Real Estate Branding A Comprehensive Guide

Advancements in technology and the power of the internet have leveled the playing field for most, so the need for a creative & effective branding strategy is more important than ever if you want to stand out from the crowd. Related: The complete guide to real estate marketing Consumers today are market-savvy, and it's authenticity, social proof and genuine human connection that drive our purchasing decisions. We all want to buy from people we know, like and trust, and so the Person-to-Person (P2P) stance on marketing has never been more important. Above all else, buyers value brands they have confidence in, and that means delivering integrity, knowledge and strong communication. While this suggests that brokerages must leverage their agents' personal brands to win over buyers, the importance of a consistent, brokerage-wide approach cannot be ignored. Without the support that a strong, dependable real estate brand offers its realtors, demonstrating integrity and knowledge becomes harder, and putting effective communication practices in place can be a challenge. Real estate branding techniques To balance the brokerage brand with the realtor's personal brand, agencies need to develop a system for creating content at scale and storing it in a central hub that everyone can access. Consistency is key in branding, but as the number of channels and mediums continues to grow, it's becoming increasingly difficult for brokerages to manage. With designers left fighting an overflow of requests and rogue agents taking it upon themselves to create content, the quality of a brand and its message can quickly become diluted. By taking a hands-on approach to producing top-level brand assets and distributing them well, you're giving your agents the resources they need to develop a personal brand without breaking company-wide policies. The brokerages who do this well understand that branding & marketing departments need ultimate control when it comes to producing content, but giving agents the flexibility to adapt and personalize that content is the way forward. By creating templated designs (where a brand's logo, slogan, colors & fonts are locked in, but text, photos & contact details can be changed), marketing directors can oversee consistency while also streamlining workflows. The key is not only to create this central bank of content but to give agents both the training and the guidelines they need to use it effectively. To make it work, you'll need to think long-term and be consistent. Once your brokerage has implemented a process based on this principle, the next step is to look at how you can use content to establish and develop a strong brand. Real estate branding & content ideas Forward-thinking brokerages know that their digital spaces are much more than online brochures. Publishing photos of properties—however appealing—isn't enough if you're looking to play big. To level-up and move past publishing only the expected collection of listings, you'll need to look for ways to add value, be informative and provide inspiration. Upgrade your website & social channels by putting some of the following ideas into practice. Tell stories that put your target clients in the picture More than just showing off the building or the rooms inside it, how can you help your buyers imagine themselves living or working there? What is it about the area, the facilities, the amenities or the community that will have a positive effect on their overall lifestyles or businesses? Perhaps you could conduct interviews with existing residents or produce a feature on local restaurants, schools, and stores? The possibilities are endless; you just need to tap into the right audience and understand what makes them tick. Demonstrate your knowledge and give your buyers a head-start Give your audience a reason to trust you by providing them with answers to the questions they have surrounding real estate. The key here is to ensure you're adding true value and not just pushing out sales messages disguised as advice. Put your clients at the forefront of your mind when you're creating this type of content, and again, try and get to the heart of who they are and what they want. Invest in video and photography The National Association of Realtors found that 85% of buyers and sellers prefer to work with an agent who offers video marketing, but only 15% of agents actually use video to market their listings. In today's digital-first landscape, where posts containing imagery and video gain the most traction online, embracing new media is essential for brand survival. Bring in your forward-thinkers As well as looking for ways to support your agents in building personal connections, you should also find opportunities to have them contribute to the company's brand. Engage your best people and bring them onboard with the content creation process. Put them in front of the camera for a Q&A or discussion, then broadcast it live or record it and use it across your platforms. In summary, if you want to build a respected, trusted and engaging brand, remember to: Be inspirational Be informative Add value Examples of quality real estate branding Branding, and especially brand consistency, is important to us here at Lucidpress, and we've put a lot of effort into understanding how that resonates with real estate agencies. To learn more from us and some of the first-rate agencies we've been lucky enough to partner with, check out the following resources for tips. What Inman Connect taught us about real estate branding — Building brands for agents, building brands for clients, and driving innovation. How Chestnut Park's managing graphic designer used Lucidpress templates to elevate the brand, reduce design turnaround times, streamline communication and retain agents. Should you hire a real estate marketing agency? – We asked real estate branding experts how to identify the right time to hire an agency and what you should be looking out for when you do. Guide to real estate marketing automation — Does the term "marketing automation" make your eyes glaze over in boredom? We break down this powerful concept in plain English, so you can decide if marketing automation software is right for your brokerage. Learn how to elevate your brand and ensure consistency with this free guide to real estate branding.