CRE Outsider offered some great tips about real estate signs. The majority of the article is below but you can visit their website to read the entire post. Commercial real estate signs are a constant, visual reminder that reinforce awareness and provide name recognition. Consider the fact that the average person passes by at least 40 signs per day and that 97% of the people in any given market will see a sign each day. You can’t turn them off. They just sit there as the market circulates around them waiting for the moment a consumer has a need. Signs have the lowest cost per impression and highest awareness/recall than any other form of advertising. Here are some suggestions to get the most out of your signs.
1 – Design: Don’t jam lots of text onto your signs. Besides the listing type (sale/lease/available) your company name, logo and phone number are all you need. Most brokerages put a web address but it’s really not necessary. If they can read your company name, they’ll search for it online and get to your site. Some brokerages feel it’s necessary to put the agent’s name/direct phone number on the sign. Unless the agent’s name is easy to remember (because the phone number sure isn’t) it may not be worth the extra cost. If you do want to add agent names, put them on a rider to not only draw attention to the name but so you can re-use the base sign.
2 – Contrast: Make sure your signs contrast with the background you intend to place them on. You’ll also want to make sure your signs contrast with competitor signs – or that your competitors aren’t blatantly ripping off your design. If everyone seems to be copying your solid red signs, break it up. Keep the red prominent but put your logo or phone number in a white or other secondary color block.
3 – Consistency … and Change: There’s something to be said for consistency when it comes to branding so don’t go changing your signs or logo all the time. But you do need to be on guard for changes in style. Review your sign design to keep it visually up to date and distinctive enough to stand out.
4 – Placement: Billboard advertisers place signs based on traffic counts and demographics but you don’t have that luxury. The sign’s got to go where it’s got to go. For primarily foot traffic areas, you’ll want them at/near eye level. Signs viewable from highways should be placed facing traffic or multi-sided/multiple locations if you’re trying to attract commuters from both lanes. If the sign is on a building, place at heights similar to billboards so they’ll catch the eyes of drivers on the approach. Also consider placing signs in areas where people tend to fixate their gaze such as bus stops or signaled intersections proximate to buildings you have listed or just for branding purposes.
5 – Measurement: Don’t just put up signs and forget about them. Set up a system with the address, alternate addresses, nearby intersections, highway markers and any landmarks for each sign so when people call, you’ll be able to determine which property they’re calling about.
There’s no way you’ll know who visits your website after seeing a sign, but do keep track of sign calls. And, make a note of deals that originated from sign calls. Your results may vary, of course. But if you don’t have the data, you’ll never know that signs do work.
About The Sundance Company
Established in 1976, The Sundance Company has the experience to help you with your commercial real estate needs throughout the Boise Valley. If your requirements include property management, leasing, real estate development, project planning, construction or space planning then look to us. The Sundance Company has more than 1.5 million square feet of office and industrial space available in prime locations in the Boise metropolitan area. More information is available at www.sundanceco.com or 208.322.7300.
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