As an ever-increasing amount of investors are taking a non-traditional approach to acquiring property, more have placed greater importance on building their reputation not only to their peers in the industry but also the wider public.  Often viewed as an ‘indirect’ method to gain property, the role of PR has gained much ground in recent years.  Please see an interview with Miranda        Leslau – a public communications expert who has worked with a range of high end business leaders as well as several prominent property investors.  We look into the importance of developing a personal brand; ‘Secret Millionaire’ Kevin Green’s exemplary PR campaign; the various stages to build successful PR and social media as an effective tool for property investors.

1) Can you give our readers a bit of background as to what you do? I am a multi-lingual international communications expert and BA Honours graduate with 20 years experience of working with public and private sector businesses all over the world.  I started my career as a linguist, as an official translator for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, aged 21 and also working for marketing companies in Paris and Madrid.  I have worked with international personalities and celebrity PR’s such as Lynne Franks, Jean-Claude van Damme, Catherine Oxenberg and Viviane Ventura – as well as managing promotional campaigns with Claudia Schiffer, Tania Bryer and Tamara Mellon (Jimmy Choo) to cite a few names.  Furthermore, I have launched hundreds of start-up businesses and emerging personalities, property investors and a professional training organisation, Tigrent Learning UK, as well as governments/Tourist Boards, Ryanair ‘back in the day’ and Miss World in The Seychelles.  I have also organised events, conferences and awards for anywhere between 10 and 10,000 people, I ghost-write and pen articles and also run training and crisis management programmes.  I have lectured in PR and news management for two international universities, I am a committed networker, having chaired a leading women’s networking group in London, am passionate about giving back and helping organisations such as Make-A-Wish Foundation® UK and have pretty much acquired quite a few ‘t-shirts’ over the years.

2) Would you say that many property investors view their own personal brand when developing their business? Any business only appreciates the value of their brand when things go wrong – a crisis can damage your brand to the tune of two and a half year’s worth of your marketing budget.  Sometimes the bottom line, ie sales, is considered as the only important  part of the sales/marketing/brand function.  PR can support brand (ie corporate) development, sales (the brand itself) and also the company/business owner as a respected and trustworthy industry spokesbrand.  With any business, property-based or otherwise, the people behind the brand are as important as the product you are selling – just look at the likes of brands such as Virgin (Sir Richard Branson) andInnocent Drinks (Richard Reed) etc – both extremely high impact, personality led brands.

3) How important is it to do so – especially at time where there is an ever-rising number of buy to let investors? It is essential to be seen an industry expert – excel over the competition, offer attention to detail and under-deliver and over-promise rather than the other way around.  Too often in PR and the property industry too, individuals offer the exact opposite.  The PR of both industries often need attention.  Your clients must trust you and third party endorsement through the media is an invaluable way of building trust.  Equally as important is the need to be reactive when the BTL is misrepresented in the media or when something bad happens within the BTL sector – through ignorance or otherwise.  You are the industry expert – the media isn’t an expert in your field so educate the educators.

4) Can you provide some good examples of property investors who have good PR campaigns? It depends on your definition of good as a PR campaign needs to be tailored to the required objectives/strategy etc.  A glossy image of a property investor is not necessarily a ‘good campaign’.  There needs to be roots to the tree, coupled with water and light, for it to grow and remain upright throughout the seasons.  Kevin Green, whom I work with through Tigrent Learning UK and also via his lead judging role with The Technium Challenge 2010.  I was responsible for Kevin being involved with The Secret Millionaire on Channel 4.  Kevin’s in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the property business is heightened through his affability and reputation as an individual.  As someone who cares about what they do and who gives back to the next generation of property investors and also charitable concerns.

5) What has made them so successful? In the example of Kevin Green, hard work, determination, becoming an expert in his field through education, always having a back-up strategy and working with strict systems and extensive legal and practical knowledge.  Some entrepreneurs might say that timing and luck play a part in any one individual’s success.  It depends on your belief system.  Kevin was a successful entrepreneur before he appeared on The Secret Millionaire.  The Channel 4 TV show has helped taken Kevin to the next stage of his career at a pivotal time and also made him see himself in a different way.  We all need to keep learning and can’t take anything for granted, however ‘successful’ we are.

6) What are the first stages to undertake when building PR?

• Consider your short and long term objectives;
• Learn from the PR experts – that is probably what you did when you started out in the property industry, you learnt from other property investors;
• Don’t think you can do it all yourself or that an article written by you and submitted to the editor of a national newspaper will be published – it is more likely to be laughed at and binned;
• Work with your local media;
• Understand that sound PR takes time – it is based on trust and relationship building/being a reliable source;
• Get good quality photographs taken;
• Step outside of your world, read the media and understand what will make the news on a reactive and/or proactive basis;
• When you start to write press releases, make sure you understand the difference between a trade and consumer release and also one that is targeting your local rather than national or international media sources;
• Make sure you have case studies and that these have been approved by the people you are writing about;
• If you are working with a third party PR make sure you understand what has been agreed, have a contract in place detailing terms and have regular meetings and contact;
• Accept that PR takes up time and media sources expect rapid responses – the media have strict deadlines and not all calls or emails will come through during working hours;
• Network, network, network and build relationships with other businesses to develop cross-marketing opportunities.

7) How important do you feel that social networking is for the property investor? Many people feel that social media can replace traditional PR.  It can’t.  Akin to the dotcom boom, many are jumping on the social media bandwagon at the expense of PR.  Both mediums are complementary and one should enhance not replace the other.

8)You have a one day conference happening on 15th September – can you discuss what the format is and how our readers would benefit in attending? This one day event is essential for anyone running their own business or who wants to fast-track their knowledge of the media as a PR executive.  Delegates will walk away with a tailor-made toolkit comprising the following:-

• Defining the spin versus the reality of PR;
• How to write effective press releases;
• How to sell in a story to the media;
• PR strategy, evaluation and expectation;
• Crisis management, media training;
• Marketing for start-ups and on a nominal marketing budget;
• Delegates will also get to hear from other experts including Kevin Green himself and his experience of branding and PR.

For more information about the event and to speak to Miranda personally, please see her full contact details below:

Tags: be a millionaire, Kevin Green, Property Investor, Secret Millionaire, success secrets

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