In the competitive world of real estate, establishing a strong, consistent brand is crucial for success. Whether you’re a seasoned agent or just starting out, a well-crafted brand book can be your secret weapon in standing out from the crowd and building lasting connections with clients.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the essentials of creating a brand book specifically for the real estate industry. From defining your unique identity to establishing visual guidelines and messaging standards, we’ll cover everything you need to know to develop a powerful brand presence that resonates with your target audience and elevates your business to new heights.
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What is a brand book?
Also known as a brand guide or style guide, a brand book is a comprehensive document that outlines the essential elements of a brand’s identity and provides rules, suggestions, and examples for how to communicate and represent the brand consistently across all platforms and media.
Why a real estate agent needs a brand book
Real estate agents benefit significantly from having a brand book. Firstly, it ensures all marketing materials, from business cards to online listings, have a uniform look and feel, reinforcing brand identity. This consistent branding conveys professionalism and reliability to clients and colleagues, which is crucial in building trust and loyalty. A polished and consistent brand image also makes leads and prospects more likely to choose the agent over competitors.
Clearly defined brand elements not only help you stand out in a crowded market by highlighting unique selling points and values, but they also streamline internal processes. A brand book provides clear guidelines for creating marketing materials, saving time and effort in the design process, thus ensuring efficiency in marketing. For team members or assistants, a brand book offers a reference to follow, ensuring everyone is on the same page regarding the brand’s representation.
Finally a brand book provides a framework for adapting the brand to new trends or markets without losing the core identity, allowing for flexible (yet consistent) branding strategies.
What to include in your brand book
There are five sections of key information about your brand and its identity that you should cover in your brand book. If you haven’t established these components yet, take some time to think through each one with our branding worksheet.
1. Brand identity
Mission statement
Your mission expresses your business’s purpose. It explains what you do and sometimes includes how and why you do it. It often starts with “to” and should be a direct, concise statement.
Examples of company mission statements:
- Landmark Sotheby’s International Realty: Our mission is to deliver the highest quality of service and results that exceed the expectations of an elite clientele, every transaction, every day.
- Compass: Our mission is to help everyone find their place in the world.
- RE/MAX: To be the worldwide real estate leader, achieving our goals by helping others achieve theirs. Everybody wins.
Vision
Your vision details your goals, what you want to achieve in the future, and the impact you want to have on the market.
Examples of company vision statements:
- Landmark Sotheby’s International Realty: Our vision is to be the undisputed leader of the luxury and waterfront real estate market on the coast of North Carolina, our name always synonymous with the finest properties the region has to offer.
- RE/MAX: RE/MAX will always be the right place for real estate entrepreneurs who want a combination of independence, support and unique competitive advantages — and the right choice for customers who understand the benefits of having someone like that working on their behalf.
Unique value proposition (UVP)
Your UVP is what makes you and your brand different from your competitors. It is what makes you different and memorable to your target market and is a critical identifier for your brand. To learn more about how to discover and define yours, check out this post, which walks you through the steps of creating a UVP.
Brand story
Your brand story is a narrative that explains the origin, purpose, and journey of your business. It goes beyond just facts and figures, delving into the emotional and inspirational aspects that define the brand’s identity. It helps humanize the brand, making it more relatable and memorable to clients, agents, and other stakeholders.
Brand personality
If your brand were a person, what unique traits and qualities would it have? Your brand personality might be down-to-earth, friendly, and playful. Or maybe your brand is polished, in-the-know, and aspirational. Knowing it—and clearly defining it in your brand book—allows you to express yourself consistently and connect with your audience.
Brand promise
A brand promise expresses what your clients, prospects, and the world can expect from you with every interaction and experience. It is your commitment to consistently deliver what you say you will.
Products and services
Include specifics about the products and services you offer. Defining these makes it easy to communicate them to your target audience and provides a touchstone that helps you make decisions about the future of your business. Naturally, your products and services may evolve over time, so it’s important to check back regularly and make sure your brand book reflects your current offerings.
Target audience
To reach and connect with them effectively, you have to know who your ideal client is. To identify this group, it’s extremely useful to explore the PFDD framework, which helps you define their pains, fears, dreams, and desires. When you know your audience, you’re better able to reach them with the right message at the right time.
2. Visual identity
Logo
The visual identity section of a brand book generally starts with the brand’s logo. In addition to including the logo itself, you’ll want to include guidelines for when, how, and where to use it. This should include dimensions for print and web applications, logo colors, and dos and don’ts. You might include downloadable logo assets in your brand book or in a supplemental style guide or press kit.
