Creating your real estate brand in today’s housing market landscape is more important than ever. What else do you have that can objectively separate you from the competition at hand? For what it’s worth, creating your real estate brand is one of the best things you can to do separate yourself from the pack. It’s worth noting, however, that doing so isn’t as cut and dry as many would anticipate. There is quite a bit that goes into designing a brand logo that can actually work in your favor, instead of against you.
There is no doubt about it: having a sound brand logo in today’s marketplace is absolutely important. You need to be easily identifiable to your audience, and you need to make a great first impression. If that sounds like a logo you could get behind, you mustn’t rush to conclusions; there is a lot that goes into making today’s best logos. It’s not enough to simply throw something together; you have to be calculated and meticulous. In doing so, I recommend asking yourself four simple questions.
Creating Your Real Estate Brand In 4 Simple Steps
I want to make it abundantly clear, your logo is not the first step in creating your real estate brand. In no way, whatsoever, should you even consider creating your real estate brand logo until you have done two things: created your own personal brand identity and identified your target audience. If for nothing else, you can’t create an impactful brand logo if you don’t know who you are talking to, or even who is conveying the message. It’s only once you know who you are, why you are in business, and who you intend to serve that I can even recommend creating your real estate brand logo.
If you are positive that you have a strong grasp on these fundamental indicators, may I recommend asking yourself the following questions designed specifically to help you build the perfect logo:
1. What message are you trying to convey?
Believe it or not, your real estate business logo says a lot about you. Far too many business owners fail to realize the implications of a simple design, but I digress. A real estate logo is an important part of any business with aspirations of growth and success. It’s worth noting, however, that a logo says a lot more than the name of your company; it tells customers everything from what you do to how you do it.
The colors you choose to implement, for example, can be sending their own message altogether. In fact, studies have shown that individual colors have become synonymous with different messaging strategies. Take a look:
- Blue: Secure, calm, honest, strong, caring and trustworthy
- Red: Energy, love, exciting, action and passion
- Orange: Happy, sociable, friendly and affordable
- Yellow: Logical, playful, optimistic, forward-thinking and confident
- Green: Growth, organic, natural, caring, fresh and eco-friendly
- Purple: Imaginative, creative and nostalgic
- Black: Sophisticated, luxurious, seductive, formal and authoritative
- Multi-Toned: Positive, playful, bold and boundless
In addition to the colors you choose, the shape of the logo itself and the font you use are very telling. Everything from the spacing between letters to the sharpness of edges tells your customers something about the way you operate.
Circles, ovals and ellipses have become synonymous with positive emotional messages. The closed circular shape suggests an inherent sense of community, friendship and unity. Not unlike the symbolism behind a wedding ring, circular logos adopt a level of trust other shapes can’t even touch on. Squares and triangles, on the other hand, suggest stability in more practical terms. It’s not uncommon for triangles and squares to imply a sense of balance.
The next time you go to make a logo, be sure to get your message across. What you don’t know you are saying could be devastating, so make sure your logo speaks to your business model. Believe it or not, there is a science behind what a logo can say; make sure yours is working for you, instead of against you.
2. Who have you identified as your target audience?
Earlier I suggested not to even consider designing a logo until you knew two things: who you are and who your audience is. At this time, you should have a good idea of who you are and what you intend to accomplish in the industry. However, you simply can’t know how to talk to someone if you don’t know who you are talking to. That’s why, at this time, I want you to identify your target audience and tailor your logo to catch their attention, specifically.
If you are not quite sure as to where you should get started, may I recommend reducing it to a simple question of who is more likely to need the product or services you offer. For instance, if you want to specialize in rentals, you may find that more of your audience fits into a younger, less-economically stable demographic than those looking to purchase a home. On the other hand, if you are convinced you only want to deal in luxury assets, you may need to target a more affluent audience.
The last thing you want to do is pigeonhole your business. You want to target an audience, but you don’t want to push others away in the process. So be sure to send a targeted message, not one that is condescending in the least. Remember, real estate investing is a numbers game. you want your logo to attract more people than it turns away. And if you know who you want to attract, creating your real estate brand will be that much easier.
3. What context will your branding be seen in?
It’s important to remember the context in which most people will see your real estate brand for the first time. Is it possible that most people will see your logo on a street sign? On the internet? Perhaps the majority of your audience will see your real estate logo on the houses you are currently rehabbing. Whatever the case may be, know that the context in which the logo is presented to prospective customers makes a huge difference in the way they view it. If for nothing else, it’s going to be difficult to replicate the resolution of your logo online on a 30 foot billboard ad. Additionally, what looks good on a computer screen may not translate into physical mediums such as park benches and light up signs.
I recommend putting yourself in the shoes of your target audience. Literally look at your logo in the same context it’s going to be seen by your customers. That’s not to say you can’t exercise multiple options; I simply want you to consider that each will look different, so treat them differently. Don’t assume you can use the same logo for each scenario.
4. How can it be scaled?
Creating your real estate brand needs to transcend the present. It’s no longer enough to make a great logo that can’t be transformed sometime in the future. That said, you need to make sure your logo can meet the demands of tomorrow, today. The advent of internet giants like Facebook have already cemented the idea that a logo needs to be pliable and transformative. According to Forbes, “If you’re designing a new logo today, you have to take into consideration how it can be manipulated, transformed or abbreviated to accommodate the digital world.” And the applications don’t start and end with the Internet. What if you merge companies? What if you sell your brand to a competitor? Better yet, what if you go public? There are a number of scenarios to address, but the idea is to be ready for when they present themselves.
Creating your real estate brand logo carries with it a lot of implications. In no way should you simply “throw something at the wall and see if it sticks.” Instead, take a more calculated approach. What your logo looks like is very telling of how your business runs and operates. Before you set out to make your logo, make sure the final product says what you want it to.
