Life in Property PR

17th June 2025 by Kate Logan

As a nation, we love talking about property and having a nose around other people’s homes. That does give us PRs a small head start when it comes to promoting our property clients – and can really work to our advantage when pitching case studies.

However, that’s not to say it’s a straightforward sector to work in and there are lot of things to consider before you embark on a career in property PR.

Working in property public relations is interesting. It can be unpredictable, it’s occasionally complex – but generally very rewarding when it all comes together.

With new ways to reach audiences and a constant stream of developments in the pipeline, from heritage mills in Greater Manchester to brand new neighbourhoods rising from brownfield sites in North Wales, every day can bring something new. It’s probably that variety that keeps so many of us working in the sector for so long.

Clearing up the misconceptions

There’s a tendency to think it’s just about press releases and launch events. In reality, there’s a lot more that keeps us busy.

We help developers and communities tell stories about transformations, the growth of new neighbourhoods and the people who live there. We’re part translator, part storyteller, part strategist. We’re the ones turning 84 pages of a planning statement into a news angle a local journalist will want to cover and crafting social media posts that drive engagement from homebuyers.

We can’t guarantee a property tour video will go viral, but we can suggest a solid content plan instead, backed up by experience, expertise and a team that will do the legwork.

High expectations

It’s true—some projects come with ambitious timelines and goals. But one of the great joys of working in this field is partnering with clients who genuinely care about what they’re building and value what good communication can achieve.

Some clients are an absolute dream to work with: collaborative, clear, and committed to getting things right, not just fast. They understand that a good story is built, like a good scheme, on solid foundations. And they don’t mind when we gently nudge for more information or push for better images – absolute heroes!

When the client-PR relationship clicks, there’s a real sense of partnership.

The colleague camaraderie

No one understands the chaos of an embargo mix-up or a 4pm call from a newsdesk quite like your immediate team. And I wouldn’t swap the Active PR team for anyone.

There’s something special about working in a tight-knit group who can laugh through the confusing jargon and rally round when you’re juggling organising five events.

We’ve all shared those late in the day moments of “just one more email…” before an event, and the giddiness when a regional feature goes live. You learn to celebrate the little wins.

Always learning

I’ve worked in property PR for quite a few years now, but I’m still learning and it’s never dull.

It’s a job that evolves constantly. Every development strategy, every net zero target, every new community created offers something new to learn, explain, and support.

You can be on a call about developing a golf course in Cheshire one moment and planning a stakeholder event in Lancashire the next. And when you see something you’ve worked on take shape, secure a media feature or receive positive feedback from a client, it’s a great feeling.

This job is about people just as much as places. And our team is proud of the relationships we’ve built over many years and the stories we’ve been lucky enough to tell.

Photo by Artful Homes on Unsplash

How to measure PR success

28th May 2025 by Philippa Probert

Understanding the real impact of PR can sometimes be tricky to track. It isn’t just about getting media coverage or crafting compelling brand stories, it’s about influencing public perception, fostering trust, and driving business outcomes.

But how do companies measure the true impact of their PR efforts? While vanity metrics like press mentions and social media shares offer surface-level insights, real PR success requires a deeper look at meaningful indicators.

Here’s some key metrics for PR measurement:

1. Media coverage and quality

Probably the most obvious but monitoring media coverage is an essential first step, but it’s not just about quantity. Companies must analyse the quality of coverage, including the credibility and relevance of the outlets. If you’re an estate agency, coverage in a publication that centres on gardening wouldn’t be quality coverage as its readership won’t be your target audience.

The sentiment is another great way to measure the quality. Has the piece got a positive, neutral or negative sentiment? And finally look at the share of voice compared to other competitors. Which brand is more visible in the media and public conversations compared to competitors.

2. Audience engagement

PR effectiveness goes beyond visibility, are people engaging with the message? Metrics such as website traffic spikes, social media interactions, and content shares help gauge audience interest.

3. Brand reputation and sentiment analysis

Tracking brand sentiment through surveys, online reviews, and social listening tools provides valuable insights into how PR efforts shape public perception.

4. Lead generation and conversion

Ultimately, PR success is about driving business impact. Companies can measure how PR campaigns influence inbound leads, conversions, and customer acquisition.

5. Relationship building

Strong PR fosters valuable relationships with media, influencers, and industry stakeholders. Measuring partnership growth and media responsiveness can indicate long-term PR success.

Measuring PR success isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, it’s about aligning metrics with business goals. By analysing sentiment, engagement, conversions, and reputation, companies can move beyond vanity metrics to truly understand their PR impact.

Want to optimise your PR strategy? Get in touch beinspired@activepr.co.uk

How to maximise the impact of a press release

30th August 2024 by Philippa Probert

Public relations and press releases go hand in hand but have you ever thought about what else us PR professionals do to maximise a press release’s impact?

Nowadays we don’t just draft a release and issue it to key journalists and media outlets, we also use digital channels to share the news with a broader audience.

We will never stop issuing press releases via traditional routes but we also leverage online platforms such as a client’s website, social media and email marketing to reach more people.

Sharing snippets of a press release on social media is probably the quickest and easiest way to share news on multiple platforms. Tailoring the message so it’s suitable for each platform is also key as some details may be relevant to a Facebook audience but not relevant to a LinkedIn audience. You can also engage with social media users by asking them to like, share and comment on the post.

Uploading news releases onto your website and then sharing the link on social media also works really well and will help increase traffic to your website.

Another way you can maximise content from a press release is via email marketing. Going straight into the inbox of your database, this is a great way to include snippets of key information from a release such as information on a new development or dates and times of an event.

