, who works for Jack Conway & Co. in Hanson, skated competitively in high school and once had a Jazzercise franchise. She loved dancing for fun, but this would be a whole new adventure.
‘‘This is as totally far off the chart as anything I’ve ever done,’’ she said with a laugh. ‘‘It’s a little out of my comfort zone ... but I kept telling myself: ‘It’s a great cause, it’s a great cause.’ I can’t build houses, so this is my way to help.’’
‘‘Dancing with the Realtors’’ is the creation of Linda Covino of the Eastern Middlesex Association of Realtors. It started out, in April, as a contest among Realtors in that association. That event raised $21,000 for the Greater Boston Chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
It evolved into a challenge to the 16 other Realtor associations around the state.
The Plymouth & South Shore and North Central associations took the challenge, holding their own competitions in October. They raised a total of $57,000 for Habitat.
More than 60 Realtors took part in the three competitions, and 18 were chosen to strut their stuff in Boston tonight.
Heaney was named best all-around male dancer at the Plymouth & South Shore competition. Not bad for someone who didn’t know what the foxtrot was six months ago.
‘‘I loved dancing; I didn’t realize I didn’t know how to,’’ he said, laughing.
Paul, his partner/instructor, said she likes his chances of coming out on top tonight. It’s hard enough for novices to learn the steps; it’s expecially grueling for the men, who are expected to lead.
‘‘He should do quite well, because he’s done very well,’’ Paul said. ‘‘You never know what the judges are going to be like. All you can do is dance your heart out. ... I just hope they see all the things he’s learned.’’
Gorolevici, Baker’s partner/instructor, said he wasn’t sure what he was going to have to work with when he learned that he’d be teaching Realtors to dance, but he said Baker and her peers who’ve worked under his tutelage may be even more focused and eager than the average beginning student.
‘‘To me, it’s been a lot of fun,’’ Gorolevici said. ‘‘She’s definitely improved. ... The results speak for themselves.’’
Even if Baker and Heaney don’t win tonight, it won’t be their last turns on the floor. Another installment of ‘‘Dancing with the Realtors’’ is being planned for the fall.
And Baker, so smitten with her newfound talent, is signed up for a different, non-Realtor competition in March.
‘‘I’ve just had so much fun,’’ she said. ‘‘I do still sell houses, though!’’
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Share Your Experience
To help generate positive news coverage for you or your real estate company, contact reporters to share your personal experience on issues and topics related to the buying or selling of property. Your observations (along with the name of your company) could be included in local or national news stories.
A case in point is Cheri Kuhn, a real estate agent in Minnesota, who was quoted in The Wall Street Journal in an article about the wisdom of making repairs or improvements to houses before placing them on the market. Excerpts from the story. including some of the advice she shared with the reporter,follow below:
Some Home Fix-Ups Tasks Are Worth Skipping
The Wall Street Journal
by Amy Hoak
Jan. 2, 2008
If you're planning to sell a home in 2008, it's time to start thinking about how to make that home stand out from the rest.
But beware: Homeowners aren't able to recoup as many improvement costs as they did in recent years, according to a recent study by Remodeling magazine. In selling a home, "it's more important that it's neat, it's clean and it looks spacious, rather than making sure it's the top of the line," says Cheri Kuhn, owner of Waters Realty in Minnetonka, Minn.
"The thing I find with sellers -- if they do a lot of remodeling -- they will take the cost of the remodeling and add it to the cost of the home and ask the buyer to pay for it," she says. But often they're not going to get that higher price.
To keep costs down and remodel wisely, consider the following tips:
Ask for advice. When Ms. Kuhn first meets with clients -- sometimes six months before listing the home -- she'll make a list of improvements that will make a difference. Cleaning the carpets, painting the walls and removing wallpaper are common fixes -- if they're needed.
Keep it small in the kitchen: Remodeling magazine found that homeowners could recover 83% of the cost of a minor kitchen remodel at resale compared with 78% of a major kitchen remodeling. Ms. Kuhn cautions her clients not to replace refrigerators, stoves or dishwashers. Buyers considering remodeling the kitchen will likely have their own preferences.
Along those same lines, replace a countertop if it's crumbling but not if its only fault is that it's outdated, Ms. Kuhn says. Even then, seriously consider material costs -- there's no need to update to granite unless the competition has granite countertops as well.
A case in point is Cheri Kuhn, a real estate agent in Minnesota, who was quoted in The Wall Street Journal in an article about the wisdom of making repairs or improvements to houses before placing them on the market. Excerpts from the story. including some of the advice she shared with the reporter,follow below:
Some Home Fix-Ups Tasks Are Worth Skipping
The Wall Street Journal
by Amy Hoak
Jan. 2, 2008
If you're planning to sell a home in 2008, it's time to start thinking about how to make that home stand out from the rest.
But beware: Homeowners aren't able to recoup as many improvement costs as they did in recent years, according to a recent study by Remodeling magazine. In selling a home, "it's more important that it's neat, it's clean and it looks spacious, rather than making sure it's the top of the line," says Cheri Kuhn, owner of Waters Realty in Minnetonka, Minn.
"The thing I find with sellers -- if they do a lot of remodeling -- they will take the cost of the remodeling and add it to the cost of the home and ask the buyer to pay for it," she says. But often they're not going to get that higher price.
To keep costs down and remodel wisely, consider the following tips:
Ask for advice. When Ms. Kuhn first meets with clients -- sometimes six months before listing the home -- she'll make a list of improvements that will make a difference. Cleaning the carpets, painting the walls and removing wallpaper are common fixes -- if they're needed.
Keep it small in the kitchen: Remodeling magazine found that homeowners could recover 83% of the cost of a minor kitchen remodel at resale compared with 78% of a major kitchen remodeling. Ms. Kuhn cautions her clients not to replace refrigerators, stoves or dishwashers. Buyers considering remodeling the kitchen will likely have their own preferences.
Along those same lines, replace a countertop if it's crumbling but not if its only fault is that it's outdated, Ms. Kuhn says. Even then, seriously consider material costs -- there's no need to update to granite unless the competition has granite countertops as well.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Make the Most of Your Move
If you are moving your office - or moving to work for another real estate company - don't forget to tell the local media. Your announcement could become a news story, as happened with Allen Tate Realtors in North Carolina.
Here's the article that appeared in the Charlotte Business Journal about the company's move to larger offices:
Allen Tate moving Triad office
Charlotte Business Journal
Dec. 28, 2007
Allen Tate Realtors is moving its Stoney Creek sales office in the Triad to larger quarters.
The new location, at 952-A Golf House Road West, is near the entrance of the 521-acre residential golf community of Stoney Creek.
The space measures more than 2,000 square feet. That's roughly twice the size of the nearby office the company is vacating off U.S. Highway 70, says company spokeswoman Karen Murray.
The operation is part of the Charlotte-based Allen Tate Co., the largest residential real estate firm in the Carolinas. The company has 1,600 Realtors and 400 additional employees.
