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My Amazing Clients: Holiday Lighting

Custom Ad Design, Summer 2019

Custom Ad Design, Summer 2019

As the holiday season starts to ramp up, the list of “must-do’s” gets longer and longer. And if you’re a real estate agent, trying to squeeze a few more sales out of the year, the list can seem overwhelming. My team works with some of the coolest companies, and the most amazing people and I wanted to take this opportunity to showcase one of my clients this year who may just be able to help tick a few items off of your to-do list.

So here goes: check out Trimlight!

Imagine your buyers pulling up to the most brightly lit house on the block, simply sparkling with holiday lighting. Imagine them seeing their holiday parties next year. Imagine the breath catching in their throat as they envision their holiday season, with family and friends and their new house covered in stunning lighting…magical, right?

Check them out here:

Autumn Blues | A Chat with Chad Zinda of Metropolist

Autumn Blues got you down? Here’s what to do:

Layout for Sales Success Postcard, Autumn 2019

Layout for Sales Success Postcard, Autumn 2019

Chad Zinda is one of the owners of Metroplist Group in the Seattle area, and he was kind enough to chat with me about what his real estate brokers lean towards during what the rest of real estate considers “downtime.” “The last 90 days of the year we take as a personal challenge - and it works.” With nearly $6.5 million in sales since October 1st, he’s not wrong! His team is rocking this last quarter.

I asked Chad if I could share our conversation and what he would suggest for design work during this downtime. “Remind your potential clients that buyers are looking during the holiday season. So many people would love to be in their new home before the holidays. Take advantage of it!” says Chad.

Ready to show off your sales this year?

Even a Handyman Needs an Remodel: Roof to Cellar Contractors, LLC

Steven Strain - or as he’s affectionately known by all his clients, My Hero, The Handyman - hung out a shingle in 2013 and has been doing all the handyman things from changing a lightbulb to adding on to homes and refurbishing apartments. Over the last two years, he’s gotten so much work that he’s taken on employees and has multiple teams out making handyman magic for his clientele.

It was time for an upgrade.

We wanted a brand that would translate to apparel, website, online marketing and, of course, the vans and signage. It needed to be clean, but solid and be a brand that his team would be happy to have on their t-shirts and workwear. It only took three rounds and we hit the right tone for his business! We rocked out an awesome website and Steven is thrilled! And, I have another amazing human in my toolbox that I can recommend for real estate audits!

So, if you’re in need of a handyman to do a walk through with you on the home that’s ready to go to market and just needs some love, I highly recommend Steven Strain and Roof to Cellar Contractors, LLC!

JUST RELEASED: BarryLongHomes.com

So, for starters, Barry Long is one of the most badass real estate agents I’ve ever worked with. He’s wildly creative, hard working and really understands his clients. Barry Long and Rod Moore have been working with the MLS to change the rules of engagement a bit, and they’ve been wildly successful. They have effectively implemented changes in the Northwest MLS making us the first state in the country with a comprehensive set of accessibility options for agents to use when listing and buying homes with accessibility features.

Barry proudly offers his clients a one-of-a-kind experience that includes the distinct capability to find and market Accessible, Age-in-Place, and Universal Design properties. Whether you have existing accessibility features or want to find an accessible or adaptable home, Barry knows the right questions to ask and will work closely with you; utilizing years of first-hand experience and a strong social network to get you where you need to be.

Every step of the way this project was a blast. Looking forward to the next marketing collateral that Barry Long Homes brings to the table! <3

URBANVISORY | Commercial Real Estate

Website for Isabella Popa, RE/MAX Northwest; Urbanvisory.com

Website for Isabella Popa, RE/MAX Northwest; Urbanvisory.com

While my personal passion is residential real estate, every once in a while a project comes along that is worth stepping outside my comfort zone; introducing Urbanvisory.

Isabella Popa of Urbanvisory has everything that I would look for in a commercial real estate agent - poise, knowledge, passion and smashing communication skills. Take all of that and mix in a smidge of interior design and a pro-woman. pro-human mindset and I’m sold. This kind of client-specific marketing is something that I can completely get behind.

Isabella’s goal is to create Commercial Real Estate offerings that are high-end, organized and prepared for the up and coming work force. The first step was to create a logo that is fun, clean, polished and classic. Once we nailed that down (oh yeah, we NAILED IT!) it was time to put together a questionnaire, a new website and a starting place for mailers. Next up, Urbanvisory takes over the world.

NEW TO MARKET | Westwind at Woodmont Beach

Finailized Email Campaign | Westwind at Woodmont Beach. Des Moines Washington

Finailized Email Campaign | Westwind at Woodmont Beach. Des Moines Washington

Summertime and the livin’ is easy…and getting easier!

