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Do You Speak Real Estate "SIGN" Language?

Do You Speak Real Estate "SIGN" Language? And, no I don't mean like this... sign-language-1.jpg picture by dabydoll

No, no.

I mean really...

Do you speak Real Estate sign language??

I find this to be one of my weaknesses in this busy crazy business we are in.

I was thinking about it today though and I am personally committing to better myself for my business and my client's sake.

The kind of sign language I'm talking about is of course our Real Estate signs.

I really believe that we can increase our business just by becoming more diligent with our signage. When you place your FOR SALE sign in a yard who are the first callers on the phone to you? Usually the neighbors and locals....right?

Neighbors tend to have big eyes and big ears. And, for us this is just awesome!

P1000913.jpg picture by dabydoll yang.jpg picture by dabydoll

AWWWW.....

The neighbors eyes and ears bring us business! A lot of it through word of mouth.

With normal progression of signage we are telling a story of our success. Keep your signage fresh and attractive.

Remember what they say about a persons home? If the yard is trashed it's probably the same inside.

Well, your sign speaks volumes of the way you conduct your overall business. Keep them fresh...

The perfect progression is of course...FOR SALE, OPTION PENDING, PENDING AND THEN SOLD.

Getting back out into the neighborhood once I have a house under contract is one of the things I am NOT DOING DILIGENTLY.

I KNOW I SHOULD DO BETTER AT THIS!

When the neighbors watch a successful signage progression it is PERFECT ADVERTISING FOR YOU AS AN AGENT.

Yes, I'm talking to myself and reminding myself the sheer importance of this seemly minor point.

I, Deb Brooks, promise to do better...

Later in the rain~Deb

Brooks Prime Properties

Specializing in Lake Properties

Lake Livingston Texas

936-295-0005

Posted by Deb Brooks, Lake Livingston Real Estate on 10/17/2009 05:30 PM

Comments (118)

Signage in the Sales Strategies / Tactics Channel

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Originally posted at: Deb's Lake Livingston Real Estate & Stuff! : Do You Speak Real Estate "SIGN" Language?

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118 Comments on Do You Speak Real Estate "SIGN" Language?

OCT

Your silent salesman..the real estate sign which works 24/7 to promote your brand. The snowplows like to bend them / shape them and the little guys take a beating if you don't set them back before winter hits in northern climates! Great post! There's your sign.

Great advice, Deb! And that has to be about the most adorable kitten picture I've see around these parts!

Signage is very important...it is the curb appeal element for the realtor who is advertising.

We don't have a "snow" or snow plow issue at the beach but the sun and the sea gulls can be brutal on signs. Most of our signs have to be sand blasted wooden signs (per neighborhood covenants) and they do need a fresh coat of paint ever couple of years. This reminds me I am due.

Chicago has snow but nothing compared to you. Beaten up signs is a mark of a "beaten up" Realtor and it is a bad reflection. I just ordered 10 new signs with posts the other day because I believe in presentation begins at the sign.

Deb I like new signs, and fresh descriptive riders throughout the whole process. It is who I am.

Just spent a few hundred dollars on new posts and signs. They are shiny and those neighbors are definitely the first to call!

Andrew, they may be silent but very, very powerful!

Patricia, love kitties and good signage! Ha!

Marti, you are great! Thank you for the feature my friend. It does not hurt to remind even myself of this! Thank you for the feature. Am I a chocolate chip off the old shoulder????

Thank you! Deb

Deb - I think its important to have the right signs for a Real Estate Agent. Especially if you are good. :-) Get into that neighborhood and become THE Real Estate Agent in that community.

Hi Deb! I couldn't agree more! I always feel sorry for sellers whose signs are filthy or in ill-repair--they're such an inexpensive means of marketing for us; there's really no excuse NOT to keep them shiny and new!

Have a wonderful Sunday...

"I am personally committing to better myself for my business and my client's sake."

Great attitude in both word and deed! We always tray and maintain a professional look with signage and everything else that the public sees!

Deb - I just ordered 10 new signs myself. Several of my old ones had taken a beating at the hands of my builders and their subcontractors. I have threatened many times to "hunt down" the subcontractor that felt it was okay to demolish my sign with his backhoe. Many pleas to the builder went ignored. I finally had to give up and order new.