In the Triad, the firm has two locations each in Greensboro and Winston-Salem as well as offices in Burlington, Clemmons, High Point, Kernersville and Oak Ridge.
One of the most common sources of story angles for any size real estate company can be to announce the agents who have recently moved to or joined the firm. While these stories are not likely to make it onto the front page of your local paper, they often will show up in its business section or be placed with other brief announcements in a digest or movers and shakers column.
For example:
The Herald
April 9, 2006
Bradenton, Fla.
Alexander Joins Bosshardt Realty
Bosshardt Realty announced that Theresa Alexandra, Realtor, has joined the firm as a specialist in residential and new home sales. Prior to her real estate career, Theresa, a Florida Notary Republic, held management positions in accounting and bookkeeping for more than 10 years.
Reality check: Don’t expect long or in-depth stories. The most you can realistically hope for is a few lines of copy. But then, a little publicity is better than none at all.
Edward Segal is the CEO of the Marin Association of REALTORS in Northern California and author of Profit by Publicity, a how-to PR guide for real estate professionals. For more information, please go to www.ProfitByPublicity.com
Here's the article that appeared in the Charlotte Business Journal about the company's move to larger offices:
Allen Tate moving Triad office
Charlotte Business Journal
Dec. 28, 2007
Allen Tate Realtors is moving its Stoney Creek sales office in the Triad to larger quarters.
The new location, at 952-A Golf House Road West, is near the entrance of the 521-acre residential golf community of Stoney Creek.
The space measures more than 2,000 square feet. That's roughly twice the size of the nearby office the company is vacating off U.S. Highway 70, says company spokeswoman Karen Murray.
The operation is part of the Charlotte-based Allen Tate Co., the largest residential real estate firm in the Carolinas. The company has 1,600 Realtors and 400 additional employees.
In the Triad, the firm has two locations each in Greensboro and Winston-Salem as well as offices in Burlington, Clemmons, High Point, Kernersville and Oak Ridge.
One of the most common sources of story angles for any size real estate company can be to announce the agents who have recently moved to or joined the firm. While these stories are not likely to make it onto the front page of your local paper, they often will show up in its business section or be placed with other brief announcements in a digest or movers and shakers column.
For example:
The Herald
April 9, 2006
Bradenton, Fla.
Alexander Joins Bosshardt Realty
Bosshardt Realty announced that Theresa Alexandra, Realtor, has joined the firm as a specialist in residential and new home sales. Prior to her real estate career, Theresa, a Florida Notary Republic, held management positions in accounting and bookkeeping for more than 10 years.
Reality check: Don’t expect long or in-depth stories. The most you can realistically hope for is a few lines of copy. But then, a little publicity is better than none at all.
Edward Segal is the CEO of the Marin Association of REALTORS in Northern California and author of Profit by Publicity, a how-to PR guide for real estate professionals. For more information, please go to www.ProfitByPublicity.com
Share Your Experience
To help generate positive news coverage for you or your real estate company, contact reporters to share your personal experience on issues and topics related to the buying or selling of property. Your observations (along with the name of your company) could be included in local or national news stories.
A case in point is Cheri Kuhn, a real estate agent in Minnesota, who was quoted in The Wall Street Journal in an article about the wisdom of making repairs or improvements to houses before placing them on the market. Excerpts from the story. including some of the advice she shared with the reporter,follow below:
Some Home Fix-Ups Tasks Are Worth Skipping
The Wall Street Journal
by Amy Hoak
Jan. 2, 2008
If you're planning to sell a home in 2008, it's time to start thinking about how to make that home stand out from the rest.
But beware: Homeowners aren't able to recoup as many improvement costs as they did in recent years, according to a recent study by Remodeling magazine. In selling a home, "it's more important that it's neat, it's clean and it looks spacious, rather than making sure it's the top of the line," says Cheri Kuhn, owner of Waters Realty in Minnetonka, Minn.
"The thing I find with sellers -- if they do a lot of remodeling -- they will take the cost of the remodeling and add it to the cost of the home and ask the buyer to pay for it," she says. But often they're not going to get that higher price.
To keep costs down and remodel wisely, consider the following tips:
Ask for advice. When Ms. Kuhn first meets with clients -- sometimes six months before listing the home -- she'll make a list of improvements that will make a difference. Cleaning the carpets, painting the walls and removing wallpaper are common fixes -- if they're needed.
Keep it small in the kitchen: Remodeling magazine found that homeowners could recover 83% of the cost of a minor kitchen remodel at resale compared with 78% of a major kitchen remodeling. Ms. Kuhn cautions her clients not to replace refrigerators, stoves or dishwashers. Buyers considering remodeling the kitchen will likely have their own preferences.
Along those same lines, replace a countertop if it's crumbling but not if its only fault is that it's outdated, Ms. Kuhn says. Even then, seriously consider material costs -- there's no need to update to granite unless the competition has granite countertops as well.
Edward Segal is the CEO of the Marin Association of REALTORS in Northern California and author of Profit by Publicity, a how-to PR guide for real estate professionals. For more information, please go to www.ProfitByPublicity.com
A case in point is Cheri Kuhn, a real estate agent in Minnesota, who was quoted in The Wall Street Journal in an article about the wisdom of making repairs or improvements to houses before placing them on the market. Excerpts from the story. including some of the advice she shared with the reporter,follow below:
Some Home Fix-Ups Tasks Are Worth Skipping
The Wall Street Journal
by Amy Hoak
Jan. 2, 2008
If you're planning to sell a home in 2008, it's time to start thinking about how to make that home stand out from the rest.
But beware: Homeowners aren't able to recoup as many improvement costs as they did in recent years, according to a recent study by Remodeling magazine. In selling a home, "it's more important that it's neat, it's clean and it looks spacious, rather than making sure it's the top of the line," says Cheri Kuhn, owner of Waters Realty in Minnetonka, Minn.
"The thing I find with sellers -- if they do a lot of remodeling -- they will take the cost of the remodeling and add it to the cost of the home and ask the buyer to pay for it," she says. But often they're not going to get that higher price.
To keep costs down and remodel wisely, consider the following tips:
Ask for advice. When Ms. Kuhn first meets with clients -- sometimes six months before listing the home -- she'll make a list of improvements that will make a difference. Cleaning the carpets, painting the walls and removing wallpaper are common fixes -- if they're needed.
Keep it small in the kitchen: Remodeling magazine found that homeowners could recover 83% of the cost of a minor kitchen remodel at resale compared with 78% of a major kitchen remodeling. Ms. Kuhn cautions her clients not to replace refrigerators, stoves or dishwashers. Buyers considering remodeling the kitchen will likely have their own preferences.
Along those same lines, replace a countertop if it's crumbling but not if its only fault is that it's outdated, Ms. Kuhn says. Even then, seriously consider material costs -- there's no need to update to granite unless the competition has granite countertops as well.
Edward Segal is the CEO of the Marin Association of REALTORS in Northern California and author of Profit by Publicity, a how-to PR guide for real estate professionals. For more information, please go to www.ProfitByPublicity.com
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Turn Lemons into Lemonade
When faced with bad news - such as increased home foreclosures in their local housing markets - at least one REALTOR® is seeking to make the best of a bad situation while receiving news coverage about his services and expertise.
