Starting a real estate agency can feel like a leap of faith, a rollercoaster of emotions, and the ultimate test of your potential. Embarking on this journey is exhilarating, and you’ll want to set yourself up for success right from the start.
Despite your property expertise and robust network, building a successful property business requires a specific skill set. Transitioning into a thriving agency owner can be challenging. You will need to put in place crucial business building blocks, including your branding. From choosing a business name to bringing your real estate brand to life at every touch point, your brand is foundational to your business success.
A common pitfall for many new real estate agents in the early stages of business ownership is trying to do everything cheaply. Let’s explore what I mean by this statement.
First impressions count … literally in milliseconds
People form opinions in a heartbeat; psychologists say it takes just one-tenth of a second to decide if someone or something is right for you. Therefore, your real estate brand helps you make a positive connection immediately.
Real estate branding versus your personal style
If you know me, you know I love analogies. When I think about branding, I like to compare a business’s brand to a person’s appearance.
Just as individuals choose how to present themselves based on the occasion or their desired image, businesses select a brand identity to reflect their values, target audience, and desired perception.
Let’s consider three outfits we might wear and the image they project. Better still, for fun, let’s take one of our most loved celebrities and compare different outfits she’s been photographed wearing.
From left to right, I’ve found a mix of outfits that could be classified as:
- Casual wear: This relaxed style emphasises comfort and practicality over formality.
- Activewear: Represents a casual, approachable, and perhaps sporty or energetic brand.
- Smart casual: A polished, put-together look that conveys comfort and relaxation.
- Corporate attire: Suggests a professional, established, and reliable brand.
- Black tie: Implies luxury, exclusivity, and sophistication.
Hopefully, you will agree that the pyjama and shell suit tracksuit on the left do not convey the same level of sophistication or seriousness, i.e. ‘to mean business’ as the other three outfits to the right. The green, red and black outfits are stronger statement pieces that each tell a different story and present a different personality. Brand styling has the same effect.
Essentially, how a business dresses its brand is crucial in determining how it’s perceived by the public. A well-chosen brand identity can significantly impact a business’s success.
Don’t cheap out on your real estate brand
Your brand is the face of your real estate business. It’s the first impression potential clients will have of you. Going cheap on your branding is a risky gamble that can have long-lasting consequences.
Your brand is a long-term commitment. Once you’ve established your brand identity, it’s typically embedded into everything from your business cards and website to your car signage and marketing materials. You’ll likely be stuck with it for at least two to five years. If you cut corners on the initial design, you’ll live with the consequences for a significant period.
Believe me when I say your brand can make or break your real estate business. Bad branding can, at best, stall business growth and, at worst, end your business’s ability to survive tough economic conditions.
Think of your branding project as an Investment, not an expense.
A cheap, poorly designed brand can make you appear unprofessional and untrustworthy. Potential clients judge businesses based on appearance; a shoddy brand can give the impression of a low-quality service. Conversely, a robust and professional brand exudes confidence and credibility, helping you attract high-quality clients.
Remember, your brand is an investment, not an expense. Spending a little extra upfront on a well-designed brand can yield significant returns in the long run. It’s about building trust, establishing credibility, and positioning yourself as a successful real estate professional. So, don’t shortchange your business by cutting corners on your brand.
Real estate branding to suit different budgets
This said you don’t need to break the bank (or remortgage your home) to build a powerful real estate brand. At Hoole, we offer flexible branding, marketing and website packages to suit every budget. We understand that different-sized real estate teams require diverse branding solutions – from individual agents looking to establish a personal identity to large agencies needing a scalable brand across multiple offices to networks providing a ‘brand in a box’ for their members; there are many scenarios.
Get your real estate brand right from the get-go
A professional-looking real estate brand is essential from day one for several reasons:
- Builds trust and credibility: First impressions matter. A polished brand conveys expertise, reliability, and trustworthiness. Potential clients are likelier to choose an agent who appears professional and established.
- Differentiates you from competitors: A strong brand helps you stand out in a crowded market. It positions you as a unique and valuable option, making it easier to attract clients.
- Attracts high-quality clients: A well-defined brand attracts clients who align with your values and services, leading to more satisfied customers and referrals.
- Consistency: A strong brand ensures consistent messaging across all platforms. This reinforces your brand identity and makes you more memorable.
- Long-term growth: A solid foundation in branding sets the stage for future growth. As your business expands, your brand will be a valuable asset.
A professional real estate brand is an investment in your business’s success. It’s not just about looking good; it’s about building a solid foundation for long-term growth and profitability.
1. Your brand communication strategy
To truly develop a great brand, you must have a ‘grand plan’ aka a ‘brand plan’ that outlines what your brand stands for and to whom it needs to appeal.
Your brand strategy becomes your guiding principle when making marketing decisions. By developing a brand story, you can elevate your business and more easily attract and convert prospects into clients.
This is why our branding projects at Hoole start by helping our clients identify their ‘North Star’, the brand statement that sums up their brand values and business model.
Brand values are the behaviours you and your team stand by. They are reflected in the content you create, the words and phrases you use, your tone of voice, and the way you interact with people.
Meticulously planning what you want your brand to communicate will be immensely helpful as you develop your visual and written elements, such as your name, logo and visual identity. Setting aside time to plan your brand sets you up for success and gives you a solid foundation for your real estate business to grow.
