Redefining Real Estate Signage in Charlottesville

As a cost-saving measure, all listings I market will have to be priced at $360,000.

Kidding.

This is our first attempt at doing custom yard signs. Some developments won’t allow post signs, others require their own, neighborhood-approved signs in accordance with their homeowners associations’ regulations … some neighborhoods don’t allow signs at all.

One size does not fit all, and this is but one way that we are seeking to re-define how real estate is done in Charlottesville and Central Virginia.

We want to market our clients’ homes, not our brokerage.

The early feedback has been promising.

- “I love that the price is there!”

- “I love the interior photos!”

- “I think sellers are going to be wild about these!”

- Phone number is too small, sign’s too busy. (We’ll work on this)

- “am surprised that your contact info (esp your website) isn’t more prominently displayed” (This will be addressed in the next generation)

The next ones will be better.

But … do they work?

They did here -

Here’s the really interesting part. After hanging the sign I started to pull away and had to stop and get my camera out again. Three cars in a row stopped to look at the sign and one actually sent their child out to get the flyer.

So… within minutes of hanging the sign I had eyeballs from three cars and conversion on one; you have got to love that kind of impact! BTW, the first thing my clients said was they loved the sign. I remarked how standard signs only tell people a house is for sale while marketing for the brokerage. One of the ideas behind a custom sign is to encourage people to stop the car and get out to read the sign (thus increasing the possibility of interest).

Saturday and Sunday I held an open house and the feedback I received from the nine to ten sets of people who came through was universally positive. Positive feedback is good – constructive feedback is better.

Now, how long until we’re copied?

Update 23 March 2009: NBC 29 did a nice story about the signs.

Credit where credit is due -

Greg’s series of posts on custom yard signs.

- A real estate sign of the times: Our first custom yard sign printed in both English and Spanish

- Describing Mariana and Derek’s signs in Colorado Springs

- Describing John Kalinowski’s signs in Northeast Ohio.

Our graphic designer.