Last September, Cesar Dias, a real estate agent in California’s Central Valley, began leading free weekly tours of repossessed homes. He was the subject of a story in The Los Angeles Times that was reprinted in the Dec. 29, 2007 edition of the San Jose Mercury News. The following excerpt was taken from the article that appeared in the Mercury News:
Latest Fashion: Repossession Tours
By Steve Chawkins
Los Angeles Times
STOCKTON - In this city that traces its roots to California's Gold Rush, real estate agent Cesar Dias believes there are fortunes still to be made.
That's why he leads the weekly Repo Home Tour, filling two 18-seat buses with prospective buyers eager to view foreclosed houses that can be snapped up at - what he says - are bargain prices.
Dias, a Stockton native, said that when he started the free tour in September, some residents criticized it as a tasteless marketing gimmick. But as headlines announce record foreclosures and weeds sprout in the yards of abandoned homes, their tune has changed.
"We're bringing in homeowners to get the grass green again," he said.
As the brightly colored buses just before Christmas rolled through a subdivision dotted with "For sale" signs, a couple who were stringing up Christmas lights waved. The bargain-hunters aboard waved back. Dias, who said his business was booming, offered a friendly beep.
"At this point, I wish the foreclosures would dry up. We could use an end to the free-fall," Dias said.
Dias' home tour is just one more high-profile sign of the mortgage crisis that has hit the Stockton area particularly hard. RealtyTrac, a real estate data firm, has pegged Stockton as the U.S. city with the highest rate of foreclosure filings, edging out even such troubled metropolitan areas as Detroit.
Last September, Cesar Dias, a real estate agent in California’s Central Valley, began leading free weekly tours of repossessed homes. He was the subject of a story in The Los Angeles Times that was reprinted in the Dec. 29, 2007 edition of the San Jose Mercury News. The following excerpt was taken from the article that appeared in the Mercury News:
Latest Fashion: Repossession Tours
By Steve Chawkins
Los Angeles Times
STOCKTON - In this city that traces its roots to California's Gold Rush, real estate agent Cesar Dias believes there are fortunes still to be made.
That's why he leads the weekly Repo Home Tour, filling two 18-seat buses with prospective buyers eager to view foreclosed houses that can be snapped up at - what he says - are bargain prices.
Dias, a Stockton native, said that when he started the free tour in September, some residents criticized it as a tasteless marketing gimmick. But as headlines announce record foreclosures and weeds sprout in the yards of abandoned homes, their tune has changed.
"We're bringing in homeowners to get the grass green again," he said.
As the brightly colored buses just before Christmas rolled through a subdivision dotted with "For sale" signs, a couple who were stringing up Christmas lights waved. The bargain-hunters aboard waved back. Dias, who said his business was booming, offered a friendly beep.
"At this point, I wish the foreclosures would dry up. We could use an end to the free-fall," Dias said.
Dias' home tour is just one more high-profile sign of the mortgage crisis that has hit the Stockton area particularly hard. RealtyTrac, a real estate data firm, has pegged Stockton as the U.S. city with the highest rate of foreclosure filings, edging out even such troubled metropolitan areas as Detroit.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Effective Media Messages: Be Optimistic
If you think things are turning around in your housing market - or are about to - don't hesitate to let the media know how you feel. Your optimisim can be newsworthy to reporters, and your opinions can wind up being used in local news stories, along with your name and real estate company or organization.
Here are four recent examples:
In an article published on Dec. 24 in the Tampa Tribune, real estate agent Mary Ann DeWitt was quoted as saying, "We're considerably busier right now than we were 60 days ago. I have a very optimistic outlook for the next year. Every month that passes, we're another month away from the bottom."
In a Dec. 21 story in the Frederick News-Post, in Frederick, Md., the leader of a REALTOR® association noted that although the supply of homes on the market nationally is at a 22-year high, it fell in November locally. "There are areas around D.C. that are really hot right now," said Larry Riggs, president of the Frederick County Association of Realtors. Even some sections of Montgomery County are doing well, he said, such as Rockville and Silver Spring.
In the Times West Virginian, on Dec. 16 Jo-Helen Williams, broker and co-owner of the Fairmont and Morgantown offices of ERA Pitrolo and Williams Real Estate, said that, "I am seeing absolute dynamite prices when people are jumping at the value, and I'm actually seeing some bidding wars," she said. "It's a rare thing, but it is happening."
Although persons may hear about panic in the housing market, Williams doesn't believe the market in North Central West Virginia has experienced the decline and the flight of buyers that other areas have gone through. She said lenders in the area have used very sound lending practices with solid principles.
"Our predictions are that this market is going to turn around with a vengeance come spring," Williams said. "The market probably will return very nicely to a standard and typical market this spring."
Finally, from the Dec. 23 edition of the Daily Democrat in Woodland, Calif. comes this excerpt: "The local market is showing the start of an upturn in housing sales, according to RE/MAX Woodland owner Don Sharp, who has been a Realtor in Woodland for 29 years. In November and December, there has been a "pickup in buyer activity," with more homes being sold during that period than in any other months in 2007, Sharp said.
Sharp said those numbers might indicate an improvement in the market at beginning of next year. Some realtors in Sacramento and other surrounding cities are also seeing the same trend, he said. He said one possible reason for the spike in sales is that an increase of homes on the market has brought prices down. The supply-and-demand effect likely brought prices down to a point where they are once-again affordable.
Edward Segal is the author of Profit by Publicity, the how-to PR guide for real estate profesionals that is published by the Marin Association of Realtors. For more information, visit www.ProfitByPublicity.com
Here are four recent examples:
In an article published on Dec. 24 in the Tampa Tribune, real estate agent Mary Ann DeWitt was quoted as saying, "We're considerably busier right now than we were 60 days ago. I have a very optimistic outlook for the next year. Every month that passes, we're another month away from the bottom."
In a Dec. 21 story in the Frederick News-Post, in Frederick, Md., the leader of a REALTOR® association noted that although the supply of homes on the market nationally is at a 22-year high, it fell in November locally. "There are areas around D.C. that are really hot right now," said Larry Riggs, president of the Frederick County Association of Realtors. Even some sections of Montgomery County are doing well, he said, such as Rockville and Silver Spring.
In the Times West Virginian, on Dec. 16 Jo-Helen Williams, broker and co-owner of the Fairmont and Morgantown offices of ERA Pitrolo and Williams Real Estate, said that, "I am seeing absolute dynamite prices when people are jumping at the value, and I'm actually seeing some bidding wars," she said. "It's a rare thing, but it is happening."
Although persons may hear about panic in the housing market, Williams doesn't believe the market in North Central West Virginia has experienced the decline and the flight of buyers that other areas have gone through. She said lenders in the area have used very sound lending practices with solid principles.
"Our predictions are that this market is going to turn around with a vengeance come spring," Williams said. "The market probably will return very nicely to a standard and typical market this spring."
