Real Estate Council of Ontario

The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) plays a critical role in protecting consumers in one of life’s biggest financial decisions: buying or selling a home. But in an increasingly complex real estate environment — with rising public scrutiny, overlapping industry players, and evolving legislation — RECO’s unique role as regulator wasn’t clearly understood. While it worked tirelessly behind the scenes to uphold professional standards and consumer protection, public perception hadn’t caught up. The organization needed to revisit its brand in order to better communicate its role, the importance of its work, and build confidence and trust across a wide spectrum of audiences.

Our Approach

We began the rebranding process with a deep discovery — interviewing stakeholders across government, industry, and RECO’s internal teams. We surfaced a central tension: RECO’s commitment to the public interest was sometimes lost in a crowded field of associations, boards, and advocacy groups. Our work centered on resolving this ambiguity through clarity of position, simplicity of language, and a visible commitment to building trust.

The Strategy

We repositioned RECO squarely in the role of consumer awareness, education, and protection — shifting away from a split “public and industry” identity, allowing RECO to reclaim its authority and build greater understanding among both consumers and industry players. A new brand narrative and messaging architecture were developed to reflect this singular commitment — including a new tagline: Pursuing trust in every transaction.

The Creative

We translated this strategy into an entirely new brand identity – one that balances professionalism with approachability. A new logo — three stacked blocks evoking strength, stability, and structure — serves as a visual anchor. A tailored colour palette reinforces trust, and an editorial voice built on clarity and plain language helps demystify RECO’s role for the public. Visual and verbal assets were codified in comprehensive brand guidelines and rolled out across channels, from print and digital to office templates and signage.

The Impact

With the new brand in place, RECO is better equipped to lead — visibly and confidently — by emphasizing the vital consumer elements of its regulatory mandate. Clearer messaging helps people understand RECO’s purpose and protections. Stronger design reinforces its credibility. And a unified voice ensures consistency as it communicates across platforms and with a wide range of stakeholders. Together, these elements enable RECO to continue to build public trust and lead regulatory change in a sector that touches nearly every Ontarian.