In today’s competitive real estate landscape, the significance of effective branding for multifamily properties cannot be overstated. An intentional, well-crafted brand not only differentiates a property from similar competitors in the same market but also has the potential to resonate with its target audience. The process of strategizing, designing, and executing a strong property identity can often take several weeks, if not months — and many times, owners and operators are faced with impatient investors, looming management takeovers, and urgent leasing timelines. However, having a trusted marketing agency in your corner — especially one familiar with your portfolio of communities — can streamline the process and deliver successful results in record time. In this white paper, we’ll explore the benefits of portfolio wide branding in the multifamily sector, a few examples of successful brand executions, and how this centralized approach can ensure consistency and excellence every time.
The Importance of Strong, Personalized Branding
Successful branding in multifamily properties goes beyond logos, typography, and color schemes; it encapsulates the essence of each property, conveying its unique story, location advantages, or overall community vibe. A strong property brand instills trust, attracts prospective tenants, and enhances property value. Moreover, it serves as a cornerstone for all marketing efforts, ensuring a cohesive and compelling narrative that resonates with residents and investors alike.
It can be easy to default to quick, templated brands and collateral, especially when deadlines are tight. However, residents — especially the ever-growing population of Gen Z renters — are quick to pick up on qualities such as authenticity and transparency with the brands they choose to purchase from. Attention to detail on a paragraph of copy or on a property website can, in their minds, translate to the level of attention a staff member might give their specific unit or the care they’ll receive during the leasing process. Personalization makes a customer feel valued and, in turn, strengthens brand loyalty and customer relationships.
Breaking Down the Branding Process
At Catalyst, we’ve completed over 600 property brands (and counting!). Though every project has its individual needs and nuances, here is a quick overview of the steps it takes to transform an idea into a fully formed property identity:
- Discovery Phase: At the core of our branding strategy lies an extensive discovery. This initial stage involves thorough research and a kickoff call to better understand each property’s unique selling points, target demographic, and local market. By delving deep into these aspects, we uncover the unique details that form the foundation of the property’s brand identity.
- Naming and Logo Design: All names are a result of our innovative Namestorm™ process (a step so crucial, we trademarked it!). Our concepts are passed through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to ensure there are no trademark violations before being presented for consideration combined with a visual logo design to round out the concept.
- Brand Guidelines: Once the name and logo are set in stone, we establish comprehensive brand guidelines that serve as the blueprint for all subsequent branding pieces. These guidelines encompass key elements such as typography, color palette, patterns and textures, tone of voice, and visual style. They ensure consistency across all communication channels, reinforcing the property’s identity while allowing for customization to suit specific market nuances.Marketing Collateral: Armed with a solid brand framework, our design team can begin crafting compelling marketing collateral that brings the brand to life. From brochures and business cards to signage and social media content, every piece is meticulously aligned with the established brand guidelines. This cohesive approach not only strengthens brand recognition but also enhances the overall perception of the property among prospective tenants and stakeholders.
- Website Design and Development: Central to our branding strategy is the development of a robust, responsive, and user-friendly website. Our web design process integrates the property’s brand elements seamlessly, offering a visually engaging interface that facilitates intuitive navigation and showcases the property’s unique features. By prioritizing functionality and aesthetics, we create an online presence that drives engagement and conversions.
Scaling From One Property to a Full Portfolio
- Expanding the branding process from a single property to multiple within a portfolio can be a delicate process — one that can be made a lot easier with a trusted agency partner. By leveraging the insights and tactics learned from each previous project, subsequent properties can benefit from a streamlined approach. For example:
- Portfolio-wide communication efficiencies, such as standardized templates for initial kickoffs and briefs, will help ensure consistency and minimize misinterpretations.
- With each project, the agency team gains more insight on the team’s preferences, and the number of revision rounds is significantly reduced.
- When the agency understands the inner workings of a management company — specifically their leasing tools and how they use them — the development timelines can usually be reduced. Once API setups and platform integrations have been added to an initial website, they can easily be replicated for future designs.
