Hello! I’m Maya, a senior Communication Studies major with a minor in English. This past summer, I worked as a Public Relations Intern at Compass, a real estate and technology company, where I was assigned to work with a real estate agent team. My main task was to create content to increase the All In Miami Team’s social media presence and engagement with followers and the real estate community. Throughout the summer, I ran the team’s Instagram page, wrote blog posts, recorded my own podcast, and appeared in several videos for the team’s online show. 

The view from inside the solar-powered $15.5 million floating home docked outside of rapper Birdman’s Miami Beach home.

Expectations Versus Reality

Let me start off by saying I did not go into this internship with much factual knowledge of the luxury real estate industry. Most of the information I knew I learned from watching shows like Million Dollar Listing. On the very first day of my internship, the team, their videographer, and I toured a $15.5 million dollar home owned by rapper and record executive Birdman in Miami Beach. I felt like I was being featured on an episode of MTV’s Cribs, which seemingly confirmed my prior expectations. However, I later realized that the luxury real estate industry is not always as glamorous as it appears to be. While it definitely felt glamorous to tour multimillion-dollar homes, that was only one part of the job. What television shows often do not show are the times when deals fall through, when only a few people show up to open houses, and when agents spend over 8 hours at a listing with professional photographers and videographers trying to capture a home in a way that will do it justice. Part of my job was capturing all of this to share on social media. 

The team was filmed for about 12 hours per week during meetings, showings, and while exploring the city of Miami.

A Unique Perspective

The team taught me about the importance of using emotions and stories to connect with others. The All In Miami Team is known for representing unique perspectives on social media. For example, they created an online show in which they professionally filmed themselves touring hotspots to visit in Miami, behind-the-scenes content of the industry, and new developments happening in the city. By doing this, they add value to their brand, as well as produce entertaining and informative content for their followers. I am lucky enough to be featured in several of these episodes. The show allows followers to learn more about Miami as a whole, rather than just about potential homes they can buy. It also increases the brand’s visibility, similar to search engine optimization articles. The public is able to simultaneously learn about Miami as a whole as well as about the team.

What I Gained 

Going into this internship, I thought that I would be gaining experience solely in public relations. However, I ended up learning a lot about the real estate industry and marketing strategies that can help to organically yield authentic followers. I also learned the importance of stepping out of one’s comfort zone. My experience taking Public Speaking at Chapman helped me in organizing my thoughts for my podcasts and speaking confidently about the content. With this internship, I also gained confidence in being on-camera and recording podcasts, as well as in discussing real estate with others. Overall, I had an incredible experience and am glad that I was able to collect content to document it.