Posts in category 'Company News'

We're thrilled to announce the launch of our new in-house Image Services division, which will deliver high-impact visual marketing solutions for Baird & Warner agents and clients. 

Our new Image Services division will be led by Shannon Lange, former area sales and account manager for VHT Studios and Matterport, where she worked with the region's largest brokerages. It will offer professional photography, immersive 3D virtual tours, floor plans, videography, and aerial drone footage, all designed to help agents attract more buyers, sell properties faster, and strengthen their personal brands. 

"With the sudden closure of VHT Studios, we saw an opportunity to do what we do best: innovate and build an in-house capability that not only maintains, but enhances the marketing tools available to our agents and customers," said Laura Ellis, chief strategy officer an...

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We are pleased to announce that fellow independent brokerage, Dream Town, will become part of the Baird & Warner family. As a combined entity, we will now be the second-largest brokerage in the region, representing nearly 3,000 agents, loan officers, and staff providing comprehensive real estate services throughout eight city offices and a total of more than 30 locations across Chicagoland.

Throughout our 170-year history, we have sought to pursue strategic partnerships that enhance the value we bring to our agents and clients, strengthen our position, and sharpen our competitive edge. This expansion of the Baird & Warner family makes it the place for estate professionals who prioritize an agent-centric culture that is driven by support and focused intently on their success. 

"We quickly realized that our shared values, service offerings, and technology woul...

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In 2024, Baird & Warner introduced its first new brand in four decades. We sat down with the chief marketing officer of Baird & Warner, Peter Papakyriacou, to learn about the motivations, inspirations and goals of the new look. 

Keep reading to hear what Peter had to say, and check out the full conversation on our rebrand below.

So, what motivated Baird & Warner to launch a refreshed brand identity after nearly 50 years?

This rebrand has been in the works for a while. When I joined the company 14 years ago, I made an effort to consolidate several brand variations into a much more streamlined, singular brand, which served us successfully for many years. However, as we continued listening to agents and managers and their feedback, it became clear that it was time to evolve the brand for today and the future.  

The biggest notable change was in the logo. Can you tell us about that?

We had had the boxed B&W logo for nearly the first thing we wanted to do was break out of the box —  literally and figuratively. We had been using the square boxy logo for decades, and it had limitations. We wanted a logo that felt like an evolution, so we kept the ampersand but went back to our full name instead of the B&W and pulled away the constraints of the box. Now we can incorporate the logo more seamlessly into all types of marketing and design. It also allowed us to represent the full breadth of our service by including the mortgage, Title, Sales, and Insurance in the logo lockup. 

What was the intention going into this new brand?

First and foremost, the purpose of this new brand was to support our agents' business. One of the core reasons to go through this rebrand was to get back to the name Baird & Warner in our logo. For more than 20 years, our primary symbol has been the B&W acronym, but we don't go by B&W — we go by Baird & Warner. That's where we have our brand equity, and that's the Baird family name that has stood the test of time. So it was important to bring that back to ensure we're presenting a unified identity and tapping into that brand awareness that exists in the market.  

As you mentioned, the Baird & Warner colors for a long time were black and yellow, but that shifted with the rebrand. Can you speak to the inspiration for those new colors and other elements of the brand?

Yes, our new colors are Deep Lake, a slate blue color, and Amber Wheat, which is an evolution of the yellow we had before. The color palette is meant to be emotive and elevated while giving a nod to our legacy as a 170+ year old Chicagoland company. Deep Lake, a reference to Lake Michigan, represents the vast resources we provide to agents — coaching, marketing, training, and all the person-to-person support. Amber Wheat is all about those Midwestern values and our ethics, our resilience as a company. 

Along with those colors, we have an expanded secondary palette that gives agents an opportunity to find a balance between the brokerage brand and their own personal branding they may have.

There are some other little hidden references in the brand that speak to our company and history. Can you tell us about those?

Yes, we have an amazing company archive at Baird & Warner, and so we spent the better part of a couple of years digging into our 170 years of history and uncovering a treasure trove of symbols, logos and design elements that we wanted to try and incorporate into the rebrand while still keeping it modern and sophisticated.

One element is the custom font we called BW Bow Tie, which honors the late John Baird, who was the former president of the company and the father of current CEO Steve Baird. He was very beloved and was a true embodiment of the values we believe in at the company, and we wanted to honor him in some way. The reason we called it Bowtie was because he was known for always wearing a bowtie —  it was his signature look.

We also created unique patterns and icons that provide a more robust library of design elements that can be used across our marketing and merchandise. The woven Bs and Ws for our name, as well as a refreshed version of an old logo that we call the Baird & Warner Seal, lend themselves to sophisticated wearable items such as a scarf, tie, or pins. 

 How do you see this brand fitting into the agent's businesses? What has been the response?