Finally, from the Dec. 23 edition of the Daily Democrat in Woodland, Calif. comes this excerpt: "The local market is showing the start of an upturn in housing sales, according to RE/MAX Woodland owner Don Sharp, who has been a Realtor in Woodland for 29 years. In November and December, there has been a "pickup in buyer activity," with more homes being sold during that period than in any other months in 2007, Sharp said.
Sharp said those numbers might indicate an improvement in the market at beginning of next year. Some realtors in Sacramento and other surrounding cities are also seeing the same trend, he said. He said one possible reason for the spike in sales is that an increase of homes on the market has brought prices down. The supply-and-demand effect likely brought prices down to a point where they are once-again affordable.
Edward Segal is the author of Profit by Publicity, the how-to PR guide for real estate profesionals that is published by the Marin Association of Realtors. For more information, visit www.ProfitByPublicity.com
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Tell Your Side of the Real Estate Story
Given the spate of negative national stories about real estate, a growing number of REALTORS® think it is important to provide the public and the media with their perspective about what is really happening in the industry.
A case in point are Kansas City area REALTORS® who generated news overage about a speech by an official of the National Association of REALTORS® and his take on the media coverage and what is really happening in the marketplace.
Excerpts from the story that appeared in the Dec. 19, 2007 edition of the Kansas City Star follow below:
Media Coverage of Housing Trends Faulted
Media coverage of housing trends often gives the impression that the market is worse off than it really is, according to the chief economist for the National Association of Realtors.
Lawrence Yun, in presentations Wednesday to Kansas City area real estate agents, said the media's biggest mistake was too much reporting on nationwide real estate trends. National trends alone, he said, don't apply to many parts of the country, and reporting of them usually lacks perspective.
For instance, Yun reported that the national median (or midpoint) home price this year was on its way to its first overall decline since the Depression. Already, he said, the media drumbeat is repeating the word "depression," thus depressing consumer confidence and keeping potential homebuyers out of the market.
A more accurate perspective, he suggested, was that this year's down market was merely a blip in the long-term growth of housing prices in the area and elsewhere. He said anyone who has owned a home for more than a couple of years has seen good housing appreciation overall.
"It's been 50 steps forward and two steps backward," he said.
Yun noted a recent newspaper article about the high level of foreclosures in Ohio.
"People read it and think the situation here is the same as there," Yun said. "All real estate is local, and what's occurring nationally, particularly on the coasts, may not be indicative of what's happening locally."
Metropolitan Kansas City, he said, has never seen the extreme ups and downs of coastal markets, and the median price decline in the area this year is "marginal."
Yun has been one of the more outspoken leaders in the housing industry to blame the media for the industry's worse-than-anticipated performance this year. But he is hardly alone - some local builders and real estate agents think the same thing.
For 2008, Yun sees a "year of opportunity" for real estate for Kansas City. He also sought to disprove some forecasts calling for home prices to continue falling nationally next year.
A case in point are Kansas City area REALTORS® who generated news overage about a speech by an official of the National Association of REALTORS® and his take on the media coverage and what is really happening in the marketplace.
Excerpts from the story that appeared in the Dec. 19, 2007 edition of the Kansas City Star follow below:
Media Coverage of Housing Trends Faulted
Media coverage of housing trends often gives the impression that the market is worse off than it really is, according to the chief economist for the National Association of Realtors.
Lawrence Yun, in presentations Wednesday to Kansas City area real estate agents, said the media's biggest mistake was too much reporting on nationwide real estate trends. National trends alone, he said, don't apply to many parts of the country, and reporting of them usually lacks perspective.
For instance, Yun reported that the national median (or midpoint) home price this year was on its way to its first overall decline since the Depression. Already, he said, the media drumbeat is repeating the word "depression," thus depressing consumer confidence and keeping potential homebuyers out of the market.
A more accurate perspective, he suggested, was that this year's down market was merely a blip in the long-term growth of housing prices in the area and elsewhere. He said anyone who has owned a home for more than a couple of years has seen good housing appreciation overall.
"It's been 50 steps forward and two steps backward," he said.
Yun noted a recent newspaper article about the high level of foreclosures in Ohio.
"People read it and think the situation here is the same as there," Yun said. "All real estate is local, and what's occurring nationally, particularly on the coasts, may not be indicative of what's happening locally."
Metropolitan Kansas City, he said, has never seen the extreme ups and downs of coastal markets, and the median price decline in the area this year is "marginal."
Yun has been one of the more outspoken leaders in the housing industry to blame the media for the industry's worse-than-anticipated performance this year. But he is hardly alone - some local builders and real estate agents think the same thing.
For 2008, Yun sees a "year of opportunity" for real estate for Kansas City. He also sought to disprove some forecasts calling for home prices to continue falling nationally next year.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Make a Prediction
Making predictions or forecasts about home buyers, sellers, or other aspects of the housing market can be a great way to be included in news stories about real estate. For the latest example of the success of this proven PR technique, see the excerpt below from a front page story in the Marin Indepedent Journal in San Rafael, Calif.
Single-family homes sales slide, median jumps
Marin Independent Journal
Sept. 14, 2007
Marin's median home price hit the $1 million mark again last month, but sales of homes slid more than 32 percent compared with this time last year, a real estate research firm reported Thursday.
August's median price for single-family homes rose 8.7 percent from August 2006, when the median price was $920,000. The median price for condominiums in Marin last month - $520,000 - dropped 4.8 percent from $546,500 in August 2006.
But the number of homes that changed hands took a dive, DataQuick Information Systems of La Jolla reported.
The rise in the median - which has hit the $1 million mark three times this year - combined with the decline in volume signals a stable luxury market making up for the lagging low end that has been most affected by the mortgage meltdown, analysts said.
"Until the first-time home buyer can get back in the market in a strong way I think we'll see these trends for a while," said Valerie Castellana, president of the Marin Association of Realtors. "It will just take time."
Single-family homes sales slide, median jumps
Marin Independent Journal
Sept. 14, 2007
Marin's median home price hit the $1 million mark again last month, but sales of homes slid more than 32 percent compared with this time last year, a real estate research firm reported Thursday.
August's median price for single-family homes rose 8.7 percent from August 2006, when the median price was $920,000. The median price for condominiums in Marin last month - $520,000 - dropped 4.8 percent from $546,500 in August 2006.
But the number of homes that changed hands took a dive, DataQuick Information Systems of La Jolla reported.
The rise in the median - which has hit the $1 million mark three times this year - combined with the decline in volume signals a stable luxury market making up for the lagging low end that has been most affected by the mortgage meltdown, analysts said.
"Until the first-time home buyer can get back in the market in a strong way I think we'll see these trends for a while," said Valerie Castellana, president of the Marin Association of Realtors. "It will just take time."
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Conduct a Survey
Every year, news organziations report the results of the newest studies or research projects that have been released by a company or organization on various topics.
The results of a newsworthy survey or poll can provide a quick, easy, and legitimate news hook for reporters and columnists who usually will give proper credit to the REALTOR®, real estate broker, or real estate company who commissioned the study in the first place.