Now, having said that, I'd gladly put up with backhoes demolishing my signs if the new construction market would come back! LOL

Hello Li, you are sooo right! Curb appeal includes the Agent and their signage...

Katheryn, I don't worry about snow plows but I worry about high winds, pounding sun and rain here in Tx.

Barb, yep. You did the right thing. We (especially me) need to remember this. Thanks.

Later in the rain, and wind, and sun, ~Deb

Deb,

Signage is one of the most important things Realtors can do, period.

I never thought about it like that but the progression from sale to contract to sold does have an impact.

Rich

SOLD and PENDING signs go hand in hand with "Just Listed" and "Just SOLD" post cards. Let's the neighbors all know what's going on and who's doing it.

Deb this is a good reminder to all of us. I usually ask the new buyers if I can leave the sold sign in their yard for 30 days after we've already closed. I haven't had a buyer turn me down yet.

Gary, I don't doubt that one single bit! I would choose you for my Realtor.

Allison, I have begun to accept that many of them are as temporary as the fall leaves on the trees. I have to buck it up and order some more. I just don't think anyone realizes the money and effort that goes into them.

John, branding is what it's all about. I need to clean mine up.

Debe, like I said. This is one of my weakest points. I started off with a bang but my signage has gotten lost, dirty, bent and altogether icky. I need to clean up my act. I don't doubt that yours are meticulous...I need lessons...he,he.

Russell, I wish I had said it that eloquently!

Lina, just curious. How much did the 10 cost you and who is your vendor?

Thanks all,

Deb

Yes Tammie Yes! Now you're talkin'!

Okay Rich,.....what did I do wrong...lol. I don't know what they mean. Do you? Hopefully none of them are xxx.

Jim, but it's so much less expensive to put your rider on the sign! Save the postage and go all out on your signs is my thought.

GREAT! I'm glad you're helping others get better as you better yourself because I have never thought of it that way. way to go on your post. smart woman you are!

OCT

Deb,

I always make sure my signs are clean with lots of information on them. (Add-ons etc.)

Hi Deb - Good idea to keep the riders up to date. This gives you another chance to be seen in the neighborhood in a positive light ... and the neighbors will notice.

Deb, I was JUST thinking about this today. I was showing a new listing and noticed how nasty the agents yard sign was! You could barely read the agents cell number. I was scratching my head over that one!

I too like my signs bright and shiny new! It is the first impression of who we are! Right on girl :)

I like yard signs, especially when agents are deligent and put PENDING on them when they go pending. I don't like the tacky directionals. Congrats on your feature.

Great Post! We can all learn alot from this! thanks for posting!!! Kathy

Having a lot of listings around, my experience is that the sign should fit the home and the neighborhood. . I lost too many signs or were vandalized because they stick like a sore thumb in some places.

I have 3 levels of signs.

No Sign ( Applicable to some short sales at owners request)

Medium Sign ( Applicable to if I lose them. .I don't flinch)

High Luxury Sign ( No explanation necessary)

Sign me up because the mark of a good Realtor is a good SIGN indeed.

Deb,

Valid point. Often times our signage is the only 'face-time' we get with the people who go by our listings on a day to day basis. It would be all too easy to base a first impression off of the quality of an agent's sign. I'll definitely be taking this into consideration.

Thank you.

Be well,

Brendan Winans

Deb-Great Blog- I am so glad to see this was featured. Your point is excellent- it is rare to see a "Pending" sign or SOLD sogn lately. Probably a lingering leftover from a year or two ago when nothing much was selling. It is the best way to promote successful transactions I agree.

Deb, Thanks for the reminder. I need to go put out some under contrsct riders on my signs today.

Deb,

Good point. I need to buy some riders for my signs.

Hi Deb -- Nothing is worse than an agent who has a pending rider and the sign fell down on a vacant home and it's been down for weeks and everyone (mostly neighbors) see it but the agent.

Deb:

A real estate sign is a reflection of the agent. And, keeping its status current is so important. When a property is pending or under agreement it should say so. Buyers (and neighbors) can be so confused about real estate signs.