Had a last minute client who needed a website build and an email campaign to showcase her new listing! Waterfront is my personal favorite because the sunsets are just stunning! The Westwind at Woodmont Beach is curated to take in every single sunset.

Stunning vistas, gorgeous finishes and sand between your toes anytime you want. This was a last minute listing and we rushed to get it on the market, but we made it with grace and a sense of style. Big shout out to Lori DeVore, the real estate broker and listing agent, who put all the pieces together for me and gave me the space to design something gorgeous!

UNIQUE PROPERTIES | Farmhouse Gardens, Mount Vernon

Finished Brochure for Farmhouse Gardens in Mount Vernon, Washington | Sold at $1,550,000

Finished Brochure for Farmhouse Gardens in Mount Vernon, Washington | Sold at $1,550,000

This property is easily one of my favorites, mostly because I have a gardeners’ heart and you can find me in my garden more often than not and this property totally tugs on my heartstrings.

As with so many things, it all starts with a picture.

To begin, my client sent me a myriad of pictures to review and choose from. I settled in with pen-and-ink (just kidding, I type - what year is it?) to write about this stunning property, leading clients down the garden path and into their new home. I took the stunning photography and created beautiful writing, styled a logomark and created a unique look and feel for the property.

Inside, the brochure tells the story of the home in words and photos and then invites the potential buyer to imagine themselves in the home. Farmhouse Gardens was an absolute treat to be involved with.

“As a graphic designer, it’s my job to make your property look good; to find the story, the heartbeat of the property and then to showcase that heart to potential buyers.”
— Jesse Gibbs
Custom Email Campaign

Custom Email Campaign

 

The Ampersand Logomark | Why "&" Matters

Why the Ampersand?

Photo courtesy of Max Anderson

Photo courtesy of Max Anderson

According to Wikipedia (and why would the internet lie to a person?)

"The ampersand can be traced back to the 1st century A.D. and the Old Roman cursive, in which the letters E and T occasionally were written together to form a ligature. During the following development of the Latin script that led up to the Carolingian minuscule (9th century) the use of ligatures in general diminished. The et-ligature, however, continued to be used and gradually became more stylized and less revealing of its origin..."

...yeah, this is kind of where I stopped reading. Sorry, but I was tired. Essentially what it says is that the ampersand was created because of the inability to take the time to write out the E and the T as their own letters, so they were smooshed together and no one ever thought to change it back. So, laziness, in its own way, created an exceptionally beautiful graphic that I am madly in love with.

I also chose it as my logo mark because in the real estate industry there's always one more thing we can do to rock someone's entire world...so we start with branding. AND then we build a website featuring the home, with interior and exterior highlights...AND then we create a marketing campaign through emails, blogs and event....& it goes on. So many wonderfully creative ways to get heard in a media heavy world. AND we've only just begun.

Special Release | For Homes on the Market 40+ Days

Property Branding | Tied with a Bow

Life happens. Listings lag. Clients fall out and change their minds. Finances can get in the way of a clients' big dreams. Luckily, your listing can always get a fresh start.

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Believe it or not we might - might - be easing into a buyers market during the busy season in real estate. According to Redfin, Seattle's overall housing inventory has doubled since May 2018. Meanwhile, home values have dropped by 4.5% since last year, according to Zillow, and they're projecting the fall to continue into the next year. This is creating a slow moving perfect storm for home buyers who’ve been considering a move.

All this means that real estate brokers are seeing more days on the market, and a slower home selling season. A quick review of the NWMLS shows more than a hundred homes in the area that have been on the market for more than a month.

Enter the Designer.

Special Release | 7.9.19

For Homes on the Market 40+ Days

So, here’s our special Sunshine Plan for homes that have been on the market for more than the 40+ days since spring began, homes that are ready for a little bit of love and a fresh perspective, all wrapped up…

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…& tied with a bow.

Happy Solstice: Listing Presentations

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The summer solstice always makes me pause and reorient myself, my life and my business.

Today I’ve been organizing some of my files and oogling my listing presentations over the last few years, and I’m enjoying how different they each are and how unique to each client. So many cool designs, so much good content and good heavens, my clients have the prettiest properties!

If you’ve been working in real estate for more than two minutes, you know that a listing presentation is one of the most influential pieces that you can showcase to your clients. It’s your resume, an example of your marketing prowess and a first impression all in one.

A listing presentation should be smart, savvy and expertly designed. You want to make a great first impression and then leave a little something behind for them to remember you by. It should be something that your potential seller can pick up later, something that they’ll want to read through again, something that intrigues them.

