Real estate PR is the work of earning credible coverage and third-party validation for a developer, brokerage or proptech company, and it works best when aimed at the people who actually decide. The National Association of REALTORS® found in its 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers that 88% of buyers and 91% of sellers used an agent. Real estate PR should therefore reach agents and repeat buyers first.
Why do agents matter more than ads in real estate PR?
Agents matter more than ads in real estate PR because an agent sits inside almost every transaction. The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) reported on November 4, 2025 that 88% of home buyers used an agent or broker and 91% of sellers used an agent, equal to the highest share on record. The figures cover purchases and sales from July 2024 to June 2025.
NAR also reported that 91% of buyers would use their agent again or recommend that agent to others. Jessica Lautz, NAR's deputy chief economist and vice president of research, said in the release that agents remain indispensable in a complex housing market.
The practical consequence is that a buyer or seller rarely meets a developer's message without an agent in between. Coverage in outlets agents read, agent-facing events and data an agent can quote will usually travel further than a consumer advertisement. That is my judgment from running a PR firm, not a finding in the NAR survey.
In practice, three assets serve agents well. One is market data a brokerage publishes every quarter with named neighborhoods. Another is a project briefing for local brokers before a public launch, backed by a complete press kit (the press kit examples show what to include). The third is a spokesperson who is available to reporters writing about the local market. Each gives an agent something to forward to a client, which is how PR travels in this category.
Which buyers should a real estate PR plan target?
A real estate PR plan should usually target repeat buyers first, because they are the larger group and they bring more cash. NAR's 2025 Profile found that first-time buyers made up 21% of all buyers, a record low, with a median age of 40 and a median down payment of 10%. Repeat buyers made up 79%, with a median age of 62 and a median down payment of 23%, and 30% of them paid all cash.
| Buyer segment | Share of buyers | Median age | Median down payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-time buyers | 21% | 40 | 10% |
| Repeat buyers | 79% | 62 | 23% (30% paid all cash) |
Source: NAR, 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, released November 4, 2025.
Lautz described the market as a tale of two cities. Buyers with significant housing equity are making larger down payments and all-cash offers, she said, while first-time buyers continue to struggle to enter the market.
NAR also reported where first-time buyers found their down payments: personal savings (59%), financial assets such as a 401(k), stocks or cryptocurrency (26%), and gifts or loans from family and friends (22%). A financing explainer that names those three sources gives first-time buyers something they can act on, and it gives a personal finance reporter a story that does not depend on a listing.
For a luxury or downsizer project, the PR audience is the repeat buyer, and the story is location, lifestyle and certainty of closing. For entry-level housing, the story is affordability and monthly cost, and the audience includes the agents who guide first-time buyers through financing.
Does local coverage beat national coverage for home sales?
Local coverage usually beats national coverage for home sales because most sellers move a short distance. NAR reported a median distance moved of 30 miles, down from 35 miles the year before. Sellers had also stayed a median of 11 years in their previous home, an all-time high.
A household that moves 30 miles is mostly shopping in a market covered by the same local reporters, neighborhood newsletters and city business journals. NAR found that 50% of sellers bought a newer home and 34% bought a larger one, which gives a local reporter a concrete story about trading up or moving closer.
National coverage still has a place for investors, lenders and executives, and for projects large enough to be national news. For a residential brokerage or a mid-size development, local placements reach the people who can actually buy.
What household changes give a developer a real news hook?
A change in who lives in a home gives a developer a news hook that does not depend on a press release. NAR found that 24% of buyers had children under 18 living at home, an all-time low, and that 14% bought a multigenerational home, down from 17% in 2024.
Buyers of multigenerational homes gave three leading reasons: caring for aging parents (41%), cost savings (29%) and adult children moving back home (27%). A developer with a project designed for several generations could pair those NAR figures with the actual floor plan and a named buyer who agrees to be interviewed. A reporter then gets an example, not a claim.
The median buyer in NAR's survey was 59 years old and the median repeat buyer was 62. A project's imagery and spokespeople should look like the people who buy it, so an under-35 influencer campaign for a downsizer building is aimed at the wrong person.
Fair housing rules apply to how real estate is marketed, and NAR requires REALTORS® to complete fair housing training every three years. Copy about who a project is meant for should go past counsel before it reaches a reporter. This is a PR point, not legal advice.
How should a real estate PR program be measured?
A real estate PR program should be measured by agent referrals and by what search and AI answers say about the project, not by clip counts alone. Three checks produce numbers a team can compare month over month.
- Ask every inquiry how they first heard of the project, and record agent referrals separately from direct leads.
- Keep a list of the trade and local outlets that agents in the market read, and log each placement against that list.
- Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI Overviews which developments suit downsizers in your city, then record whether your project is named and which source is cited. The GEO agency guide explains what to look for.
Teams that want a dedicated partner can review 5W's real estate and proptech PR practice, and the guide to choosing a PR firm lists the questions to ask any agency. Sector playbooks for other industries sit in the industry PR guides.
The through-line is that real estate PR persuades the intermediary and the repeat buyer, because they decide most transactions. Pick the decision-maker first, find the one dataset that speaks to that person, and attach it to a real project.
Frequently asked questions
What is real estate PR?
Real estate PR is the work of earning credible coverage and third-party validation for a developer, brokerage or proptech company. It aims at the agents, buyers and sellers who decide transactions.
Do most home buyers use an agent?
Most home buyers use an agent. NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found that 88% of buyers used an agent or broker and 91% of sellers used an agent.
Are most home buyers first-time or repeat buyers?
Most home buyers are repeat buyers. NAR found that first-time buyers were 21% of buyers in 2025, a record low, and that repeat buyers were 79%.
Is local or national coverage better for home sales?
Local coverage usually serves home sales better, because NAR reported a median distance moved of 30 miles for sellers. National coverage still suits investors, lenders and projects large enough to be national news.