by Miranda G. McLeod
Staff Writer
Hunter Valmont’s business advice is to keep your sense of humor and your business receipts because you’ll absolutely need both.
Humor is one thing Valmont has. As president of Hunter Valmont Public Relations, Valmont doesn’t have a huge staff — only four people and they’re independent contractors. However, HVPR is expanding its office space and list of clients and gaining recognition in the process.
Valmont and her firm primarily focus on the real estate industry. Daily Record reporter Miranda G. McLeod recently talked with Valmont about what she does and why she focuses on the local real estate industry.
Why the real estate industry?
“Having worked in journalism and public relations for over 11 years, I have encountered just about every personality. In the real estate industry, however, I was drawn just as much to the people as to the projects. My work as a journalist allowed me to do quite a bit of real estate writing, subject interviews and photography assignments. As a tremendously powerful industry in our economy, real estate offers many challenges and rewards for those who enter into it. I’ve pretty much covered the entire spectrum of real estate.”
The offices of HVPR are in the Northeast Florida Builder’s Association’s building on Century 21 Blvd. The move, from Ponte Vedra to the NEFBA building helped the company focus more on its clients that conduct business there. Typically, HVPR clients are NEFBA and NEFBA Sales and Marketing Council members.
What is one of the biggest rewards working in the real estate industry?
“I’m being a bit selfish here, but the biggest reward has been having the opportunity to meet so many of the phenomenal people who comprise the local industry. For example, Naomi Lumley of Palencia is the epitome of class, elegance and intelligence ... a fantastic female role model. NEFBA’s (former executive director) Arnold Tritt is another remarkable presence and leader. To be able to work and interact with people of this caliber is extremely rewarding.”
What is the holiday season like in public relations?
”It’s busier as clients participate in a lot of holiday and charitable events. HVPR also provides more pro bono services and counsel throughout the holidays. It’s a great opportunity to be creative and have fun while giving back to the community and our clients. We also like to support our clients’ charitable efforts and work side-by-side with them when possible.”
What is the most complicated task to do, but in the end brings the most results for a client or your company?
“It is not a task that is most complicated, but rather the fact that I am a perfectionist who always takes our client’s success personally. That always will be my nature. I always have to ask the questions that no one wants to ask. I work until the early morning hours and I am painfully detail-oriented. It’s not pretty or glamorous, but it definitely makes a world of difference on a client’s bottom line, and it easily distinguishes HVPR from other firms. I really do love my job.
What real estate industry activities is you company involved in?
“Most recently, we were a bronze sponsor of the 2006 Realtor-Builder Tradeshow and Luncheon (in October), and we donated all of the centerpieces for that event. I also served on the SMC Live Auction committee (November); and we will be a bronze sponsor for the 2007 Laurel Awards, for which we also will handle the public relations. We are starting that campaign now.”
PR is in her blood
Valmont participates in a rare-blood antibody plasmapheresis program which is used by the Bayer Corporation. Valmont has a rare Rh-negative blood containing two distinct antibodies and was educated by her family doctor about the dangers of someone with her blood type delivering a healthy child, should the child have Rh-positive blood.
“My doctor administered to me a blood product called RhoGAM, now routinely given to Rh-negative women after pregnancy. RhoGAM is a product used to protect an Rh-positive fetus from the antibodies of its Rh-negative mother. Having received RhoGAM twice, I learned that others with Rh-negative blood regularly donate their plasma to global providers of biological products for the research, development and manufacturing of RhoGAM. I consider such donations to be generous acts of kindness and gifts of life. Therefore, I chose to become a donor as well, and to give to other women the same gift that was twice bestowed on me. When I look at my two beautiful daughters, I am both grateful and proud. I have donated my own plasma twice weekly for 13 years.” She has two teenage daughters: Marlee, 18, and Ami, 16. “Our home is like a girls’ college dorm ... Valmont Hall.”
You have a rather “funky” and a “hip” Web site, as well as business cards. Is this a reflection of your personality?
“Most definitely. Although I am a professional communicator, I prefer to cut to the chase. I also like to have fun. The HVPR Web site reflects those two aspects of my personality. It’s playful while delivering all of the information you need in about five minutes. Anything more is a waste of a visitor’s time. It’s an award-winning Web site, and we regularly receive positive response to it. Our business cards reflect those same elements of our company mind set.”
As a marketing tool, how effective is a certain font or layout?
“Very effective. It’s a visual representation of a specific mentality. All too often, a font or layout is so busy that it distracts from a core message. I believe that less is more, and that you shouldn’t be afraid to be human, warm or personal in your marketing.”
Do your events convey the same message?
“Absolutely. We love to rock the house and create memorable experiences for our clients and their guests. We work hard, so our clients can play hard.”
What’s the next step for HVPR?
“We are receiving a lot of interest in our services, particularly event planning, from folks in and outside of the real estate industry. Therefore, our next logical step will be to diversify our client list and break out our event planning services from the others. At some point, it may become a separate HVPR business. While it’s not the very next step, my daughters also plan to join the company. Currently, we are in the process of revising our Web site to include a more comprehensive list of services; and we are changing the HVPR logo to reflect a team environment, rather than myself as a sole proprietor.”
What can Realtors do to expand their exposure in a competitive, fluctuating market?
“They can become a powerful presence in the industry through new business relationships, charity work and professional associations. The inherent, newsworthy activities associated with these efforts will open many lines of communication between Realtors, the media and the public. The next step is to develop a strategic public relations plan with which to convey these activities.”
Is it harder to get clients in a down (relatively speaking) market? Do they not want to spend money because they’re not making it? Want to spend more because they have to?
“It’s more of a matter of clients determining what brings them more ‘bang for the buck.’ In our current economic climate, many clients are shifting a significant portion of their advertising dollars to public relations. They understand that PR is not marketing, and it is not advertising. It is the organization and management of source information that is typically viewed by target audiences as unbiased. It creates no ad fatigue. Therefore, it’s not a matter of clients spending or not spending. It’s a matter of shifting fewer dollars to another promotional avenue that supports their on-going marketing plans and sales goals, as well as brings positive and effective results.
What’s the difference in business now, compared to a couple of years ago?
“I no longer conduct it at 3 a.m. in my pajamas. Well, not all of the time.”