Deb, you are so right! I have been known to stop and fix a competitors sign because I just cant stand it! When I list a vacant home I always go over and knock on a few neighbors doors, hand them a card and invite them to call me if they see anything going on, including my sign looking ugly!

I have one rider on my signs with my personal info on. but I refuse to make them look tacky. I see some signs now that have 3 or 4 riders on, they look untidy and talk about confusing, which number do they call? office, ell, 1-800, web or what is on there. Add to that the mismatched colors and these can be a real eye sore.

I had a passerby call me the other day to say my sign panel, post and rider was lying in the street, in front of a home I did not have listed. It took me a few minutes to figure out that somebody must have ripped the post and signage from a home a mile away. Kids do all sorts of destructive things. But my sign company picked it up and planted a new sign in front of my listing. They take great care to keep all the signs in pristine condition.

I spend at least a day each week on signage, mostly making sure they haven't been blown down (we get some good winds) or on more rural properties, run over. On really rural properties, used for target practice. Yeah, it happens. HA

I have reflective sign riders that I need to get more of. Light up in the dark like stop signs.

Love those things.

We're not big on streetlights here in the land of AZ. :)

I just can not believe how many people are responding to your signage post. Its fantastic and I want to join the rest of the crowd. Its great to be reminded of the basics and the opportunity we can create once our foot is in the door (or neighborhood as it may be).

Funny you should post about this today. Just yesterday I was delivering flyers to one of my mom's listings and the grass had grown up higher than the sign...note: we live in the country and this was a ranch...not a foreclosure in the city! So I moved the sign to the other side of the gate and mashed the grass down. I also carry a jug of water and paper towels in my van so I can clean signs when I am out and about. Crummy signs are not a good testimony to my professionalism! Good post!

What a nice idea for a blog post. Signs are important, and good signage is even better. One thing I've noticed is that people like to put too much information on their signs. Then, you cannot even read 'em when you drive by!

Melissa, I have seen a few of those. I pulled over to write info down from one last night (LOL). ;-)

The basics is where we need to focus. Signs are a great lead generator. Beats the heck out of buying leads from lead generators.

Deb - Sign condition and appearance does reflect on us. We always need to put our best foot forward starting with a great sign.

Im glad I fell on this article today you might also be interested in reading my recent blog post How I Use Creative Marketing and Technology to Change How We Do Things - EzCode which talks about another way we can use our for sale signs.

Just got a new photo so that i could get new signage. the old signs don't show the colors of distiction i have aded to my face and hair since the last one was taken 4 years ago. Thanks for sharing.

While you are at it, Keep the flyer box stocked. I feel an empty box is worse than no box. It shows the listing agent doesn't care.

Great Advice I will use in the future!

Thanks for the post, Deb. We have been using reflective signs that are visable at night and have had positive feedback.

Great points, Deb, especially about the progression of signage. I know I could do a better job. My signs are in great shape and I strive the brochure boxes filled so they are NEVER empty - that always strikes me as kinda sad. I have mixed feelings about putting up a pending rider,unless the deal is really strong - would hate to lose any further sign calls.

Jeff

Signage is so very important. We just recently invested in custom directionals with our team name and phone number on them to replace the generic ones.

Hi Deb~ I am getting ready to order more signs for next year. I think the reflective signs may be a good option. It is very unprofessional to see dirty or tattered signs in someones yard, and it truly IS a reflection of the agent and their company.

I like to think of my signs as a billboard. With that i can think beyond the sale of the house and to how my business can be extended.

Great reminder Deb-I agree the rider signs should be updated through the process. I think everyone here locally should work on that one! I can't tell you how many calls I get from my clients inquiring on signs they have driven by to only be disappointed they are in escrow.

My next investment will be lights for the signs to be seen at night. Another local agent uses them and they look so professional and high light his information!

Great advice! Always make a good first impression, even if it is only from a sign!

HI Deb, I'm always surprised when I see someone's sign that is faded and worn and hanging askew from one clip - not just for a day, but for weeks without being fixed or replaced. What kind of service is that listing getting if the Realtor can't even come by to fix the signage? And if we can't market ourselves properly, what are prospects to think about how we would market their properties?