As a PR agency, we’re constantly receiving requests from journalists in our inbox so if a story fits in with their brief this presents another opportunity to send over a tailored press release.

What should a press release include?

• Strong headline
• Introduction that includes who, what, when, where, and how
• A clear news angle
• Relevance to current events or trends
• A quote
• High quality images or videos
• A call to action
• Details of how to find out more
• Notes to editors (a boiler plate)
• Contact details for your marketing or PR team

Want us to do the work for you? Email beinspired@activepr.co.uk to speak to our team about how we can manage your PR strategy.

What makes a good press release?

11th April 2023 by Natalie Tomlinson

Writing a press release may seem like a simple task but, with today’s mix of news sites, online magazines, blogs, hyperlocal websites and printed press, it can be difficult to get your pitch just right.

Working in PR, we’ve learnt a few things along the way…

• First and foremost, what is it you want to say? And what is the most interesting angle of your story? Balancing these is key to a successful media release.
• Don’t forget to include the six ‘Ws’ in your write up… who, what, where, why, when and how.
• Stay relevant. Don’t send out a press release with places to visit over the Easter break – after the Easter break has finished. Or a release about a shop launch that happened three weeks ago. A press release should be as up to date as possible and ideally issued in advance, if your news is time sensitive. You can always add an embargo if you would like it to be published after a certain date.
• Keep it simple. A well written, informative press release is music to every journalist’s ears. Ensure your writing is free from spelling mistakes, grammatical errors (like capped up letters when not needed) and jargon. Get straight to the point. Journalists don’t have the time to read through a three-page press release. Include the most relevant information first as you have a good chance of the rest being cut.
• Pick a perfect picture. A good press release can be transformed into a great one with eye-catching photography. No blurred or dark images and avoid big group shots with no one looking at the camera – they will not be used. We always advise our clients to invest in a good photographer. 
• Choose your audience. We work across all industries, but we wouldn’t send an accounting article to a construction industry magazine. Pull together a list of publications and carefully decide where you want to send your press release.

Which follows on nicely to… contacts. Here at Active PR, we are a team of former journalists. We have excellent contacts at media outlets across the country. We work to maintain two-way relationships and always strive to provide the right stories at the right time.  

If you want an experienced team to create professional press releases for your brand, we can help you, just get in touch!

A guide to: handling media enquiries

9th February 2023 by Kate Logan

The phone rings, or your email pings, and it’s a journalist. Perhaps it’s a call you’ve been dreading or it comes unexpectedly, but no business is immune to media enquiries. And, whether you employ an in-house press office team, an external PR agency or handle questions from the press yourself, they aren’t usually something you can ignore.

Unfortunately, most incoming enquiries from journalists tend to be focussed on negative issues. Rarely do members of the media come to you directly to extol the achievements of your firm – more’s the pity.

When a reporter does come a calling, your management team will be faced with the perennial question – to comment or not to comment?

Our advice generally is that providing a spokesperson or comment, however brief, is better than saying nothing, although there are a few exceptions, which we’ll address later.

Providing a quote, from a named senior employee, shows readers or viewers your company cares about the issues raised, you are committed to taking relevant action and, if an error has been made, you are responsible enough to acknowledge or apologise and will take steps to do better.

If the enquiry comes from broadcast media, a written comment may still be appropriate, unless you have a highly experienced, media-trained spokesperson to handle on-mic or on-camera interviews.

There are generally two sides to every story. While you may feel you have done little wrong, the complainants or wider public may still feel aggrieved. Acknowledging that will often go a long way to forging positive future relationships, both with the media and their audiences.

We also understand that you would rather not have some conversations in a public arena. However, if a journalist feels they have a story, they are likely to run with it whether you accept the opportunity to put your side across or not. A negative article with a “no comment” attributed to your firm, could cause more reputational damage.

Some exceptions to the “always comment” rule:

• When commenting would impact on legal proceeding and your lawyer advises against it. In this scenario you may be able to offer a comment from an unnamed spokesperson to say you are unable to comment while legal proceedings are underway.
• When the query is not yours to answer. Journalists can occasionally get it wrong or have been given the wrong information, for example they may confuse your company with another or the responsibility for the issue may lie with another organisation. In these cases, try to be open with your communication to avoid being pulled into a story that should not involve you.
• When the reporter is ‘fishing’ for information or you sense there is no story without you providing the details requested. In these cases, you can weigh up what facts or opinion, if any, you are happy to place in the public domain and decide whether the timing it right to do this. You may find you can turn the story to your advantage or use this as an opportunity to build a relationship with the journalist and give them a story when you are ready to do so.

Things to remember when you receive a press enquiry:

• Journalists are trained professionals and usually very lovely people (we should know, the team at Active PR were all once on ‘the other side’). Treat them as you would treat any professional. Don’t assume they are out to cause you reputational damage.
• Always be courteous and friendly. Focus on building a relationship as that journalist could help you with positive PR in the future.  
• Ask them some questions too. Find out what they know, who they have spoken to, who else they plan to speak to, the angle they are pursuing and their deadline for a response.
• PR is not about spin. Don’t mis-represent facts and be open, honest and heartfelt in any comment you provide.
• Take the action you say you will. If your comment pledges a course of action, such as an investigation or change of procedure, make sure these are followed through on. There’s nothing worse than a follow up enquiry in a few weeks’ time highlighting broken promises.

While media scrutiny is rarely welcomed, it doesn’t have to be feared. Following this advice, you should be able to mitigate negative publicity successfully and move forward. If you would like support with your media relations, we have the expertise you need to navigate press enquiries, generate positive PR and support your business as if we were members of your own team.

Why not give us a call today on 0151 236 2120 or email beinspired@activepr.co.uk to find out how we could help.