In real estate, you must always consider every feature of your first impression because you may not get another chance. From this notion, the phrase “curb appeal” was derived. What attracts attention from the street more than a “For Sale” sign or “Open House” sign? And what do these real estate lawn signs, themselves, say about the property that they are representing or the people trying to sell it? There are many possible versions of a real estate yard sign: For Rent signs, For Lease signs, For Sale signs, Real Estate Banners, Apartment signs, Real Estate Company signs, Directional signs, Open House signs, and Real Estate Riders. These types of real estate signage can be used separately or in certain combinations for maximum effectiveness. What is the best way to grab a potential buyer’s attention and to make a good impression at the same time? Whether you’re a FSBO or a realtor, using signage for renters or for potential buyers, a first-time seller or a professional, you need to advertise your property and services in a way that appeals to the masses.
Apartment signs are typically used within larger complexes to direct potential renters and residents to the offices, pools, and other service areas. In an apartment development, the directional signs say as much about the property as the landscaping or building upkeep. To potential tenants, rusty, dirty illegible directional real estate signs translate to rusty, dirty, worn-down apartments. For the smaller owners, keeping updated directional real estate signs (along with a fresh coat of paint and a lawnmower) will completely change how your complex is viewed by prospective occupants and help you to keep reliable, long-term residents.
Directional signs are very important. If misunderstood, misleading, unseen, or altogether neglected, they can be the missing link that separates you from a potential buyer. Ideally, they should be placed at a spot for maximum viewing, either to get the client from the intersection to the house or from the yard to you. Attractive real estate directional signs will promote “drive-bys,” bring in customers who may not have otherwise given the property a fair shake, and, basically, get your numbers up. The more people who see the house, the faster it will sell with a better profit.
Information is the number one thing that the public wants from For Rent signs and For Lease signs. There are a lot of apartment complexes and houses out there that are all renting and leasing at the same time. Houses and apartments for rent or lease in the same neighborhood don’t have much to set them apart. A well-designed For Rent sign or For Lease sign with all of the necessary information listed upon it can do that for you. If renters and leaseholders wanted to go through a long drawn out process of information withholding, they would be buying a house. Instead they want to know exactly what the property has to offer. And if you can tell them without a big hassle, then even if they’re not interested in that specific property, they’ll most likely inquire about others that meet their needs. Why display another identical For Rent sign or For Lease sign that has nothing to set it apart from hundreds of others just like it in the neighborhood? Taking a few minutes to design an eye-catching, informative For Rent sign or For Lease sign will ensure that you get inquiries where your neighboring landlords don’t.
Although first impressions are usually important in real estate sign-making, they are paramount when it comes to For Sale signs. The first thing a potential buyer sees that may or may not attract them to your property is a For Sale sign, Home for Sale sign, Land for Sale sign, Real Estate for Sale Sign, or For Sale by Owner sign. Any one of these For Sale signs could get your foot in the door with a prospective buyer. What kind of message are you portraying to a future owner with your For Sale sign? That your house is just another property with another identical real estate For Sale sign on the lot? Or that it‘s a distinctive, one-of-a-kind home that was made with their family in mind? Think about what kind of For Sale sign attracts you to a home. Is it indistinguishable from every other For Sale sign on the block? Is it tarnished and outdated, like it has been in a hundred other yards before this one? Or are you attracted to a fresh-looking real estate For Sale sign, with appealing colors, neat borders, and a sense of singularity as if it were made to represent this house alone? Your For Sale sign equals the house that you are selling in the minds of budding buyers. Show them what you’ve got.
If an Open House sign fails to engage the viewer to the point that they actually read the times and location, then you have lost them forever. An open house is a one-trick pony, and its principal purpose is to attract solid buyer and seller prospects. A well-made Open House sign is your first and, sometimes, only tool with which to attract them. Once again, you want a clean, distinctive sign that it is easy to read – uncluttered and very legible. Some people use balloons to attract potential buyers where their Open House sign is unable to, but utilizing an attractive sign, with crisp, clear lettering can save you time – and your breath.
Wherever you choose to display your real estate company sign or banner, the immediate objective is to present an image of your company – whether it’s an image that is highly recognizable by prospective clients or a new face on the local real estate scene. What is your company about: luxury, decadence, and extravagance? Or is it about comfort and family and the simple life? Pick an image for your real estate lawn sign that will be both recognizable and characteristic of your company.
A real estate rider is the quickest, cheapest way to turn an indistinguishable sign into a memorable one. A real estate rider sign is the only chance you will have to play up your property’s greatest features (like a swimming pool, or a four-car garage) without a single mention of its not-so-great qualities. Real estate riders save time and money, as they can be used again and again, coupled with different real estate signs, to create a one-of-a-kind product. They are also very useful as a backdrop for important information like a 24-hour recorded information line about the house – that way, during the daytime or the nighttime, you will still in the process of making a sell. Remember: Try to match your real estate rider to the other components of your sign for a more integrated look.
There you have the seven easiest tips in real estate sign-making. Whenever you ever need a quick reminder of the most important rules for real estate signs, simply think of the word “Ellipse”…. E-L-L-I-P-S-E: Effective Location, Legible Information, Presentable, Simple, and Engaging. If you can remember “Ellipse,” then you can rent or sell a house!