How we write
Headlines and display text
Headlines and subheadlines are in sentence case
Sentence case means you capitalize the first word of the headline, proper nouns, and branded terms. Lowercase everything else.
Always capitalize
Lowercase (unless first word)
First word of the headline
Common nouns (business, system, market, results)
Proper names (Brian Buffini, Ireland)
Verbs that are not part of a brand name (build, grow, earn)
Registered and trademarked product names
Prepositions and articles (in, on, at, the, a)
Program titles as established (The Ultimate Year in Real Estate)
Descriptors and adjectives not part of a brand name
Buffini & Company and Buffini
Conjunctions (and, but, or, so)
Members
Use lowercase for coach and mentor, unless at the start of a sentence
Not thisHow Work By Referral Can Make The Difference In The Ultimate Year In Real Estate
ThisHow Work by Referral can make the difference in The Ultimate Year in Real Estate
Sentence case in practice
Note for sentence case
In sentence case, most prepositions are lowercase regardless of length. Only the first word of a headline and proper nouns are capitalized. Prepositions such as from, with, over, into, and upon are lowercase in a sentence-case headline unless they are the first word.
Note for title case
If title case is ever required (for example, within an established product name that uses title case), capitalize prepositions of four or more letters: Over, With, From, Into, Upon.
Sentence case for branded terms
Branded and proprietary terms retain their established capitalization inside a sentence-case headline.
Example: “How Work by Referral can change your business”
“Work by Referral” keeps its capitalization because it is a registered brand term. “business” is lowercase because it is not.
Quotation marks in headlines
When a headline or subheadline includes a direct quote from a named person, use double quotation marks, consistent with AP style.
Example: Brian Buffini on referrals: “The fortune is in the soil you’re already standing on.”
Exception: Items of Value (IOVs). Items of Value are excluded from the sentence case requirement and from this style guide generally. IOVs are intentionally not Buffini branded materials. They are designed to be used by agents as their own content, which means headline case, formatting, and tone are governed by that team’s own standards, not this guide.
