To say there are a few new kids on the real estate block would be an understatement! There are a lot of new signs around. Even companies that have been around awhile have revised their signs to the point they are unrecognizable. Agents have even created their own versions of company signs.
Importance of Compliance and Branding
Real estate signs are required to have the company name and phone number. The font doesn’t need to be large, but company information must be there. An effective sign should be “branded” and recognizable by the general public.
Interestingly, some sellers refuse to have a sign on their property. With 4-7% of all buyers coming from signs, the question is, why? The answer is usually that they don’t want their neighbors to know their house is for sale. The truth is, we can’t sell it if it’s a secret.
The Risk of Unreadable Signs
Here’s the thing: an unrecognizable or unreadable sign may be the same as no sign at all. Signs should be easily readable and recognizable from the street. Even though I know most companies and agents, I still can’t read or don’t recognize some signs when I’m stopped in traffic right next to them. Signs should serve to let potential buyers know which company to Google or what office to call.
The Role of Signs in the Buying Process
While this is the basic function, buyers also use signs to let their agent of choice know about homes they want to see. Of course, there are other ways buyers find their dream home. In general, ALL buyers today start online. About half of those find their home as a result of a general property search. Another quarter of all buyers are presented the home they buy by their agent.
Counting signs, this means real estate agents easily account for 80% of properties buyers consider. Guess where the websites buyers are searching get their listing information? It normally comes via a feed from our Multiple Listing Service or a subscription paid by an agent.
Other Avenues for Finding Homes
Some buyers find their eventual home through friends or builders. A few buy directly from the seller. Print ads only accounted for 1% of the homes sold in 2023. This may not seem like a big number, but it’s still large enough that sellers should embrace it. After all, sellers want the largest possible exposure for their property.
You just never know where a buyer will come from, making a recognizable, readable yard sign an important part of the sales equation.
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