Baird & Warner to unveil first rebrand in nearly 40 years

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Baird & Warner, Chicagoland’s largest independent real estate brokerage, will launch a complete rebrand on Nov. 1 — the company’s first major brand overhaul in nearly 40 years.

This refreshed brand identity, which includes a modernized look, comprehensive digital marketing platform and an expanded photography package for agents, will be implemented across all client-facing materials, including property signage, websites and agent marketing.

Chief Marketing Officer Peter Papakyriacou told Inman that when he joined the firm 13 years ago, he noticed an inconsistency between Baird & Warner’s “classic” and “luxury” brands.

The rebrand, he explained, is intended to unify these divisions into one cohesive, modern look. Feedback from a focus group of 40 agents across the brokerage emphasized the need for a sophisticated yet approachable brand that could work seamlessly across all property types and client interactions.

Updated colors and logo symbolize heritage and progress

The new color palette introduces “Deep Lake” blue, which replaces the previous black to honor Lake Michigan and Baird & Warner’s deep roots in Illinois real estate. The addition of the color “Amber Wheat” symbolizes resilience, empowerment and the company’s Midwestern values.

The rebrand also includes a custom sans serif font, “BW Bow Tie,” a tribute to CEO and President Steve Baird’s late father, John Baird, who championed equal housing rights in the 60s, and his iconic bow tie.

The refreshed logo now prominently features the company’s name, moving away from the previous “B & W” insignia, and reintroduces the classic oval seal first used at the firm’s founding in 1855. Additionally, a new “B Weave” pattern reflects the brand’s long-standing connection to its community.

Enhanced digital tools for agents

Alongside the rebrand, Baird & Warner has rolled out MAXA, a comprehensive digital marketing suite tailored for real estate agents. MAXA offers advanced customization, real-time market data, AI-powered CRM integration, automated property marketing, and direct mail tools, all at no cost to agents.

“It’s like Canva for real estate but with industry-specific features that allow agents to fully customize marketing packages, get free mailing lists, and access automatically updated property marketing tools,” said Papakyriacou.

With MAXA, agents can create personalized marketing packages that automatically adjust when property statuses change, improving both efficiency and customization for clients.

Enhanced photography for listings

To further support agents in showcasing properties, Baird & Warner has expanded its partnership with VHT Studios, doubling the number of property photos available in each listing package. This enhancement aims to improve the quality and visual appeal of client listings.

“By listening and collaborating with our agents, we built a suite of innovative tools through MAXA and enhanced our photography partnership with VHT, Papakyriacou added, “making an investment that ensures our agents will continue to deliver the industry-leading service that is the cornerstone of the Baird & Warner brand.”

Reinvention for the future

Baird emphasized that the rebrand aligns with Baird & Warner’s commitment to innovation and its longstanding values.

“Throughout our 169-year history, Baird & Warner has always been about reinvention and reinvestment with the goal of transforming the brokerage for the future while staying committed to our core values,” Baird said.

“Today’s agents, buyers and sellers are more sophisticated than ever, so the changes we have made both externally and internally represent our dedication to meet them where they are in the marketplace and reinforce Baird & Warner’s position as a sophisticated lifestyle brand.”

Papakyriacou added that Baird & Warner was among the first to build a website for their properties and launch industry-leading marketing services. He continued, “The bottom line is that this company continues to reinvent itself for the next chapter, and I think this is probably one of our pivot moments in our history, as we’re coming up to 170 years.”