A case in point is the following excerpt from the Sept. 13, 2007 edition of The Wall Street Journal:
Home Listings Show Modest August Rise
The number of homes for sale in 18 major metropolitan areas increased modestly in August. Total listings of homes in these metro areas at the end of August climbed 1.8% from a month earlier, according to figures compiled by ZipRealty Inc., a real-estate brokerage firm based in Emeryville, Calif. The data cover listings of single-family homes, condos and town houses on local multiple-listing services in those areas.
In addition to helping generate news coverage about your company, an opinion poll can be an excellent way to gather information you need to support or substantiate your credibility on an issue or real estate-related topic.
The results of a newsworthy survey or poll can provide a quick, easy, and legitimate news hook for reporters and columnists who usually will give proper credit to the REALTOR®, real estate broker, or real estate company who commissioned the study in the first place.
A case in point is the following excerpt from the Sept. 13, 2007 edition of The Wall Street Journal:
Home Listings Show Modest August Rise
The number of homes for sale in 18 major metropolitan areas increased modestly in August. Total listings of homes in these metro areas at the end of August climbed 1.8% from a month earlier, according to figures compiled by ZipRealty Inc., a real-estate brokerage firm based in Emeryville, Calif. The data cover listings of single-family homes, condos and town houses on local multiple-listing services in those areas.
In addition to helping generate news coverage about your company, an opinion poll can be an excellent way to gather information you need to support or substantiate your credibility on an issue or real estate-related topic.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Talk About Your Local Housing Market
Realtors can generate publicity about themsleves and their real estate expertise by being interviewed by reporters about what's happening in the local housing market. A good example is the following excerpt from the Sept. 9, 2007 article that appeared in the Peoria Journal Star:
No housing slump here: Professionals say area is insulated from price volatility seen elsewhere
Every national report of real estate woes makes local agents cringe.
"I want to take an ad out that says, 'Who says the sky is falling?' " said Christine Schauble, a real estate agent for Keller Williams who owns a construction company, Schauble Homes, with her husband, Steve.
Schauble echoes the sentiment of several Tri-County Area real estate professionals who believe this market is insulated from the rapid fluctuations seen in many pockets of the United States.
"We're still selling houses," Schauble said. "I had a lady call me after watching the national news and she said, 'I don't know if I should sell my house now.' I said, 'That's not happening here.' "
No housing slump here: Professionals say area is insulated from price volatility seen elsewhere
Every national report of real estate woes makes local agents cringe.
"I want to take an ad out that says, 'Who says the sky is falling?' " said Christine Schauble, a real estate agent for Keller Williams who owns a construction company, Schauble Homes, with her husband, Steve.
Schauble echoes the sentiment of several Tri-County Area real estate professionals who believe this market is insulated from the rapid fluctuations seen in many pockets of the United States.
"We're still selling houses," Schauble said. "I had a lady call me after watching the national news and she said, 'I don't know if I should sell my house now.' I said, 'That's not happening here.' "
Specialize
Real estate professionals who specialize in particular aspects of the real state market have tremendous opportunities to position themselves to the media as experts in their fields, and to be contacted by journalists and columnists for their insights and perspectives.
A case in point is an agent who specializes in foreclosed properties, and who interviewed for a story on that topic in the San Francisco Chronicle. An excerpt from the article follows below.
Realtor specializes in selling foreclosed homes
Carolyn Said, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, Sept. 9, 2007
There's no real estate slump for Cecily Tippery.
As the Realtor with Coldwell Banker Amaral & Associates in Brentwood drove her pewter- colored Lexus last week to some of the 100 homes she is selling, her cell phone rang constantly with updates on properties and questions from her staff. Within a two-hour period, she stopped by one house to take photographs, another to make a pricing estimate, visited a competing agent, and supervised a crew cleaning up a property.
The worse times get in the housing market, the better they are for Tippery.
That's because she specializes in selling foreclosed homes that have been repossessed by lenders.
Tippery, 56, who projects the pleasant demeanor of a soccer mom but has a steel-trap memory for all the details about her numerous listings, has built a mini real estate empire in less than a year.
She went from a single-person operation to a staff of seven. She went from having four to six listings a year to sometimes getting a dozen a week. She's sold 29 properties this year and has 17 in escrow. She works 12 hours a day, almost every day.
A case in point is an agent who specializes in foreclosed properties, and who interviewed for a story on that topic in the San Francisco Chronicle. An excerpt from the article follows below.
Realtor specializes in selling foreclosed homes
Carolyn Said, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, Sept. 9, 2007
There's no real estate slump for Cecily Tippery.
As the Realtor with Coldwell Banker Amaral & Associates in Brentwood drove her pewter- colored Lexus last week to some of the 100 homes she is selling, her cell phone rang constantly with updates on properties and questions from her staff. Within a two-hour period, she stopped by one house to take photographs, another to make a pricing estimate, visited a competing agent, and supervised a crew cleaning up a property.
The worse times get in the housing market, the better they are for Tippery.
That's because she specializes in selling foreclosed homes that have been repossessed by lenders.
Tippery, 56, who projects the pleasant demeanor of a soccer mom but has a steel-trap memory for all the details about her numerous listings, has built a mini real estate empire in less than a year.
She went from a single-person operation to a staff of seven. She went from having four to six listings a year to sometimes getting a dozen a week. She's sold 29 properties this year and has 17 in escrow. She works 12 hours a day, almost every day.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Staging on Steroids
To help show homes in their best possible light, REALTORS® will often hire staging experts to furnish and decorate a property. Some real estate agents are taking staging to the next step by paying actors to play the role of families who “live” at the home. And newspapers and TV stations, which often report on the latest wrinkles in real estate marketing, have responded in kind by doing stories about this new promotional ploy.
As reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune and the local NBC-TV affiliate, Jackie Metcalf of McMillin Realty in Chula Vista hired a “virtual family” to play in the spacious backyard during her three-hour for a home in Crest, just northeast of El Cajon, on Sept. 1.
According to the newspaper, “Centex Homes used fake families in some condo models in the Los Angeles area last year. Metcalf saw a TV story about a developer using this approach and is giving it a go in Crest, complete with Jimmy Buffet music. The actors and actresses will frolic in the pool, slide down the slide, sunbathe and interact as if no one was watching.
“I think that sounds weird,” says the homeowner's wife. Metcalf agreed but said she's motivated because the home had been listed for six months by another agent. She reasons that anything that gets potential buyers to look at the $749,000 home is worth trying. So she is adding the words “come see the virtual family” on her open-house signs.
As reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune and the local NBC-TV affiliate, Jackie Metcalf of McMillin Realty in Chula Vista hired a “virtual family” to play in the spacious backyard during her three-hour for a home in Crest, just northeast of El Cajon, on Sept. 1.
According to the newspaper, “Centex Homes used fake families in some condo models in the Los Angeles area last year. Metcalf saw a TV story about a developer using this approach and is giving it a go in Crest, complete with Jimmy Buffet music. The actors and actresses will frolic in the pool, slide down the slide, sunbathe and interact as if no one was watching.
