Rather than simply listing a property and waiting for enquiries, PR takes a proactive approach, creating compelling narratives that showcase the building’s value and position it as an attractive opportunity. Here’s how a strategic PR plan can breathe new life into vacant commercial properties and connect landlords with the right tenants.

1. Highlighting Unique Selling Points (USPs)

Every property has something unique to offer. Whether it’s excellent transport links, flexible lease terms, sustainability credentials, or cutting-edge amenities, PR helps bring these features to the forefront.

A PR strategy can:

• Create engaging press releases and property profiles that focus on why the space is ideal for certain businesses or industries.
• Develop tenant success stories that highlight how similar spaces have thrived with the right occupiers.
• Showcase features that align with emerging tenant demands, such as sustainability, wellness amenities, or hybrid working solutions.
• By ensuring your property’s best qualities are actively promoted, PR ensures that it stands out in a crowded market.

2. Securing media coverage and thought leadership

Media exposure plays a crucial role in building awareness and credibility. Many prospective tenants look to property publications and business news to stay informed about market trends, meaning well-placed PR can put your property in front of the right audience.

PR can help by:

• Securing editorial features in commercial real estate publications, positioning your property as a prime leasing opportunity.
• Crafting thought leadership pieces that discuss industry trends (e.g., "How flexible office spaces are shaping the future of work") and subtly align your property with these developments.
• Pitching interviews or commentary to business journalists, ensuring your property is included in discussions about emerging demand for commercial spaces.

By aligning your property with broader market conversations, PR helps shift it from overlooked to in demand.

3. Leveraging digital PR and online visibility

Tenants don’t just rely on brokers or print listings anymore—digital platforms play a significant role in how businesses find and evaluate properties. PR can amplify online visibility by ensuring your property is seen where potential tenants are searching.

This can include:

• Social media campaigns on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok, showcasing professional images, video tours, and testimonials.
• Content marketing strategies, such as publishing blog posts, investment insights, or articles on emerging property trends that relate to your building’s strengths.
• Paid digital PR campaigns that use targeted advertising to reach businesses actively looking for new commercial spaces.

A strong digital PR presence ensures your property gets seen, not just by a broad audience, but by the right audience.

4. Hosting property events and experiential marketing

Sometimes, seeing is believing. PR can help landlords bring a vacant space to life through events, open house tours, and experiential marketing.

Examples of PR-driven events include:

• Showcase days, where leasing agents, business owners, and media professionals are invited to explore the space.
• Pop-up experiences that demonstrate how the space could be used, e.g., hosting an art exhibition in a retail unit to showcase its potential as a creative space.
• Networking events that connect landlords with potential tenants in a more relaxed and engaging environment.

Creating an experience around the space helps potential tenants visualise their business operating there, turning interest into action.

5. Creating demand through strategic messaging

In a competitive leasing market, perception is everything. PR ensures your property isn’t seen as an unwanted space but rather as a valuable opportunity for the right tenant.

This means using strategic messaging to:

• Address and overcome objections about the space—whether it’s location, condition, or pricing—by reframing challenges as opportunities.
• Present the financial and operational benefits of leasing the property, such as incentives, tax advantages, or flexible terms.
• Align the property with emerging industry needs, ensuring it resonates with modern businesses.

A well-executed PR strategy ensures that the right narrative reaches the right audience, making it easier to fill vacancies faster.

PR as a tenant attraction tool

PR is far more than just media coverage - it’s about crafting a compelling story that makes a property attractive to the right tenants.

From highlighting key features and securing media exposure to leveraging digital platforms and hosting property events, PR creates opportunities for engagement that a standard property listing simply can’t match.

If you’re struggling to attract tenants to a hard-to-let commercial property, a targeted PR strategy can be the difference between a vacant space and a thriving business hub.

Talk to us if you need any help.