Influencers In Marketing
Marketers are just as integral to the art and science of owning and managing real estate as the finance and broker functions, and should be acknowledged as so.
When you work in, say, commercial real estate finance, chances are good you will know at least something about research. Or sales. Likewise an office broker: there is a good chance he or she knows more than the average layperson about the retail asset class. However, there is one area of CRE that may not be as familiar to these people as it should be, which is marketing. To be sure, a CRE marketer has a certain skill set that does not translate well to sales or finance. But marketers are just as integral to the art and science of owning and managing real estate and should be acknowledged as so. Which is what we have done in the following pages.
Under his guidance, DB&R has earned a reputation as a firm that can handle any challenge, large or small. During the firm’s history, the only type of contract Beck ever extended was a firm handshake, promising work with integrity. And, the clients followed, including Mesa West Capital, TruAmerica Multifamily and Jamison Services, which have thrived with Beck’s quality, cost-effective public relations and strategic marketing communications.
DB&R has experienced phenomenal growth in the last few years, including hiring its first full-time and part-time employees. In 24 months, the company has added Knighthead Funding in Greenwich, CT, Columbia Pacific Advisors in Seattle and Longpoint Capital in Boston at more than a 20% revenue increase and growing.
In her 30-year tenure, most recently as senior vice president, Benoit has created the company’s brand strategy and grown its marketing presence by building an industry-leading marketing team. She has increased advertising, PR, marketing campaigns, market research, client-centric events and company conferences, and she additionally directed and launched four re-brand campaigns for Kidder Mathews during the past 15 years. Benoit’s most recent re-brand campaign along with the new site, kidder.com, was launched in May 2019, strategically coinciding with Kidder Mathews’ 50th anniversary celebration.
The coupling of these skills with intelligence, a creative mindset and strong interpersonal communication have changed the GCS organization from the inside out. This is evident through Newmark’s Global Corporate Services blog, which turned three years old this past May. His skills and expertise have transformed the organization on multiple levels, elevating the profile of Newmark’s GCS organization both internally and externally.
Buechel designed an integrated digital marketing strategy focused on multimedia content development (blogs, podcasts, video, whitepapers, case studies, etc.) and on-site events and activities (conferences, tradeshows, speaking engagements, webinars, etc.). His personal motto is “there is no value in an enemy”.
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She was an integral part of executing Taste for the Space across four markets. This food festival and competition attracted local culinary talent, developed relationships, and was attended by more than 1,000 people in each market.
Calder has two decades of experience leading teams in marketing and communications. His current focus as director of marketing is to support the STRATIS sales team through marketing strategies, event planning and logistics for 25 to 30 annual real estate events, email marketing, PR and overall project management.
His greatest professional accomplishment during the past three years has been working with the team to grow and scale the brand. In that time, the team‘s work has expanded from 75,000 smart apartments in the US, to 350,000 globally, a 366% increase in installs. In addition, the team has reached a 10,000% increase in revenue during that same time period.
Chase previously founded two communications firms, ChasePR and Chase Communications, which was acquired by DC-based Levick in 2017. While continuing to operate ChasePR, she is now the managing director of Streetsense, an experience-focused strategy, design and PR collective.
She has also been instrumental in reshaping the firm’s brand after merger activity that ultimately united three firms under the Cushman & Wakefield banner. Fasano played a critical role in the launch of Cushman & Wakefield’s new brand and corporate identity following its merger with DTZ in September 2015. Consolidating disparate and distinct brands into one cohesive, global voice, she eased integration and consolidation and helped position Cushman & Wakefield for aggressive growth.
What’s more, Fasano has created a diverse, inclusive and performance-based culture that has positioned the firm to grow organically. Finally, she believes in investing in relationships and the success of others within her personal and professional life. Fasano has a lengthy track record of mentoring both male and female junior colleagues.
Golan also has played an integral role in the launch of three large-scale projects within the last three years at Colliers. He led the content creation and curation for Colliers’ newly improved US website. He developed the communications/social media plan and messaging for the launch of Colliers’ recruiting program, the Power of BE. Golan also created the initial media/communications plan for the launch surrounding the Colliers Proptech Accelerator Powered by Techstars.
Golan is involved in several organizations outside of commercial real estate, serving as a member of KUOW public radio, a member of Washington Trails Association, and a member of Old Dog Haven.