“I think that sounds weird,” says the homeowner's wife. Metcalf agreed but said she's motivated because the home had been listed for six months by another agent. She reasons that anything that gets potential buyers to look at the $749,000 home is worth trying. So she is adding the words “come see the virtual family” on her open-house signs.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Be tech savvy and media savvy
Real estate agents and brokers who employ the latest technology to help sell property can also use those efforts to help attract the interest of reporters who may be interested in doing stories on how homes are being marketed. A good example is the following newspaper article:
Technology makes it look easy
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sept. 2, 2007
(excerpts)
In the sales office for Triumph Lofts on Memorial Drive in Reynoldstown, the 3D virtual tour plays on a continuous loop and music fills the air. Lance Deen, Realtor with Cross-Town Realty, says, "Buyers are looking at real estate online before they even think about contacting an agent or getting prequalified for a mortgage. They're going on Web sites and looking at property, and those with virtual tours and multiple pictures of their properties are getting more visibility online."
"The developers at Triumph understand that today's buyer is tech savvy, and they wanted to accommodate their needs," says Deen. At www.triumphlofts.com there's a flash Web site using music and graphics to create a virtual ambience that mirrors that of the contemporary intown lofts. "We chose our music for the Triumph Web site to be jazzy and upbeat, and we play it in the sales center, too."
Deen's been selling real estate for three years and says, "The use of technology has definitely been growing since I started, and both buyers and sellers are leveraging high tech, especially now when the market is saturated with listings. Agents who use more high-tech tools with their listings are selling them a lot quicker than Jane Doe with just a sign in the yard."
Technology makes it look easy
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sept. 2, 2007
(excerpts)
In the sales office for Triumph Lofts on Memorial Drive in Reynoldstown, the 3D virtual tour plays on a continuous loop and music fills the air. Lance Deen, Realtor with Cross-Town Realty, says, "Buyers are looking at real estate online before they even think about contacting an agent or getting prequalified for a mortgage. They're going on Web sites and looking at property, and those with virtual tours and multiple pictures of their properties are getting more visibility online."
"The developers at Triumph understand that today's buyer is tech savvy, and they wanted to accommodate their needs," says Deen. At www.triumphlofts.com there's a flash Web site using music and graphics to create a virtual ambience that mirrors that of the contemporary intown lofts. "We chose our music for the Triumph Web site to be jazzy and upbeat, and we play it in the sales center, too."
Deen's been selling real estate for three years and says, "The use of technology has definitely been growing since I started, and both buyers and sellers are leveraging high tech, especially now when the market is saturated with listings. Agents who use more high-tech tools with their listings are selling them a lot quicker than Jane Doe with just a sign in the yard."
Market Yourself Outside the Box
News organizations often do stories about real estate brokers or agents who promote themselves in interesting or unusual ways, such as marketing properties on the Second Life virtual world Web site.
For example, the Sept. 2, 2007 edition of he San Francisco Chroncile reported that, "Last month, a Seattle-area Coldwell Banker office created a virtual model of a real-world 5,700-square-foot new home on Mercer Island, listed for a little more than $3 million. While several real estate companies have used Second Life to advertise their services, this is believed to be the first time a real home has been available for touring in this environment. Listing agent Suzanne Lane ("Suzanne Ibanez" in Second Life) said she's been happy with the response.
"We've had tremendous interest. About 3,700 people have come in and walked around, including quite a few who are capable of buying this level of home," she said. "It's a property that does command a worldwide market, so we're really excited about this new avenue because it's more worldwide."
For example, the Sept. 2, 2007 edition of he San Francisco Chroncile reported that, "Last month, a Seattle-area Coldwell Banker office created a virtual model of a real-world 5,700-square-foot new home on Mercer Island, listed for a little more than $3 million. While several real estate companies have used Second Life to advertise their services, this is believed to be the first time a real home has been available for touring in this environment. Listing agent Suzanne Lane ("Suzanne Ibanez" in Second Life) said she's been happy with the response.
"We've had tremendous interest. About 3,700 people have come in and walked around, including quite a few who are capable of buying this level of home," she said. "It's a property that does command a worldwide market, so we're really excited about this new avenue because it's more worldwide."
Let People Know About Your Good Deeds
If you do something good for an individual or organization in the community, letting people know about your activities may result in public recognition and publicity for your efforts.
A case in point is Jeff Freking, a Realtor with Century 21, Davenport & Associates in Sioux City, Iowa. As reported in the Aug. 19, 2007 edition of the Sioux City Journal, Freking was nominated for the Iowa Realtors Good Neighbor Award for donating a kidney to one of his former clients.
The annual award goes to Realtors who have made an "extraordinary commitment to improving the quality of life in their communities through volunteer work and other commendable causes.''
The newspaper story noted that,"Having endured illnesses and tragedies in his own family, Freking felt that donating a kidney allowed him to personally contribute for a family in need. "I was sitting in bed one night and I decided I was going to make a difference in this world,'' he said. "This was a great opportunity to do something.'' The transplant was successful and both individuals have recovered well.
But you don't need to give a kidney in order to attract the media's attention; sometimes you only need to give money. The following are excerpts from a story in the Aug. 30, 2007 edition of The Daily News in Bowling Green, Kentucky:
Western Kentucky University has received another monetary gift - this time for the Carroll Knicely Conference Center at the university's South Campus.
Ward Elliott, a Bowling Green Realtor, and his wife, Ann, made a $100,000 pledge to the center. With the gift comes naming rights - the center's boardroom will bear the Elliott name. “Ann and I are both graduates of WKU, and we wanted to contribute to the continued growth of the university,” Ward Elliott said in a news release.
Ward Elliott owns and operates the Ward Elliott Institute of Real Estate, which he established in 1982. Since the Knicely Center opened, Ward Elliott has operated most of his classes - both pre-license and continuing education courses - out of the Knicely Center's boardroom.
A case in point is Jeff Freking, a Realtor with Century 21, Davenport & Associates in Sioux City, Iowa. As reported in the Aug. 19, 2007 edition of the Sioux City Journal, Freking was nominated for the Iowa Realtors Good Neighbor Award for donating a kidney to one of his former clients.
The annual award goes to Realtors who have made an "extraordinary commitment to improving the quality of life in their communities through volunteer work and other commendable causes.''
The newspaper story noted that,"Having endured illnesses and tragedies in his own family, Freking felt that donating a kidney allowed him to personally contribute for a family in need. "I was sitting in bed one night and I decided I was going to make a difference in this world,'' he said. "This was a great opportunity to do something.'' The transplant was successful and both individuals have recovered well.
But you don't need to give a kidney in order to attract the media's attention; sometimes you only need to give money. The following are excerpts from a story in the Aug. 30, 2007 edition of The Daily News in Bowling Green, Kentucky:
Western Kentucky University has received another monetary gift - this time for the Carroll Knicely Conference Center at the university's South Campus.
