Best Real Estate Signs and Best Practices in 2021
So you’re ready to buy a sign!
That will be $700, please.
I’m not joking!
Compass famously rolled out its own “Super Sign” in 2018. They previously sold the techy sign for $700 on their site before removing it from their store in 2020 (only selling accessories for existing signs now).
I imagine at certain price points that sign might have been totally worth it.
Fortunately, for everyone else at more modest price points, there are more affordable options, though admittedly much less cool.
These will also set your bank account back less if they get stolen or go missing, which is just part of the game in real estate.
Cheap Real Estate Sign Ideas
I wrote about ways that new agents waste money. Included on that list was “buying signs”.
Don’t go buying signs until you need them! You have a brokerage, and most brokerages will have some generic for sale signs you can use when you nab your first listing. Those are more than sufficient when starting out.
Meanwhile, the best way to get signs is to ask around the office or other agents in your community for any unused sign frames. You might be able to get them for cheap or even free. That is the most expensive part of a sign. Then you can simply order the signs and riders to fit the frame.
Types of Yard Signs
Metal Frame
This is the most common type of real estate sign, a metal frame in which your sign and riders can easily slide.
- Standard Frame. This frame accommodates just a sign, and is probably inadequate for real estate. You’ll want at least one rider spot for a “For Sale” or “Pending” sign.
- Single Rider. The single rider has a second spot below the main frame for your riders.
- Double Rider. Super fancy is the double rider if you want to add a second call to action above the sign. Brokerages might consider double riders where they can have a brokerage branded main sign, a rider for status updates, and the second rider spot to easily swap out listing agent information, making your signs maximally versatile.
Vinyl Post Signs
I’ve seen these called a variety of things like “hanging signpost”, “colonial post”, or “vinyl real estate sign posts”.
These real estate For Sale signs are more expensive, made of vinyl or PVC, but look high quality. And are more durable, as evidenced by Tim Maitski.
They can accommodate a flexible variety of riders, be it 2, 3, or more.
Wire Yard Stakes
Also called “H Frame”, wire stakes are cheap signs designed for corrugated plastic signs to slide in on the holes.
These are ideal for open house signs, especially directional signs that are more at risk of being lost or damaged.
These are better suited to signs that don’t need to last too long, like political signs or event signs. I would skip these as a possible real estate option.
Real Estate Sign Riders
Lots of association offices will sell riders in their offices.
My preference is to design my own in Photoshop and get custom real estate sign riders in my brand colors, rather than the plain red-white riders you commonly see.
Status Updates
- Coming Soon
- For Sale
- Pending
- Sold
Many real estate agents put “Sold” when the home goes under contract. I prefer “Pending”. I don’t want to tempt fate. But a “pending” under my name still shows I know how to sell a house!
Once it closes, I would swap in a single “SOLD” rider, reorient the sign in the yard for a single, good picture, share it to social media, and then take the sign with me.
I would also leave my sign as “For Sale” if still active contingent in the MLS. Whatever your MLS rules are on statuses, I would match those.
Features
Riders are an opportunity to call out the best features in a home. Only a few are probably worthy of paying for a sign rider if relevant to your market.
- Pool
- Waterfront
- View
- Guest House
- Horse Property
- Se Habla Español
- Remodeled
- __ Acres
- Self Tour Available
- Show by Appointment Only
Cheesy Sign Riders
I thought this was a useful list of the Most Annoying Sign Riders. My favorites are:
- Honey Stop the Car! Don’t tell me what to say to my honey! I’m an American.
- Improved Price. Price drops can’t be helped and I guess you need to advertise them. But this make it sounds cheap or like something is amiss. I think I would prefer “Price Reduced” to “Improved Price”.
- Listings Wanted. Obviously your sign is an opportunity to sell yourself. However, it’s a little tacky to blatantly use your current listings to market yourself. Does your seller want that? Or would they prefer that your limited sign space said something else relevant to their home?
- Area Specialist. Ditto for “area specialist”. Make it about the home, not about you.
- Hi, Come on In. Cheesy alert!
- Exclusive. I don’t even know what this means. Is it a pocket listing?
