I’m doing something a little different today- I want to let you guys in on a project that I’ve had in the works for a long time. It’s not done yet, but I want to talk it out with you and get your feedback, kind of like a case study (and I’ll try not to go on and on about how great my mom is.)
As I’ve mentioned several times before, my mom is a Realtor (which apparently is always capitalized– who knew?) As you probably can tell by the things that I pin or share with you guys, I’m obsessed with reading about how the internet can help grow businesses. I often find myself thinking of my mom’s business, and as early as last summer I started thinking about how to brand her business and get her an online presence so that she could attract clients outside of her sphere.
Here’s a little background- my mom is awesome at her job. She’s a total people person and she loves homes. She succeeds in her business because she’s great at maintaining relationships and she has way– meaning that she seems to always know the right thing to say and is always bending over backwards to make sure that all parties are happy in the transactions that she’s involved in. She also has great taste and has a knack for decorating. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I’m always taking pictures of my parents’ house. That’s all my mom.
Here’s where I come in- technology and social media aren’t really her thing. She’s great at marketing her listings, but she mostly works by referral and has never really had to do a ton of marketing for herself. In a lot of ways, my mom is my ideal client- she has great taste and I 100% believe in her services, but she’s lacking a successful online component to her business.
Having your mom as your client has it’s advantages- there’s no one whose style I know better. But it’s also kind of intimidating. How do you capture your mom in a website? The real estate component also makes me a little nervous. I’m just gonna say it- Realtors’ branding materials are often hideous. Like, really ugly. It seems like they’re often trying too hard to make themselves seem professional or like a shark or something- but it almost always comes off as superficial and self-serving. Who wants to work with that? And more importantly, does my mom want to work with clients who want to work with that? Um, no.
My goal in putting together my mom’s branding and her website is to make it an extension of her and her taste. I want her website to feel like her home- classic, warm, and a little casual. I don’t normally put together moodboards, but I felt like I needed one to really get a grip on this project. I started on Pinterest, but about halfway through realized that all I really needed for images were ones that I’d already taken!
So here’s my question: does this moodboard sell you on all the things that I just said? And do you think that it’s possible to use red and blue on a website without it feeling too patriotic? I’d love to hear your thoughts, whether your a designer or not- everyone needs a real estate agent at some point!
You can see the original posts with these photos here and here.
I love the colors! I think it does, it’s simple, but classic and sophisticated and really homey. I love it!
I’m so glad- that’s exactly what I was going for! Thanks Joelle :)
The way your mood board is laid out, I immediately though USA and patriotism. I think it’s the slightly weathered look on the blue…makes me think country and I usually associate that with patriotism. It does feel super cozy though too, especially paired with the photos of her home.
Yeah, I can see that- I’m thinking that on the actual website that paint texture would only appear as an accent in very small doses (if at all.) I definitely don’t want country to be what comes up- hmm. Thanks for your input, Kelly!
I think it’s more classic American + nautical than patriotic, if that makes any sense. And that being said – I think it’s super cozy and would definitely feel drawn to work with her :) xo! eliza
Cool! I’m okay with nautical I guess- it’s hard not to come away with that with all those blue stripes! Thanks Eliza! xoxo
I love it! Very homey and comforting. The key is to add another color to the red/blue combo to prevent it from screaming AMERICA! I think you did a good job of that in the moodboard by incorporating the beiges/tans.
I think you’re totally right! About six months ago I made this mock-up for her site that was entirely tans and neutrals. I felt like it was too monotonous yet I couldn’t pick between red or blue as an accent color. I think the key is going to be using both very sparingly and really upping the white space/ neutral factor. Thanks Allyssa!
I remember doing this huuuuge research paper in design school about colour psychology and all that biz. Some colours and colour combos just have an inherent response to them for certain cultures that are very, very hard to brush off. Like red and green being Christmas. Red, white and blue is another combo with really strong connotations. I think to really combat that “patriotic” feel if that’s what you’re trying to do, is you need to essentially “neutralise” one of the strong colours – red or blue – and use it sparingly. With your board, for example, if I cover my hand over the bottom right corner where that really saturated red is with the alphabet, the whole mood feels instantly less “USA! YAY!” to me, and more charming, country, relaxation. I think staying away from those really saturated colours will help, and then using the two in a disproportionate relationship – like a 1-to-3 ratio, or 1-to-5, etc. – to see how that changes the overall perception. I think it’ll be a challenge to eliminate that patriotic feel since it’s so engrained with that colour scheme, but it can be done with the right saturation levels, use-age proportion, etc.
Hope that makes sense. ;) You know I come from an interior design background over graphics and branding, but I’d imagine the theories and concepts are interchangeable. :)
That’s such a good point! Now that you mention it, I really like the whole thing better when I cover up that corner with the red. Man, I need to share stuff with you guys when I’m in the middle of it more often, this feedback is super helpful!
Although I do agree with the patriotic associations (could work for a number of similarly ‘branded’ nations), I also think this is very nautical, east coast, ‘beachy’ in aesthetic. I realise you picked colours directly from her home, but maybe you might want to mute them a little so they are a little less bold and ‘patriotic’ but more time worn, homely. Could try it and see what that softness gives to the overall look. I definitely think more of an interior designer than home realtor when looking at this moodboard and immediately think of certain upclass, classic, country home interior magazines. Overall a much more approachable aesthetic than the typical realtor ‘salesy’ spin ;)
…oh! and just one other thing: what about including a third, handwritten font into the mix to lighten the weight of the more ‘traditional’ and classic fonts and thusly the patriotic associations :)
your mom works in Virginia, right? I think the color scheme works really well with my idea of the area. there’s something about the mid-Atlantic/east coast that makes me think nautical. I really wasn’t paying attention to the fact that your moodboard is red, white, and blue until you pointed it out, and even now I still don’t think fourth of July. but that’s just me.
