Marketing and paid advertising are the traditional tools agents reach for when promoting a new listing. But the possibilities presented by public relations — for the right property with the right story — are impressive. Principal Broker Scott Carvill of Carvill Sotheby’s International Realty, on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, has first-hand experience in leveraging media coverage to generate interest in exceptional homes.
Before embarking on a PR campaign, Carvill decides whether a listing has the right characteristics for a media push. “They really need to have something special, a story,” he explains. A prime example: Molokai Ranch, a property of 55,575 acres on the island of Molokai, Hawaii. Having been owned by King Kamehameha and, later, by Queen Liliʻuokalani, the ranch had a compelling story, and the news that the property was up for sale received hundreds of pages of coverage.
“It really is the relationships in the PR industry that allowed that to happen for Molokai Ranch,” Carvill says. When it comes to promoting extraordinary properties, PR opens the possibility of maximum exposure in a way that few other avenues can.
About Sotheby’s International Realty
Sotheby’s International Realty was founded in 1976 as a real estate service for discerning clients of Sotheby’s auction house. Today, the company’s global footprint spans 990 offices located in 72 countries and territories worldwide, including 43 company-owned brokerage offices in key metropolitan and resort markets. In February 2004, Realogy entered into a long-term strategic alliance with Sotheby’s, the operator of the auction house. The agreement provided for the licensing of the Sotheby’s International Realty name and the development of a franchise system. The franchise system is comprised of an affiliate network, where each office is independently owned and operated. Sotheby’s International Realty supports its affiliates and agents with a host of operational, marketing, recruiting, educational and business development resources. Affiliates and agents also benefit from an association with the venerable Sotheby’s auction house, established in 1744. For more information, visit www.sothebysrealty.com.
The affiliate network is operated by Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC, and the company owned brokerages are operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Both entities are subsidiaries of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services. Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC and Sotheby’s International Realty Inc., both fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.