March is Marketing and Branding Month here at Inman. As we enter spring selling season, let’s explore which tried-and-true tactics and cutting-edge innovations are getting deals done in today’s market. We’ll also recognize the industry’s marketing and branding leaders with Inman’s Marketing All-Star Awards.
Our previous guide explored how owned media forms the foundation of your proptech marketing strategy — your digital real estate that you control entirely. Now, let’s dive into perhaps the most potent yet challenging form of media: earned media.
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Did you know that 92 percent of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family over any form of advertising? And in the B2B space, 91 percent of business buyers are influenced by word-of-mouth when purchasing. For proptech startups trying to disrupt the traditional real estate industry, this third-party validation isn’t just valuable — it’s essential for building credibility.
Earned media can be your most persuasive ally as you work to convince property managers, real estate agents, developers and homebuyers that your technology solution is worth adopting. Let’s explore how to harness this powerful marketing channel for your proptech startup.
What is earned media?
Earned media is any publicity or exposure your company receives organically — without directly paying for it. Unlike owned media (which you control) or paid media (which you purchase), earned media is generated when others discuss your proptech solution.
Think of it as digital word-of-mouth. When a real estate tech publication reviews your property management platform, a prominent agent shares their success story using your virtual touring technology, or industry experts reference your market data in their analysis, that’s all earned media.
Earned media’s power lies in its authenticity. Because it comes from third parties rather than your marketing department, it carries significantly more weight with potential customers who may be skeptical of traditional advertising claims.
Proptech-specific earned media examples
In the proptech space, earned media can take many forms:
- Industry press coverage: Articles about your startup in publications like Inman News
- Analyst reports: Mentions in reports from real estate technology analysts
- Social media mentions: When real estate professionals or property managers organically mention your product
- Reviews and testimonials: Unprompted reviews on platforms like G2, Capterra or industry-specific forums
- Case studies published by others: When a third party documents how your solution solved a real estate challenge
- Speaking opportunities: Invitations to speak at real estate or technology conferences
- Awards and recognition: Industry accolades for innovation or excellence
- Podcast or webinar appearances: Guest appearances discussing proptech trends and solutions
Why earned media is your trust builder
If owned media is the foundation of your marketing house, earned media is what makes it a trusted home in the neighborhood. Here’s why it’s crucial for proptech startups:
- Builds credibility in a traditional industry: The real estate industry often moves slowly when adopting new technology. Third-party validation helps overcome skepticism.
- Extends reach beyond your network: Earned media helps you access audiences you couldn’t reach through your owned channels alone.
- Enhances SEO: Backlinks from reputable industry sites significantly boost your search engine rankings.
- Provides social proof: In a crowded proptech market, earned media differentiates your solution as one that experts trust and recommend.
- Cost-effective: While earning media takes effort, the ROI can far exceed that of paid advertising, especially for startups with limited budgets.
Types of earned media for proptech companies
1. Media coverage and PR
Getting featured in industry publications provides robust validation for your proptech solution. This can include:
- Feature articles about your innovative approach
- Inclusion in “top proptech startups to watch” lists
- Expert commentary on real estate technology trends
- Product launch announcements
- Funding news coverage
Proptech example: When a startup like Matterport first introduced its 3D virtual tour technology, coverage in real estate publications helped validate the concept and educate potential users about its benefits.
2. Reviews and testimonials
Genuine reviews from customers using your property technology solution build tremendous trust:
- User reviews on software directories
- Customer testimonials shared on third-party platforms
- Video testimonials from clients
- Case studies published by industry associations
Proptech example: When property managers voluntarily share their positive experiences using your property management software on platforms like G2 or Capterra, potential customers gain confidence in your solution.
3. Social Media mentions and shares
Organic social engagement extends your reach exponentially:
- Real estate influencers sharing your content
- Property managers tagging your company when discussing results
- Agents recommending your solution to colleagues
- Retweets and shares of your company announcements
Proptech example: When a prominent real estate coach with thousands of followers organically mentions how your CRM helped them close more deals, their entire network becomes aware of your solution.
4. Industry recognition
Awards and accolades serve as powerful third-party endorsements:
- Proptech innovation awards
- Real estate technology “best of” lists
- Industry association recognition
- Accelerator or incubator selections
Proptech example: Being named to the NAR REACH accelerator program or winning an Inman Best of Proptech Award instantly elevates your startup’s credibility.
5. Speaking engagements and thought leadership
Being invited to share your expertise builds authority:
- Conference speaking opportunities
- Panel participation at real estate events
- Podcast guest appearances
- Webinar invitations from industry organizations
Proptech example: When your CEO is invited to speak at Inman Connect or the Blueprint conference, it positions your company as an industry thought leader.
