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Takeaways:
- Professional designers are worth paying for when it comes to logos.
- Agency branding is nice, but what happens if you leave the agency? You likely lose it.
- The best logos have consistency, simplicity and direction.
Creating a solid, professional logo for your business is one of the most essential design tasks that you’ll have to do.
This week, on Episode 12 of the Modern American Realtor podcast, the brothers make the mistake of assuming that they have good aesthetic taste (we’re kidding, guys.)
They brought along Alli Banks, a company designer with loads of experience in the world of logos and aesthetic techniques.
Professional help is worth it
Like many expenses, agents often wonder if paying for the service is worth it. Some agents might prefer only to adopt agency branding.
But Alli told us that doing so might limit your capabilities in future designs. If you decide to transition to a different broker or firm, all of your brand value is now lost.
Also, you might be tempted to create a quick and easy logo on your computer’s default graphic design program. Alli basically said not to do that. In the world of graphic design, your decision to hire a professional will show as soon as your clients’ eyes see that logo.
The principles of design
Don’t get all Howard Roark on us. Real estate agents make tons of mistakes when designing. That’s normal. Alli said out of all the glaring errors during the designing process, the most overlooked feature is consistency.
Frequently, real estate agents forget that they can and should use their logo in a broad range of relevant applications. Alli laid down the ground rules for agencies’ logos: consistency, simplicity and direction.
If your logo fits all of that criteria, then it should be able to be used on everything from business cards to billboards.
Having an excellent relationship with your designer can further your brand
Finally, Alli got into the human side of logo design. Having a strong professional trust with your designer is key to not only creating a great logo but also creating a great future relationship.
If your designer is worth your time, he’ll develop a logo based on your clients, objectives and business style, as well as how much freedom you’re giving him to be creative.
Logos are hard. Even the simplest ones have more effort poured into them than you could ever guess. Ever notice the arrow in the FedEx logo?
FedEx logo
That’s why it’s important for your real estate business to take everything into account and that you work with a professional. And always make sure you have a firm idea of your company’s representation.
Subscribe to the audio podcast on iTunes, and check out the video episodes on Modern America Realtor.
Corey Wright is the co-founder of WingWire, a custom website and blogging service for real estate agents, and co-host of Modern American Realtor, a podcast for the modern agent. You can connect with him on LinkedIn or Instagram (@filbertsteiner).