Yep- she’s in Northern Virginia! That’s funny- I didn’t really think about it being a regional thing, but I can see what you mean! Thanks for the feedback, Kaity!
This is so sweet of you to do this for your mom! I love the idea of creating a brand for a Realtor. All of the Realtors I know have cookie-cutter websites, posters, and business cards; most of which is a result of the real estate company they work with, but I do believe that you can break free of that easily. Especially since your mom is a top notch Realtor!
I love that you incorporated photos of your mom’s home in with the moodboard. However, most of the shots hint that she might be more of an interior designer or home improvement blogger than a Realtor. Perhaps a great shot of a neat mailbox, panoramic of a cool backyard, or an artistic picture of brick exterior, siding, windows, or a front porch would help. You could still stick with your color scheme by selecting photos that have red photos, or blue shutters in them.
Whatever you choose, I know it’ll be fabulous! Great work!
I hadn’t really thought about that! You’re totally right- I think some exterior shots would really help reframe the focus of the website. I haven’t totally figured out what photography we’re gonna use on the actual website, but that’s really good to keep in mind. Thanks Kirsten- it’s so helpful to have multiple sets of eyes look at this and tell me what they think! :)
This is great! I think that adding in a light blue or perhaps one with a slight teal tint could help take away from the nautical or patriotic sense. Using the colors in patterns like on the pillow could also work. Can’t wait to see how this evolves!
Ooh I like that idea! (You can probably tell that I like that color just from being on my blog :) ) Thanks Jen- that’s really helpful!
Ok wow. I started following your blog a while ago and realized that we are very similar… and now your mom is a Realtor too?!? (yes… my mom always corrects me the correct way to pronounce and capitalize Realtor, too). I went to architecture school as well, and my husband is about to go to grad school.
Anyway… Maybe if the blue was more muted and leans more toward a grey-blue it would work. LOVE the mood board, and feel that it appropriately captures the warmth. Can’t wait to see what you come up with! I am working with my mom on her branding as well.
That’s so funny! I’m so glad you commented, Jamie- your website is gorgeous! If you ever share anything from your mom’s branding I would love to see it! I’ve spent a lot of time researching branding and websites for Realtors and it’s hard to find examples that are done well.
Agreed!! I think the key is to be original, and not look like other Realtors. No cheesy headshot for the business card, etc. Here is a little of what I have done for my mom. We are restricted on colors from the Keller Williams branding guide. http://www.jamiestarcevich.com/projects/connie-goodrich-realty/
Wow, those business cards are beautiful! I love what you came up with. Thanks for sharing, Jamie!
I love this. I get more of a comfy-house-by-the-sea vibe with the red and blue combo (especially with the beige and grey) than I do an I’m-a-Murrican vibe. Just don’t add any stars ANYWHERE (no wall decor, nothing!) and I think you’re golden. I love it!
And who knew Realtor had to be capitalized? I definitely didn’t.
I totally laughed out loud at this comment. And noted- no stars! I’ll reserve those for my own blog :)
The moodboard looks so well thought out. I can tell you put a lot of work into it! I get the cozy, casual but put-together vibe (I think) you were going for. To tone down the patriotic feel a bit, I would suggest darkening the red a bit to a more burgundy or cranberry shade or bringing in more of the taupe-y grey you have in a lot of the photos. I look forward to seeing more of this project!
Thanks Janelle- those are good ideas! I definitely think the red needs to be tweaked and/or used more sparingly.
I love this, Kate! I think it totally evokes a sense of homeyness + comfort while still being sophisticated! I love the blue + red and I think they go really well w/ that butter yellow color in the sofa pillow and mac + cheese–plus, the touch of yellow keeps it from getting too patriotic! Amazing job!:)
Thank you so much, Jillian! :)
I love this. I think the taupe really helps tamp down the patriotic feeling of the color scheme. I absolutely love the direction you’re heading.
Thanks Emily! I definitely think the website is gonna rock a lot of taupe, with just some touches of the blue and red :)
First of all, I think it’s so sweet that you are branding your mom’s business! I also think you can use red and blue without seeming patriotic–I think red and blue can be used together in a way that is very calming, almost nautical. For some reason, your mood board made me think of beautiful old wooden houses by the sea! I also think it’s really, really great that you are making your mom’s real estate business approachable. Damian and I think about buying a home now and then but the process seems so intimidating!
Thanks Hannah! I’m glad you think it will be useful- my mom works with a lot of first time buyers, and my hope is that by having a user-friendly website, more people our age who are buying for the first time will come to her by way of the internet.
Could you tone down the blue a bit to maybe a “french” blue in a play off her last name? I think the particular shade of blue and red that you picked maybe screams “America!!” but it could be because they’re side by side instead of right next to each other.
I love that idea! I didn’t even think about that (and considering that it was once my last name, you’d think I would come up with that!) Thanks Lauren!
My first thought on the red and blue was: Does she work for Remax?
No, she actually works for Long and Foster, which uses red and black for their colors, so that was another plus for using the red. I think if I use the colors sparingly it’ll be okay… we’ll see!
I think your mood board is gorgeous. I like the color palette and I think it is fitting. I say that because you are in northern virginia where a majority of people work in the nation’s capitol. There is a strong government/federal demographic. This color choice will appeal to this group. Also when people think about making a significant purchases such as a home, they think of the “American Dream” of owning a home. That in itself is patriotic. I think this is a smart choice that while yes include red’s and blue’s, it does not scream patriotic and hits people subliminally on many levels who are considering purchasing a home. Well done.
Thanks Diana, those are some really good points that I hadn’t thought of yet! :)