March & April Public Relations Highlights

April monthly press release – MS&L, ASHI’s public relations agency, distributed the release “Not-so-secret discoveries of home inspectors” to contacts at daily newspapers, syndicates and trade magazines. Results: The release was distributed on April 2 and picked up by L.A. Times, California Real Estate Journal, California Real Estate magazine, The PA Realtor, AWCI’s Construction Dimensions, Home Makeover magazine, TecHome Builder, The Flexible Conduit and the Record-Courier. MS&L continues to monitor for coverage.

CNN.com & This Old House – Home Inspection Nightmares X was one of the resource links on CNN’s homepage in March. The link went to the This Old House Web site, where ASHI members’ Postcards from the Field regularly appear. A link to Version X, “Mishaps that will keep you in stitches,” also was included in the April 2, “Don’t be a DIY Fool” issue of the “This Old House Weekly Newsletter.”

Realty Times (National) – Realty Times reporter Phoebe Chongchua interviewed ASHI president Brion Grant about ASHI’s news release “Home Maintenance Guidelines: ASHI Provides Tips for Homeowners in Every Region.” Results: The article ran on March 14.

Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio) – Mary Beth Breckenridge, who was working on a series on homebuying for first-time homeowners, interviewed Brion Grant. Results: To come.

Star Ledger (New Jersey) – Judy DeHaven interviewed Joe Corsetto, ASHI past-president, for a story on tips for finding a good home inspector. Results: The story was pushed back from its original run date.

Consumer Reports (National) – Frank Lesh, ASHI immediate past-president, was asked to provide general tips for working with home inspectors, when to hire them, what to expect from an inspection, etc. The request was prompted by ASHI’s White Paper release. Results: The piece is scheduled to post on ConsumerReports.org.

Free Lance-Star (Virginia) – Reporter Cathy Jett interviewed Frank Lesh for a piece she was working on about on the impact of foreclosures on home inspectors. She already had connected with a local inspector and wanted to speak with someone who could provide a national perspective. Results: The article ran on March 27.

March monthly press release – MS&L distributed the monthly press release, “Home Maintenance Guidelines: ASHI Provides Tips for Homeowners in Every Region,” to daily newspapers, syndicates and trade magazines on March 4. Immediate Results: The release was picked-up by Realty Times and resulted in a phone interview.

Executive director release – MS&L drafted and distributed a release announcing the addition of Jeff Arnold as executive director on March 13. Results: It was picked-up by Crain’s Chicago Business and FORUM magazine.

Template release – MS&L drafted and submitted a template release for National Home Inspection Month. The release was distributed to the entire ASHI membership via First Thing March 31. Results: The release has been picked up by Ris Media.