Opinion: Boards ARE still relevant! ...

Features

29 October 2022

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Sales and Marketing Director, Kremer Signs

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The For Sale board is one of the oldest marketing tools available to agents, but it is still considered one of the most important, even in this modern day of online marketing.

The board itself is recognised universally as a symbol of a property being for sale or to let.

A property board can get people talking - when people see the board they are going to gossip, they may tell friends and family that there is a property for sale or to let in the area. This in itself could lead to a transaction.

If you have a physical high street presence, think of your shop sign or agency board as the best way to tell the outside world about your business. Telling people who your company is, what you do, and most importantly why they need you.

Good signage acts as the gateway to your business. It doesn’t rely on people trawling through the internet to find your kind of service, hefty SEO or targeted marketing. Instead, it says ‘We’re here! Come inside and speak to us!’

Brand awareness

The use of boards increases brand awareness, and more importantly, in the areas that matter. This is important for all agents, no matter your size or how well established you are.

If you are undergoing a rebrand, a change in board design is the perfect way to deliver your new branding and speed up the awareness process.

Boards can appeal to anyone of any age, something which online marketing doesn’t always fully achieve.

Despite the rise in use of online property websites, the sheer amount of boards that we produced in 2021 suggests that they are still equally as important.

The boards provide visibility and clear calls to action to consumers, telling them: ‘this house is for sale and this is where you can get more information – want to sell your house? Call us too!’

Boards capture the attention of a wide range of people, such as those who aren’t looking online for a property; people who aren’t actively house hunting; and Sheila from number 24 who knows her niece is looking for somewhere to buy or rent and passes the details on. Also, when Sheila does come to sell she may also remember you; win, win.

Cost-effective marketing

When you break down the cost of marketing for agents, you will find that the supply of estate agent boards will be one of your most cost-effective tools, (we’ve seen those Rightmove fees!).

On average, a board used at five properties will only cost you less than a cup of coffee per property, so why would you compromise quality? Once the boards are paid for, you have full management and they can be used time and time again.

This is where the real saving is, not in a cheap initial price and having to replenish the boards in six months’ time, but order quality boards that will last the test of time, and most importantly portray a professional image for your business.

We have even had agents report boards that have lasted over six years. This quality in product paired up with a well-oiled board management service, can maximise the longevity of your agency boards, reinforcing that fact that they are the most cost-effective form of advertising for any agent.

A key tool

To successfully market your agency, you need all of the marketing components to work together to build up a powerful brand. The board itself drives activity through to your website and can also generate leads straight through to the office by displaying your telephone number.

It showcases the property in question, so you know that the potential client has seen the property in the flesh, which also makes this a slightly warmer lead than one straight off of the web.

Display your dominance

Seeing a number of boards for the same agency says to people that you are the ‘go-to agent’ when buying or selling a property, acting as a mass advertising tool throughout the local area.

The power of a successful action on the board i.e. Sold or Let By, shouts success for your agency and can be left in situ for 14 days after completion so everyone knows you’ve done a great job.

The age of the ‘boring board’ is also over, there are so many different sign options available that you can well and truly put your personal brand on people’s doorsteps. The board is such a unique tool for estate agents, so make the most of it!

And it’s for these reasons I’ve mentioned, as to why we still consider signage to still be at the forefront of key marketing tools available for an estate agent and should never be over looked.

*Tom Cummuskey is sales and marketing manager at board specialists Kremer Signs

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- Chris Arnold
- 29 October 2022 08:28 AM
Or, a blight on the landscape? With so many agents oblivious to, or complicit in, the positioning of the board, they spring up everywhere like weeds.

I'm reminded of the quote by Banksy on advertising:

"People are taking the Mickey out of you everyday. They intrude into your life, take a cheap shot at you and then disappear...They have re-arranged the world to put themselves in front of you. They never asked for permission."

"Boards can appeal to anyone of any age" might just be the most blinkered marketing statement of the year, so far. Andrew Essex, author of The Decline of Advertising, has this to say on the subject:
"Young people, not to mention people of all ages, really, really don't like being annoyed - and ads, almost always, are annoying. There is nothing beautiful, let alone useful, about being distracted or annoyed by something you didn't ask to see.
I appreciate this will be a hugely unpopular opinion, but surely it's time to ditch these archaic eyesores and do some intelligent marketing.

- Algarve Investor
- 29 October 2022 10:44 AM
It's a fine balance. They are still a great marker of whether a home is for sale or to let, but too many of them on a street becomes an eyesore and a blight on the landscape. I think they still have their place, but maybe could be made more digital-friendly.

- John Durrant
- 01 November 2022 17:54 PM
There are only two tangible pieces of evidence that you're as good as you say you are:
1) Your property marketing - it's either market-leading or it isn't.
2) Your sold boards.
Everything else is down to trust and reputation - but you can't physically touch either of those.