How would you like to be quoted in the newspaper or be the subject of an article featured in a national magazine? Or how about making your debut on TV? You can, if you follow the advice of Joe Hafner.

Hafner is the man who put Ralph Roberts in Time magazine, making him one of the most high-profile, oft-quoted real estate experts in the nation, a sought-after source for members of the media seeking the viewpoint of a real estate industry insider. A media relations professional, budding author, and developer of a popular new party game, Hot Seat, Hafner knows more than a little something about self-marketing.

"As long as you have reasonable knowledge of real estate, you can set yourself up as an expert on something," Hafner says. "Reporters are just like anyone else. They're looking for easier ways to do their jobs. Don't be intimidated if there is a Realtor in your area who seems to be in the papers and on TV all the time, because there is still an opportunity. Their source may not be available for some reason, and no reporter uses the same resources all the time."

Hafner shares a few of his tips for making the most of public relations opportunities to generate more exposure for your business. Whether you're a seasoned professional or a brand-new agent, you can start "working" the media to your advantage. Here are his top-five ideas for getting your name before the public and keeping it there.

1. Fake it till you make it. If you are new in the business, create a little press kit about yourself. Include a bio and information about your company. Give it to your customers. It will make much more of an impression than someone who just hands them a card. For new presentations, Ralph Roberts includes reprints of his famous Time magazine article and other articles in which he has been featured. If you don't have that, include copies of ads you have run, or articles generated from within your company. When agents are new, they are more dependent on company literature, and that's OK. If you are a member of a charity, be sure to include information about that. Anything that helps round out the picture of who you are will help cement your image into the minds of potential customers and the public. Building a kit will also help build your confidence.

2. You don't have to be a star, baby. Nobody is a star before they generate the media's attention. You don't have to be one, either. Did you ever wonder why people are picked to be "experts," and why they appear over and over again? It's because they go to the media and tell them who they are. They say, "I'm the expert." The media doesn't know who you are until you tell them. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain, so go for it.

3. Make friends with the media . Cultivate a relationship with the media. Introduce yourself. Offer to take them to lunch. Call periodically and let them know you are reading their stuff. Send them useful, newsworthy information that can generate stories for them once a month. You've few opportunities for news when you hire any new people on your team, promote any people on your team, or receive any awards. Do a press release, send a photo and some information. If you're involved in any charities, be the spokesperson for the event.

When breaking news occurs, fax your opinion about what happened immediately and what you think will happen next. If interest rates take a turn for the better or worse, send your opinion about it immediately, and they may use your quote for a story. Writers can meet their deadlines a lot easier if their research is already partially done for them and sitting on their fax machines or e-mail.

Most important, when the media calls, you must drop everything and take the call. You can't say you are in the middle of a listing presentation. The media does not have time to wait or call back. And your customer will be impressed.

3. Keep it short and simple. Learn to think and express yourself in sound bytes. Before you do an interview, send information to the media or make a client presentation. Write down one or two key points, and keep coming back to those points throughout the interview. That way, if the entire interview is reduced to a single quote or one sentence, you've said something worth remembering. If you're long-winded, they could dump the whole thing.

4. Spread the word on the Web. Any Realtor that doesn't self-market is missing out. Did you know that if you put up a Web page that you can link to a number of sites and get traffic to your site for free or a minimum expense? You can put your listings and other information on the page for practically nothing. That's a great way for new agents to get started. Check out realtylocator.com and realtyconnection.com. But remember, to market on the Web is a full-time job. If you aren't going to work at it, it won't work for you. You have to work at it just like any other prospecting tool.

You have to link to areas in your community that will generate leads. You have to make your site interesting, post your houses, use Realty Connection to provide one-of-a-kind service to your customers. You can go to other local sites and solicit business from them. You can send an e-mail easier than a letter and reach thousands of people. On the Web, a beginning agent can look as impressive as a veteran. But you have to work at it.

5. Never bad-mouth anyone else. When you talk to the media, it's not like running an ad where you get to have final approval. They can take anything you say and use it however they see fit and in the context they want. For that reason, never, ever say anything negative about anyone else if you're trying to build your business. It will only make you look bad.

An example: When Ralph was featured in Time magazine, a lot of Realtors were jealous. Then he was asked to interview for a story in the Detroit News. Included in the story was a comment from another agent who suggested Ralph lied about his motives for prospecting in foreclosures and divorces. Well, that's a controversial approach to generating business. But if you knew Ralph when Ralph was getting started, he lost his house in a foreclosure because he didn't know which avenues were available to help him save it. Now he knows, and he tries to help others. The other agent just came off looking like sour grapes, and it turned people off. The whole idea is to put forth a positive image.

If there's something going on, voice your opinions, and fax them along: Here's what's going on, here's my viewpoint, and this is why I'm an expert on the subject. When mortgage rates go up, write your views about why you think they went up, and how you think it will affect the market. You'll get tons of calls off that.

If you advertise in local newspapers, you can ask the advertising personnel to write an article about you. Ask the paper to write an editorial about you. At a lot of the small newspapers, the same person is doing editorial and advertising and might be willing to do you the favor. When I came out of school, I was idealistic about the line between editorial and advertising. If people do it, take advantage of it.

Published: December 15, 1997

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