Mr and Mrs Clarke

Tapping into the zeitgeist of online-only agents and market opportunity for a hybrid estate agency, Mr and Mrs Clarke were looking to fill a gap with something new for the property industry. By focusing their business on an exceptional online shopfront, the Clarkes negated the need for a high street presence, but they still needed an affable brand that could attract affluent buyers and sellers of luxury homes. Especially those outside of London.

Having approached us to deliver an industry leading brand, they were struck by the consultative value of UnitedUs being involved at the board level. In a world were you buy with your eyes first, a unique brand proposition is a vital USP in the sales conversation. With this in mind, we set about building a brand that focussed on a core value of “Selling homes not houses” which has been so often overlooked by estate agents who speak of square feet and electric outlets.

For too long homes have been sold as commodities; a series of wall measurements and internal floorplans, ignoring the fact that a beautifully loved and cared for home full of character will sell quicker than the same property in an unloved state. People who love their home often tend to want to sell to people who love their home as much as they do, and that’s the type of people Mr and Mrs Clarke wanted to champion: the passionate homeowner. The entire brand was crafted to share the joy of beautiful homes and the discerning difference Mr and Mrs Clarke buyers and sellers were looking for in every stage of their home buying journey.

DISCERNINGLY DIFFERENT

When your brand message is focussed on being Discerningly Different, this mantra must be built into every expression to be authentic. That’s why discerning difference shows up in each element of the brand, from visual identity to tone of voice, photography to website and most importantly, our Mr and Mrs Clarke agents. Having built a dedicated team of Partners across the UK who pride themselves on a discerningly high level of service for their customers our brand identity needed to be reflected of them, their unique characteristics that made them the elite estate agent in the area, and also champion their love of homes.

Drawing inspiration from the work of beloved author and illustrator Shirley Hughes, the brand puts the Mr and Mrs Clarke partners at the forefront of the agency, using illustrations that convey a softer, more crafted style – completely reflective of their customer service, attention to detail and truly different approach to the traditional concept of estate agency. The illustrations also allowed Mr and Mrs Clarke to use imagery of the Partners in promotional material without feeling overtly salesy. Mr and Mrs Clarke sellers loved the illustrations too, often sighting them as the reason for the initial engagement with the brand. It was a real first for the industry to use illustration with a nostalgic sentiment, but it wasn’t the only first to be realised by Mr and Mrs Clarke — we were also proudly the:

• First to focus on home and location with shops/cafes/landmarks in the locality included in sales listings. With the surrounding community going a long way in selling a home, we created mini-area guides which supported the property information.
• Trend setter in placing people at the heart of home photography, no more wide angle lens, instead we focussed on the idea of homes not houses, sharing a snippet into the life you could lead in that home.
• First to sell a house on instagram via DM’s. No property listing, just exceptional photography and a service level to deliver a sale. So much so The Times called us “The Instagram Estate Agent”.

In championing a discerningly different model in estate agency, Mr and Mrs Clarke went from strength to strength, building a network of Partners (who collaborated via our custom built internal social network) and creating a brand reputation for showcasing beautifully curated homes with the unique offer of art directing and styling homes ready for listing.

GETTING WITH THE TIMES

Mr and Mrs Clarke flips the script on what it means to be an estate agency, through both reputation and culture. It disrupted an outdated industry that clings onto the ​​passé image of shiny-shoed, clipboard wielding sales people, instead, communicating the trustworthy personalities of a caring couple. People who are supportive in sharing the experience of stepping into, or passing on, a dream home.

As a specialist concierge-style personal estate agency network, Mr and Mrs Clarke is consistently noticed by customers, franchise owners and national press. Thanks to it’s industry defining brand and award-winning business model, Mr and Mrs Clarke was acquired by national property industry giant, Belvoir, in 2022. In their acquisition of Mr and Mrs Clarke, the UK’s leading property and mortgage group were able to diversify their portfolio with a multi-franchise industry player that has a unique business model, a vibrant brand and clear potential for growth.

A great brand opens the door to improved business outcomes, whether that’s opportunity for organisational growth or making a business more attractive for acquisition. We put this principle into practice with Mr and Mrs Clarke, building its brand as a business within the UnitedUs Heavy Industries portfolio. If you’d like to find out more about our other UnitedUs ventures, head to our Heavy Industries page or get in touch with our co-founder Luke Taylor for a chat.