Following Congress’s decision to permit the use of digital media marketing in 2012, Gower leveraged the industry’s lack of tools to effectively form capital on the internet.
Gower created the Investor Acquisition System to fill this gap. As the original and only capital formation system built exclusively for commercial real estate sponsors, the Investor Acquisition System provides both done-for-you and do-it-yourself digital marketing solutions for capital formation.
As vice president of marketing, Grinter is a member of the Truss senior management team which sets the strategic direction for the company. Before Grinter joined the firm, there was no marketing effort at Truss and no brand recognition. She initially performed all of the marketing roles before building a team of professionals as the company scaled up. Revenues have risen dramatically as a result.
During her tenure, the company has garnered several awards including a B2B recognition in 50 on Fire (2017), the CRETech RETAS winner for Overall Best Real Estate Tech Site (2017), Tech-Enabled Brokerage and Listing Marketplace (2018), a Chicago Innovation Award (2018) and the Disruptor Daily Future of Real Estate Award.
Heydon realizes that there is a paradigm shift and embraces taking calculated risks to more meaningfully connect with Centennial’s communities and exceed consumer expectations. This is evident in her work on the Hawthorn 2.0 and Fox Valley 2.0 redevelopment campaigns where Heydon collaborated closely with the firm’s development, leadership and mall teams to articulate and generate excitement about the next iteration of experiential retail.
Hoyt is typically one of the go-to resources for public relations advisory and consulting advice for many CRE companies/projects around the country. Known as a behind-the-scenes influencer, she has launched housing complexes in New York, shopping centers around the country and major mixed-use projects in downtown Los Angeles.The key to Hoyt’s success for the past 25 years are her tailored communications teams. Her teams have won more than 100+ industry awards including the Award of Excellence for the writer in residence program which was created for the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, the PRism award for the media relations program for a national architectural firm, and a PRism award for an integrated communications program designed and implemented for a national brokerage firm.
Every two weeks, she hosts training on a different subject matter–empowering her teams and ensuring the marketing and communications professionals have a voice and a seat at the table. Kayyem promotes from within to give members the ability to move into new roles and experience new ways to affect positive change.
She has been an integral part in instituting a mural program across PRCP properties, as an integration of art experience and shopping centers. The movement has more recently begun trending across the country. Kayyem and her team are also responsible for a number of MAXI awards at ICSC including seven in 2018 and three in 2019.
He is the current marketing advisor to All In Drone, a national drone pilot network and video post-production team dedicated to an all-in-one service for property drone videos. His use of drones and time-lapse videography has been used to highlight more than 100 commercial real estate projects/properties via corporate websites and social media. From project inception to finish line, direct reports and outside vendors rely upon his experience as a project and people manager.
Lewand has 75% repeat business earned since 2009 and clients include Bradford Real Estate Companies, Cushman & Wakefield, ICSC, Lee & Associates, Marcus & Millichap and Michigan Association of Realtors.
Marek has secured and served clients in the architecture, engineering and commercial construction industries, including TDIndustries, Hill & Wikinson, Hall Financial Group, MYCON General Contractors, PAGE and JQ Engineering. Her average client retention is 15 years, which speaks to the results that she delivers, including external communications programs, strategic thinking and networking skills.
Marek has taught business and global communications and PR courses as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Dallas for 16 years, while leading her firm’s consulting practice.
As senior director of communications at Greystone, Marotta serves as an advisor to the firm’s C-suite with more than 20 years of PR industry experience, and has worked to successfully raise the profile of the firm and its founder, Stephen Rosenberg.
By communicating the firm’s priorities and its level of expertise in areas of commercial real estate including affordable housing, many projects have served to move the needle for Greystone. To that end, Marotta worked to develop a relationship with The Wall Street Journal to garner coverage of a marquis recapitalization project that Greystone completed in Newark, NJ.
As senior marketing manager of retail at JLL, Marvin is also involved in the company’s internal Women’s Business Network as the communications lead for Southern California. A clear desire to propel diversity and inclusion initiatives is apparent not only through the strategic communications and events she facilitates, but also in the way she conducts herself each day. The sincere effort she makes to lead and mentor at all levels has an immeasurable impact on all individuals around her. Simply put, Marvin will raise her hand and show up when it matters to her team and to her community.