Very good reminder that our signs ARE a reflection of us! Here we also have to know the local sign rules about allowable placement for directional signs - or the city road crew will take them. I don't like to put up pending signs though as I love that chance to talk with a buyer calling in so I can explain that working with an agent (me!) will be much more effective than driving around looking for signs - so they can actually know about the right house BEFORE it is pending.

I am very lazy about getting a "sale pending" sign out there - gotta get better about that. Thanks for the push!

Hi Deb...A perfect example of how classic methods continue to provide wonderful marketing for us. Glad you reminded of us how important this simply task is and the attention it draws to our listings and to us.

Kate

Deb, this is great, thank you! I wait to put the under contract sign up until after the home inspection -- that's just because I am superstitious! Then you are right, I shoudl change them. Thank you!

Thanks for the great responses everyone! This is such a simple concept but it impacts our production and reputation drastically! I know I need to do better and dealing with the signs is my least favorite part of this business....

Texas....

Our ground is like granite in the summer and pounding in one of those frames is like beating my head against a wall! Geesh! By the time I'm done I have usually been attacked by ants, wasps and am frightened I will meet face to face with a snake....that's happened you know.

I think we all need to talk to ELIZABETH WEINTRAUB AND FIND OUT ABOUT HER SIGN COMPANY!!!!!

It's a HUGE job.

;-) Deb

I prefer the internet. Works quickwr and much cheaper. I take the listing only if I have prospective buyers for the area or particular development. Full commission possibility too.

Signs,signs everywhere signs. Keeping up with them can be a pain at times. I know i have to be more diligent with mine.

Great post! Signage is the #1 thing a person can do for their business. If your sign has duct tape on it or just has a tacky look to you it tell future sellers what they can expect.
Sandra

Signs are meant to be read, so why not give a nice clean sign and keep it updated as the listing progresses? It only makes sense. It takes effort to do right, but the rewards are great.

Deb, so right, so right! These are our own personal little billboards...when I see nastly little signs out there, I think, 'can you get any cheaper?' Where's your "Realtor image" when you stick something like that in someone's yard?!!

The other thing our industry is notorious about, is removing the Open House signs after the Open House...stab the balloons and sling the sign back in the trunk-I carry a scissors in my car, just for the stabbing ceremony:) Done.

Great reminder! Thanks!

Debra...

Are you telling me it's NOT okay to let our signs rust away in someone's yard? Meow :)

TLW...ROAR!

Sign posts are a must for sure. Gota have them.

Patricia /Seacoast NH

You are so right on! Just got our new riders last week.

Such a great post...and very timely. This is a subject I've been lacking on and have also recently tackled it as an area to improve.

Ouch! You are so correct and I am so at fault. I, too, shall do better!

New sign for every listing... A new CUSTOM sign for every listing. I'm actually having to order a second one for one of my listings... washed away in a flood...

Great post! Could not agree with you more!

Wonderful...I think this also applies to our cars!

This makes sense. I think sometimes neighbors must wonder while we work through the maze of short sales.

Christine, maybe we should come up with riders that say "short sale" meaning it will take a LONNGG> time! lol, Deb

Sally, I was riding down our local state highway not long ago and I could have sworn that I missed a passing bird by an inch! I saw it whish by! It was scary. When I got home my magnetic sign was missing....geee, I wonder what swished by??? I didn't go back to look for it. I was bushed. lol, Deb

Deb, You are so right. I always wonder when I see a totally beat-up sign AND it is a "well-known" agent, what is going on. Certainly they have the funds to obtain new ones... A good public image is always in the details.

Your sign is you...first impression from potential buyers or sellers...thanks for the reminder.

OCT

A good Public Image...that's powerful.

Thank you,

Deb

Deb, You really made me think too about how important it is to follow up on anyone who calls me because they saw one of my signs! Thanks.

I agree, our signs can be one of the greatest tool, it can also be a first impression of us by the neighbours. Professional sign, clean, fresh = GOOD realtor. An old faded, crooked sign, falling apart sign shows what???

Jean Richer
Ottawa, ON

Well said, Deb. We see a lot of beat up old signs, with outdated pictures, & crossed out numbers, etc. More agents should invest in themselves in this way, & stay on top of it. Back to basics!

