One of Omaha’s largest real estate firms – Deeb Realty, will change its name to Nebraska Realty, effective March 16, 2015.
The real estate company hired Corporate Three Design in Omaha to create a new brand identity and roll it out across traditional media. (DISCLOSURE: Shawn Hartley, the publisher of this web site is Vice President at C3D)
Travis Bellinghausen, C3D’s Creative Director, was kind enough to entertain some of my questions about the project. Let’s hear what he has to say.
Q. How did you land on the name Nebraska Realty?
A. The Nebraska Realty name change had already been made by the client before our initial meeting.
Rationale for the name change included two key factors:
1) To align the name of the firm with the professionalism and values of its employees – hard working, honest and service oriented, values associated with being Nebraskan.
2) To expand brokerage services throughout Nebraska – positioning the firm as Nebraska’s first statewide real estate firm.
Q. I see some sharp mountain-like angles in your new logo design. What are you conveying there?
A. Nebraska Realty specifically stated from the beginning that they did not want use a house in their new logo. While we developed multiple icon iterations that didn’t include their initials, the stylized NR was became the logical choice to create immediate recognition for the company as a stand alone element. The new look also to appeals to a broad range of audiences, while communicating a friendly and approachable attitude to a financially diverse marketplace.
To accomplish this, we designed a distinctive logo, incorporating a custom serif and san-serif font combination, creating a balance between the contemporary, yet traditional look. The angled element beneath the “N” was developed to serve a dual purpose. One was to create a filler within the space that developed between the “N” of the icon and the NEBRASKA name below. Secondly, Nebraska Realty is viewed as progressive, flexible and forward-thinking. This slash helped create an action element that we knew could be carried throughout additional branding/marketing efforts.
Q. Nebraska Realty is a challenger brand. How did this inform the work?
A. While designing the identity, we knew we couldn’t come to the table with something trite, like a house, so we developed a stylized identity that would have immediate recognition and stand out from the competition. The use of two chevrons, developed from the slash, was also added to the identification system to complement the logo and provide an instantly recognizable design element that will become synonymous with Nebraska Realty’s visual brand.
Q. How is real estate brand marketing different from other categories? There’s a retail aspect here, but also a consulting practice to consider.
A. The real estate market in Omaha is quite crowded. Drive through a neighborhood and you may see eight houses for sale with eight different real estate listing yard signs. The yard sign is the number one marketing tool for a real estate company, so we developed a design that could be distinguished from all others. While you may not be able to read the logo from a block away, you will surely notice the chevrons at the bottom of the sign and draw a connection as to who is selling that home.