Always looking for ways to innovate as a leader in the industry, Megill partnered with PECO’s CIO last year to launch a new Alexa App, which allows users to listen to the company’s Retail Intel Podcast and search for retail space across the company’s nationwide portfolio. Since 2016, her team has won seven silver and four gold MAXI awards, and the advertising campaign that Megill spearheaded was recognized in the Communicator Awards, the Fourteener Awards and the Hermes Creative Awards. In fact, the company has received more than 40 awards during Megill’s tenure. She was named a 2018 Woman of Influence by GlobeSt.com.
While he has accomplished many notable career successes during the past three years, Meidhof’s greatest accomplishment is his focus on the conceptualization and development of Neighborhood Curated by Colliers, a technology suite for tenant and client engagement. He found a creative way to alleviate pain points, and brought in external partners to help fill any potential gaps and provide solutions to complications that may arise.
Millar is the creative director/executive producer behind a commercial real estate forecast event that he has grown into the largest, longest-running event of its kind in Chicago and perhaps the country. The event first launched as a client-focused event for Grubb & Ellis’ Chicago offices when Millar was its first internal director of marketing. Now in its 25th year, the event has transformed into an industry-wide conference that engages 55-plus speakers, attracts 100 sponsors and draws 1,200 CRE professionals.
And, the Investor Sentiment Report was first conceived and executed for RCM as a means to stimulate client engagement and high-profile publicity. The concept also has been tailored for The Real Estate Center at DePaul University.
Ray’s greatest accomplishment within the last three years has been creating Matthews’ versatile brand and identity. She spearheaded the creation of its market research publication and magazine, which has more than 400,000 readers.
Ray is an essential part of the firm’s social media efforts and its new website, which is set to launch in early 2020. She has single-handedly grown Matthews’ follower count by 200% overall in the last three years. In 2017, Ray received a company award for innovation.
Initially, Scott found that the regional offices were not fully aligned with corporate’s marketing vision. She led the initiative to formalize Cresa’s marketing approach to ensure the collateral consistently adhered to corporate standards, developed corporate brand guidelines for each office, streamlined the process for creating/issuing marketing and PR materials and developed training for the marketing teams in different international locations. Scott managed a full brand refresh and new website completed in 2018. To lead this $1 million project, she collaborated with influencer groups to build consensus, including Cresa’s global board of directors, emerging leadership council and strategic leadership council, during the 24-month period.
Swader, who is director of marketing, PR and administration, is also a small business advocate. She hosts a business networking event every quarter, gathering 70 to 100 people at each event, totaling more than 450 small businesses within the last three years. Additionally, Swader hosts a women entrepreneurs event, W.E. CAN, every month. She is a mentor in Arizona State University’s W.P Carey School of Business Entrepreneurship Program. Swader also assists aspiring journalists from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Her new business and marketing book will be published in late-2019, and she additionally has a new show, “Real Talk, Real Business, Real People.”
Throughout her three years with Kiser Group, she has exceeded the results for previously retained agencies. In 2018, Wottreng secured 159 media placements for Kiser Group for listings, closings, new hires and company promotions, as well as ghostwriting thought leadership articles on Forbes.com. Most notably, she secured press placement in Crain’s Chicago Business for a large condo deconversion listing, which generated a $38 million buyer.
She additionally earned a place in the 2019 “30 Under 30” from the Publicity Club of Chicago.
MARKETING TEAMS
ARBOR REALTY TRUST’S MARKETING DEPARTMENT Arbor Realty Trust’s multidisciplinary marketing team is focused on digital initiatives that range from developing a marketing technology stack to lead generation, including a heavy focus on content strategy and execution. The team has influenced the environment of real estate marketing, by putting the “content” back in “content marketing.” Instead of producing generic content, the company provides clients and potential partners with unique real estate research and intelligence, available only through Arbor.
Utilizing blogs as a legitimate digital tool, Arbor has led the industry in heightening the method’s relevance. Defying typical website standards and prose, Arbor’s in-house marketing team produces material similar to trade journals, with regularly posted content which multifamily professionals consistently turn to for accurate, reliable and useful information.
One of its most unique approaches has been its partnership with Chandan Economics, to create what is believed to be the first small balance multifamily loan research in the industry. This partnership is also launching a Small Balance Multifamily Loan Index, which uses data analytics to provide meaningful insights to investors.
