Bored of boards and sigh at signs?
Do Estate Agent Boards really work?
We are often asked whether a ‘for sale’ board is still necessary in a predominantly digital world.
‘Surely everyone looks on the property portals such as Rightmove? ‘
‘I live in a quiet road so no one will see the board’.
‘I don’t want the neighbours to know I’m selling’.
These are the three most common reasons why a client might not want a for sale board when they first come to the market. It’s understandable, because on the face of it they are all perfectly valid reasons but dig a little deeper and the advantages of having a board far outweigh the reasons not to have one.
Firstly, and to dispel a myth, a for sale board is to advertise the property and NOT the agent selling the property. As much as we love to see our for-sale boards all over our core area, where we are best known for selling homes, the focus is to showcase our clients property to give the best chance of maximising enquiries.
So, lets explore the objections:
‘Surely everyone looks on the property portals?’
It’s true that most buyers will brose property portals such as Rightmove and Sladeshomes.co.uk but a lot of buyers will spot a board even before it goes live online. A for sale sign is also indiscriminate on price, meaning the board may lead to an enquiry from a potential buyer who is searching for a home in a completely different price range, meaning the agent can then use their powers of persuasion to tempt a buyer to look inside, even though they might have discounted it online due to it being over their budget.
‘I live on a quiet road, so what’s the point?’
The very fact that you live on a quiet street is a huge selling point in itself, and its likely your neighbours will feel the same. By erecting a for sale board you will bring the house to the attention of other owners within the road who will almost certainly have a friend or a ‘friend of a friend ‘ who might be interested. Remember, your neighbours probably won’t be looking online for a property so a board could be just what you need for that ‘friend of a friend’ to make an early enquiry.
‘I don’t want the neighbours to know I’m selling’
We hate to break it to you, but if your neighbours don’t already know you are selling, it won’t be long until they find out, regardless of whether or not you have a for sale board. Viewings taking place, online listings and social media posts, its very difficult to hide the fact that your home is for sale. Our advice is to always notify your neighbours before coming to the market, you never know, they might have a ‘friend of a friend’ who might be interested!