This scalable approach not only accelerates the branding timeline but also ensures that each property within the portfolio is given the tools needed for success.
Case Studies: Kane Realty
In July 2022, Catalyst began a partnership with Kane Realty, a Raleigh-based real estate development and management company. At the time, Kane needed assistance launching their newest development, Channel House — a project that set the foundation for continued portfolio work over the years. Read on to learn more about each of these unique case studies.
Case Study 1: Channel House
Located in the up-and-coming North Hills Innovation District of Raleigh, North Carolina, Channel House sought to appeal to young urban professionals, creatives, and “makers” seeking a vibrant and connected living experience. Kane Realty contracted Catalyst with an already established name, logo, and brand standards to leverage when crafting on-site print materials, a detailed location map, and a custom website design.
The Channel House elite website was built with innovation and creativity in mind. With bold colors, overlapping elements, and vivid imagery, it captures the uniqueness of this property in a fun and exciting way. User experience was also an important factor, allowing prospective residents to easily navigate to the photo gallery, the floor plan page, and more. The site design incorporates stock imagery of residents engaging in creative activities — painting, recording podcasts, and more — as well as tailored messaging such as “Creatively designed, authentically you,” and “You’re an original. Your home should be, too.”
In addition to a visually engaging site design, the Channel House website also incorporated both a RentCafe leasing platform and a Funnel API, allowing prospects to easily view real-time floor plan pricing, availability, and more. The development work done on this site paved the way for simpler integrations on subsequent Kane community portfolio sites.
This project was a success, resulting in increased leasing activity and a distinct positioning in the competitive North Hills market.
Website process (from kickoff to launch): 6 rounds of revisions
Case Study 2: Platform
In May 2023, Kane Realty contracted Catalyst for similar work on another new development, Platform. Located in the West End district of downtown Raleigh, this apartment community and mixed-use space aimed to attract those seeking the comforts of a small neighborhood with the bustle of a city. Similar to the Channel House project, Kane Realty had already established a name, logo, and color palette but was open to additional visual elements and messaging to take the Platform brand to the next level.
Bold, colorful, and infused with a sense of adventure, the Platform website showcases the property’s one-of-a-kind interior design and enviable location through a series of galleries, sliders, maps, and callouts. The brand voice for this community was also unique, requiring a conversational, tongue-in-cheek approach. While scrolling through the site, visitors come across fun phrases such as “Nestled in Raleigh’s West (or should we say ‘best’) End,” “Can a building be nominated as most photogenic? (Asking for a friend),” and “Your best life is waiting (we understand if you never want to leave!).”
Leveraging the insight gained from our first project with Kane, the Catalyst team was able to find efficiencies in the design, development, and review processes to deliver the Platform website quickly and efficiently.
Website process (from kickoff to launch): 4 rounds of revisions
Case Study 3: Highland North Hills
By the time Kane Realty contracted Catalyst for work on their new Highland North Hills project in November 2023, our relationship with the developer was already solidly in place. Featuring world-class amenities and a retail-oriented location, this one-of-a-kind high-rise is making a statement in Raleigh’s North Hills Main District. The logo and brand identity provided by Kane set a tone of luxury, art, and connectivity — and it was up to Catalyst to continue that feeling in the collateral and website.
Similar to the previous two projects, the Highland North Hills site paired a custom design with a premier user experience. Website features the Kane team had previously requested — in-depth location maps and hot spot lists, Engrain site map integration, custom contact form fields, and more — were now standard, providing the well-organized backdrop for creative messaging and imagery. However, to ensure the Highland site had its own unique feel, our team also took the time to add in new features unique to this community.
Website process (from kickoff to launch): 4 rounds of revisions
In Conclusion
Partnering with an experienced marketing agency that understands the unique needs of large property portfolios is essential for achieving branding success. By adhering to a proven, scalable process that combines creativity with strategic insights, we ensure that each property not only maintains its individual identity but also delivers success for the portfolio at large, at a value that can’t be matched.
Interested in learning more about our centralized approach to branding and other marketing services? Learn more today at https://thelyst.com/centralization/.