Arbor’s success in marketing content has been demonstrated with its #EveryDealMatters campaign to help surpass the 10,000 followers mark on LinkedIn. The firm has also used its internal company culture campaigns, including its “Be the Best You Can Be” employee video series, to grow its outward-facing brand.
In 2016, Arbor introduced Arbor Loan Express (ALEX), a groundbreaking improvement in the loan application process. It served as the first all-agency online origination platform specifically for the multifamily market.
C&W SERVICES BRAND TEAM At the completion of Cushman & Wakefield and DTZ’s merger, the facility services business was rebranded as C&W Services. Although the facilities had a 65-year history and 600 clients, the new brand was completely unknown.
On Day 1, the firm’s communications arsenal was limited, as was its budget. The new marketing team’s lean staff needed a strategy that would appeal to all audiences, and bolster sales and client retention.
That strategy included corporate storytelling that promoted individuals and teams in order to create a memorable illustration of the company’s value. These stories resonate with all audiences and collectively show that employees succeed because of the company’s vision, new direction, innovation and culture. Hoping to capture and share a few stories each quarter, the team strived to establish a tangible personality for the young brand.
In 2018, the content strategy and website underwent an evolution to include educational and technical content. The four-person team added lead-generating content without sacrificing the people-focused brand. Instead of a few stories a quarter, the team now posts at least two pieces of content each week.
Last year, the content and digital strategy evolved to better reflect the firm’s investment in innovation, technology and industry-leading subject matter expertise. As a result of the marketing efforts, through increased lead generation from email, sponsored content and a strong SEO performance, a multi-million-dollar qualified pipeline was generated, totaling 30 times the marketing budget. While operational factors clearly drive customer satisfaction and renewal, the company’s renewal rate has risen to 97% since the rebranding.
DJM CAPITAL PARTNERS MARKETING TEAM DJM Capital Partners’ marketing team goes beyond commercial real estate, blending hospitality, entertainment, fashion and lifestyle to embrace each community and impact neighborhoods. Through ongoing engagement, the marketing team is part of a larger effort to change the dynamic between customer, tenant, landlord and the surrounding community.
The DJM team re-imagines the retailer’s role in tomorrow’s economy and influences how multi-platform consumers engage with retail brands. DJM’s approach to marketing is rooted in creating retail environments that build long-term engagement between brands and customers.
In many ways, each DJM property is its own lifestyle brand with a unique style and target audience. This approach demands a focus on marketing from conception to opening day. The process begins by delving into the backstory of a location and drawing on the community’s strong link to the past, evoking the historical underpinnings of the surrounding area. The team achieves this by developing and implementing a consistent schedule of events, branding and programs that attract a particular segment of the market. The team utilizes the public spaces to create town squares that encourage lingering.
The team produces more than 1,200 events and brand activations annually, drawing more than 30 million guests. Each property maintains its own Instagram and Facebook page, which have accumulated tens of thousands of followers. The team oversees the creation and development of new content, including curated custom imagery and event photos. Most important, the DJM marketing strategy has translated into positive consumer foot traffic and sales figures.
PASSCO COS. CORPORATE MARKETING TEAM Since joining Passco Companies, Stacy Stemen—who has more than 20 years of marketing experience, including a decade in the commercial real estate industry—has played a transformative role in enhancing the firm and its reputation. The marketing team has successfully defined Passco within the industry as a trusted, experienced team of professionals who are innovative, forward-thinking and genuine.
Stemen was joined in 2018 by Christine Baker, the artistic visionary behind Passco’s marketing and an industry veteran. From day one, Baker dove in to identify where Passco’s brand image could be optimized, while staying true to its core. Rounding out the team is rising star, Mallory Trott, who for two years has impeccably fulfilled a dual role.
In addition to ensuring the firm is recognized consistently for its success through publicity achievements, thought leadership, marketing collateral and advertising on both the corporate and property levels, the team notably stands out through the firm’s established presence at numerous industry events each year.
These past three years have been some of the most active and profitable in Passco’s nearly 22-year history, and the corporate marketing team—alongside the executive, investment and acquisitions teams—has no doubt played a significant role in driving its success.
Under the corporate marketing team’s direction, Passco has been awarded multiple distinctions by local and national business media. Additionally, trade media recognitions include being named a top Influencer in Multifamily by GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum in both 2018 and 2019.
