Why Should I Have a Sign in My Yard?

It’s no secret that even in a hot market like this one, home sellers want all the stops pulled out by their agent to get their home sold for the most money.

As well they should. Business is business.

One ironic request, however, is when the seller does not want a yard sign. Their rationale is understandable in many cases, as the perception of privacy from nosy neighbors is often mentioned. Moreover, consumers aren’t primarily driving around looking for signs, they are looking online. That’s true- to a degree. I’ve had clients opine that the signs are more for the agent than the home seller, as if it is more of a self promotional vehicle than one to sell the listing. Selling a home successfully is a win/win proposition for client and agent, so I take issue with that more than the others.

Yard signs do work. Let me count the ways.

• Let’s tackle the privacy from the neighbors first. There’s nothing less private than having 3 photos of your bedroom on the Internet 24/7. And once the agent holds an open house, the neighbors will know.  But the neighbors are also the best source of word of mouth marketing a home seller has. It is considered a best practice to mail the neighborhood about the new listing, because they may know someone who wants to live nearby. You simply can’t have a home listed with a good broker and have it be a secret from select circles of people. In that respect, I recommend to clients to pull that bandage off.
• Home buyers do drive neighborhoods. They go online first, but they check out the areas in real life all the time. They want to check out the local vibe, ascertain walkability, learn how close the property is to local attractions, and soak in the setting, among many other things.
• Signs are a huge help in helping consumers and agents alike in actually making sure they are at the right property. Whether they are going to a showing or just doing a curiosity drive by, it matters. I’ve had people tell me that they are passing on a home, and they were at the wrong property. I’ve actually saved a few sales in those situations, and while it isn’t frequent, once is enough.
• Yard signs are indeed effective marketing. With modern technology, anyone driving by a property can log onto a geo-locational app, which these days is virtually every search website, pull over, and enjoy a virtual tour among many other things. Sometimes that yields that the property is out of their budget or otherwise not for them when they call the agent. But that cuts two ways, as agents can and will direct folks to your listing from other listings with signs.

There are, of course, solid reasons for not having a yard sign. I had a recent client ask me to hold off on the sign because he was out of town and didn’t want to attract attention to anyone seeking vacant houses for less than honorable reasons. That made sense. He declined the sign when he returned, but wisely took my advice when a buyer was slow to sign their contract. I don’t think it was a coincidence that once the sign went up, the contract was signed.

Given that privacy in this day and age is a myth, I strongly recommend that more sellers take advantage of what a yard sign brings. It’s admittedly a very analog instrument in a digital world, but it does open a digital gateway that didn’t exist before mobile phones.