Tap into content and media opportunities to raise your profile and elevate the reputation of your real estate business, broker-owner Amy Stockberger writes.
When you show up in other people’s audiences, you position yourself as the go-to expert in your market[1]. You are seen and trusted before you walk into the room.
I started helping local reporters early in my career. I sent them housing stats, national updates and community stories. I connected them with buyers when they needed human examples. I never asked for press. I tried to solve their problems and make their job easier.
Then the first $5 million listing hit my market. At the time, it was the highest price point we had ever seen. I was not the listing agent. I had not even walked through the house.
When the editor of one of our most prominent outlets needed an expert, she called me. I had been serving her for decades. She trusted me to deliver.
When the story ran, I was quoted more than the agent who had the listing. My phone started ringing. People asked me about “my” $5 million listing.
This happened because I prioritized the reporter’s needs over my own. This is OPA — other people’s audiences. Serve first. Authority and sales follow.
7 media outreach strategies for real estate
Here are my seven key media outreach strategies for real estate to help you attract other people’s audiences to your business, so you can start leaning into pushing your career forward.
1. Understand why OPA wins
Here’s why OPA beats building from scratch: Building your own audience takes years. Leveraging other people’s audiences takes weeks.
- The AI factor: Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)[2] is the new SEO. AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity pull from trusted public sources. They cite Wikipedia, local news outlets, podcast transcripts and established publications. When you’re quoted in these places, AI recommends you as the trusted expert.
- The trust transfer: When a respected journalist quotes you, their credibility transfers to you. When a popular podcast host interviews you, their audience sees you as vetted. This is authority by association. It works faster than any social media strategy.
- The reach multiplier: One appearance on a local morning show reaches more qualified prospects than months of social media posts. One quote in the business journal gets read by decision-makers you never access directly.
2. Use the weekly system
Focus your outreach on five key audience types:
- local reporters and editors who cover your market
- podcast hosts in business, lifestyle and community spaces
- Facebook group administrators with engaged local followings
- influential bloggers and content creators in your area
- nonprofit leaders who regularly host community events.
Don’t overlook active local Reddit communities, as many AI models now crawl Reddit posts for training data.
The weekly cadence:
- Monday: Send market insights to news outlets. Use AI to draft: “Local expert available for comment on [current trend].”
- Tuesday: Submit a story angle to business journals. Example: “First-time buyer activity up 40% in [neighborhood]. What it means for the market.”
- Wednesday: Connect with podcast hosts. Pitch yourself for topics like “Real Estate Trends Every Business Owner Should Know.”
- Thursday: Engage with Facebook group admins and local influencers. Offer to answer housing questions or share market data.
- Friday: Follow up on previous outreach. Add new information or angles.
- Saturday: Share your wins. Tag the media outlet or host when you get coverage.
- Sunday: Research new OPA targets. Use Perplexity to search “What is trending in real estate in [your city] this week.”
3. Package your expertise
The key to getting quoted isn’t just having opinions — it’s packaging your expertise[3] in ways that serve journalists and content creators.
To stand out in the media and be quoted as an expert, it’s essential to present your insights in a way that directly supports journalists’ needs and enhances your credibility. Here’s how you can package your expertise to get noticed.
- Market commentary: Be the agent who explains what local data means. Not “sales are up,” but “here’s what this trend means for buyers planning to move in spring.”
- Neighborhood expertise: Position yourself as the authority on specific areas. “The three blocks in downtown that are about to transform” gets more attention than generic market updates.
- Life change stories: Share client success stories that illustrate larger trends. “How we helped a family relocate for a job and what it reveals about remote work’s impact on housing.”
- Policy translation: When zoning changes or new regulations hit, be the expert who explains what it means for homeowners.
- Tech tip: If you upload a video to YouTube[4], make sure captions are turned on or upload a transcript. AI needs to read your content to cite it. Let your videos work twice: Once for people. Once for AI.
4. Know your resources, have a system
Success in media outreach comes down to having the right systems and resources in place.
Success in media outreach isn’t just about sending pitches; it’s about having a streamlined system and the right tools to provide value to journalists consistently. Here’s how you can build an effective media outreach strategy.
- Media list template: Track outlet names, contact persons, email addresses and recent relevant stories in a spreadsheet. Add five new contacts weekly.
- Content sources: Subscribe to local business journals. Follow reporters on social media. Set Google alerts for your market area.
- Pitch templates: Develop templates for common scenarios. Market commentary, trend analysis, expert interviews. Personalize each one.
- Research tools: Use Perplexity or similar AI tools to identify trending topics and new media contacts.
5. Take action daily
Here’s how to launch your media outreach strategy with seven focused daily actions.
To effectively kick off your media outreach[5], break it down into manageable steps. Here’s a seven-day plan to help you build momentum and establish valuable connections.
- Day 1: Create your media list template. Add five local contacts. Reporters, podcast hosts or group admins.
- Day 2: Send one market insight email to a local news outlet. Subject: “Local expert available for housing market commentary.”
- Day 3: Identify three podcasts in your area. Send a brief pitch offering to discuss market trends.
- Day 4: Comment thoughtfully on three posts from local business leaders or influencers.
- Day 5: Follow up on the outreach from Day 2. Add a new angle or recent data point.
- Day 6: Share any response or coverage on your social media. Tag the outlet.
- Day 7: Plan next week’s outreach based on what worked.
6. Find the simple solution
No matter the excuse for avoiding media outreach[6], there’s always a simple solution. Here’s how to overcome the most common objections and get started.
- “I have nothing worth sharing.” You do. Every client story reveals a trend. Every neighborhood you know has insights others need.
- “I’m not a content creator.” You don’t need to be. Use AI and templates to draft. Personalize and send.
- “I don’t know who to contact.” Start with one local reporter. Google “[your city] real estate news” and see who’s writing. Find them on social media.
- “What if they don’t respond?” They won’t all respond. This is a volume game with relationship building over time.
7. Amplify the next media appearance
The magic of media visibility isn’t in any single appearance — it’s in how each one amplifies the next.
Every media mention builds on the previous one. Every quote establishes more credibility. Every relationship opens new doors.
Within 90 days of consistent OPA efforts:
- Your name surfaces in AI responses about local real estate
- Referral sources mention they “saw you in the news”
- Other professionals reach out for partnerships
- Clients call you because they already know your expertise
The agents who win now are the ones who are seen, cited and trusted before they ever walk into the room. You don’t need to chase leads when people already know your name.
The path forward is simple, but it requires action
Use these media outreach strategies for real estate to grow your reputation and authority. Build your media list. Reach out to one OPA partner. Serve first. Make the ask. Repeat.
PR and AI amplify the visibility you earn by serving others first. The investment you make today in building relationships and sharing expertise pays dividends for years.
Stop chasing. Start serving. Let other people’s audiences become your authority-building machine[7].
Amy Stockberger is the founder of Amy Stockberger Real Estate. Connect with Amy on Instagram or Facebook. Check out our website at amystockberger.com[8][9][10]
References
- ^ go-to expert in your market (www.inman.com)
- ^ Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) (www.inman.com)
- ^ packaging your expertise (www.inman.com)
- ^ upload a video to YouTube (www.inman.com)
- ^ media outreach (www.inman.com)
- ^ media outreach (www.inman.com)
- ^ authority-building machine (www.inman.com)
- ^ Instagram (www.instagram.com)
- ^ Facebook (www.facebook.com)
- ^ amystockberger.com (amystockberger.com)