The Painted Zebra - Issue 3

the painted zebra ISSUE 111

marketing inspiration and business savvy

FROM EAST TO WEST

w e m a k e o r d i n a r y. . .

EXTRAORDINARY!

from my desk... contents 3 4 6 8 10 12 14 15 16 2

Brand Reveal Branding: Your Questions, Answered Featured Brand: Jerry Koller Featured Brand: McGuire Partners Brand Spotlight: Staci Bias & Brenda Jones

In this edition of the Painted Zebra, our cover design spotlights locations across the country where we have been strategic in helping agents build their businesses.

You may wonder how a boutique real estate branding, marketing, and coaching firm in little Bellingham, Washington can know anything about helping real estate agents in Los Angeles, Miami, or even Bennington, Vermont. The answer is quite simple: get to know the agent, get to know their market, get to understand their client base, and from there prescribe and created a customized winning strategy based on their individual business needs, values, authentic self, and talents.

The agents we work with all have one very important thing in common: their desire to take their businesses to the next level which requires working more effectively. For some there is a financial goal to be attained and for others it is about simplifying their systems. What does taking your business to the next level mean for you?

It doesn’t matter where you are or your particular goals – we are here to help!

Put us to the test. Set up a call and begin a discussion that sets you on a path to transform your business.

Before and After Brokerage Style Meets Custom Brand Starting Your Transformation Meet the Team

-Denise Lones, President

brand reveal JU LI E CLA R KE | MI LWAU KE E, WISCONSIN

WI

Julie Clarke's new brand features unique curves that show off her elegant style. The dominant color in her brand is a rich shade of indigo, which is paired with soft lilac and dusky pink colors and offset by pristine whitespace.

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brand development YOUR QUESTIONS, ANSWERED.

A brand is a visual expression of who you are, what you offer, and what your clients can expect from you. Your brand can instantly communicate your story, what you stand for, what you offer, and how you are different from your competition.

On some level, agents know their branding can do the marketing for them when they are not there, but they often don’t know where to begin in terms of creating that brand. That is where we come in. Here are some of the most common questions or concerns we hear from agents who are considering building a brand:

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Why do I need a brand if I am using my company’s materials?

If every agent in your company is using the same materials, what happens at a listing presentation when you all show up with the same marketing information? If you are mailing the same newsletter, what if someone receives one from you and the same from someone else? What happens if you decide to move from one company to another? You are more than the company you hang your license at. You need to stand out.

I paid $99 to have a logo created. Do you think I still need a brand?

We will honestly assess your current logo. We will learn what you like about it and what is not working. We may make adjustments if needed, but the logo itself can certainly serve as inspiration for developing the rest of the brand. A brand consists of structure, font, color, and imagery, and can also include a logo as an identifying element. But yes, a logo is only a portion of a brand.

I have been thinking about a brand, but I like so many things and I can’t figure out what colors I would want or even what kind of imagery I would want to include!

We love working with enthusiastic agents who have a lot of interests!

We have a process in which we learn about all the different things you are thinking of and are drawn to. Then we go to work honing the visual representation of these interests and finding the most important elements that work together harmoniously to tell your story.

I did create a brand with another company and I am mostly happy with it. But my problem is that I can’t build additional materials with it. I have a brochure, but can’t figure out how to get my brand on my house flyer or my Facebook cover page.

No problem! Our first step is to take all your branding elements and make sure we can work with them. If tweaks are needed, we will make them. Then we can create new materials out of your brand. We build them in such a way that making new materials is as easy as possible so you have control on your end.

Having your own brand allows you to have your own “marketing voice”, that speaks loud and clear about your commitment, your values, and your unique character. It allows you to quickly build trust with potential clients, and you’ll find that clients will gravitate to you based on the core values and emotional impact that resonates from your brand.

Your brand is central to your business. We can help.

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mcguire partners PHOENIX, ARIZONA

Marion, Jennifer, Cara and Erin McGuire are more than the average real estate family. They are multi-generational partners following in the well-laid footsteps that their mother, Marion, began in 1983. This dynamic foursome needed a memorable brand that tied their Irish roots to their Arizona market. Their Celtic-knot logo is made up of four interwoven hearts symbolizing their strong connection with each other. The repetition of the logo emblem in the sidebar of their brand matches the style of breeze blocks, a typical feature on the outside of homes of their area. Their brand also features a powerful black-and-white team portrait as a distinguishing asset of their brand.

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AZ

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jerry koller I N T E R N AT I O N A L H O M E R E A L T Y | I R V I N E , C A L I F O R N I A

CA

When we first met Jerry at the California Association of REALTORSÂŽ Conference, he needed a brand image for his brokerage, International Home Realty, that conveyed technical savvy, reliable advocacy, and industry expertise.

We used IHR’s existing logo, a two-tone teal color palette, a pattern with a technology network appearance, and modern angled lines to help him achieve his ideal brand image. Notably, Jerry branded a company BMW to advertise his business and new business style. (see bottom left photo, page 8)

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staci bias RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA

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CA

brenda jones BENNINGTON, VERMONT

VT

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before & after

LYNLY CALLAWAY BRAND REFRESH

WA

Lynly Callaway is the type of agent who has a strong sense of modern design and a competent business style. After using her original Lones Group brand for almost a decade, she decided she had moved away from the doors and dark lines and colored background of her former brand, but wanted to continue using the most distinguishable elements that her clients would recognize.

Her refreshed brand combines Windermere’s new pointed-rectangle sign shape and the new Windermere logo and fonts, the key from her former logo in a modern circle emblem, her signature colors, airy backgrounds, a personal-looking logo with her original tagline, and a chic new portrait.