- Short Sale. Lead with your best foot forward! “Short sale” sounds so negative, when often it’s a huge plus for buyers who can afford to trade patience for equity.
- No Longer Haunted. Okay, I made this one up. But would probably be a bad sign rider.
Yard Sign Best Practices
- Go With Aluminum. Corrugated plastic is cheaper, but will not last long. Even a quick sale has your sign out in the weather and elements at least a month or more. Aluminum is sturdy and easy to clean. My corrugated plastic real estate riders were always bending, sliding out of the frame, scratching easily, and eventually snapping in half.
- Near Side of the Sidewalk and Off the Road. It’s tempting to stick the sign just a foot from the curb where it is most likely to jump in passing drivers’ faces and catch their attention. But the best practice is putting it a few feet inside the sidewalk, or, if there are no sidewalks, at least six feet in from the road. You want to avoid possible easements.
- Check on Them Regularly! Hopefully you are checking in on your vacant listings at least weekly, ensuring there is no dirt tracked through the home or anything amiss. During your checkups, it’s a great time to make sure your sign is still standing tall and proud!
- Perpendicular to the Road. You might think facing the road head one is the best way to view a sign when looking at a house straight on. But when traveling to the home from either direction, it is easiest to see a sign when perpendicular. Remember, signs aren’t only ways to advertise your home but a way to make it a little easier for agents to find your listing once on the street.
Best Real Estate Sign Companies
BuildASign
Build A Sign
Build A Sign has a variety of sign options, including some templates available for the major franchise brands. They also offer magnets, business cards, flags, and more.
Dee Sign
Dee Sign features a very wide selection of real estate specific sign, including templates for the major brands. You can do the metal frames and hanging signs alike, as well as feather flags and all the accessories. Dee Sign even has branded face masks available for your social distancing open houses.
Half Price Banners
Half Price banners has plastic signs available and open house signs. They also have a selection of feather flags for open houses, and banners and fabric signs.
Lowen Sign Company
Lowen specializes in real estate flags and features standard metal frame signs, feather flags, banners, as well as oversize job site flags perfect for new construction neighborhoods.
Oakley Signs & Graphics
Oakley Signs and Graphics specializes in signs for real estate agents and brokers, featuring pre-made signs for a long list of brokerage franchises. They boast the full range of yard signs including posts, frames, and stakes, as well as reflective signs, flags, and unique shapes.
How to Install a Sign
Warning: DANGER!
If you haven’t installed a metal frame sign before, you’re probably in for a surprise.
I broke one of my signs by stepping on the frame to try to get it into tough, dry dirt. They also have sharp, metal corners that could easily injure you! I imagine most experienced agents have at least one sign injury story.
Don’t step on the frame to try to get it in the dirt.
Check out Emilio in the video above on the best practice for installing metal or vinyl signs.
You want to use a hammer and piece of 2×4 wood. The wood protects the yard sign post from the hammer while you get it in the ground. You can do the same thing Emilio is doing on the two sides of a metal frame sign.
I’ve heard of some agents who carry water when putting up signs, just to help wet the soil and make it a little easier.
You don’t want to leave a sign only partly in the dirt. It will blow over, get dirty, buried in snow, or worse.
Frozen Weather
I thought I had it tough in dry Texas dirt, but didn’t consider how hard Yankees have it in the frozen weather.
This video from Don Keeton is over a decade old but still useful. I never imagined needing a drill as part of my real estate trunk ensemble.
Sign Accoutrements
Mini-Sledge Hammer
The tool you’ll need, with a block of wood, to pound in the corners of your metal sign or the base of your vinyl hanging sign.
LED Solar Lights
There are lights designed just for signs, but I think yard lights like these are going to be more reliable and longer lasting. Just a way to spice up your yard game, especially in Northern winters with early sunsets!
Brochure Boxes
I find these tend to run out of fliers quickly. But if you’re checking in weekly it shouldn’t be trouble to keep it topped up. Not sure they’re worth it as so much of shopping is digital, now, but depends on your market and personal style!
Conclusion
Hopefully you got some tips on how to get some real estate yard signs for cheap, or upgrade your sign game with lights, custom sign riders, and more as your business expands!
Updated April 28, 2021; Originally published September 10, 2020