This brand should exist as a complement to their own brand. Most of our agents who have a personal brand have embraced the new identity. They feel it reflects their high level of sophistication, service, and expertise. And they also feel it gives their clients an aspirational element in their real estate journey. As mentioned before, they are particularly fond of the new color palette and the patterns we've introduced, as they provide an elevated, luxury element to the brand. 

As with any complete rebrand, there is always a risk of missing the mark. Thankfully, our agents have overwhelmingly adopted the new logo and its elements. And more importantly, reported several success stories where it helped them stand out.

Visit joinbw.com to learn more about how we help our agents succeed.

We're thrilled to announce that after nearly 40 years, we have a new look. Our new brand identity is part of our 170th anniversary celebration — we're paying homage to our past while looking ahead to the future.

"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 values," says Steve Baird, president and CEO. 

With that in mind, every element of the new brand is closely tied to our history, our community and the brokerage we hope to be for the next 170 years. 

Our palette shifted from black to Deep Lake blue, a nod to Lake Michigan and a reference to our deep history. Amber Wheat elevates the previous yellow color and symbolizes our resilience, culture of empowerment, and — of course — our strong Midwest values. 

We visited the archives to revive a classic brand element and give it a modern update, taking our 1855 founding date to design a unique, modern icon. Using the Baird & Warner initials, we created two more patterns that harken to prestigious heritage brands. 

Combined with aspirational, lifestyle photography and a custom-designed typeface (named BW Bow Tie after the iconic fashion accessory of the late John W. Baird), the look evokes a sophisticated, elevated identity.  

"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." 

Updated 3/24/2025

Baird & Warner has been around for 170 years, and in that time Chicago has been the epicenter for many pivotal moments in the civil rights movement. This long history has given company leadership the opportunity and the privilege to be a voice for justice. Today, we continue that work through Good Will Works, the multifaceted charitable arm of our company giving mission. 

The month of April, in particular, provides a special opportunity to revisit that mission, reflect on how far we've come and chart the path forward. April is Fair Housing Month, and this year commemorates the 57th anniversary of the passing of the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968, and marked a major milestone in the fight for housing equality. It prohibits discrimination in housing due to race, national origin, religion, sex, disability and familial status. 

A Legacy of Fighting for Fair Housing Rights

In 1962, the late John Baird — former president of Baird & Warner and father of current president Steve Baird — took action in the fight for fair housing. At the time, some civic leaders and those in powerful Chicago real estate circles felt that anti-discrimination laws would infringe on the rights of property owners. In reaction to this, John testified before the Chicago City Council and the state General Assembly. He even left his position on the Chicago Real Estate Board when it chose to oppose fair housing rights. 

The John Baird Scholarship Fund

In honor of John Baird's legacy, Baird & Warner established the John Baird Scholarship Fund to support students in the Illinois Chicago School of Law (UIC Law) Fair Housing Legal Clinic. The clinic provides education about fair housing law to the public and free legal counsel to those in the Chicagoland area who have been illegally denied housing. They also provide legal assistance to public and private organizations that wish to eliminate discriminatory housing practices. 

Habitat for Humanity and Homebuyer University Workshops

In 2022, we announced a multiyear Good Will Works partnership with Habitat for Humanity. We committed to providing a total of $500,000 over three years to support the organization in four main areas of programming — community engagement, affordable homeownership, education and neighborhood improvement. In addition to helping to build homes, direct support through neighborhood grants and educational programming on the history of race and housing, we also collaborate with Habitat to empower prospective homebuyers through Homebuyer University. Not only does this public course help to prepare families for homeownership, many experts from across our family of services volunteer as instructors. 

KeysToHome and HomeEasier 

We understand that housing is more than just a place to live — homeownership can be a pathway to financial stability, community enrichment and building generational wealth. Our HomeEasier workshops are free, informative classes that help prospective homebuyers get on the right path to achieve homeownership. In these workshops, participants learn about everything from the basics of financial planning to everything that happens before and after buying your first home. 

Our mortgage partner Key Mortgage also offers KeysToHome, a transformative program designed to unlock your path to homeownership. KeysToHome workshops are aimed at those who have never imagined themselves as homeowners — from pre-purchase to closing and beyond, expert instructors help and counsel participants through the whole homeownership process.  

Good Will Works

Through the charitable arm of our company, Good Will Works, we partner with organizations working in the areas of fair housing, financial empowerment and racial equity. As part of our mission, we partner with organizations working in the areas of fair housing, financial empowerment and racial equity — Spanish Coalition for Housing, YWCA Chicago and the Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance.

You can view the full Good Will Works 2024 Community Impact Report here.

A Commitment to Doing the Right Thing

So much progress has been made in the arena of housing, but the reality is that many people still face housing instability, homelessness and housing discrimination today. As individuals, across our offices and as a company, we strive to make housing easier and more accessible for all. When people experience economic security and stability through homeownership, they're also more likely to invest back in their own community.

Fair Housing Month is an excellent time to reflect on the progress we've made, but it is also a reminder that there is still work to be done and an opportunity to set new goals. For more information about your rights and federal fair housing policies, visit the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) website.