Sotheby’s International Realty introduces a suite of channels to showcase its brand and drive conversations

Sotheby’s International Realty set three ambitious goals for a new content marketing strategy: highlight the aspirational lifestyle aspect of the organization, focusing on luxurious real estate; generate positive conversation and increased awareness; and increase social and brand engagement while growing subscriber numbers. The effort Sotheby’s International Realty launched to successfully achieve these goals has won first place in the “Content Marketing and Brand Journalism” category of PR Daily’s 2019 Digital Marketing & Social Media Awards.

After undertaking a research effort (which found affluent consumers were paying attention to a vast array of real estate-related content), Sotheby’s International Realty decided to focus on partnerships, new technologies and thought leadership, among other channels. For a partnership, Sotheby’s International Realty turned to Inman, a top industry publication, to produce a recurring column that positioned brand-affiliated agents as experts in luxury real estate.

To satisfy the audience’s desire for new technology, the company introduced a mobile augmented reality app – Curate by Sotheby’s International Realty(sm) – that lets users envision how furniture would look in their home. A custom publishing relationship with Dow Jones Media Group led to the introduction of a bespoke luxury lifestyle magazine, RESIDE®, and a related podcast, which explores the people and places featured in the magazine.

Collaboration with a content marketing agency let Sotheby’s International Realty position its senior leadership team for ongoing thought leadership features in high-profile business publications. The launch the Extraordinary Living blog, the brand’s primary content channel, features its stunning properties from around the world.

The blog has produced more than 470 media placements. Social conversations and brand engagement jumped more than 30%, more than 36,000 people downloaded the AR app, 1,000+ listeners downloaded the RESIDE podcast and 150,000 copies of the RESIDE magazine are distributed.

Congratulations to the team at Sotheby’s International Realty.