Most importantly, you want to show your potential seller that not only do you come with the backing of your brokerage, but with years of experience, excellent reviews, and a marketing plan that’s second to none! There’s no better way to rock that first impression!

Ready for a listing presentation that reflects all that you are as a realtor?

Postcards, Postcards & More Postcards

Postcards for Olga - June 2019.jpg

What does one do when the busy season cranks up early?
Why, postcards, of course!

There’s nothing better than getting an excited message from your client telling you that not only do they have listing going on the market, but they are selling houses so fast that they barely have time to do sales success postcards before it’s time for the next listing.

Hello, June; I see you brought the busy season to the Pacific Northwest. Not only is postcard design its own particular kind of advertising, but I love love LOVE when my clients are successful!

THE CHALLENGE: There’s a wonderful challenge to showcasing the homes that have sold while highlighting the agent and creating an invitation to consider selling - and on top off all that, it has to be able to be noticed in a pile of mail on the kitchen counter.

Challenge Accepted.

 

If you’re considering property branding, sales success postcards or even just an open house email campaign - let’s chat!

 

My Hobby, My Job, My Passion

“Generally, by the time you are Real most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes don’t see as well and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all because once you are Real you can’t be ugly except to people who don’t understand.”
— The Velveteen Rabbit

“So, you like houses?” my friends ask me.

Well, that’s just the beginning. I mean, YES, I love houses. I love to design for houses. But mostly, love all the steps that go in to creating a brand for a home. I love the staging, the home auditing (Home Auditing is when the stager/designer walks through the home and removes the extraneous “stuff”). I love when a broker can see beyond the life that’s been lived in a home, and strives to create the story that the next owner will bring.

Basically, I love restoring old and broken things. I love finding the “diamond in the rough” and bringing it to life. Capturing the aged, the unlovely, the challenging property, then showcasing it in such a way that it finds a new home. It feels kind of like taking the Velvateen Rabbit and showcasing that the love it was given for so many years is actually a benefit. New doesn’t always mean better.

My Hobby: Finished Bookshelf, complete with wheels on the bottom for easy access.

My Hobby: Finished Bookshelf, complete with wheels on the bottom for easy access.

My hobby - when I have free time - is restoring furniture. Well, more like re-imagining furniture. This is an old radio from the 1930’s that was completely trashed. I purchased it at a thrift store for $25. I cleaned it up, added some shelves, wheels, color and style and resold it on Craig’s List. I know I’ll never be able to make a living doing this, but it brings me so much joy!

FLYERS: Design for Seattle Condo, Matt Martel, RE/MAX Northwest

FLYERS: Design for Seattle Condo, Matt Martel, RE/MAX Northwest

There is just something magical about finding the beauty within a space or an object, and the look of surprise when others see what you see. This is one of many, many reasons why I choose to do the kind of work that I do. And it’s one of the things that helps me help my brokers be the best that they can be.

Brand New // New Brand

Tracy Vaughn and I have worked together for so long that we’re actually rebranding on my own design! This is a great place to be - watching my clients grow both themselves and their businesses! Tracy is an exceptionally hardworking broker; she’s passionate, fiercely feminine, artistic and funny and we wanted to create something that felt more like who she is. The new branding had to feel like a “step up” in terms of style, while not losing the aspects of her previous logo that she loved for so long.

Don’t Dull My Sparkle

After a fun-filled trip to visit my extended family in North Carolina and Virginia, I came down with the plague and lost all energy for almost ten days, and the bulk of my creativity as well. Being creative on demand is a skill that takes time to develop, but when you’re out, you’re out.

I reached into my wonderful toolbag for my favorite logo designer, Sarah Alston, who just happened to be available for a two day Design Jam with me. The homes that Tracy is hoping to focus on listing are in Sarah’s old backyard; it was a match made in heaven. “Just design something that makes you want to list a house with this amazing agent. Go.”

The Drawing Board

Okay, I can almost hear my favorite prof telling me that “you have to do the process” and all the other brilliant things she would say anytime I tried to take a shortcut. You have to do a thousand sketches, throw them away and start fresh. Since Sarah’s been helping me with logo design, she’s been reminding me of a lot of my basics and we’ve been revamping the way I offer deliverables to my clients.

For Tracy, it was important for me to create a mood board with her because 1) I wanted her to see herself in this new light, and 2) it helped me hone in on her goals and needs for her the direction of her business.

On a side note: I may have sparkled all over myself with monogram this design. *swoon

Making a Match

I know that I say this often, but this really is one of my favorite things about my job; The Refresh. Watching the look and feel begin with an idea, a touch of color and few magic sprinkles and spreading into new high-end brochures, an updated website style, email designs - each piece adding to the value of her brand. Special thanks to Sarah Alston for the awesome logo design and to Tracy for being the kind of creative person that is a joy to play with.

