By Jessica Miller
Melanie Pritchard of Team Pritchard/ERA Team VP Real Estate wasn’t always known as a trusted real estate agent in Ellicottville. Prior to that career pivot, she was known as a trusted journalist in Buffalo. Her recognition in both fields paid off recently when she was invited to speak to students at her alma mater, Ithaca College.
Ms. Pritchard’s road to broadcasting began when she graduated from Salamanca High School and became an Ithaca Bomber. She graduated college in 1989 with a degree in Communications and spent nearly 20 years in the Western New York region reporting news over the radio and television. Her radio experience includes WBEN, WGR, and WJJL. The latter half of her news career brought her into homes on the WKBW Channel 7 News, where she could be seen until she stepped away in 2008.
Getting a real estate license in 2000 allowed Ms. Pritchard trusted access to homes in a whole new way. In 2008, she joined her mother Cathleen Pritchard in business full-time to help people find their homes in Ellicottville. Both Pritchards are thriving in their roles with Team Pritchard constantly finding new ways to engage with Ellicottville. Cathy and Melanie were even the first local real estate agents to have a Facebook business page.
This demonstrated creativity and integrity made Ms. Pritchard a natural choice to speak on March 3rd at Ithaca College’s Roy H. Park School of Communications. She was invited by a former colleague to discuss her experiences in broadcasting and how she made the transition to real estate. Visiting the Roy H. Park School of Communication was especially appreciated due to the dedicated building being ready for use the semester after Pritchard graduated. “My tuition helped build a building I didn’t get to fully see until now!” she joked.
Ms. Pritchard spoke to current communications-related majoring students about the move she made from journalism to selling real estate. The topic of her discussion was how journalism skills can be valuable even outside of that industry. She credits her communications education with helping her to hone skills that have served her well personally and professionally beyond radio and TV. “Writing, communication, conversation, social engagement… these are important to do well personally and professionally. You don’t have to be a reporter to benefit from being comfortable expressing something to others.
“If journalism or broadcasting isn’t for them in the end, there are always other venues to use these techniques,” she said when asked to summarize her topic. Pritchard to this day makes use of the knowledge obtained and encourages current students to find broad value in their educations. She believes that it’s important to give back when it’s possible, so she was especially pleased to share this “real world” perspective with current students who have many decisions ahead. Of course, she has a strong affection for Ithaca that complements the love she feels for Ellicottville and sees many charming similarities, particularly regarding winter fun. Ithaca’s ice skating is a particular example of their local culture that Pritchard recommends.
Facebook fans and other real estate enthusiasts can see Team Pritchard’s journalist perspective of home sales in the Enchanted Mountains by visiting their website: teampritchard.com, and social media EllicottvilleRealtor (Facebook), @team_pritchard (Instagram and YouTube), and teampritchard (LinkedIn).