ERA Realty Network refreshes brand to signify generational trust

Singapore-based real estate agency ERA Realty Network has refreshed its brand in APAC and introduced a new tagline "Trusted by Generations" to reinforce its competitiveness and reliability in property brokerage services. The new brand element design picks off ERA’s iconic roof symbol, and intertwines two of the same to create a linear symmetry reminiscent of the arabesque pattern.

Embracing dreams and building goals, the overlapping chevron design represents the collaboration of ERA, its agents and clients, coming together and forming lifelong partnerships that last across generations. The new design will be reflected across all ERA marketing and brand collaterals including a new video logo lockup animation, business cards, promotional posters and flyers, and owned social media platforms. ERA declined to share the monetary value of the brand refresh.

According to ERA, the brand elements introduced will elevate ERA's narrative from an established real estate agency in the region, to that of a trusted partner who journeys alongside its agents and clients in fulfilling their real estate goals with confidence. The brand refresh comes as ERA celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, preceded by a series of pivotal events, including the opening of ERA APAC headquarters in Singapore, the entry of Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia as a majority shareholder, and record performance for the past year.

CMO Joy Koh told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the real estate industry has shown great resilience through the pandemic, and as the market recovers and resets, ERA also felt it was the right time to hit the refresh button. Hence, it appointed Edelman to conduct a brand audit to understand ERA’s reputation and perception in the real estate sector, and the opportunities for growth.

Based on the findings, ERA worked with Distilleri to refresh its overall branding, creative assets, and social media approach. At the same time, ERA collaborated with Distilleri's creative director and managing partner, Eugene Tan, as well as his team to conceptualise a design that would encapsulate the collaborative and trustworthy ERA brand.

Koh added that Distilleri also assisted in amplifying the trust attribute that so many consumers associate with the brand. "We wanted to find out what consumers thought about the industry and our brand, and conducted a brand audit among real estate agents across the industry, buyers, and sellers. The brand audit showed that ERA scored the highest in the trust factor, and we decided to focus on that attribute and amplify it through this refresh," Koh said. Ultimately, the real estate agency wants to shift the perception of ERA from a transactional to a collaborative partnership, be it with agents or consumers.

Moving forward, ERA wants to be more agile and explorative in its marketing efforts. "We have seen the real estate market innovate itself over the past few years, mainly driven by the pandemic. With prop-tech adoption such as virtual property tours, automated financial calculators, and digital contracts, and consumers being more digitally savvy, our marketing strategies need to evolve to connect with aspiring agents and new clients too," Koh explained.

The company also wants to leverage on research and data to explore new media approaches that are more personalised to the targeted segments, and effective in driving its tagline message of long-term mutual trust.

Meanwhile, Distilleri's Tan said: "Unlike how consumers conventionally view real estate purchases, we view the pursuit of home ownership not as a transactional process, but a collaborative one with ERA. The creative concept reflects this. From agents, to buyers, sellers and the community, home ownership is a dynamic process that includes cultivating and making the right connections."

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