There’s always an “&”

And. we’re already sold and on to showcase this incredible sale in only three days to the rest of the neighborhood! Congratulations to my client and her clients, too!

Tracy Vaughn Branding Postcard Pending.jpg

LOOK BOOK: Spring has Sprung

A Collection of Stunning Backyards & Outdoor Living Spaces

As the busy season starts to wind up there’s a rush to showcase gorgeous new listings, and since it’s my favorite time of year, and my favorite projects are always the ones that highlight pretty new properties. And if I get to showcase beautiful backyards while I dream of getting my own hammock out of storage, so much the better!

Symo Social | Specializing in Real Estate

What’s the highest and best use of your time?

If the answer is “selling homes” and not “social media”, then this is the blog post for you.

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Social Media is a huge undertaking; and no, posting random photos occasionally or taking pictures of your food doesn't count. Especially if you want to make a real impact. Now, who has time for that, especially during the summer real estate busyness?

So, picture this: wouldn't it be great to have someone post regularly for you on all your social media? Someone to reply to comments, add followers, and give you a heads up when leads come through social media?

Mother of actual dragons. It’s actually that easy. Now, you just need to see it work for you! She’s offering a special right now for real estate agents and I highly recommend it if you are looking to grow your online presence without hassle!

  • Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter setup and/or optimization

  • Setup of Hootsuite social media tool ($350 annually, included in package cost)

  • 4 posts a week across all social media

  • Connecting with real, engaged followers 

  • Every post handwritten by Rose Symotiuk, a local, experienced social media professional

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“Right after signing up with Symo Social, a client from years ago I’d lost touch with saw one of her posts for me on Facebook. She shared it to a friend selling their home for over one million dollars who ended up choosing me as their agent.”
— Matt Parker, Waterfront Real Estate Agent

SOLD | Interlaken Drive Manor

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“It shows the exquisite beauty of the space and the land to perfection!
”
— Ann Wilson, Heart

The Interlaken Drive Manor has six fireplaces, a ballroom, wine storage, china storage, a laundry room and hot water boiler heating system with vintage radiators. The home includes four bedrooms, three full-baths, two half-baths plus the pool house, exterior shower, wet bar and half bath. The home includes an incredible, custom in-ground pool and hot tub along with a smashing pool house.

Vertical brochure and email campaign for Interlaken Drive Manor, Seattle

Vertical brochure and email campaign for Interlaken Drive Manor, Seattle

Owned by the first female architect in the state of Washington for many years and spent nearly 40 years under the ownership of Ann Wilson, lead singer of the award-winning 1980’s band, Heart, this gated property is nestled in the hub of Queen Anne. I designed a website, brochure and email campaign that was adopted by Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty and disseminated it to their extensive mailing lists.

NEW LISTING: Escala #2005

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Remodeled. Redesigned. Reimagined.

Recently remodeled with wide plank rift oak floors, a wall on the southside removed to reveal more extended views of the Puget Sound. An exposed concrete ceiling adds height and custom style to the space, automatic Lutron shades make for easy privacy and walls of windows invite the sunshine in to fill the space. The elegant gourmet kitchen offers a custom-built dining bar with refrigerator drawers, granite countertops, custom backsplash and stunning Italian Pedini cabinetry. Stainless steel appliances and plenty of counterspace are ready for the budding chef. Modern custom lighting and a built-in, mirrored bar in the dining area creates a luxurious space ready for entertaining.

 

2 Bedrooms + Den
2 Bathrooms
1,988 Square Feet
2 Balconies
Semi-Private Vestibule
2 Parking Spaces
1 Storage Space

Offered at $2,395,000

Collateral included a custom property website [ Escala2005.com ], a brochure, an email campaign &amp; a Just Listed postcard

Collateral included a custom property website [ Escala2005.com ], a brochure, an email campaign & a Just Listed postcard

PHOTOGRAPHY | New From My Toolbox

It takes more than a fancy camera to make a photographer; there’s an artistry, a sense of light and shadow and a passion for capturing a moment in time. I’m super excited to introduce you to a new photog in my toolbox: Mary Dee Mateo :

 
Mary Dee Mateo | info@marydeemateo.com

Mary Dee Mateo | info@marydeemateo.com

“I’m obsessed with light and I believe that it is a critical tool that is extremely powerful when used well in any form of photography and that is why I strive to create elegant, timeless portraits with carefully, planned lighting.”

 

I highly recommend Mary, not just for her absolutely incredible photography, but her consistency and her ability to make her clients feel comfortable and honored.

Are you ready to help your clients make their move?