You are in front of the TV, watching the six o'clock news, and up pops a story about the real estate industry. Maybe it is about real estate or mortgage fraud. Maybe the market has bottomed out and people are having trouble selling their homes. Perhaps your area has been hit hard by layoffs and the foreclosure rate has spiked.

Whatever the case, the reporter is interviewing an expert in the area, and that expert isn't you. Even worse, the expert really doesn't know what he is talking about. You could do a better job. Why didn't they call you?!

The reason is that local news producers and journalists probably have no idea of who you are, whether you would even be interested in doing such a thing, or how good of an interview you could provide. They don't know you.

Understanding the benefits of being in or on the news

Many real estate agents and other professionals pay no attention to reporters because they fail to see that this free PR could actually boost business. They think that competitor of theirs who is always in the news is just somebody with a big ego. Although that may be true, that guy or gal with the big ego also has a big understanding of how to generate business. Appearing in the news gives you a higher profile and instant credibility. It lets prospective clients know who you are and sends the message that you are a legitimate business owner and expert -- someone they can trust.

Establishing yourself as an expert

The first step into making yourself the guy or gal who appears in or on the news is to start establishing yourself as a local expert. Pick one or more areas to specialize in, and then start producing articles that show to the world that you know what you are talking about. I have several areas of specialty, including running a real estate business, foreclosures, real estate and mortgage fraud, sales, and real estate investing. Your areas are likely to be different.

After identifying your specialties, start publishing. Here are a few ideas on how to get your material written and published:

• If you write well and enjoy writing, you can write the articles yourself.

• Choose content based on your own experience (first-hand knowledge), which makes it more interesting to the reader, drives home the point, and confirms your expertise.

• If you are not much of a writer or dislike writing, hire a writer to work with you.

• Publish your content on your own blog.

• Contribute content to other people's blogs and to discussion forums. (Pick the blogs and discussion forums that are most popular.)

• Offer to write articles for other publications (newspapers, magazines, and professional journals) that typically contain content relevant to your specialties.

• Offer to write content for local newspapers.

Making yourself media-friendly

Journalists are constantly on the lookout for new sources of information. They want experts who know their stuff, but they also want people who are easy to contact, easy to work with, and play well on TV and radio. To make yourself a more attractive interviewee for the press, keep the following important points in mind:

Published: September 3, 2007

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Once dubbed by TIME Magazine "the best-selling REALTOR® in America," Ralph R. Roberts, CRS, GRI is an award-winning and internationally recognized real estate agent, author, coach, and speaker. Throughout his career, Ralph has proven his commitment to helping other real estate and sales professionals build upon their past and present success, grow and expand their businesses, and provide a rich and rewarding future for themselves, their customers, their employees, and their families. As president and CEO of Ralph Roberts Realty, Ralph has personally helped thousands of consumers realize their dream of homeownership. While selling over 10,000 homes (and buying and selling over 3,000 investment properties) throughout his 30-year career, Ralph has made the time to mentor and coach hundreds of professionals in real estate, sales, and a host of other fields. Ralph is a recognized authority on Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud; Residential Real Estate; Personal Salesmanship; and, Sales Force and Office Management, Motivation, and Design. Ralph's numerous websites, blogs, seminars, and speaking engagements engage, entertain, and educate both consumers and professionals. Ralph is also an accomplished author with several successful titles to his credit, including: Power Teams: The Complete Guide to Building and Managing a Winning Real Estate Agent Team Mortgage Myths: 77 Secrets That Will Save You Thousands on Home Financing (John Wiley & Sons) Foreclosure Self-Defense For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Protect Yourself from Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud: Preserving the American Dream of Homeownership (Kaplan) Foreclosure Investing For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Advanced Selling For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Flipping Houses For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman (HarperCollins) Real Wealth by Investing in Real Estate (Prentice Hall/Penguin Group) Sell it Yourself (Adams Media) 52 Weeks of Sales Success (HarperCollins) To learn more about Ralph, visit AboutRalph.com or check out his daily insights on real estate and mortgage fraud prevention at FlippingFrenzy.com. You can reach Ralph at RalphRoberts@RalphRoberts.com or by calling (586) 751-0000.