Some brands also have a secondary logo. For example, if your logo is a full wordmark of your brand name, you may have a shorter logo that is just a symbol or a letter, which can be useful for legibility or in circumstances that require a 1:1 ratio. In this case, it’s important to include guidelines for when and where each logo is used. If you need to create or revamp your logo, check out this list of our favorite real estate logos for inspiration.
Color palette
The section about your color palette should include your primary and secondary colors. You’ll want to include their exact specifications, such as HEX code number, RGB, CMYK, and Pantone matching system. This ensures that your brand colors are implemented consistently across assets. It is also useful to include approved color combinations.
Fonts
Once you’ve found the font or fonts that are appropriate for your brand, you should detail how and where to use them. Explain which should be used for headlines and which is meant for body copy, and whether or not it’s acceptable to consider bold, light, or italic versions.
3. Imagery and graphics
Photographic style
The visual and stylistic guidelines for photographs used in brand communications should convey the brand’s personality and values. For instance, a luxury brand might use high-contrast, polished images, while a lifestyle brand might opt for natural, candid shots.
Specify whether natural or artificial lighting is preferred, and what kind of mood the lighting should create (e.g., bright and airy, soft and moody). Also, what should be in the photos? This could include specifics about the people (diverse demographics, expressions, activities), products (angles, contexts), and settings (indoor, outdoor, specific environments) that best represent your brand. Don’t forget instructions on color grading and filters to ensure consistency across all photos.
Illustration style
The visual and stylistic guidelines for illustrations used in brand communications reflect the brand’s tone and personality, whether it’s playful, serious, minimalist, or detailed. Include specific colors that should be used in illustrations, ensuring they match the overall brand color scheme. Also add where and how illustrations should be used, such as in marketing materials, social media, websites, and presentations.
Graphic elements
Address any additional visual elements or graphics that complement the brand’s identity, such as patterns, shapes, borders, and textures. Include instructions on the use of shapes and borders, such as geometric shapes, lines, and frames. Define the styles, thickness, and colors to be used.
4. Tone of voice and messaging
Brand voice
This is the overall personality and character of the brand as expressed through written and spoken communications. Revisit the section on your brand’s personality and make sure these two areas align with each other.
Is the brand formal, friendly, authoritative, humorous, or innovative? Emphasize the importance of maintaining a consistent voice across all channels and touchpoints to build brand recognition and trust. Ensure the brand voice aligns with the target audience’s preferences and expectations.
Taglines and slogans
Taglines are short, memorable phrases that encapsulate the brand’s essence, values, or unique selling proposition. Your brand book should explain the role of taglines and slogans in reinforcing the brand’s identity and differentiating it from competitors. Include guidelines for creating effective taglines and slogans, including tips on brevity, clarity, and emotional appeal.
Writing style and guidelines
Determine your guidelines on the tone (e.g., conversational, formal, inspirational) and mood (e.g., cheerful, urgent, calm) that should be conveyed in all written communications.
Include specific words and phrases that should be used to reflect the brand’s personality, as well as words and phrases to avoid.
Encourage the use of inclusive and respectful language that avoids stereotypes and is mindful of diverse audiences. Set standards for proofreading and editing to maintain high-quality, error-free content. This might include a checklist for writers and editors to follow.
Rewrite your brand strategy
Our free resources can help you define your personal brand, level up your marketing plan, and reach your target audience.
Brand book tips from the experts
Our creative team has helped many real estate professionals reflect their unique brand. Here are their top tips for developing a solid brand book.
Think beyond logos, colors, and fonts
“A great brand guidebook includes more than the dos and don’ts of your logo. Besides your visual assets, it should also include your brand’s personality, values, messaging, and tone of voice. This will ensure that the guide provides a clear roadmap for your decisions about your brand’s visual identity, messaging, and marketing efforts.”
Include real-world examples
“Use real-world scenarios to show how your brand is applied in different contexts. This is essential because it ensures that your brand is presented consistently and effectively across all channels and touchpoints.”
Know your verbal identity
“Set standards for how your brand is communicated, both visually and verbally. This includes the key messages and brand positioning that you want to communicate to your target audience.”
Your brand book + Luxury Presence
Ready to catapult your brand to the next level? We’re here to help. Schedule a call with our expert team and we’ll help you make the most out of your new brand book, incorporating it into our award-winning lead-generating website design for your business.
