Mike Rohrig got to hang a sold sign on the first custom yard sign he built for a listing. The sign probably didn’t sell the house, but it did sell another homeowner on listing with Mike.
He relates this in email:
I had reports from my seller of at least one person just short of slamming on their brakes to look at the sign. How do you think the sellers felt when they saw that?
From Tallahassee, Barry Bevis offers this:
Here are my first two custom yard signs.
Learned a little — as you always go the first time out. Next time they will be larger, I’ll balance the fonts out, No rivet through my logo and maybe shorten the text — but the paragraph is stopping walkers.
As I posted on your blog, the web address just sends you to the listing page on my website.
Here are Barry’s signs:
I think this rocks. From our point of view, a listing sells to three parties: The seller, the buyer and the neighbors. The idea of using yard signs to snare random buyers — in the hope of selling them something — anything! — seems sub-optimal to me. We would rather knock the socks off the neighbors, thus to cultivate a steady stream of listings.
As both Mike and Barry note, a custom yard sign is excellent for drawing buyer attention. And your actions will speak to your sellers much louder than any words could that you want to earn their business. And that yard sign will communicate silently to neighbors who are thinking of selling that they need to give you a call. I rate that a win all around.
Technorati Tags: real estate, real estate marketing, real estate photography, real estate training, technology
Barry Bevis says:
Greg-
Thanks again for the inspiration!
We went through 4-5 proofs before it was printed.
I was happy with another design and then thought: “D’oh!” We don’t need a photo of the front of the house—- they can see it! So the final one has a photo of the back yard on one and the featured sun room on the other.
Feedback- I’m longing for feedback!
April 25, 2008 — 5:44 am
Cheryl Johnson says:
As usual, I would ask both Mike and Barry to share the nuts and bolts of the task: Are the signs coroplast or some other material? Did you buy through a local sign printing company or an online vendor? If so, which online vendor? What was the turn around time?
April 25, 2008 — 5:47 am
Barry Bevis says:
I used a local sign shop, SignsNow, they did the layout for me as well.
Its owned by my cousins so I think I get a little special treatment!
Sign is aluminum. I thought about coroplast to save some $ but the sign shop thought it would sway too much and it did not cost that much less than the Aluminum.
They were ready 24 hours after I approved the proof!
April 25, 2008 — 6:22 am
Dave Barnes says:
As a consumer, I like these signs.
Barry is spot on with: “So the final one has a photo of the back yard on one and the featured sun room on the other.” Exactly. Show me what I can’t see from the street.
My advice to Barry is: bigger. Catch the drivers. This sign size is more for walkers.
April 25, 2008 — 7:15 am
Greg Swann says:
> My advice to Barry is: bigger. Catch the drivers.
I agree with that. Our main sign is 24×36″. There’s a riser above the bar on the post that’s 24″x9″. The price rider is 24×7.5″, usually with an Open House rider at 24×9″. It comes to more than 10 square feet of signage, total. There’s enough weight that we have to drive wedges into the ground to steady the post. We we get the time, we’re going to build H-frames with two posts, both for better stability and to secure the big sign at four points so it can’t swing around in the wind.
April 25, 2008 — 7:29 am
Dave Barnes says:
Greg,
Be careful with that “can’t swing in the wind”. You don’t want to create so much sail area that a strong wind takes down the entire frame.
,dave
April 25, 2008 — 9:16 am
Greg Swann says:
> Be careful with that “can’t swing in the wind”. You don’t want to create so much sail area that a strong wind takes down the entire frame.
Good thinking. We had thought of using short bungee cords, but that might not allow enough give. I’ve had the wind pull signs all the way out of the post — tearing quarter-inch “eye” screws out of the wood.
You’re right, though. We have days when an H-frame like that would make a phenomenal kite. 😉
April 25, 2008 — 9:39 am
Will says:
I’m curious how much it cost you. I know everyone’s mileage may vary (especially if you got it from a cousin) but it seems so many shops prep up pre-made real estate company signs and just slap on your name/number. What kind of quotes are people seeing out there for their signs?
April 25, 2008 — 10:22 am
Mike says:
anyone come across an internet based shop that can print these signs — via a PDF sent to them ?
thanks.
-Mike
April 25, 2008 — 10:28 am
Jonathan Bunn- Ashburn VA Real Estate says:
this is awesome. my client mentioned doing this a while back and i thought. hmmmmm, not sure about this. looks like i failed the “out of the box” test. thanks for the inspiration.
April 25, 2008 — 11:52 am
Matthew Rathbun says:
That is freaking cool! Great job thinking out of the box.
April 25, 2008 — 3:18 pm
John C says:
My local sign guy has a web based business, also. He prints from PDF and mails anywhere. His site is http://www.EBanr.com – name is Cliff Grinnell.
April 25, 2008 — 5:40 pm
Cheryl Johnson says:
This company: http://www.photosignriders.com/index.asp seems to have a web-form-template-based system for creating sign ~riders~ with full color photos and text. I’m thinking of contacting them to ask about the possibility of purchasing full size signs created the same way. Unless someone else has already spoken with them? Anyone?
April 25, 2008 — 6:37 pm
Greg Swann says:
> I’m thinking of contacting them to ask about the possibility of purchasing full size signs created the same way.
Cheryl, there are ten sign vendors within five miles of you who can do this work. When we decided we wanted it, it was impossible, but the technology has been fairly common — and reasonably priced — for a couple of years.
April 25, 2008 — 7:06 pm
Barry Bevis says:
My Cuz can print and ship them as well.
She sends PDF Proofs.
Here is the link to their website…
http://signsnow290.signsnow.com/
April 26, 2008 — 7:52 am
Cheryl Johnson says:
And now I’m thinking … whoa … I wonder if I could scare up a little time and money to open up a sign printing shop… 🙂
April 26, 2008 — 5:19 pm
John C says:
Barry – My in laws live in Tallahassee – Betton Hills area (that’s why the Marston sign caught my attention) – and are way impressed with your marketing. I forwarded them this post from the BHB and they forwarded to friends. Hopefully you’ll see some biz increase from the great work. Keep it up, you’re giving us all some great ideas.
John C
May 1, 2008 — 8:28 am