The promise of a destination 

What makes luxury real estate sell? It’s not just a striking structure and a competitive price – it’s the holistic offer. The lifestyle. Sure, the house has a beautiful garden but what about the schools, the coffee shops…the helipad? Weave the details together and you have more than a house. You have a destination. 

In a highly competitive global market where billions are invested every day, this is the challenge that luxury real estate brands face. The brands that are remembered promise a destination, not just a property. They don’t simply sell features, they sell a lifestyle.

So, how does a luxury real estate brand meet this challenge? We can look to the ultimate destination, NYC, for inspiration. This iconic metropolis has nearly endless appeal: galleries, architecture, nightlife, the people. The city is bigger than any one thing yet what ties it together is a state of mind – a theme that has been mythologised by artists for decades, from Frank Sinatra to Nas. 

Luxury real estate brands should take note. Building a destination means not fixating on shiny objects. A beautiful public square? Great. But so what? What can I do there, who will I meet? Luxury status requires brands to build a holistic story, anchored by a powerful promise of a memorable experience – and delivering on that promise. 

Whether you’re selling a starchitect’s villa vision by the Red Sea, prime office space in central London, a small cottage in the Swiss Alps or all the above, the following three steps can help you build a brand to capture the full potential of your property.

Create a world for clients to explore.

Every aspect of life involves real estate. Home, work, industry, government, art, leisure. Not much gets done without it. For brands, this is an opportunity. It’s the foundation to build rich worlds revealing the experiences their properties can unlock. 

The Modern House inspires a devoted fan base by showcasing design-led homes.

A leader in this kind of world-building is The Modern House. Inspired by the principles of modernism, the London real estate agency collaborates with creatives to ‘help people live in more thoughtful and beautiful ways.’ Their comprehensive aesthetic approach has made their brand a trusted tastemaker followed by hundreds of thousands, not just as a tool to buy and sell property, but for inspiration on topics from interior design to local garden centres.     

Fold your story into every detail.

Audiences are busy, they don’t want to stop for a lecture. Real estate brands have mere seconds to explain their story and prove their credentials. Success requires explaining a clear idea through powerful assets that elevate the experience to the level of luxury.   

 


Details across the Engel & Völkers brand experience allude to their iconic villa logo.

To see this in action, we turn to the global German brand Engel & Völkers. While Google started in a garage, Engel & Völkers was founded in a villa. This opulent origin story is celebrated through a crafted illustration of the villa whose design language inspires every element of the brand’s visual identity. This allows their luxury story to be present even when the villa is not. 

 

Soudah Development’s logo is inspired by the geography of the Al Soudah area and Al-Qatt Al-Asiri pattern, typical of the region.

Moving from Europe to the Middle East, we find another example with Soudah Development in Saudi Arabia. The company has been tasked with building a luxurious tourist destination in the mountains of Saudi Arabia. Inspired by a traditional pattern from the Al-Qatt Al-Asiri region, its logo tells the story of the typography of the region and hints at the promise of an experience. An impressive feat for a single asset.

Build an adaptable system.

In the battle for attention, real estate brands can’t afford to be stagnant or monotonous. They need to be agile and versatile in order to remain relevant. To succeed at this tricky dance requires a sophisticated system, one designed to scale and stretch but never break. 

 

The Crown Estate’s identity grows and flexes while remaining cohesive across its portfolio  

With a portfolio ranging from offices, shops, and homes to wind farms and agriculture, The Crown Estate is a prime example of a brand system that requires adaptability. The solution they’ve developed is a diversified framework built to anticipate every branding relationship and to be ready with an answer. This forward-looking approach makes The Crown Estate quick on its feet, able to elevate its story as it grows rather than dilute it.

Destination: Unforgettable

Overall, building a luxury real estate brand can be tough. It requires the careful calibration of multiple data points, like those above, to create a single solution that appeals to both heart and mind. However, the result is transformative when done right: a memorable brand that people will come back to, over and over again.