Hi Deb,

How True...! I've recently had ( 3 ) Clients that absolutely did not want signs on their yards...1 sold anyway; closing in a month. The 2nd is a shortsale, and very unappealing exterior, she didn't want the neigbhors to know; I said fine. '

The 3rd client is relatively new on the market. And it's a great house....he also does not want nosey neighbors in the house!!! So we are advertising to upscale buyers; and not locally. This is how he wants it; and the number of showings will reflect that.

On that front, I have to appease my clients....I warn them heavily that more showings would come from street interest. But in the end my goal is to keep my client happy w/me.

With all the Internet advertising I do for them, they feel very well connected to the actively, and qualified Buying Public. And that I can say is a huge pat on the back. The bottom line is take the time do it right, put a lot of Fantastic Photos on Virtual Tour and Advertise the pants out of the house.

p.s. nice eyes & ears...

Best of Luck to us All!

I am so glad my broker switched to a wood post sign a couple of years ago. Now all I have to worry about is near-tornado winds whipping the riders off!

Deb....I always view a for sale sign as one of the most important parts of our marketing. I view it as a small billboard. It must be clean and easy to read. Also, it must be placed where it does not block someone's view, and meet city and county requirements. Great post! I liked the graphics.

Jerry Gray CRB,CRS,GRI / Prudential Carolinas Realty / Winston Salem, NC

You are sooo right. Your sign says a whole lot about you. I've noticed that Realtors who have changed from one company to another over the years often do not purchase new signs and riders so that they all color coordinate. What does it say about you, your attention to detail and your marketing when a green/yellow rider is on top of a red/white sign, with a yellow/black phone number dangling at the bottom! It says you do not invest in the tools necessary to conduct a professional sales campaign.

Great post. I hadn't thought about it that way in a long time! I too am commiting to do better! Thank you.

Great post! Now, can someone tell me where to get bullet proof signs (yes, I'm totally serious!) for land listings that are "out there"....it's rather difficult to explain to the potential buyers that it's only the SIGNS that get shot, not the new owners, LOL!

Signageis one of our most valuable tools. I take a cloth with me to clean my signs so they look fresh if they are up more than a couple of weeks.

I would say 90%+ of the agents in my area don't update the status fo their sings during the sales process.......a reflection of the quality of agent's I guess...I don't know. How hard is it to take 10 minutes and place as rider on the sign. I se many with brokern signs and the psost half titled over......this tells me how they run their business.

I think every property should have their own website to capture leads and a new custom sign with text/call capture....why more agents don't do this is beyond me.

Lazy agents choose to have the sign post companies store and re-install signs when they get new listings. I don't do that so my signs are always clean or replaced when they look not so fresh...

I put my own sign up. But do not put up pending or sold riders. I have been taught to leave it up to see if I can get other buyers to call. I guess your thinking is pending and sold riders say that you are doing a good job to the neighbors. You may be right, maybe it depends on the situation.

Initially I did not put pending or anything else on sign but I am starting to rethink that now. With short sales taking so long, I think it gives a bad impression to the neighbors that the house is still on the market and I am not doing my job. They do not know that it has been at the bank for 3 months. Thanks for the post, rethinking my statagy.

yOU ARE SO RIGHT WE HAVE TO SHOW PRIDE IN EVERYTHING WE DO.

Hi Deb, thanks for sharing such simple but important info. Really fun post!

I am going to take your advice... Status on the sign is a very good idea... shows evenmore that i am doing everything i can to sell the house.

Signage is so important but good quality signage.I've been in the sign business making a large % of real estate signs. Let the sign designers do what they do best. DESIGN SIGNS. Tbey know what is more important on a sign and they are graphiclally trained to know color and text and layout. Don't try and over design it yourself and ruin your signs.I've seen people insist on so much nonsense on signs that the sign cannot produce any action because of poor logo design, font and color choices by realtors. Feel safe with your sign maker and then let them do their magic.

I'm always amazed by the agents that use a company sign and never add a rider to put their name and number on it to even get phone calls. Maybe they know it will never sale and don't want the bad publicity.

Great reminder Deb... one of our biggest problems: keeping signs on the property! Especially in the rural areas, if we are not diligent, the signs grow legs and walk away. We then have to add a new sign before we can change the riders! Gets a little costly too!

