Stop naming property developments like property developments
A suburb.
A street name or number.
A species of nearby trees.
A piece of local history.
A female first name.
All perfectly acceptable.
All too easily forgotten.
Early in my career, my first Creative Director gave me a simple analogy for property development naming. Imagine you’re ordering a taxi from an airport. The name of the destination needs to be believable and relevant enough for someone to know where they’re going.
I’ve carried that thinking with me ever since.
However a memorable property name should do more than locate a project. It should create an idea people can connect with, build a story around and ultimately want to be part of.
That starts with understanding what’s genuinely distinctive. The role of naming isn’t to describe everything. It’s to find the one idea strong enough to carry the brand and campaign through the varying sales and marketing phases and then beyond.
Brasshouse by K7 Developments demonstrates how architecture can become the inspiration. Referencing the project’s architectural language and distinctive exterior wrapped in perforated ribbons, the material palette which included brass and raw concrete helped inform a name which creates a strong connection with the physical building and ultimately helped inform the interior design direction.
Hawthorn Park by Dahua Australia takes a different approach. Rather than simply referencing the suburb, the name positions the development as a genuine precinct within Hawthorn East, while capturing the defining characteristics of the green spaces and Machu Picchu inspired stepped landscaped surroundings.
Both examples demonstrate how the best property names don’t simply describe a development, they give it an idea.
And that idea has value well beyond the sales campaign. A strong name outlives the advertising, the on-site hoardings and the display suite. Long after the campaign has finished, it becomes the way residents, visitors and the wider community recognise and refer to the place.
The best property names don’t just sell a development. They give it a lasting identity.
