Real Estate Branding Ideas & Strategy
The best real estate branding ideas are much more than simply matching a company’s real estate business cards to its real estate flyers.
For top real estate agents, successful branding is true north for their business. It gives them the edge they need over their competitors and creates a positive lasting impression in clients’ minds.
But branding that drives results doesn’t happen overnight. The best real estate branding ideas come from deliberate, honest insight into a particular business and its unique path forward.
Follow the steps below to take your real estate branding ideas to the next level – and acquire and retain more clients in the process!
What’s your purpose?
Don’t think personally or existentially.
What’s your purpose as a Realtor?
Think beyond the ‘what’ that you do, to the ‘why.’ For example:
- What: You help people get higher prices for their homes.
- Why: You truly believe communities can be improved by small businesses like your real estate team.
Do you see the difference? Helping people get higher prices is narrowly focused around a single activity. “I believe communities can be improved“ is where your branding begins.
The why becomes your mission statement. It must be something you believe in. This is what will captivate your clients. Because of this, it’s essential to take time to brainstorm something that truly resonates with you.
Answering this question is the #1 criteria that will drive your brand direction. It also will turn into one of the motivators that sustains your small business and marketing strategies through their ups and downs.
Real Estate Clients Are Attracted to The Why
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” — Simon Sinek (2009 TED Talk, Puget Sound)
Take the time to watch this video. it sets the stage for excellent real estate branding (as well as branding in other industries). It will also inspire you!
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If this video wasn’t enough to convince you of the importance of branding, here is a list of several more great videos to help Realtors and small businesses understand its value.
Create a Meaningful Slogan
Once you have figured out your why, it’s time to start building everything else.
A lot of real estate agents’ slogans come from thin air with no real purpose behind them. This is where you can one-up your competitors.
Slogan examples that start with the why:
- “Taking home prices to new heights”
- “Higher home prices in sight”
These examples are dynamic, inspiring, and evoke a sense of teamwork and collaboration. They’re not the only examples — but they’re a place to begin. Here is a full post we wrote with additional real estate slogan examples.
Also, keep in mind your slogan does not have to stay the same. The one thing that stays consistent is the mission statement. That’s what will drive everything.
A great example is Apple, as you can see here. Their slogans have changed dozens of times, but their mission has always stayed the same.
Bonus tip: craft a real estate logo that also matches your mission and complements your real estate slogan. Make this central to your online presence, brand identity, and entire real estate marketing strategy.
Strategically Position Your Real Estate Brand
We break down these three sections below:
1. Relevance
Start to home into your target audience by noting similarities among your past clients:
- Do they have the same interests as you do?
- Are they in a specific geographic area?
- Do they fall within a specific demographic?
Consider other factors that can position you as a trusted advisor, such as:
- Your knowledge of how the real estate landscape is changing
- Local or regional knowledge of changing neighborhoods and home prices
- Ability to communicate economic trends that might affect home buyers
Use these as part of your branding to make sure your message resonates with the potential and current clients you’re trying to reach.
2. Differentiation
Define everything that sets you apart. The following are just a few examples:
- How do you market homes differently to close the sale?
- Are you a pro at marketing real estate listings on Instagram or other forms of social media?
- Do you have a huge list of potential buyers no one else has access to?
- What about your personality or working style makes you particularly great to team up with?
- Do you have access to exclusive listings that other agents might not have access to?
- Are you an expert with first-time buyers?
3. Expertise
Buyers and sellers want to work with a professional. Include the following in your real estate branding:
- How long have you been in business? (If it’s a short time, perhaps get a testimonial from a mentor or other industry leader.)
- What do you specialize in? (Foreclosures? New construction? House flipping?)
- What is your track record?
- Do you have client testimonials that can speak to your prowess?
Once you can answer all of the above questions (and more that you might think of), then you can figure out how to position yourself in the real estate market for success.
Remember: you don’t want to do what everyone else does. Celebrate your differences and find clients that truly align with you.
Partnerships
Once you solidify your real estate branding ideas, then you can start pursuing partners who share your values and vision.
Partnerships in real estate are often formed through lawyers, loan officers, and other sources.
This is great, but can feel impersonal and transactional at times.
When you know what your business truly stands for, you can begin to target local businesses who share the same values.
Example Partnerships:
- You’re both passionate about improving your community and back the same non-profit initiative to build your network and visibility.
- You decide to renovate a home or other property in tandem to display your skills.
- You host an educational seminar or webinar to educate other people in the market.
Starting small can still lead to a larger network down the line. And a larger network = a larger pool of potential clients!
It’s up to you to make it happen.
Root Your Real Estate Branding Ideas in What Truly Matters
From colors you use to social media campaigns you experiment with — all of your real estate branding ideas should stem from your mission statement. Otherwise, it’s fluff.
Real estate agents that take the time to craft content that matches their values and goals are the ones that end up with unique and exciting messages. These will attract clients and partners and keep you moving forward when the going gets tough.
There’s no better time to begin!
Leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts!
Note: This post was originally published in 2014. In 2019, we’ve updated it with fresh information and advice for realtors.
What should be the strategy of a real estate agent?