Your totally right, Deb! Thanks for the reminder.

DeeDee

Your totally right, Deb! Thanks for the reminder.

DeeDee

I got lucky today! Sold a clients home 45 days ago (I had the Seller). The Buyers called me (not their previous agent) and asked me to sell their home. (at a loss you can be sure) or rent it. Their kids are miserable and they want to move back. They are lucky they can.

The point of my story is, I pull up in the driveway and the place is covered in Halloween decorations. Not good! If I have to take pictures that indicate a season or time period, I re-take them after the place is put back to a normal state.

Lucky me that I had the seller and the majority of my pictures are the same because the Buyers bought a lot of the Sellers things.

I really GOT LUCKY Today!!! Joy

Congratulations Joy! I am so very glad to hear this and your excitement is catching! Keep it up. Deb

I saw a very beat-up sign with broken name rider on a new listing recently. Made me think that the agent must not care too much about the appearance of not only the home, but also the reflection that the sign has on the real estate firm.

I'm with you. Before I was a Realtor, the agent who sold my house told me that she never put up a pending sign. That way she'd continue to get calls from potential buyers. While I was sure that was true, as a seller, I wanted people to know that my house was desireable, and was in contract! Also, if I saw a house for sale for too long, I just assumed the price was too high, the house wasn't great, or the agent wasn't doing a good job.

And recently on a listing I got stuck. Our office ran out of pending signs, due to so many people in use forever on short sales. So I didn't get to be as timely as I normally would until the re-order arrived. I'm in favor of presenting a true and accurate picture to the public.

OCT

Signs really do represent you - and it's amazing how many I see that are torn, tattered, fallen down, or even hanging upside down!

The other thing that strikes me about signs is how cluttered and hard to read some of them are. I know they're pretty and artistic, but I think readability counts for more than art on a sign. If a car is going by at 30 MPH they should be able to catch the name and the phone number.

This is especially important for rural properties, where a car might be going 60 instead. People can't always stop and back up to get the information.

Something else that happens here is that when the property is out of town a few miles, no one takes down the old signs. I've seen signs that were actually falling apart with age, still tacked to a tree in the forrest.

Great post, very true that we need to take care of every area of the transaction. Even down to the signage !

word of mouth or word by hand is the best advertising we can get!!

OCT

Gene, thats what we do around Maine also. So many buyer's financing falls through, we have become very superstitious and most agents have opted not to put current status riders on signs. Listings are also typically 30 minutes to an hour away from each other here so we can't drive around changing signs. And I think too many riders show an agent is desperate to sell.

Marte, I hate that too. Old signs and beat up rusty signs show the agent doesn't case as much for that listing. Every spring the snow melt reveals old signs, torn down by the snowplow, often way down the road from their original place.

Your right about our signs presentation. I laugh because I was going to stop and take a quick pic of a sign where the agents name & phone numbers were so small you couldn't possibly read them. Had to get all 4 numbers on there plus your name = ineffective calls & results. Stupid thinking. He place 3 signs on a vacant lot - the more the merrier I guess was his logic. How about 1 with big numbers?

OCT

I was actually searching for wooden signs and came across your blog. I agree and I am actually looking for a good sign company - I work with C21 in Northwest Arkansas. I really like the look of the old wooden signs like the one on your photo in the Blog. Any online vendors you would recommend?

Very true Deb. A metal sign that has rust on it conveys something like: I cannot afford to replace this sign.

Nicky, I have found that they no longer make the signs in wood! Everything is mostly laminate or plastic these days and they cost a foutune. If you find any good deals please let me know! Okay?

Thanks a bunch! Deb

Wow Deb, so sorry I missed this great post and it's great being able to read your work again!

VB :o)

OCT

It amazes me how many real estate signs are in disrepair, faded, laying on the ground, etc. If I were thinking of selling my home and saw an agent's sign in disrepair, I would think very little of the agent.

OCT

Real nice post. Might even be a sign post ... LOL. I'm a new agent and getting custom signs and I have other agents say why spend the extra money. Because a 24 x 24 sign that's reflective can make a big difference.

NOV

Great reminder! Especially in today's market, we need to take advantage of every opportunity to market ourselves...and our listing sign is a great way to do that.

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