Ward Elliott, a Bowling Green Realtor, and his wife, Ann, made a $100,000 pledge to the center. With the gift comes naming rights - the center's boardroom will bear the Elliott name. “Ann and I are both graduates of WKU, and we wanted to contribute to the continued growth of the university,” Ward Elliott said in a news release.
Ward Elliott owns and operates the Ward Elliott Institute of Real Estate, which he established in 1982. Since the Knicely Center opened, Ward Elliott has operated most of his classes - both pre-license and continuing education courses - out of the Knicely Center's boardroom.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Write an Op-Ed
Op-eds and bylined articles are opinion pieces published by newspapers and magazines that explain and discuss an individual’s viewpoints, observations, or experiences. They are also excellent vehicles for establishing or reinforcing your expertise on a real estate-related topic while promoting your name and credentials to the public via the media.
For example, on Aug. 30 the Kansas City Star published an op-ed by Kansas City real estate broker John David DiCapo, in which he discussed his concerns on how government offcials are managing city property. To read his article, please go to: http://www.kansascity.com/273/story/254481.html
For example, on Aug. 30 the Kansas City Star published an op-ed by Kansas City real estate broker John David DiCapo, in which he discussed his concerns on how government offcials are managing city property. To read his article, please go to: http://www.kansascity.com/273/story/254481.html
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Make Sure People Understand You
When seeking to generate publicity about yourrself or your company, it is important that your target audience understands what you’re talking about.
Every industry and profession has a list of acronyms, buzzwords, or references that people in those industries often use when talking to each other.
But if you use jargon, acronyms, or arcane references in a speech, news release, or other communications with the general public, the chances are pretty good that they will have no idea what you are talking about.
Why make it any harder to get your message across than necessary? Even when you speak in plain and simple English, some members of your target audience may not be able to understand what you are talking about if you refer to places, people, things, or events for which they have no frame of reference.
To help address this problem and ensure their faculty members are in sync with the cultural touchstones of students, each year Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin issues a list of items about which students born in a particular year may not be aware. To access the most recent lists, please click on the following link:
<a href="http://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/mindset/index.php">
Every industry and profession has a list of acronyms, buzzwords, or references that people in those industries often use when talking to each other.
But if you use jargon, acronyms, or arcane references in a speech, news release, or other communications with the general public, the chances are pretty good that they will have no idea what you are talking about.
Why make it any harder to get your message across than necessary? Even when you speak in plain and simple English, some members of your target audience may not be able to understand what you are talking about if you refer to places, people, things, or events for which they have no frame of reference.
To help address this problem and ensure their faculty members are in sync with the cultural touchstones of students, each year Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin issues a list of items about which students born in a particular year may not be aware. To access the most recent lists, please click on the following link:
<a href="http://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/mindset/index.php">
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
A Free Car Can Help Generate Free Publicity
To generate free national publicity, sometimes all you have to do is give something away. That's exactly what happened to Kendall Haney, owner of Kendall Haney Realty Group in Memphis, Tenn., who offered a free car to anyone who bought one of the houses he was selling. Haney was interviewed on Fox TV's "Your World with Neil Cavuto," on August 20, 2007.
But just because you are giving away a car does not mean a reporter will refrain from asking tough questions about your unique offer -- or the housing market if you are a real estate agent. While you may be eager to bask in the glow of national publicity, be sure you are also prepared for the hard questions reporters are sure to ask when you receive your 15 minutes of fame. To read a transcript of the Fox interview with Kendall Haney, please click on the following link: http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,293938,00.html
But just because you are giving away a car does not mean a reporter will refrain from asking tough questions about your unique offer -- or the housing market if you are a real estate agent. While you may be eager to bask in the glow of national publicity, be sure you are also prepared for the hard questions reporters are sure to ask when you receive your 15 minutes of fame. To read a transcript of the Fox interview with Kendall Haney, please click on the following link: http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,293938,00.html
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Don't Expect Reporters to be Your Cheerleaders
It is important to remember that reporters are not your cheerleaders. It is their job to find and report the news, and to ask tough, often cynical questions.
When seeking to generate publicity about your company or organization, don't assume that news organizations will be nothing more than bulletin boards for your news releases.
Journalists will ask questions and they will expect answers. It is your job to present your announcements as legitimate news and to be prepared for the questions that the media will ask about your announcement, project, or cause.
As a former press secretary for members of Congress and press aide to political candidates, I know that some politicians -- just like some business executives and entrepreneurs -- can mistakenly assume that reporters should simply take what they say on face value and not ask cynical questions about the details of their announcements or initiatives.
Reporters have a different perspective, however, as shown in the following story from the San Francisco Chronicle about Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums.
Dellums calls reporters cynical - they call him inaccessible
Christopher Heredia, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Ron Dellums' relations with the media, which have been strained over the years, hit a low point this week, when the Oakland mayor told reporters they were "cynical" for asking him to detail his plans to fight crime in the city.
The Thursday news conference at City Hall - where the mayor was to announce his new anti-crime initiative - had the appearance of a pep rally, with city staffers outnumbering journalists. Dellums allowed reporters only five or six questions after giving what sounded like a sermon about crime and violence at the national level and the need for journalists to not fan violence with sensational reporting.
Dellums told reporters they need "to move beyond 'if it bleeds, it leads.' "
Reporters who have covered Dellums over the years said it was an example of his strained relationship with the media.
"The nutshell on that is he is difficult to get in touch with," said Greg Edmonds, East Bay bureau chief for KGO radio, who has covered Dellums, both as a long-serving congressman and as mayor, on and off for 29 years.
"Half of those news conferences turn into rallies," said Bob Melrose, a KCBS reporter. "It's very frustrating. There's not enough time to answer questions. His answers are often lengthy and the specifics are lacking. I'd like to see him do more things with the media. He seems to be doing that more often, but not nearly enough for a city that has the problems Oakland has.
"When he gets up and says we're a bunch of cynics, no matter how accurate that may be, it doesn't help media relations very much," Melrose said.
Edmonds, like other reporters who have covered the mayor, said Karen Stevenson, his communications director, often doesn't return phone calls, and when she does, it's past deadline. As far as getting the mayor for a one-on-one interview, some have had luck catching up with him at public events, while others routinely are told Dellums is unavailable for comment.
And when the mayor responds to questions, he often gives long philosophical answers, sometimes meandering off topic.
Stevenson said she is often too busy to answer all the media calls, but is pushing to get more help in her office and plans to make the mayor more accessible in the future.
While Dellums admitted he is not as accessible as some reporters might like, that's why he has Stevenson, he said.
A TV reporter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of her employer's policy against being interviewed, said the public expects mayors to show up at photo ops, something Dellums is reluctant to do - whether it be empathizing with residents whose garbage is piling up in the streets, or at the ad hoc shrine to slain journalist Chauncey Bailey.
"It's not that they're necessarily doing anything there, but that's what people expect of a mayor," the reporter said. "Dellums would think of that as self-aggrandizing. It's more important for him to work behind the scenes.
"The problem with that is if he doesn't tell us what he's doing, how are we supposed to know it's happening? If the mayor was more visible in the media, it might shore up confidence that something is getting done."
