2025 Branding & Design Trends for Multifamily

It's the time of the year when we all start trying to predict what's gonna be hot for 2025 branding and design for multifamily. Okay, so not all of us. But definitely us at Zipcode Creative.

Anyway. Read on to see what we think is in for next year in 2025 multifamily branding trends.

You know we love a good multifamily brand. But how to get it in the right place at the right time with the right words? That usually takes some measure of professional help. Three things we think will be on the docket for the best kind of brand this upcoming year: loyalty-based branding, well-crafted brand messaging, and experiential branding. See what we mean:

The ultimate goal of branding: to retain your residents. That's done through a variety of avenues and feelings: trust, loyalty, recognition. You know the ones. But how to be strategic about it, that's the trick.

Getting brand recognition means having a stronger brand—this could come from the top, just having a bigger presence of the property management company at the property level. Then, with multiple properties, you create brand recognition more easily, and then loyalty.

Multifamily is moving more and more toward hospitality-style branding. X by Marriott. X by Wyndham. X a Hilton Hotel. You've seen it. And it helps solidify the standing of that particular branch of hotel just by naming the main hotel group that it's part of.

Additionally, more multifamily communities are diving deeper into rewards and loyalty programs. It works out for your residents if they appreciate their community and want to stay with you. Or, if it doesn't really matter to them where they go next, having a rewards program is like dangling a carrot. (It equates to benefits for both you and for the resident.) Essentially, you don't have to have a portfolio-level brand—the loyalty programs you put in place could be the key.

Saying the right thing helps. Plenty of property owners are seeing the value in a well-crafted brand, and they're investing in a more thorough brand development process—one that includes verbal identity.


Be Real - There's so much SEO writing (keyword stuffing? boo!) and AI writing (let's focus on the human experience of things, right?) that we're craving authenticity and brands that are real. How can you be real? Feel real? Create a brand personality that can come through in your messaging. If you're a fun-loving brand, use puns and write in a light-hearted way. If you're a serious, upper-crust brand, use words that evoke exclusivity and keep the tone straight.

Don't Be Basic - In the past, multifamily brands have been known to "slap a logo" on a building, pick a few colors, choose a font, and be done with branding. That's not quite going to cut it anymore. Competition is fierce, and if you don't have a brand that allows you to stand out, the messaging you create after developing your full brand identity (verbal identity included) can be the difference between "one more apartment building" and "The Wheelhouse Studios".

Yes, it's work, but we're pretty sure it's worth it. (See our post on multifamily branding ROI.)

Beyond reading and seeing the brand, it's another trend to make your brand a full experience.

Curating events - Use the community spaces and amenities. Think: a pickleball class followed by a friendly tournament—if you've got a court.

Look in the Neighborhood - Get strategic about your local partnerships. There could be a restaurant you do business with regularly—catering events, offering gift cards, and plenty more. Or, if you're a pet-friendly community, consider having an adoption event, or putting together a volunteer-based event to help raise awareness for a local animal shelter.

Most of all—if you're claiming to be for the "active" type residents, put on sporty activities. If you're all about Fido, support those who have and love dogs with fundraisers and events. When you align the lifestyle brand with your marketing messaging, you find a way to stay "on brand" and get residents and prospects excited about being part of your community. (Consistency is always key to loyalty.)

The above trends might be things that don't feel like classic "brand" to you—but they're just as important. But given that our founder Stacey (who began her journey as a photographer) is way more into the visual side of things…while paying plenty of attention to the verbal and experiential side—the trends in 2025 brand design are much more up her alley. So here they are!

LOGO DESIGN

Where there once was iconography and imagery (think teeny little pictures) now we're seeing a lot more unique, custom lettering. Typography is the focus, and it's strategically crafted to tell the story. It might be curvy or poky or look higher-end, just based on the choice of serif or sans-serif, and whatever other embellishments the designer uses on the logo.

Overall, symbolism is being folded into the design with a lot more subtlety and abstraction than before.

One interesting version of this is a more modernized version of the "ransom note lettering" of 90s magazines—essentially mixing sizes, styles, fonts, and colors to create a collection of interesting lines and shapes to create a single word.

Competition makes all of us a bit sharper. So when brand design element look like everyone else's, that can be an issue. A few trends are on the horizon for 2025 to combat this a bit:

Bold & Vibrant - With AI-generated images flooding the internet, brand elements have to speak louder to get attention and to keep it. Not loud and bright for its own sake—but done with taste and purpose. (Meaning: keep your IRP in mind! Don't just let your brand jump off a bridge because everyone else is doing it!)

The reason this is so cool is because there's something familiar about it, but it's a new take on art nouveau—which folds in the modernized context it had back in its '20s heyday but also gives us some sense of natural elements.

Tell the story with imagery - It's called show-and-tell for a reason! The textures, layers, illustrations you choose will be part of the story. It can give a specific vibe, or it might take away from it. Usually best to have a professional help you with this bit.

This works because there's a level of personal, nostalgic flair. With everyone very into "the way it used to be" and needing brands that speak directly to "who they are" this is a one-way ticket into emotional connection with your resident.

Large Text - Tell the message and supersize it! A trend we expect to see more of: simply using type as a design element, making the font huge and making the message powerful.

Note: Of course trends come and go and come back around again. Nothing here is necessarily new, but it's usually in response to some other trend.

Everyone's up in arms about Pantone's color of the year. And, to be honest, the "evocative warm brown" of Mocha Mousse leaves a little to be desired. But it's truly neutral, and a little calming, and it's all just opinion, anyway.

Sherwin Williams - For trends, we're looking at the 2025 Sherwin Williams' colors of the year.

There are more to choose from, and they work really beautifully together or alone. Paint and interiors are part of this trend, of course, so if you're a multifamily brand, pay attention.

Working with the interior design is always better than working around it or against it. Don't let things clash, and choose colors that compliment what's there. Bold and bright are totally fine, but make sure the hues are in harmony.

Trends for 2025 trends in multifamily branding and design…not a lot is new here. But it takes a little more effort (and budget) from our branding and marketing teams to get your multifamily brand crafted and fully aligned. Again: completely worth it.

*Images in this article are sourced from: https://www.vistaprint.com/hub/graphic-design-trends