Q:  After seven years of using a brand that my niece designed for me I’m considering a change. It was never really “me”, and I don’t want to spend the next ten years in this business with a brand I don’t like. What do you recommend?

A:  I’m sorry that you’ve been using something you don’t love. It’s one of the big mistakes I see with agents who have branded. If you don’t have a brand you love, you won’t use it. Or if you do, you’ll always feel a bit apologetic about it, since it’s not a good fit for who you are.

Because I think branding is so important I also believe it’s never too late to make a change. Even well established national brands make tweaks to their brand (and I’ve done it too over the years). You have two choices: try to maintain some of the brand (colors, fonts, design elements) and carry them over to the new brand. Sometimes this offers a smooth transition. Or you may just want to go for it, and start from scratch. Regardless of the route you take, I encourage you to rebrand yourself.