In this episode of the Decode Podcast, we discuss all things branding. Whether building a real estate brand from scratch or refreshing what you already have, we discuss the best approach and how to maintain the right mindset.
Branding isn’t just about choosing some colours you like or copying the latest design trend. It’s about creating a professional identity that resonates with your ideal clients and works across every marketing channel.
You’ll hear from Danielle, our brand marketer, and Frank, our brand designer at Hoole. We’ll walk you through the different levels of branding, the emotional journey behind a rebrand, and how to get the best results.
Here’s a summary:
Branding budgets: Custom build or turnkey solution
- Branding can be approached in three tiers:
- Custom branding – unique, high-investment, high-involvement
- Semi-custom – pre-designed with flexibility
- Turnkey – fast, fixed options with lower cost
- Your decision should align with your:
- Budget
- Business goals
- Appetite for creative direction
- More involvement means more creative control but also more time and money
Brand strategy: It’s not about you
- Your brand should speak to your ideal client, not reflect your personal taste
- Be prepared for an emotional journey
- Rebranding can feel uncomfortable at first
- Let go of what’s familiar and give the new look time to grow on you
What makes a brand? (It’s more than just a logo)
- Key elements that form a cohesive, professional brand:
- Business name
- Market positioning and mission
- Logo design and variations
- Typography and font hierarchy
- Colour palette
- Photography style and visual motifs
- Styling, patterns and even team presentation
How your location shapes your brand
- Your brand should reflect the lifestyle of the people drawn to your area
- Different suburbs appeal to different types of buyers and your brand should align with that demographic
- Choose colours that complement property photography (e.g., greens and blues are common in outdoor shots)
On a budget? Set yourself up for success
- Do some groundwork before engaging a creative team:
- Create a Pinterest board or visual mood board
- Save examples of branding or websites you like (even outside real estate)
- Focus on sharing full examples, not cherry-picking fonts or colours
- Avoid over-directing the design, trust your creative team’s expertise
- The goal is to inspire, not prescribe
Naming: The often-overlooked branding tool
- A good name sets the tone for your brand
- It should be:
- Easy to say and spell
- Memorable
- Aligned with the brand’s positioning (e.g. lifestyle vs. corporate feel)
- Avoid obscure acronyms or hard-to-spell words
- Before locking in a name, check:
- Domain availability
- Business registration availability
Futureproofing your brand
- Aim for timelessness over trendiness
- Design for long-term use (5–10 years)
- Ensure it can adapt to:
- New real estate services you may add
- New platforms (e.g., emerging social media formats)
- Keep scalability in mind, especially for names and logos across different touchpoints
Brand guidelines = your consistency toolkit
- Brand guidelines help you:
- Stay visually consistent across all platforms and materials
- Share your brand standards with internal staff and external suppliers
- Avoid design chaos, especially when using tools like Canva
Internal culture: Brand as a team alignment tool
- A well-defined brand helps build internal pride and team cohesion
- When your team understands and aligns with the brand, they:
- Represent the business more confidently
- Communicate more consistently
- Your brand should represent the business as a whole, not just the founder
Working with your creative team
- Be clear and decisive to stay on time and on budget
- Changing your mind mid-project adds cost and delays
- Allow time to sit with your new brand before going public
- Use it internally (e.g., as a screensaver or poster)
- Let it percolate, you’ll start to see the old brand as outdated
Key takeaways
Start with strategy: Know your audience before making design decisions
Think long-term: A great brand should last and grow with your business
Keep it consistent: Cohesion across every touchpoint builds trust
Don’t micromanage: Inspire your designers with examples, then step back
Brand internally: A strong identity boosts team morale and sets the tone for your business culture.
🎧 Listen now and learn from our expert team how to build a real estate brand that resonates with your ideal clients, stands the test of time, and performs across every marketing channel.
Written by Melanie Hoole
My team and I specialise in helping real estate and property professionals perfect their personal brand, build a first-class digital profile and implement inbound marketing activities to attract leads. If you are unsure which direction to take with your digital marketing contact me for help.
