I am throwing open the doors here for your thoughts and opinions on a logo design I am in the process of doing for a new startup company called QCS Electrical, which will be based in suburban Melbourne. The company is a start-up business that don’t want to give the impression that they are small, and want to present a clean, professional logo, that will allow them to target professional clients, as opposed to appealing to a budget market.

So – what are your thoughts?

Why? Because real estate agent’s are not just selling a house – they are selling the Australian Dream – the dream of home ownership. Home ownership is a key cultural icon in Australia. Australians have traditionally aspired to the modest Great Australian Dream of owning a house on a fenced block of land. Nothing sells this dream like a photo. When people look at the property photos in a listing, they imagine themselves living in that space. Are potential buyers more likely to imagine themselves in the house that an agent has snapped on his 2 megapixel camera phone, which captures none of the homes character or individuality, or the bright clear images taken by a professional that showcase the home’s warmth and features, inviting them to come for a closer look? Agents have to remember that buyers look at lot’s of homes, and only choose a handful to take a closer look at. Give your property the best chance of getting a second look by using a professional photographer.

Real Estate, because of its income potential, has always been a competitive market. It doesn’t matter if an agent is based in a major centre, or a small country town – the chances are that you will have competitors. I started my career at a small country newspaper as a designer and photographer – our town only had 1 cinema, 2 supermarkets, and 3 pubs – but we had 8 agents competing in an area with a population of 4000. Now that is tight!

First impressions last.

This is one of my favourite sayings, and never is it more appropriate than in the real estate market.

Homes are usually the most expensive asset any of us will ever attempt to sell. Why then, are so many homeowners and agents reluctant to allocate money on having their home professionally photographed?

In today’s marketplace, the first (and sometimes only) chance for an agent to make a good impression with a home is the photos: Whether they be displayed in a real estate window, a newspaper or magazine advertisement, or a listing on the internet. The photos capture the eye, generate interest, lead to a viewing, and ultimately a sale. Less-than-flattering pictures may turn buyers off and lead to lonely open houses.

It’s not a secret, better-presented homes get more traffic and more buyer interest, therefore selling faster. More than ever, your listings must stand out from the crowd.

If things look shoddy or unprofessional, not only are buyers going to find the property unappealing, they’re going to associate you with being shoddy and unprofessional.

An image is worth more than 1000 words.

Who believes any of the words used in real estate advertisements anymore? How many times have you seen the property advertised under ‘Renovator’s Dream’ – really, the words could mean anything. Much like a dating site. Photographs tend to shed a more objective light on the property. Unlike a potential date, a property doesn’t tend to dramatically age over five years, change hair color, go bald or gain unwanted weight.

Put in practical terms, buyers usually won’t believe the words you use, but they will believe your photographs.

Professional photographer = show offs.

No matter what type of home, a professional photographer will show it off to its full potential. Professional’s have the proper equipment, ensure good lighting and composition, and guarantee your listing looks its absolute best. While staying true to its actual condition and features. The pictures below demonstrate the difference professional photography can make.

However, If having professional photos is not within your property campaign’s budget, consider having the photo’s your agents have taken adjusted professionally for light levels and colour balance. The pictures below show how this too can make a huge difference to the way a property is portrayed, at a much reduced cost.

Marketing a home can be an expensive undertaking, but allocating a budget for professional photography ensures your marketing dollars get you the return on investment you need, and your listings are getting the traffic they deserve.

To find out how I can help your real estate photos stand out from your competitors and help increase traffic, contact me here, or  view my portfolio here.

Benalla Trust Foundation approached me to design some marketing material for their upcoming themed events. The events were their Annual Black and White Ball, a Wine and Cocktail Party, and the New Year’s Eve Party.

Each event would need designed Tickets, Posters and Save the Date cards. After lots of proofs and brainstorming, the board decided to go with a simple scheme across all aspects of the job.
The design is simple, using a catching image, and works both individually, as well as part of a larger project.

To assist in the growth of our graphc and web design business, we are giving everyone the chance to earn money on any job they recommend to Ellis Creative.

So if you know anyone that needs some design work done, recommend us, and we will give you 20% of the final invoice. That’s not bad! Here’s how it works.

Your know your friend is starting a new business, they need the works – new logo, website, stationery ect.
You suggest Ellis Creative, and they agree – they now get the most awesome work ever, and love it.
The total cost of the work comes to $2000 – excluding printing and stock photos.
They are very happy with the work, and pay the bill, and we put 20% into a bank account of your choice – in this instance $400 – not bad for just opening your mouth!

And because we love that you are out the gaining a loyal following for us – we will give you an additional 10% on every job that they submit in the future!

That’s how we make working for us work for you.
Now hop to it!

That’s right – if you submit a job by the 30th of April, 2010, you will save 20% :

So now is the perfect time to update that logo, get that webpage online, redo your shopfront, or jazz up your work vehicle.

What are you waiting for – click here!

Project Description: This vehicle design was created back when I was still a baby in my design career, and Boost was nothing like the giant it is today.

The graphics were simple, a few strawberries and their logo and contact details on the front, back and sides, and it was off to the printers, and the job was finished in fairly short order. I keep this one in the folio because – well it’s Boost!

I have done plenty of car graphics, so give me a call if you’d like to spruce up your fleet, it’s great free advertising when you are out and about!

I am very excited to announce the launch of elliscreative.com.au. It has been a long term dream of mine to take the skills I have a developed working in a corporate advertising and marketing environment in Melbourne to the people and businesses based in North East Victoria, where I grew up, and now call home.

I have experience in most forms of marketing, including print and web promotions, local and national billboard and televeison campaigns, and even viral marketing, which in turn I offer to you.

It is important to me that you succeed, as your growth helps my growth – therefore with the same goal in mind, we can work together.

Ellis Creative would like to help your business reach its full potential in your area, and use the skills of a highly trained graphic designer (that’s me) to :

• Grow market recognition
• Build your client base
• Increase revenue

Each one of the above points go hand in hand – you cannot have one without the other.

My knowledge of the industry will save you time, and most importantly money. I know the right people in the right jobs, meaning that you will get the results you want, and the results your business deserves. I also never say yes when I should say no, offering considered advice for you to do with as you will. I work hard, so you don’t have to, and make the design process as easy as possible, as it lets us both do what we do best – running our business.

Ellis Creative knows that cost is important – everyone has budgets that they need to meet – that’s why I offer you quality design that can be tailored to any budget.

Request a quote today, you will be surprised at how competitive it is.

Read my advice on supplying a good design brief to obtain a more accurate quote.

Project Description: One of my most recent projects was the design and development of the new corporate logo and identity for First National Real Estate – one of Australia’s largest real estate agencies. The new corporate look was designed to work in all forms of media, as well as all of the real estate associated products. Market research had shown that the old First National logo was dated in the eyes of the public, and no longer portrayed the image of a successful cutting edge real estate agency. The new corporate identity is cleaner, and presents as slick and professional. The rollout consisted of the planning and logistics involved with painting out the 600+ offices in Australia and New Zealand, the updating of logos on all print and online media, as well as updating all existing material.

Client Testimonial: “Dan – you and your team have done a fantastic job with the new look and coordinating the roll out. Well done.” Deanne Lamprey – National Board Member for Tasmania