Through the years, Lynly's business has stayed true to her unique style, and her new brand reflects just that.

B E F O R E ( C R E AT E D B Y T H E L O N E S G R O U P I N 2 0 0 9 )

FORECLOSURE RATES HOLDING STEADY If you are thinking about moving and have found your dream home, be sure and ask your real estate agent for the estimated monthly cost of utilities up front – especially for heating costs. Too often, buyers are so focused on applying for a loan, going through the inspection, and making sure their current living situation is being tied up nicely that they don’t take a potential increase – or decrease – in their monthly utility bills into account before the big move. And that can add up to hundreds of dollars per month.

According to New Jersey’s Save Green Project’s online calculator, the difference between heating a single story home at 2500 square feet to 69 degrees via natural gas, heat pump, electric baseboard, oil, or propane can range from $835 for natural gas to $5,137 for electric baseboard heating for a year. That is significant difference! Of course, these rates will vary as the prices of natural gas therms, electric kWh, and gallons of oil. But it is important to know what bills may be awaiting you in your mailbox and making sure your budget for your new home includes these additional potential charges.

ED | 123 4 JUS T LIST

For example, say a buyer456 is moving into a home larger than 123 MLShome. their|current All other things being equal (age of 00 CE $99 0,0 home, insulation, window quality), the bill to heat will LIST ING PRI most definitely be higher than what the buyer is paying in STR EET | their current home.

CHE STN UT

Windermere Real Estate/East, Inc. P 425.681.7838 | F 425.827.3400 LCallaway@windermere.com www.LynlyCallaway.com

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The question is, “how high?” Looking back at the SaveGreenProject calculator, utilizing a mid-range efficiency heat pump to heat a 2500 square foot home to 69 degrees can cost $2,206 per year. All other things being equal, a jump to a 3,500 square foot home can cost $3,088 per year – a difference of $882 per year or $73.50 per month.

One other thing to keep in mind as you are budgeting is how much fuel you will need to purchase at once in the case of propane and oil tanks. In the event you are used to simply paying your gas bill each month, you might be shocked to learn that you have to pay for a tank of oil or propane in one purchase. Some propane and oil companies offer a “stay full” program which takes the average amount you use over a year, tops off your tank on a regular basis, and bills you monthly. However, they may want to track your activity for a year to find that before you can enter that program.

Now on the flip side, buyers who choose to buy new or homes with energy-efficient upgrades may actually see a decrease in their monthly heating bills. Going back to that 2500 square foot home, if we went from an older, less efficient heat pump ($2,985 to heat the home annually) to a newer, more efficient model ($1,790 to heat the home annually), this represents a savings of $1,195 per year!

A F T E R ( C R E AT E D B Y T H E L O N E S G R O U P I N 2 0 1 8 )

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solution A BROKERAGE-BASED BRAND WITH PERSONAL FLAIR

FL Brokerage Color Palette

One of the most frequently asked questions in our branding process is, "What about my brokerage's colors? Do I have to use them?" Most states and brokerages have guidelines on what logos need to go where, both for legal and branding purposes. Once those requirements are satisfied, it's time to get creative!

We have many agents that use their brokerage's colors to full advantage without losing an ounce of their personal flair. The key is integrating the brokerage colors into a larger colorscheme. This is an effective technique if you want to stay consistent with your brokerage.

Sue leveraged her brokerage's blue and red by including them in her logo and incorporating the colors in the header, footer, and background of her marketing materials and website! To add her own personal flair, we used a map of her area and a compass as a watermark to match her tagline, and tied in font styles that represent her ideal band image.

Do you want to stay true to your brokerage's branding, yet stand out from the other agents in your network? Perhaps a brokerage-based brand with personal flair is right for you!

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marketing & branding

club zebra

YOUR ONLINE RESOURCE FOR EVERYTHING REAL ESTATE - $24.95/MONTH

COMPLETE BRANDING PACKAGES WITH FINANCING STARTING AT $199 PER MONTH

mastery THE ONLY COMPLETELY CUSTOM COACHING AND MARKETING PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO TRANSFORM YOUR REAL ESTATE BUSINESS: - Coaching and strategy directly with Denise Lones - Branding and system development - Marketing materials and all tools included *Limited spaces available

Getting Started with The Lones Group:

Reach out to set up a free consultation and learn how we can help you take your business to the next level.

360-527-8904 | support@TheLonesGroup.com | www.TheLonesGroup.com

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Want to stay connected to The Lones Group community? Follow us on social media!

The Lones Group 2200 Cornwall Avenue

Facebook.com/TheLonesGroup

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Bellingham, WA 98225

the painted zebra ISSUE 111

marketing inspiration and business savvy

FROM EAST TO WEST w e m a k e o r d i n a r y. . .

EXTRAORDINARY!

Cover Design by Nicole Fjelsted Director of Design | Lones Group Team Member Since 2015

The brightly colored infographic on our cover highlights the diverse range of states from which our clients hail. While our company is based in the northwestern tip of Washington state, we have provided branding and systems to clients in 30 out of 50 states to date. The zebra stripe pattern over the colored states symbolizes the connections we have made since The Lones Group was founded in 2000.

The Lones Group T H E

T E A M

T H A T

S P E C I A L I Z E S

I N

T R A N S F O R M I N G

Y O U !

Karen Natale

Denise Lones

Shauna Naf

Randy Bowers

Nicole Fjelsted

President

CEO

Director of Technology

Director of Design

Client Care Coordinator

John Seitz

Jamie Holmes

Jessica Wilbert

Designer

Karli Mitzel

Designer

Nancy Johnson

Follow-Up Coordinator

Bookkeeper

Website Designer