The Art of Modern Branding: Real Estate Rebrands Up Close
- You can’t reap the benefits of your marketing efforts without a strong real estate brand identity.
- Your real estate logo and other visual elements should reflect your brand purpose and values.
- Authenticity, clarity, and consistency are what will make your real estate brand identity stand out.
Real estate is considered the largest and most important asset class in the world. In fact, global real estate value managed to surpass the world’s total production output, and has become more valuable than all the stocks, shares, and bonds combined in 2016.
Being a lucrative business, is it easy to sell or earn from real estate? Like in any other industry, there’s competition in the market – even a well-funded marketing campaign won’t be able to succeed without a clear and solid brand identity.
Clients form their first impression of your business not purely from the ambience and amenities of your property, but from your real estate logo, slogan, website, and customer service. These elements are all part of your brand identity.
It’s not enough that your visual brand identity is creative and aesthetically pleasing. It has to express what your company stands for and what makes it different. Below are examples of real estate businesses that have pinned their brand identities down to the T, see what you can learn from them to make your own brand identity stand out and stand strong.
1. Century 21
A study in 2017 placed Century 21 as the most recognized brand in real estate. Despite this feat, Century 21 was bold enough to go through a rebrand in 2018 to challenge the “complacency and mediocrity that have taken hold of the real estate industry.”
First, let’s take a look at the improvement they’ve made in their real estate logo.
Considering that the real estate company has been in business since 1971, it’s not surprising that their old logo (left image) looks quite dated. Their new logo gives the brand that modern appeal everyone can’t get enough of.
While they dropped the iconography of their old logo, they opt to have a monogram that’s simple yet elegant.
The best thing about their new logo is that it’s versatile. “It’s easy to imagine this logo looking just as good on a $12 million Malibu mansion as it does on a starter home in Ohio,” says Emile L’Eplattenier, the managing editor of real estate site The Close.
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM CENTURY 21 BRANDING:
- Even when your brand identity already has a big following, don’t be afraid to update your look.
- If your real estate business operates in various locations, works with different agents, or caters to different clients, a simple but distinct logo provides greater flexibility and blends within various settings.
2. Brown Harris Stevens
Here’s another long-standing real estate company that chose to upgrade their brand identity. Brown Harris Stevens (BHS) is a New York-based real estate brokerage firm that specializes in high-end properties and has been around since 1873.
Their new, striking, and straightforward brand image and messaging (bottom image) is vastly different from their old one (top image). While the typography of the past logo looks more upscale and regal, their current typeface embodies the contemporary, luxury spaces in Manhattan. The now stacked text somewhat represents the high-story, foursquare properties in New York. The logo also works for more varied properties in Brooklyn, Queens, and other places in the state. Like the updated Century 21 branding, it’s all about being versatile.
The touch of orange definitely makes the BHS logo pop, it’s their new slogan that truly makes their brand identity stand out more. While the company is proud of their 150 year presence in the industry, they chose to let go of their old slogan, which was - “Established 1873”.
“It cannot be what defines us,” says Matte Leone, the chief marketing officer of Terra Holdings that owns BHS. They now carry the slogan, “bold, honest, smart,” that also matches the BHS acronym. This slogan has been created after interviews with BHS management and agents to see what qualities set them apart.
The message of their real estate slogan is evident in their printed campaigns and brochures. It sympathizes with people on how real estate decisions are a big deal and how important it is to choose a company that’s resolute, trustworthy, and knowledgeable.
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM BROWN HARRIS STEVENS BRANDING:
- Even without a visual cue, the typeface used in your logo is capable of showing the kind of property you offer.
- A real estate slogan or tagline could support your brand identity by stating what differentiates your company from the rest.
- Your slogan or tagline can be the bridge to connect with your target clients on a more emotional level.
3. Luxury Portfolio International
Luxury Portfolio International (LPI) is the marketing division of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, and has been the platform for thousands of premium homes and properties across the globe. The brand has also undergone a facelift with a monogram that takes inspiration from great luxury brands like Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) and Louis Vuitton according to LPI President Stephanie Anton.
They elevated their look to be more novel without sacrificing the sophistication and opulence of their teal-gray tones. The same goes for the LPI website and magazine, reflecting the high-end services they can offer. For Stephanie Anton, the President of Luxury Portfolio International, it’s important that their magazine also capture their contemporary luxe branding. “We knew the design should be comparable to our new brand identity, and our team considered all aspects of the layouts and content before completing the issue.”
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM LUXURY PORTFOLIO INTERNATIONAL BRANDING:
- Your brand identity should also be reflected in your messaging and content.
- It’s important to be consistent and to keep your brand identity uniform across all your platforms.
- While staying consistent is essential, it’s still possible to make room for changes especially when you decide to refurbish your brand.
Take these as inspirations, but go with what’s true to your brand
What makes these real estate brands excellent is their drive to let their purpose and values influence their brand identity. You have to know your brand on a deeper level by knowing what it is at its core. Your internal brand qualities will be the deciding factor for your external brand look and voice.
Another common denominator among successful real estate brands is consistency. They make sure their brand identity is evident across all platforms whether online or offline. It’s this level of authenticity, uniformity, and clarity that will make your real estate brand resonate with clients and keep you ahead of the competition.
Did you know that Century 21, BHS, and LIP have tapped branding agencies like Gohan Concepts to help them with their new and elevated look? Contact the experts at Gohan Concepts to help craft or refresh your brand identity. Get a FREE 30-minute consultation to discuss the right treatment and strategy for your brand.