THE PPA GROUP CORPORATE MARKETING TEAM Led by Jessica Lee-Wen, PPA Group’s corporate marketing team understands that the firm’s brand and culture share the same driving purpose—“to create better homes for better lives”—a motto Lee-Wen played an integral role in developing to crystalize the company’s mission in 2018. The goal was to differentiate the company from the dozens of brands that solely emphasize wealth generation. While increased revenue is still the ultimate objective, the team analyzed ways to generate returns by focusing on people first, along with upgrades and amenities that appeal to the target resident demographic: working class individuals who rent by necessity.
In the process, Lee-Wen laid the foundation for a cultural change within The PPA Group and its subsidiary companies. This internal rebranding became the driving force behind a company shift that culminated in October 2019 with the renaming of The PPA Group to Casoro Group.
Much care was applied in developing the new Casoro Group website, with images portraying a company that allows for investors to experience an optimal life with the ones they love. An updated “Life at Casoro” page amplifies the company’s diverse hiring, female leadership and community-oriented charitable work.
Joining the corporate marketing team from the property-management side, David Romero knows first-hand the upgrades and amenities, ideal for this target demographic. And, since joining the team in February, Cindy Mallette has increased the company’s Facebook following by 417% and its social media engagement by 49%.
RCLCO’S MARKETING & SALES TEAM By completely overhauling and revitalizing RCLCO Real Estate Advisors’ brand, exposure and client engagement efforts, its new marketing and sales team has elevated the firm’s position within the real estate sector. This in turn has led to an increase in insights and data analysis for developers, investors, the public sector and non-real estate organizations.
Specific responsibilities for the team include managing the marketing budget, planning annual educational industry events, coordinating speaking positions at outside conferences, performing direct sales efforts, exhibiting at industry trade shows, managing all advertising campaigns, website creation and maintenance, overseeing the firm’s CRM system and creating marketing content including managing research reports, producing the firm’s podcast series and client engagement via email campaigns and social media.
Although RCLCO as a firm is more than 50 years old, the company created the marketing and sales team in 2016. With the addition of a new department focused on branding and business development initiatives, the firm has grown annually, with this past year at its most profitable yet. The team was not hired all at once, but has expanded exponentially during the past three years.
Diana Black oversees all marketing strategic initiatives and team management. Joshua Boren oversees all direct business development efforts. Daniel Kagan oversees client deliverable production and graphics creation, while supporting all marketing campaign creation. Joseph Seong manages all RFP pursuits and supports marketing initiatives. Patrick Gathron supports the team as a whole and specifically manages all data for the CRM system.
SEALY & CO.’S MARKETING TEAM Sealy & Co.’s marketing team balances unique, dynamic innovation with the steadfast culture of a fourth-generation company. The team successfully provides the national company with marketing collateral, and consults and executes on branding and marketing strategies for the full-service brokerage of third-party properties brokered by Sealy Real Estate Services LLC.
Sealy & Co. has corporate offices in Dallas, TX and Shreveport, LA, and regional offices in Atlanta, Houston and New Orleans. The Shreveport office houses a full-service brokerage firm, employing 12 brokers to facilitate the sale and lease of third-party listings. It is the team’s duty to fulfill the marketing requests of each branch of the company from the Shreveport office.
The challenge for the team has been navigating the timelessness of Sealy & Co.’s investment strategy with the revolutionary concepts of modern branding, marketing and public relations–and doing so with a team of three. The team successfully tells the firm’s story of a well-established investment management and brokerage firm that represents roughly 300 third-party listings and owns, manages and markets 338 buildings in its investment portfolio.
Additionally, Sealy & Co.’s website, Sealynet.com, was a major accomplishment to date and is still managed and edited regularly by the marketing team. The company has also heavily invested in new software to increase efficiency and help standardize the brand across all regional offices. The team has been able to enhance brand consistency and quickly produce high-quality marketing materials.
ANTENNA SPACES With a 30-plus-year legacy, representing leading real estate companies in every corner of the industry, Antenna Spaces has been responsible for managing communications around some of the most impactful properties in the country. One key example of Antenna Spaces’ growing role as an industry influencer is the rapid expansion of its proptech practice, which serves a diverse range of companies that seek to improve and, in some cases, disrupt legacy aspects of the industry. Antenna Spaces provides value in its understanding of proptech; analyzing which solutions are proving most effective in helping traditional developers, brokers, managers and investors stay competitive to grow bottom lines. As a result, since 2015, its number of proptech-specific clients has more than doubled.
