7 Tips For Real Estate Yard Signs At A Low Budget

Home sellers, investors and real estate agents put a lot of focus on online advertising in their marketing efforts. This is because it is one of the most cost-effective methods of reaching out to prospects and the masses at an affordable price.

So much marketing activity is moving online these days that many of the old tried and tested methods of lead generation are no longer practiced.

One of which is the good old bandit-style real estate yard sign.

Even today, one the the lingering images of real estate that immediately creates an image of real estating in people’s minds is the picture of a house with a bandit sign sitting in the foreground.

Yet the actual implementation of this form of marketing is falling drastically in numbers.

The funny thing is that the bandit sign is one of the most proven ways of marketing that can bring a lot of quality leads. And it cost much less than most people think. In many instances, the only costs might only be your time.

If you are going to put up a bandit sign, here are some tips and considerations to keep in mind so that you get the best results.

1) Material

The best material to use in my opinion is corrugated plastic or coroplast as we call it.

You might be hearing about this material for the very first time. But trust me, there is very little chance that you have never encountered it before in real life.

Coroplast is the sheet-like material that resembles cardboard but feels more like plastic. At the edges where it is cut, you will be able to see holes along the whole length of the sides that look like a wasps nest.

The corrugated holes are actually hollow tubes that run through the board that are named flutes.

They are durable, waterproof, resistant to weather conditions, easy to paint and write on, and damn cheap to purchase at the hardware store.

If you can’t find them at the hardware store, go to the art shop where they retail creative supplies.

It shouldn’t cost you more than a few dollars to get one big enough to cut our your desired dimensions.

However, if this is an expense that you don’t want to spend, it’s not that tough to find old sign boards being discarded in the neighborhood.

You might even have a few stashed somewhere in the garage to attic. Recycle them for good use.

2) Bulk purchase

How many you need depends on how you intend to set up these yard signs.

Are you using them to point and guide people somewhere? How many are you going to put up in front of the house? How many properties will you be using them on?

I find that it is never sufficient to erect just one of these signs. But I can understand if you intend to use just one.

If this is not a one-off event, or you intend to put up a few of these, buying them in larger quantity makes a lot of sense when there are bulk discounts on offer.

And when you make bigger purchases, the store might help you cut them to size for free or at a low cost.

Letting the experts cut them for you can save you a lot of time and trouble.

Don’t go all out to save these pennies when your time is at stake.

3) Color

Experienced real estate agents and landlords swear by the effectiveness of a yellow and black combination.

I can’t disagree with that. However, I will attest that yellow background with black text is better than the other way around.

If you are against this color combination for one reason or another, another proven color combination is red and white.

But do note that for some mysterious reason, red is one of those colors that like to play pranks on people.

Just dump a red T-shirt in the washing machine and you will know why.

If using color to attract attention is not the way you play the game, then go with the typical black and white.

4) Size

While logic might tell you that the bigger the sign the easier it is for drivers to see and people to read, that might not be ideal in some cases.

For example, the bigger it is the more it will catch the wind and break itself. Or a bigger sign can block the beautiful view of a house in all it’s tranquility.

For some reason, professionals in the bandit sign camp seem to have a preferred height of 24″. While the width tend to fluctuate between 18″ and 20″.

Unless you have specific reasons to use a dimension that is not within this range, don’t put so much thought into it.

Stick to 24″ and 18″ when in doubt.

On this topic, it is important to note that it is not always necessary to design big signs all the time. The key objective you are trying to achieve here is to communicate what you want to communicate.

For example if you are using a lot of these signs to guide drivers to a house, only the first sign board needs to be bigger as it needs to catch their attention. The rest of the arrow signs for guiding can be smaller as long as driver know to follow them.

5) Writing

Keeping in mind that your might only have a few seconds to arouse curiosity or interest from a passerby, it is paramount that you be as brief as possible in the message, and as to-the-point as possible.

House For Sale

123-456-7890

552 Property Street

Hundred Yards This Way

======>

It is really up to what you want to communicate and your level of creativity to work out what to write on them.

6) Ugly or nice

This is a dilemma that you will tear your hair out at.

Do you spend more money and give the bandit sign a classy look? Or will a short message no matter how ugly it is be sufficient?

It really depends on your needs and goals.

Personally, I would go with short, sweet, and direct. There’s no need to brand yourself at this juncture.

7) Permits

Depending on where you want to place them and the local laws, it might be against the law to do what you intend to do with the yard signs.

So it is best to check with the local authorities first. And get the relevant required permits.

However, if you are making a commercial decision and totally fine with paying a few fines, then go wild.

Like a parking fine, you can park anywhere you want… just that you will get a ticket.

I remember a story about Steve Jobs who want to switch off the Exit lights in a hall room just so that he can create the perfect atmosphere for the presentation. Because of safety concerns, switching off the lights can lead to a fine. He went ahead and ordered them to be switched off anyway.

A few final tips on bandit signs.

You are going to run into vandals who destroy or steal your signs. Take it on the chin and just set up new ones. It not worth time to go after these people.

When setting up the coroplast sign boards, have the flutes run horizontally instead of vertically. Vertical set ups tend to be more fragile in the wind. They should mention this in science class.

And finally, don’t make the unforgivable mistake of sacrificing the message for the aesthetics.

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