Creative Bravery With The Latest
19 May 2023
Written by Acme Mag
As new real estate agencies enter the market, it’s more important than ever to be bold and original. You need to stand out from the crowd. Kate Karanges, the Founder and Creative Director of The Latest, is all about working with brands that are ready to embrace creative bravery and do something different from the norm. Acme spoke to Kate in depth about why photography and videography are so important for your brand.
Over the last five years, Kate has grown The Latest from a photography studio to a full production company. Their focus has always come from the perspective of brand photography. With a background in marketing, Kate has a unique understanding of all the creative aspects of a shoot and where these photos and videos will end up and how they will represent the brand.
“We understand the visual, creative aspect of what you need, but we understand why you need it and how you’re going to use it. This has been a massive strength for our brand and why we’ve been able to grow so fast,” says Kate.
The Lastest are always looking to push the boundaries, taking inspiration from what other photographers would consider outside of the real estate industry. It’s about bringing in ‘editorial, artful and intentionally considered style’ into different businesses and brands.
“Even within real estate, I still try and bring a slight editorial, stylistic artistic style into it. Even if it’s just a headshot. It’s about the way we shoot it.”
Tackling your brand photography right from the start is an easy way for a new brand to stand out amongst the rest. Generally speaking, real estate photography has become very standardised, with a large number of headshots having a similar (if not identical) look and feel, so why wouldn’t you push your brand photography as a point of difference?
“I’m a big fan of reaching outside of your industry for inspiration. We look towards a fashion editorial style and pull it into the same sphere. Pulling from this industry and stylistic type into areas where generally people don’t use it is an easy way to stand out.”
It might feel intimidating in real estate, but look at your brand and how you can embrace creative bravery to showcase yourself in a better, more authentic way. “I do feel like real estate is very easy to stand out, you just have to literally do what everyone else isn’t doing,” says Kate.
Imagery has a large purpose when it comes to your brand. It’s how you appeal to your customer base, and build relationships. In real estate, you’ve got a short window to work with. Whether potential customers are looking at your website or a marketing piece in their mailbox, you’ve got a short window to get their attention and connect with them on an emotional level.
“Imagery is such a major part of that because before you read the copy, you’re looking at the video or the photo that has to sell to them immediately who you are, what you do, your energy, your feel, build trust and emotional connection. And that’s a lot riding on an image.”
“But if you only have a headshot that’s five years old and is very corporate and not very high-end, I don’t think I would connect with you when I’m looking. So thinking about that, it’s like, ‘okay, what would I want people to see before they read anything about me?’ What do I want them to see from me as a real estate agent? It’s about that emotional connection.”
It’s important to remember where these photo and video content will end up. Often online, your first touch points are your website, Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook. Kate really puts the importance on how this is an opportunity to bring through the authenticity of who you are, what your values, as well the energy you give off the clients. Saying “I try to capture candid moments because I feel like that’s what people are actually seeing when they interact with you.”
“They see that little laugh of what we say, they see how you are talking with them and like what kind of expressions you’re giving. And so I feel like it’s really important to show that in the imagery, they have a range of scenarios, a range of locations, a range of outfits, and show that I’ve put a lot of care and emphasis into explaining who I am visually before you’ve read anything about me. You have connected with me without knowing it.”
When it comes to choosing the right studio for you, it’s all about trust. The Latest has curated an experience with a foundation in trust.
“When you have trust, you can have a lot more input and influence and guidance and direction. And if they don’t feel safe and they don’t feel like they can trust you in either your work or even you as a person, like, you’re not really going to get far.”
