As the post-COVID real estate market boom continues and markets remain ultra-hot, opportunities abound for building contractors and realtors. Never before has visibility mattered so much. So it’s no surprise that the agents and general contractors rising to the top are the ones that are leveraging the power of a killer brand.
If you’re passionate about growing your business so you can keep up with the leaps and bounds in the real estate market, now’s the time to invest in a powerful brand identity. Here’s what to know.
Great Branding Is Your Competitive Advantage
Your brand is your promise to the world. And the way to make sure that promise comes through loud and clear – and without distortion or distraction – is to develop a coherent, consistent brand identity that sets you apart from your competitors.
A great brand:
- Positions you in the market. It shows prospective clients not just who you are but who you’re not. It distinguishes you from your competitors by highlighting your unique abilities, specializations, market niche, or approach. Maybe you’re commercial only. Maybe you specialize in ultra-high-end projects. Maybe you work in a historic refurb. Or maybe you’re all about those semi-rural developments. Whatever the case, make sure that point of differentiation is there.
- Shows what you’re all about. From your design to your copy to your marketing, every aspect of your brand should authentically showcase what you’re about and how you do things. If you’re fun and casual, your brand should illustrate that. If you’re all about precision and craftsmanship, make sure that shines through. If you infuse a homegrown, local touch into your expertise, tap into that.
- Is memorable and relevant. Your brand identity should be instantly recognizable and easy, to sum up, and distill. That said, it should still fit into the wider brand approach of your industry – there are certain norms and expectations in every vertical, so make sure you align with those. You don’t want your contracting brand to evoke a brewery or your real estate agency to be mistaken for a florist.
- Is consistent and makes good on its promise. Don’t promise one thing and deliver on another. Everything you create under your brand umbrella should fit under it, or you’re undermining industry expectations – and your brand as well. If you start to grow and evolve, think about a brand expansion or a rebrand, but keep it strategic, not willy-nilly.
How to Create a Great Brand
A great brand is built upon knowledge and understanding – of your market, your audience, and your organization and consultancy. Brands aren’t just aesthetic; they’re strategic. To create a great brand, do this:
- Dig deep into research. A great brand is rooted in a thorough understanding of who you serve, how, and why. Take the time to talk to your stakeholders, research market trends, and understand what your audience needs and expects – and figure out how you’re delivering. That information will form the strategy that underpins the look and feel of your brand.
- See what others are doing. Your brand should feel authentic, inarguably you. But it also needs to stand apart from other brands while being recognizably part of their world. Research your competitors to see how they brand themselves, what you can learn from them – and how you can do it differently.
- Build a brand that goes more than skin-deep. When we think of brands, we often think of visual assets and design. But to run with a real estate metaphor, those are just the paint (or siding) on top of a structure that goes all the way down to the foundations. Those visual trappings should spring forth from your brand mission, pillars, ethos, and promise.
- Stay on brand. Once you’ve built your brand, stick to it. You can make this easier by creating brand assets that are flexible or modular – these can be changed or adjusted to suit different needs. Always keep a folder of brand assets on hand, as well as a solid set of brand guidelines with “dos and don’ts,” and use templates where you can. This will help you and your staff stay on brand.
Built It, Then Spread the Word
A powerful brand is a great way to build trust and interest in your brand. But the world’s best brands are the ones that live at the top of people’s minds. To reach that status, you’ll need a solid and strategic marketing and outreach plan. Stick with us, and we’ll show you how to put your company out in the world in a way that will drive brand recognition – and bottom-line success.
In the meantime, you can get started on building a winning real estate consultancy brand by talking to our team of branding pros – just drop us a line!
See Also:
Stand Apart With A Progressive Brand Positioning Strategy
The 3 Primary Functions of a Kick-Butt Brand
Brand Building: When to Start the Rebranding Process and Revive Your Business
