Surterre launches with green in mind.
NEWPORT BEACH, CA --- When Surterre Properties launched last month with an
ad campaign that ran in local publications with the signature rock, beautiful seashell and lush greenery (see attached), it quickly generated attention. Within one short month since its premiere Surterre Properties has secured 45 top agents, marking an astounding 450% growth with absolutely no end in sight.
This immediate success isn’t new to Paula Ansara-Wilhelm, who serves as the Chief Brand & Marketing Officer of Surterre Properties and who has been responsible for
many successful branding campaigns in the luxury real estate market for more than two decades. She recently sat down to address some important questions about the
competitive market place and the meaning behind that ‘rock.’
Q: What are the key components you’ve set out to highlight in the Surterre Properties marketing campaign?
A: I built this brand to compliment the very unique and beautiful homes in our area with natural images that are inherent to the building process or landscaping that make them so extraordinary. The literal translation of “surterre” means ‘of the earth’ in French. At Surterre Properties it means that we share the natural beauty around us and we want to preserve and promote this in every way possible.
Q: How does a real estate company ‘preserve and promote’?
A: At Surterre Properties, we’ve begun by thinking and acting green to affect the matter in our environment which then is communicated through our marketing efforts and brand building. We have consciously moved into a more eco-friendly working environment. Behind-the-scenes at Surterre Properties, we have made a
commitment to use recycled materials for our stationery, direct mails, brochures, business cards and everything else that we will be printing. In addition, we’ve
conducted lengthy research to find different resources that use recycled materials in their furniture making process. We’ve also located office chairs made
out of recycled plastics. Our conference room table comes from a 700 year-old tree that died of natural causes and was divided into salvageable pieces. One portion
serves in the Orangutan habitat at The Seattle Zoo, and the other portion was rescued by a company that specializes in this kind of rescue and recovery of trees
to make eco-friendly furniture. That’s how we’re beginning to do our part in the preservation process at Surterre Properties and we’re planning as a company to
do much more by working with local charities that emphasize the environment. To promote “green” we’re creating subtle imagery that emphasizes the natural beauty
and landscape and we focus on the important details of each home that advocates pride in ownership and environment. Our clients are excited and supportive of our
efforts and they identify with the need to promote this eco-lifestyle model.
Q: How is Surterre Properties different from the other real estate brands that you’ve developed?
A: As a part of the local and global community, we felt we needed to do something new and most of all, something important. There are plenty of real
estate companies in Orange County, we knew that we wanted to create a company philosophy that celebrates the beauty of our natural landscapes found in Orange
County and relates it to the properties we represent. This is a new approach from some of the brands I’ve created in the past because it’s truly a set of values that we all share internally. I’ve developed memorable campaigns such as the ones for Strada that were subsequently duplicated on a national level. Today, I’m surprised that our top competitors have already begun to imitate our brand identity and we’ve only been out there for a month. They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, so I am extremely flattered.
Q: You mention that there are plenty of other agencies in Orange County, so besides having an environmental savvy approach to your campaigns, what
else makes Surterre Properties stand out from the rest of its competition?
A: That’s a great question. There are a lot of choices in Orange County, what makes Surterre Properties great is that we focus our efforts on telling the story about the home. It’s not about the agent and at the end of the day it’s not about our company, it’s always about our clients. This is one element along with our in-house creative studio; the boutique-style setting where our agents have the freedom to customize and meet their client’s needs; and of course our eco-friendly approach to business that sets Surterre Properties apart from other real estate companies in Orange County.
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