From Coca-Cola’s red disc to Nike’s iconic swoosh, the world’s biggest brands have a unique identity that consumers worldwide instantly recognize. Brand identity has become a big deal in the commercial real estate industry as well. Apartment developers and property managers often team up with graphic designers and marketing experts to create visual elements that catch the eyes of potential tenants and retain existing ones. These elements include memorable logos, catchy apartment marketing taglines and carefully curated color stories for printed materials.

How Does Branding Attract Prospective Tenants?

Renters have a lot of choice when selecting an apartment community for their next home, meaning competition is often fierce. Developers and property managers can create visual elements for their commercial real estate brand to stand out from the crowd and encourage more people to sign (or resign!) their leases. These components include logos, fonts, colors and amenity icons.

For example, if a property manager is trying to attract tenants for a new apartment community, they might work with a marketing agency to create a logo for the complex and include it in apartment marketing materials such as brochures and fliers, as well as in elements through the community, such as signage and even art. All marketing materials created should follow the instructions of the brand guidelines.

Like in other sectors, commercial real estate branding works. Research shows that 65% of the population are visual learners and need to view information to retain it. By creating a visual brand, renters might be more likely to remember your apartment complex when searching for places to live. That can increase the chances of them signing a lease.

What Does Apartment Branding Involve?

Apartment branding includes coming up with a name for your community, choosing the right color scheme, and creating a logo.

Naming Your Apartment Community

Thinking of a good name for your community can be a monumental challenge. You’ll want something unique, easy to remember and that will stand the test of time. It also needs to be unique enough to not be used in the market or create confusion with other brands. For inspiration, consider the names of some of the most famous apartment buildings in the world — The Dakota in New York City, for example, or The Shard in London. These names are instantly recognizable!

Choosing a Color Story

The right color story – which includes not only the logo colors but complementary colors used in collateral pieces and the website – will help prospective renters recognize your brand. You’ll use these colors across all your digital and physical materials, including your website, brochures, flyers and print advertisements. Remember, different colors evoke different emotions in renters. For example, blue is a popular choice for apartment building logos and signage because it can represent open spaces, imagination, inspiration and freedom.

Designing a Logo

Ninety-three percent of people’s first impressions of a brand are based on its logo. Every good apartment community needs a great logo that inspires prospective residents to want to live there. Work with a marketing agency to create one that sets your community apart from all the others. Various components go into making a logo. Think about different colors, fonts, and any icons or patterns you want to incorporate into your design — and consider these elements carefully.

Designing a Website

Creating an attractive and modern website can also help you attract potential tenants. Consider colors, fonts, buttons, icons, images and other visual elements that appeal to visitors and encourage them to learn about your offerings.

Completing Other Branding Tasks

Much more goes into branding an apartment than what’s listed above. For example, you might want to create a marketing slogan for your building that entices renters. For an extra touch, you could design custom amenity icons to include in brochures and welcome documents. Also, standardize your branding across all your advertising and marketing materials to improve consistency.

Get Help With Your Apartment Branding

How you visually present your apartment complex to potential and existing tenants could increase your chances of success in a competitive commercial real estate market. By choosing the right design elements, you can grab the attention of renters and encourage them to move into your property.

Need help creating a strong brand identity for your apartment community? Reach out to us!