Imagine looking for a business or restaurant that didn’t have a sign clearly stating its name and what it offered. You would probably immediately wonder why that business didn’t have a sign and even question if you were in the right place that your GPS was showing you. While, of course, that isn’t a direct comparison, there are reasons that signage is one of the first things that businesses ensure is in place before they expect anyone to take notice.
Real Estate Signage Still Matters in the Digital Age
The most common con against placing a physical realestate signs in the front yard is: “people don’t drive around looking for a house anymore, they look on the internet.” That statistic is true. However, the NAR’s 2017 annual report found that yard signs still make up 49% of the information sources used in home searches. In fact, a recent article in Forbes stated that studies found there is still no marketing tactic that beats a good yard sign.
Signage is Incredibly Cost Effective
Marketing your personal real estate business can be very expensive. For example, a simple quarter-page print ad in a local magazine can cost around $500. Digital advertising is effective, but it requires daily, ongoing ad buys as well as addition funds for things like remarketing. The great thing about signs in the real estate industry is the fact that you pay a small fee once and you will have a consistent marketing piece as long as the house is on the market.
Signs Grab the Eyes of Passersby
Again, it is true that many people look to digital tools when they are in the process of buying a home. When people are beginning their search, they may spend hours online milling through thousands of houses, likely overwhelmed, before they ever pick up the phone to call a Realtor. However, is it really worth it to save a few dollars and miss out on the family that is driving to a barbecue down the street, ready to buy, and they happen to see your sign and fall in love? Nope.
A Sign Serves as a Way to Identify Your Home
With a simple sign, you will never, ever hear “we couldn’t find it,” again from a potential buyer. Potential buyers are likely taking a Saturday or Sunday to look at several houses with a Realtor. If they can’t pinpoint your home as the one they are looking for, they may just drive on to the next. Additionally, potential buyers may arrive at the house they found online and be confused that there is no signage, and they may simply leave.
To summarize, as long as the yard sign is professional and well-designed it simply isn’t worth saving a few dollars to end up missing the potential buyer that just happened to be stopping by. Additionally, at the end of the day, a sign will always work to promote you as a Realtor and to build your brand in the community, potentially leading to additional listings.
