This is my column for this week from the Arizona Republic (permanent link).
A real estate sign of the times: Our first custom yard sign printed in both English and Spanish
We do things that other brokers in the Phoenix area don’t do. We’re not the busiest listing brokerage — not by miles — but we’re among the most aggressively innovative in our marketing practices.
Our yard signs have always been very big, to try to grab as much attention as we can get for our listed homes, but for the past two years we have been building custom signs for our listings.
Working with Signs By Tomorrow in Peoria, we have been able to build huge, custom, four-color signs for our listed homes — featuring giant photographs of the interior and exterior of the house and custom descriptive copy about the property.
Our signs stop traffic. I know because I will often sit in my car a block or two away and watch passing cars as they slow down and stop to take in the sign, look over the house and grab a flyer.
We have a home listed in Peoria right now, and we took things one step further for this property. We know that a significant number of people in the surrounding area speak Spanish as their first language, so both the flyer and the custom sign are printed with one side in English and one side in Spanish.
Working from the English version of the Flyer, Enrique Lopez of YourPrintSource.com prepared the Spanish translation. This copy was typeset for both the flyer and the sign. If you approach the home — 7813 West Beryl Avenue — from the East, you’ll see the sign and flyer in English. From the West, you’ll see the sign and flyer in Spanish.
Just because there’s no reason not to, the photos on each side of the sign are unique. Instead of four pictures, we were able to use eight.
We also added a Spanish version of the flyer to the MLS listing so that Spanish-speaking buyers can read about the features of the home.
Regardless of our endlessly-debated border policies, as a matter of pure demographics, Phoenix is becoming a bilingual city. Doing real estate promotional material in both English and Spanish just makes sense.
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Susan Hilton - Texas Aggie Realtor says:
Custom signs for residential real estate – WOW!!! What an idea. How have the bilingual signs been received?
July 27, 2008 — 5:01 pm
Landflip says:
It’s very important to have a good marketing plan that reaches all types of people in this country. I feel that it is smart to reach the Spanish speaking population.
July 28, 2008 — 11:53 am
Walt says:
These signs are going to go over really well in Paradise Valley.
July 28, 2008 — 9:26 pm
Petersburg VA Real Estate says:
Your signs are great, and are sure to help you attract both buyers and new listings! Having so much info visible without having to get out of the car to get a flyer is a super idea.
September 14, 2008 — 10:33 am