Part of what spurred Antenna Spaces’ transformation into a full-service firm was its acquisition of a web and digital marketing firm, Chicago Digital, in 2017. With this acquisition, it incorporated a full suite of services, complimenting core messaging, media relations and thought leadership. Earlier this year, the firm additionally formalized the marriage of the four brands, Beckerman PR, Antenna PR, Chicago Digital and Eco-Branding, under one agency umbrella: Antenna.
The firm is now fully-integrated; engaging the digital team across all practice areas within four offices that include San Francisco and Chicago. Antenna Spaces can now help clients tell a well-rounded story that touches every aspect of the built world.
BROWER GROUP INC. Brower Group is a powerful and influential undercurrent in the world of commercial real estate; driving awareness, changing perspectives and helping CRE leaders achieve a strong voice in this dynamic industry. In the past six months alone, Brower Group has helped CRE firms reach more than 145,529,300 targeted people via publicity, emails, newsletters, conferences, influencers, social media and websites.
Brower Group’s influential impact can be seen in a variety of ways. Through CRE fundraising, the firm works with several fund managers to share their successes. It drives discussions as a trendsetter in industry content by listening to clients and pitching forward-thinking stories. As proponents of CRE media sources, the team members support real estate publications through their consistent and effective work.
Since its inception, Brower Group has successfully positioned and generated awareness for more than 100 commercial real estate companies and its circle of influence continues to grow. The firm has been part of CRE’s tremendous growth, especially during the past three years. During this time, it has grown the the industry’s client roster by more than 35%, beginning new long-term partnerships with major owners, investors, crowdfunding providers, developers and brokerages.
Brower Group is committed to giving back to causes that help others. Its agency performs pro bono PR work for UCI MIND, a nonprofit Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Brower Group has also supported the Orange County Rescue Mission with pro bono PR efforts for nearly a decade.
CARYL COMMUNICATIONS The Caryl Communications team consists of staffers and freelancers who have worked together on behalf of real estate companies throughout New Jersey and the Tri-State area for more than three decades. The firm has worked with a diverse group of clients, most at the top tier of the real estate industry, to develop campaigns that showcase properties, individuals and communities in a variety of articles. NAIOP NJ, the state’s leading commercial real estate organization, is one of the firm’s most valued clients.
Caryl’s work every day, week and month reflects some of the highest levels of forward thinking in the real estate industry, and its access to media has resulted in a variety of articles that share capabilities and promote successes. For example, Caryl wrote articles about real estate owners adapting to economic conditions. These articles were published in industry trades, addressed at events and covered by a variety of reporters.
The firm has overcome sluggish periods in the economy by gaining new clients and retaining existing ones, some for more than 20 years. Within the past three years, Caryl brought social media to a new level, diversified its staff with a variety of specific strengths and reached a financial level surpassing the past two decades.
Caryl has worked for nonprofits at a discount rate or pro bono for more than a decade, and also participated and donated to individual philanthropic ventures. Caryl has additionally supported women in the industry for more than 30 years.
IDEA HALL Founded in 2003, Idea Hall is an integrated marketing, branding, PR and advertising agency, and a proven leader in commercial real estate, with a client list featuring some of the biggest names in the industry. Setting its sights on Orange County and its burgeoning commercial real estate sector, Idea Hall’s commitment to relationships and delivering unparalleled service are the cornerstones of its success.
Today, Idea Hall remains one of the fastest growing and most sought-after integrated marketing agencies in Southern California; ranking as the third-largest public relations firm in Orange County. Idea Hall’s imprint on the CRE sector is a case study in thinking big, consistently improving one’s craft, staying the course when times get hard and always believing that good ideas will prevail.
Idea Hall reimagines how agencies work, with the notion of harmonic convergence between traditional marketing’s creative design capabilities and PR’s immediate social media savvy. The agency’s integrated approach takes every campaign to the next level. Whether launching a social media campaign or serving as a sounding board for clients with communications, reputation and business strategy, Idea Hall is more than an agency partner; it is an extension of its clients’ teams.
Last year, the agency took home five American Advertising Awards. Idea Hall also was named a “prolific” winner by the Public Relations Society of America in 2018 for earning four PRISM awards at the 54th Annual PRISM Awards Ceremony.