How to build an effective earned media strategy for your proptech startup
Now that we understand the value of earned media let’s explore how to generate it for your proptech company systematically:
Step 1: Create something worth talking about
The foundation of any earned media strategy is having something genuinely newsworthy:
- Develop truly innovative solutions: Create technology that solves actual pain points in the real estate industry
- Generate original research: Conduct studies on property technology adoption or market trends
- Achieve measurable results: Document the ROI your clients achieve with concrete metrics
- Tell compelling stories: Identify and develop customer success stories that illustrate the transformation
Action item: Identify your company’s unique value proposition. This will become the cornerstone of your earned media strategy. Tell the industry why your product or service matters, and connect it to tangible results like revenue growth, time savings, conversion rate, etc.
Step 2: Build media relationships
Unlike paid media, earned media requires relationship building:
- Identify key publications: Inman, HousingWire, Real Estate News, etc.
- Connect with relevant journalists: Follow and engage with reporters covering proptech. For instance, Inman’s proptech reporter is Craig Rowe. Follow Craig on LinkedIn, and engage with his content. Build a relationship with him.
- Always offer value first: Share insights, data, or expert commentary without expecting immediate coverage.
- Understand editorial calendars: Time your pitches to align with planned content themes. Most media companies will share their calendars or upcoming themes if you ask.
Action item: Create a media list of 10-15 publications and journalists most relevant to your proptech niche. Begin following them on social media and engaging with their content.
Step 3: Develop a strategic PR approach
Public relations for proptech requires a specialized approach:
- Craft compelling pitches: Focus on how your technology solves real estate challenges, not just technical features
- Provide context: Help journalists understand where your solution fits in the proptech ecosystem
- Leverage timing: Connect your story to current trends in real estate or property technology
- Offer exclusive angles: Give specific publications first access to major announcements
- Follow up thoughtfully: Be persistent but respectful of journalists’ time
Action Item: Draft a press release template and three to five pitch angles that connect your proptech solution to current industry challenges or trends.
Step 4: Leverage customer advocacy
Your satisfied customers can become your most powerful earned media generators:
- Identify success stories: Look for clients achieving exceptional results
- Make sharing easy: Create templates and platforms for reviews and testimonials
- Recognize advocates: Showcase clients who promote your solution
- Create a referral program: Incentivize word-of-mouth recommendations
- Document results: Help customers quantify the benefits they’ve achieved
Action item: Identify three to five customers who have had outstanding success with your solution, and reach out about developing detailed case studies.
Step 5: Establish thought leadership
Position your team as experts in both real estate and technology:
- Create valuable content: Develop insights that demonstrate your expertise
- Pursue speaking opportunities: Apply to speak at industry conferences
- Join industry organizations: Participate in real estate technology groups
- Share market perspectives: Offer unique viewpoints on industry trends
- Contribute guest articles: Write for industry publications
Action item: Identify the unique expertise within your team and develop a thought leadership plan for each key executive, focusing on their specific knowledge areas.
Step 6: Encourage and amplify social sharing
Create a strategy to encourage social media engagement:
- Monitor mentions: Set up alerts for when your company is mentioned
- Engage authentically: Respond to and thank people who share your content
- Create shareable assets: Develop content specifically designed to be shared
- Identify influencers: Connect with real estate technology influencers
- Showcase user content: Highlight when customers share their experiences
Action item: Set up social listening tools to track mentions of your company, solution and related proptech topics.
Step 7: Measure and optimize
Track the impact of your earned media efforts:
- Monitor coverage: Use Google Alerts (it’s free) and set up alerts for your company name, product names and key executives
- Analyze traffic sources: Set up Google Analytics and track referral sources to see which media mentions drive traffic
- Measure sentiment: Talkwalker has a free Social Media Search tool for monitoring mentions.
- Track conversion impact: Google Analytics does well if it’s set up for it, but you can also use custom links to track clicks from earned media mentions with Bitly.
Action item: Establish three to five key performance indicators for your earned media efforts and implement a tracking system.
Best practices for earned media success
As you implement your earned media strategy, keep these best practices in mind:
- Be patient: Unlike paid media, earned media takes time to develop but delivers longer-lasting results.
- Stay authentic: Journalists and industry experts can spot manufactured stories. Focus on genuine value and innovation.
- Build relationships first: Approach media relationships as long-term investments, not transactional opportunities.
- Be responsive: When media opportunities arise, respond quickly and professionally.
- Coordinate across channels: Ensure your earned media efforts align with your owned and paid strategies.
- Prepare for scale: Have systems in place to handle increased interest when earned media generates momentum.
Next steps
Remember that earned media is a long-term investment in your proptech brand’s credibility and visibility. Start small, focus on quality over quantity and build momentum over time.
In our next and final post in this series, we’ll explore how to strategically integrate paid media into your marketing mix to amplify your own and earned media efforts. We’ll cover when to invest in advertising, which channels work best for proptech companies, and how to maximize your ROI.
Looking for guidance on implementing your earned media strategy? Stay tuned for part 3 of our Proptech Marketing Guide series, where we’ll complete your marketing trifecta with strategic paid media approaches.
Marci James is the founder of Be Inspired Digital. Connect with Marci on Linkedin and Instagram.