Focus on your brand philosophy and build a brand presence, and your credibility and reputation will flourish. Skip this step, and you are setting yourself up for failure.
2. Tap into your target market
Some real estate businesses have the manpower and potential to be great but find themselves lost in the crowd because they fail to communicate the amazing value they bring to their clients.
Many real estate professionals set out to create a brand that reflects them, their philosophy, their experience, and their approach. This is not to say you shouldn’t do this; it’s your brand after all. However, you must first find the sweet spot between who you are and what your prospective clients need.
You need to tap into your target market and truly understand their thoughts, their pain points, what triggers them to seek out a real estate professional and what messaging will get them to sit up and pay attention to you. If you follow the crowd and do what every other real estate competitor is doing or saying, then you’ll just add more white noise to an already crowded and highly competitive space. Branding and marketing is about standing out, not blending in. You must develop a brand that puts you in a positive light.
3. Choose a memorable brand name
When considering real estate business names, ask yourself, will this name help us stand out from our competitors? Is it easy to pronounce, to remember, and, most notably, to spell? Is it unique enough for you to purchase a suitable domain name and avoid trademark issues? Researching similar names using Google and ASIC and Trademark registers can save you a lot of heartache and costs over the long run.
With personal brands, your given name will be your starting point. But you can still play with your name to find ways to make it memorable. One of our clients uses the catchphrase “Real Estate Kate” with a nice ring. When considering my business name, Hoole Marketing, I used my surname for my agency (to emulate real estate businesses that do the same). Still, I have been able to have fun and replace parts of words and phrases with ‘Hoole’ such as “Get the Hoole picture” or “Meet the Hoole family”, which swaps out ‘whole’ with ‘hoole’, plus I use a branded hashtag #digithoole which aligns our name with our digital marketing services.
4. Design a real estate logo
Firstly, real estate logos don’t have to include a house or key. While these symbols are common in our industry, they can feel overused and lack originality. Compelling real estate logos go beyond these clichés.
When commissioning a logo design, ensure your brand designer knows what your logo needs to communicate. Is it a sense of security, power or adventure? Incorporate abstract shapes, natural elements, or even initials to create a unique and memorable brand identity.
The key is to choose imagery that resonates with the target audience and accurately reflects the company’s values and services. Just as important is the need to ensure your logo is versatile, working well in various sizes and formats for the many mediums, channels, and touchpoints it will appear in. I.e. Does it fit in a circle, a square, and a rectangle? Does it look good in monotone and reversed colours?
5. Style your real estate brand
Next, you must get the look and feel right—everything from your chosen colours, fonts, and image choices. Many visual elements affect your real estate business’s brand identity. Dark tones, for example, suggest luxury and opulence, while a pastel shade is more gentle and friendly. Plain black and white can also be seen as practical; think of Youi, the no-nonsense and practical car insurance company.
Your visual story must have a purpose. Decide if you need to create a sense of authority (as the longest-standing agent in the area) or approachability (as the source of knowledge). Perhaps you want to be seen as fierce (you’ll push hard to get great results) or even fun (taking the stress out of the situation).
6. Launch or reset your real estate brand
If you launch your real estate business without clarity around your brand, it is only a matter of time before you are back on the starting block. It’s much better to set yourself up for success from the start—loop in an experienced team of real estate marketers, brand designers, and website developers.
At Hoole, we are unique because we have all three skill sets within one creative agency. Our collective experience and background in working with real estate businesses alone means no time is lost educating us on the industry. We already know the industry and its nuances intimately. We are able to see the bigger picture, do the research, and help you forge a real estate brand that will have you standing head and shoulders above the rest.
As a marketer whose digital career started in 1998, I’ve long focused on branding, websites, and digital marketing campaigns. Over the past two decades, I have worked solely within the real estate industry, helping sales and property management agencies, businesses in the tech or marketing space, and businesses that support our industry, such as real estate coaches and training organisations. You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone as passionate as me about developing and marketing great real estate brands.
My extensive background and knowledge enable me to help you transform from industry expert to industry leader. Engage my team and me for your branding project, and you will gain access to a group of brand marketing, design, and web experts. We are each specialists in our individual disciplines. Working on your brand in unison ensures we can bring continuity and work harmoniously to devise the best brand for your business. We do the background research to help you better understand the nuances of your local market, help you segment your prospects and clients, and position yourself as the stand-out provider of choice.
Work with real estate branding experts
Don’t work on your brand project alone. Remember, you wouldn’t encourage clients to sell their homes or purchase an investment property without seeking professional advice and support, so why attempt to manage your brand project when it’s not your area of expertise?
My team and I specialise in real estate brands. We are 100% focused on the real estate industry and have decades of experience helping real estate business owners articulate their vision and unique service offerings into high-quality brands.
Even if you have been in business for a few years, it’s never too late to go through a formal branding process. At Hoole Marketing, we help individuals grow their personal brand, first-time principals launch a real estate agency, and veteran principals modernise the brand for their long-established real estate business.
The intelligent approach to branding is to hand the reins for your branding project and its execution to a team of real estate brand specialists, Hoole. We’ll ensure you stand out from your competitors the right way and get the cut-through and resultant profits you dream of.
When you are ready to discuss your real estate branding project, please take advantage of my free one-hour consultation. You can start now by booking a time to chat with me, Melanie Hoole.
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.