SPARK STRATEGIC IDEAS Based in Charlotte, NC, SPARK Strategic Ideas has made a big splash in the local CRE industry by working with powerhouse companies in the area. SPARK is small but mighty. Often working as a team of 20 or 25 professionals with specialists and part-timers, the agency has 11 full-time employees. The agency is known for having strong relationships with consumers and trade media, getting clients noticed and putting Charlotte on the map.
In a market that is rapidly growing and constantly introducing new projects within retail, mixed-use, adaptive reuse, office and healthcare sectors, SPARK has an uncanny ability to regularly secure coverage in a variety of publications. This exposure serves beneficial to Charlotte; helping outside developers and investors understand the benefits of pursuing a project in the area.
While any PR agency can put out cookie-cutter news releases, SPARK’s approach to public relations is all about building relationships and focusing on key opportunities that truly make sense for its clients. The firm fully immerses itself in clients’ brands and industries to set goals and develop tailor-made communications plans that fit specific needs.
SPARK separates itself from other agencies by paying attention to the small details that are often overlooked and seamlessly integrating messaging in a natural manner. The SPARK team has been referred to as a “Swiss Army knife” with decades of depth in all marketing and communications disciplines while functioning as a greater whole.
SPOTLIGHT MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS With more than half a century of combined experience among its principals, Spotlight Marketing Communications has the creative and technical expertise to provide best-in-class marketing and communications solutions to companies nationwide, particularly in commercial real estate financial services. Spotlight differentiates itself from other agencies with its niche capabilities. The principals of the firm have helped raise approximately $15 billion of investor capital since 2005. This professional background well equips Spotlight to elevate its clients’ brands while navigating the tight regulations of the CRE financial services industry.
Spotlight has helped bring hundreds of commercial real estate projects to market on behalf of roughly two dozen clients. The firm has also helped establish several leaders throughout the multifamily, affordable housing, industrial, healthcare and office sectors.
Spotlight takes tremendous pride in being a strategic partner to its clients; helping them build brands, bring ideas to life and reach targeted audiences. The firm takes the time to get to know its clients; supporting its mantra stating the success of its business is predicated on the success of its clients.
Within the last three years, Spotlight has established itself as the “go-to” agency in the commercial real estate financial services marketing and public relations space. What sets Spotlight apart is the company’s unique experience and vast knowledge of the commercial real estate industry. These two factors allow the firm to deliver accurate and effective results to its clients as the “go-to” in the space.
TAYLOR JOHNSON PUBLIC RELATIONS Taylor Johnson Public Relations was established in 1977 as a marketing communications firm specializing in real estate. Today, more than four decades later, Taylor Johnson remains the go-to PR firm for real estate companies looking to raise profiles not only in Chicago, but also in national and international markets. The firm’s clients, which span both residential and commercial real estate, include some of the industry’s most prolific developers and builders, as well as leading brokers, architects, designers, general contractors and property managers.
In an industry where clients come and go, and often change agencies on a whim, Taylor Johnson takes pride in its ability to not only attract new clients but also retain current ones. The firm’s business is built on longstanding relationships with clients–in fact, Taylor Johnson still represents its very first client, Lexington Homes, in a 42-year partnership.
During this time, Taylor Johnson has produced and managed hundreds of successful campaigns–all related to real estate–involving a variety of marketing disciplines. Well-versed in the industry, the firm knows how to craft messaging that places clients and projects in the context of the broader real estate landscape, and additionally how to present those messages to different audiences in creative and thoughtful ways.
Another tool Taylor Johnson uses to promote not only its clients, but the firm itself, is TJ TALK, a free daily email digest of real estate news, industry events and job postings with a current national audience of nearly 2,700 influential real estate professionals, a number that has steadily grown since it was distributed in 2011.
THE BERMAN GROUP INC. The Berman Group provides public relations, marketing and special events services to a wide range of global, national and regional businesses, organizations, institutions and nonprofits in the real estate industry. This has allowed Berman to represent a uniquely diverse cross section of the industry and act as an extension of its clients. It is a facilitator for the industry’s most high-profile players, tasked with developing integrated, omnichannel strategies to elevate each organization’s profile and messaging. In addition to providing branding and corporate public relations, Berman works with these firms to expand market and geographic reach through strategic campaigns to showcase rapidly growing portfolios.
