Media Moment: Therese Fitzgerald
How did you get into real estate journalism, specifically in the CRE space? Were you always interested in the subject?
Years ago, I responded to a job listing for a business writer at a weekly newspaper in New York. The topic turned out to be commercial real estate—something I had never really even thought about. We were a small staff, so I had the opportunity to talk to entrepreneurs and executives of all kinds as well as public officials and to visit buildings all over the city. It was a great education. Five years later, I moved on to a national publication and that was really exciting. Real estate is real estate, but each market has its unique characteristics, local legends and impressive up-and-comers.
What is your best piece of advice for PR professionals reaching out to CPE or MHN?
Pitching us by email is probably the best way to reach us and we welcome pitches for features and bylines. News is an important aspect of what we do, so press releases are important to us. But please be prepared to provide us more than what is in the release. We need access to the principals for original quotes, pertinent figures and high-quality images. Keep in mind, however, we typically do not write about development projects until they break ground.
What is your favorite aspect of the work you do every day?
I love talking to real estate professionals. Their entrepreneurial spirits, their work ethics and their nothing-is-impossible attitudes are really inspiring. I also feel lucky to be working with words every day (I took a break from real estate journalism for a time and got a Masters in English Education). We also have an awesome staff here and I enjoy collaborating with them.
Therese Fitzgerald is the Senior Editor for Commercial Property Executive and Multi-Housing News.
