Citi Habitats, as part of its ongoing rebranding effort, this morning unveiled its new logo, colors and branding to its agents who had gathered at the Ziegfeld Theatre in Midtown.
Advertising and design firm Amaratti designed the new materials, which are black and white with touches of yellow (see video for images of new signage and office fronts). The process of picking a firm and designing the new imaging took around eight months and required a “substantial” monetary investment from the firm, according to Citi Habitats President Gary Malin.
“We wanted something fresh and modern and clean but we wanted it to be a little bold as well, which is the yellow,” he said. “… It’s very iconic, very New York-like. The logo is two arrows forming an “X.” It’s all about direction and providing more value and more services.”
The unveiling of the firm’s new logo follows a string of announcements about the new direction Citi Habitats is heading in regards to its marketing efforts and its Manhattan presence. As The Real Deal previously reported, the company is shuttering Gramercy-area offices in an effort to consolidate its presence in the neighborhood and expand elsewhere in the city. Meanwhile, it recently completed renovations of its company headquarters at 250 Park Avenue South. It is currently renovating its West Village office at 114 Perry Street.
The next real big investment of time and effort will be into the new website,” Malin said, noting that the company has issued a request for proposals for the new design of its website.
Malin said the company’s branding overhaul has nothing directly to do with its parent company Realogy’s plans to raise as much as $1 billion through an initial public offering. Realogy filed its plans in June and is said to be tightening up on expenditure across its portfolio, which also includes the Corcoran Group.