Guest Author: Mark Athitakis, Associations Now
The National Association of Realtors’ new logo, updated for the first time since 1973, aims to respond to a changing real estate industry and to remind people that Realtors are more than just what “mom and dad used.”
For the first time in more than four decades, the National Association of Realtors has a new logo, a key part of NAR’s effort to update its image in a rapidly disrupted real estate industry.
The logo, updated for the first time since 1973, preserves familiar elements like the stylized “R” and blue color palette. But those elements are now integrated in a cube design and uses a more modern sans-serif font for association’s name. The rebranding was among the first things on NAR CEO Bob Goldberg’s agenda when he assumed the role last June, and he was eager to see it implemented quickly.
“[NAR] could be viewed as the 800-pound gorilla that’s slow to move,” he said, noting that the idea of rebranding had been discussed before in his previous role as senior vice president of sales and marketing, business development and strategic investments, professional development and conventions. “We said, ‘How do we change everything to be faster-moving and representative?’”
To do that, NAR conducted numerous surveys of members, staff, and others in the real estate industry to get a better grip on how the association was being perceived. “A lot of it was finding the right tone [for a redesign], because you don’t want to just redesign for design sake,” said Karen Bebart, NAR’s vice president of member marketing and communications. “You want to tie it to questions of, ‘What is the future and where do we want to be—what is our role in that future?’”