Its expansive and unparalleled relationships provide the firm with tremendous bridge-building capabilities across the market; connecting dealmakers and helping to forge new opportunities. By understanding the intricacies of each stakeholder’s position and needs, Berman empowers its clients to pave new paths, open new doors and expand market reach.
Berman’s vast network also allows proximity to real estate news as it breaks. As the leading firm focused on real estate and the built environment, Berman is the eyes and ears of the industry, carefully monitoring market movements with foresight to predict, report and guide emerging trends. The firm serves as an influencer, leveraging industry knowledge and relationships to develop innovative approaches that effectively change the shape of New York City.
Berman produces more than 600 annual real estate industry events. It provides interactive forums that have often acted as incubators for cutting-edge ideas and conclusions, while continuing to break industry norms.
THE BRADFORD GROUP The Bradford Group is a full-service, B2B PR and marketing firm that integrates public relations, digital marketing and social media, specializing in three verticals, one of which is commercial real estate construction. Bradford works proactively with clients to develop ideas for exposure and brand awareness and create tailored marketing plans. Essentially, Bradford approaches marketing through the lens of PR rather than advertising, and strategically integrates traditional and new PR tactics to get the best results.
The company has worked with a Nashville-based CRE firm, Southeast Venture, for almost nine years and has been successful in helping elevate its brand as a Southeast CRE firm. Another industry client is Turner Construction, one of the world’s largest commercial construction companies, which Bradford represents in the southeastern US.
The Bradford Group is also the public relations sponsor for the Nashville Chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, which has become the largest EO chapter in the nation thanks in large part to Bradford’s success in positioning it as a vital organizationfor small business owners in the city. Bradford is also the public relations sponsor for the Greater Nashville Technology Council, in an effort to position the city as a tech center, not just a music and healthcare center.
THE REAL ESTATE ROUNDTABLE The Real Estate Roundtable brings together ownership, development, lending and management firms with the leaders of major national real estate trade associations to jointly address key national policy issues relating to the industry and the overall economy, with DC policymakers. The Roundtable’s leaders seek to ensure a cohesive industry voice is heard by government officials and the public, concerning real estate’s important role in the global economy.
Leading up to the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, The Roundtable played a significant role in encouraging policymakers to retain or enhance key elements of the tax code, which promote productive real estate investment and job growth. In January, the Treasury Department issued final regulations and new guidance on the 20% deduction for qualified pass-through business income under IRS code section 199A, a vital and complex element of the 2017 tax overhaul law. The original proposal was a vital topic of Roundtable president and CEO Jeffrey D. DeBoer’s testimony to the Senate Finance Committee, before lawmakers released the first version of the tax overhaul. The Roundtable was closely involved in the legislative development of the provision and the rulemaking process. The final rules preserve real estate investors’ eligibility for the deduction and include important clarifications that will remove lingering taxpayer uncertainty.
The Roundtable continues to work with the Treasury Department and IRS regarding opportunity zone tax incentives. Under the leadership of Roundtable chair, Debra Cafaro, the organization is also committed to building an industry network that reflects the diversity of the membership.
VIOLET PR Violet PR became a change-maker, breaking into the industry as a woman-owned business. Established in 2010, April Mason founded Violet PR when there were limited female leaders in the CRE space. Since then, Violet PR has worked to generate media coverage and secure speaking opportunities for some of the most influential women in the Garden State.
Whether it’s rebranding a city, drawing attention to a revitalized neighborhood or promoting a new sustainable development, Violet PR helps clients make a difference. Through the combination of news stories, social media and compelling content, this NJ-based boutique public relations agency has helped clients attract more dollars and supporters.
Violet PR has worked on campaigns for many CBRE projects including the Live! Hotel and Conference Center in Hanover, MD, the 22,000-square-foot office revitalization at 706 Giddings Ave. in Annapolis, MD, the Baldwin Harbor Apartments in Orlando, and 197 and 207 Van Vorst in Jersey City, NJ. The team has also promoted many significant regional projects, including expansions at Port of Savannah, the completion of SubTropolis in Kansas City and developments around the Pittsburgh International Airport. Violet PR also has secured national and trade media coverage for Brooklyn’s first new marina in decades.
Violet is proud to work with ProudLiving Companies, a real estate development firm that constantly gives back to its community. The Violet PR team secured over five media placements for this initiative in local newspapers. Its team also provides mentorships to other professionals looking to break into the commercial real estate space.