Branding your company

[Karen Higgins]

My question is about marketing / branding of our company. My husband and I are primarily buy and hold real estate investors and currently have 30+ units. They are separated into 3 separate LLC's for asset protection. What is the recommended way to brand our company? Is it okay to just pick one of the LLC's names and use that on business cards and our website? What are other people doing when they have multiple LLC's. Any advise welcomed. Thanks! Karen

[John Woodrich]

Similar to above, I would recommend creating a holding company (LLC) and contribute your 3 other LLCs into the holding company. Then I would brand the parent company.

Depending how you file taxes this may or may not change anything.  This method can also be used to reduce filing requirements in the instance you are filing multiple partnership returns.

I have one client with over 100 single family properties in MN, many file under one entity.  They have subsidiary LLCs however they only have one checking account which questions the protection the other LLCs may offer...  

In any instance it would be worth talking to your CPA and you attorney about this because your decision may affect tax filings and your liability protection.