Menachem Krinsky’s story stands out in several ways. His business, Krinsky Design, uniquely blends real estate and marketing, appealing to professionals in both fields. With yeshivah studies as his only formal education, he exemplifies how this background can translate into business excellence. Deeply rooted in the Chabad world, he grew up on shlichus, where the first seeds of his business were planted, and he is the grandson of two of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s mazkirim.
Krinsky Design is a boutique creative marketing agency specializing in branding for luxury real estate and high-end brands. Founded in 2008 in Los Angeles as a general marketing agency, it shifted its focus to real estate branding and marketing about ten years later. Now based in Miami, Krinsky Design primarily serves clients in South Florida and New York, with projects in other locations, including a building in Yerushalayim.
The firm transforms properties into compelling stories. Through branding, digital design and visual storytelling, they bring a client’s vision to life, turning buildings into more than just structures—they become narratives. These narratives then serve both as powerful sales tools and enduring stories for the buildings.
“Each building tells its own story,” says Krinsky. A luxury high-rise in Manhattan has a different narrative from a building in Brooklyn, which differs again from a waterfront condo development in Miami. Menachem and his team are dedicated to bringing each of these unique stories to life.
—Menashe
Back in the day, the industry you’re in was known as a “Madison Avenue” type of business. Would that be a fair statement?
I think so. Advertising in general used to be much more of an exclusive business. But as everything expanded and became more accessible and more jobs were created, advertising threw out a wider net.
The whole environment of advertising used to be stiffer and reserved for insiders. Would you say that you’re bringing a more outside perspective?
Interestingly, I’d say it’s almost more from the inside because real estate development has become such a frum industry. You see this at all the major conferences in Florida, New York and New Jersey, where all the developers as well as the builders are frum. Rather than bringing an outsider’s perspective, we’re leveraging our insider connection, although I should note that what you said about exclusivity still exists to some degree. While we work on major projects, we operate more as a boutique studio compared to the 100-person agencies with their city offices.
You mentioned real estate. Are you doing design for real estate developers? Is that your primary business?
Yes. We work with real estate developers, helping them with branding and marketing of buildings. Whether it’s a luxury rental or condo building, we create design materials, messaging, websites—everything needed to bring those units to market.
Is that a special niche in the industry?
It’s definitely a specialty—a vertical within the greater design or advertising world. The studios I compete with all focus on design for real estate. There’s a specific set of deliverables that are created. For example, if a developer went to a typical graphic design or advertising agency and said, “We’re building a building,” they wouldn’t necessarily know what to do. You have to be very familiar with the steps and the scope that are required. Similarly, if someone came to me and was trying to market toothpaste, I wouldn’t be the right fit. I don’t know that industry.
I guess there’s a different mentality when it comes to real estate. The rules that apply to, say, Coca-Cola, wouldn’t apply there. Tell me about the different ways of looking at things when it comes to real estate.
There are certain ways in which all real estate projects are similar and others in which each one is unique. The similarities come from the basic requirements: every project needs to market a specific number of units, showcase its finishes and amenity spaces, and requires a standard set of marketing materials. We always need to develop things like the property’s name, branding and marketing collateral.
Where projects differ is in the way we execute those elements based on the specifics: whom we’re trying to attract, where the building is located, and what makes that particular property special. For example, the building’s name and visual identity need to reflect both the target demographic and the neighborhood’s character. This identity then influences everything from the marketing materials to the actual signage in the building.
Then comes the storytelling part; each project needs its own unique narrative. A luxury high-rise in Manhattan tells a different story than a building in Brooklyn or a waterfront development.
And middle income versus high income and all of that.
We typically work on luxury because that’s where the budgets for marketing are.
At what stage of the project do you get involved? Immediately at the beginning?
It depends on the client and the project. For condos, we ideally get involved a year before sales start. And condos are usually sold long before they even start building them. They want to start marketing as soon as they know that the plans have been approved. With rentals, by contrast, the developers need a TCO (Temporary Certificate of Occupancy) before move-ins, so the timeline can be shorter. We’ve had projects completed in two months, which I wouldn’t recommend. Six months would be preferable.
So the ideal would be to start working with the architects.
It’s more about the client. As soon as we know that the project is a go, we want to get involved so we have enough time to fully develop the materials.
And the architectural design of the property would affect what you’re doing, correct?
Let me give you a little background. When a developer comes to us and says, “Menachem, we want you and your team to brand this building that we’re working on in Miami,” we start by collecting all of the different components of the project. We look at the architectural plans, which tell us how big the units are and what amenities the building is offering. Then we look at the other details. Where is the building located? Who lives in that neighborhood? What does the area have to offer?
Then we start looking at the interiors. Sometimes it’s the same firm as the architects; other times they bring in a separate interior design company. We consider all of the finishes being offered. What do the kitchens look like? Are they intended for gourmet chefs? What are the features of the units and the building? We gather all the information, including the landscaping plans, to get a sense of the aesthetics of the outdoor spaces.
The first major step is working with rendering studios. We build visual assets of what the building will look like, taking all of the finalized plans from each vendor to create marketing renderings. You’ll be looking at a picture of something that doesn’t exist yet, but once the building is finished, it will match these renderings exactly.
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