Rob Gunnison, a journalism lecturer at UC Berkeley and former Chronicle Sacramento bureau chief, said scrutiny is higher for a big-city mayor than for a member of Congress, and Dellums may be adjusting to that.
"Some politicians are brilliant at working with reporters," Gunnison said. "They make themselves available. They build a level of trust which goes both ways. ... It also builds a cushion when things don't go well. But when a politician is inherently not open, it becomes a distrustful relationship."
As Assembly speaker, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown was a terrific news source, Gunnison said. He would give tips that led to stories, which sometimes helped the speaker's cause and other times didn't.
"There's mileage in blaming the press for things. Lord knows the (media) can be blamed for a lot of things," Gunnison said. "Our coverage of crime is not good. We perpetuate fear, albeit not intentionally. For a city like Oakland, stories and headlines have to be more contextual about crime."
Edmonds said there has been a dramatic improvement from when Dellums was in Congress, when it was nearly impossible to get him on the line. Edmonds now can catch Dellums at a public event for a quote.
Dellums denied he is at war with the media. The mayor said he is trying to educate the media about the impact reporters have with what they write and put on television and radio.
Constant images of violence hurt the community, Dellums said, and he wants reporters to realize that.
"This is life-and-death stuff," Dellums said. "Journalists need to be part of the solution."
"My point is cynicism breeds apathy and hopelessness at a time when we don't need that," the mayor said. "It's the enemy of people being activated and mobilized. ... I'm not anti- the press. I'm trying to be a thoughtful person. I'm trying to challenge people to think beyond boilerplate responses."
E-mail Christopher Heredia at cheredia@sfchronicle.com.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
In the Trenches: Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist
Interviews with people who have generated publicity about themselves or their companies, and what you can learn from their experience
Sound Bite: Craig Newmark says that although traffic at Craigslist is based primarily on word of mouth, "the press has been very generous” and the news coverage “has helped significantly" in contributing to the success of the site.
Mini-Profile: Craigslist is a centralized network of online urban communities, featuring free classified advertisements. It was founded in 1995 by Craig Newmark for the San Francisco Bay Area. As of 2007, Craigslist operates with a staff of 24[people. It serves over almost eight billion page views per month, making it one of the top Web sites in the world. With over 10 million new classified ads each month, Craigslist is the leading classifieds service in any medium. The site receives over 500,000 new job listings each month, making it one of the top job boards in the world. (Source: Wikipedia.com)
Q: Overall, have your media interviews been a good experience?
A: Generally very good, though I'd like to see more vigorous fact-checking... everywhere.
Q: What do you consider to be the best story that has been done so far about Craigslist? Why?
A: Mostly the interviews like the recent one on Charlie Rose, since he did a lot of good preparation and asked tough questions. Also, it's only been recently that we've been able to articulate our values well, so the most recent stuff is the best from the "culture of trust" perspective.
Q: What advice you would give others who are seeking to generate
publicity about themselves or their companies?
A: Talk only when you have something to say. "Brevity is the soul of wit."
Sound Bite: Craig Newmark says that although traffic at Craigslist is based primarily on word of mouth, "the press has been very generous” and the news coverage “has helped significantly" in contributing to the success of the site.
Mini-Profile: Craigslist is a centralized network of online urban communities, featuring free classified advertisements. It was founded in 1995 by Craig Newmark for the San Francisco Bay Area. As of 2007, Craigslist operates with a staff of 24[people. It serves over almost eight billion page views per month, making it one of the top Web sites in the world. With over 10 million new classified ads each month, Craigslist is the leading classifieds service in any medium. The site receives over 500,000 new job listings each month, making it one of the top job boards in the world. (Source: Wikipedia.com)
Q: Overall, have your media interviews been a good experience?
A: Generally very good, though I'd like to see more vigorous fact-checking... everywhere.
Q: What do you consider to be the best story that has been done so far about Craigslist? Why?
A: Mostly the interviews like the recent one on Charlie Rose, since he did a lot of good preparation and asked tough questions. Also, it's only been recently that we've been able to articulate our values well, so the most recent stuff is the best from the "culture of trust" perspective.
Q: What advice you would give others who are seeking to generate
publicity about themselves or their companies?
A: Talk only when you have something to say. "Brevity is the soul of wit."
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Coach's Corner: How to Conduct Successful Media Interviews
Summarizing the impact of rising home prices on consumers, Barry Crotty, a real estate agent with Pacific Union in Mill Valley, Calif., told the Marin Independent Journal: “The bottom line is that buyers still want value, so they’re becoming less frenzied as the prices have gone up and up. They’re willing to wait while they’re looking for the needle in the haystack.”
If you are like most people, you can talk for at least a few minutes on any number of topics, whether it’s about a favorite DVD, Web site, or recent client. But when you have an opportunity to be interviewed by a reporter, it doesn’t matter how long you can talk. Can you, as Crotty did, boil down your opinions, observations, accomplishments, or activities to seven seconds, or about 35 words?
Seven seconds is not a lot of time. (How long is it? Count out loud from 1,001 to 1,007 to see for yourself, or time yourself against a watch with a second hand.) But seven seconds is often all the time a television or radio station may give you in an edited on-air story to talk about your activity or accomplishment, make a statement, give a comment, or react to a news announcement.
These brief remarks are known as sound bites—small portions or “bites” from interviews that are inserted in news stories—help enliven or illustrate news reports. Ink bites, the printed version of sound bites, can range from five to 50 words. As a general rule of thumb, if your response to a reporter’s question runs longer than the time it takes to read this sentence aloud, most reporters won’t use your quote in their stories. Instead, they will likely condense, paraphrase, or ignore your answer entirely.
For more advice on how to to deal with the media, be sure to read Profit By Publicity, which can be ordered from one of the links to several online bookstores located on the home page of http://www.profitbypublicity.com/
If you are like most people, you can talk for at least a few minutes on any number of topics, whether it’s about a favorite DVD, Web site, or recent client. But when you have an opportunity to be interviewed by a reporter, it doesn’t matter how long you can talk. Can you, as Crotty did, boil down your opinions, observations, accomplishments, or activities to seven seconds, or about 35 words?
Seven seconds is not a lot of time. (How long is it? Count out loud from 1,001 to 1,007 to see for yourself, or time yourself against a watch with a second hand.) But seven seconds is often all the time a television or radio station may give you in an edited on-air story to talk about your activity or accomplishment, make a statement, give a comment, or react to a news announcement.
These brief remarks are known as sound bites—small portions or “bites” from interviews that are inserted in news stories—help enliven or illustrate news reports. Ink bites, the printed version of sound bites, can range from five to 50 words. As a general rule of thumb, if your response to a reporter’s question runs longer than the time it takes to read this sentence aloud, most reporters won’t use your quote in their stories. Instead, they will likely condense, paraphrase, or ignore your answer entirely.
For more advice on how to to deal with the media, be sure to read Profit By Publicity, which can be ordered from one of the links to several online bookstores located on the home page of http://www.profitbypublicity.com/
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