For Sale Sign Design: 12 Ways To Make A Real Estate ‘For Sale’ Sign Stand Out

Suffice it to say, the real estate industry is an incredibly competitive space. For realtors and real estate firms to distinguish themselves from competitors, they must consider essential elements like real estate website design. Moreover, in addition to website design services, real estate professionals must consider crucial things such as local SEO. In this article, real estate experts discuss 12 ways to make your real estate ‘For Sale’ sign stand out.

Go With A Less Is More Approach

“Your real estate sign is critical to your overall branding and marketing approach in real estate. Additionally, you want to think of how potential buyers and sellers will interact with your real estate sign. If you are in a community where people drive by the home, you want to have a sign that is easy to read from a passing car. Go with a less is more approach. Keep the content to the key elements such as name, logo, and contact information. This allows you to use larger font sizes for your name and contact info. If your brand has an icon or design element you regularly use, try to incorporate that. You want your sign to be memorable and easily relate to your other marketing elements such as business cards, a website, brochures, etc. 

Use of fonts and color palette should be consistent and aligned to your brand. If you need to say more about the home, consider using sign riders to indicate a pool, remodeled, etc. Remember, the goal of the sign is to show this property is on the market for sale and how you can contact the listing agent. A secondary goal for the sign is to show potential sellers your brand and appearance.

Finally and most importantly, make sure your sign complies with the rules and regulations of your state’s real estate division and local REALTOR association.”

Don Cramer, REALTOR®, The Cramer Group @ Urban Nest Realty

Pay Attention To Color, Keep It Simple, Readable Text, Be Unique

“Having an effective for sale sign does not only attract potential buyers to the home that you are marketing, but can also be used as a tool to attract new clients. In order to do this, you want to be sure to have a sign that is memorable and represents your brand. 

Here are a few tips to make sure that your sale sign stands out: 

1) Pay attention to color – A color can ignite emotions in people. For example, yellow may create happiness, while blue is often associated with calming. You want to keep this mind when choosing the colors for your sign. Identify what image you want to portray, and research the color that best suits that idea. Also, you want to use contrasting colors – This will help increase the chance the audience will remember the sign. 

2) Keep it simple – Do not try to overcrowd your sign! It will draw the attention away from the key elements and cause your audience to forget the information. Try to limit the information to what is pertinent, such as your company and contact information. 

3) Make sure the text is easy to read. You want each person passing by to be able to read the sign from a distance; therefore, you want to focus on large font and appropriate spacing. Also, try to use a font that is simple – An overzealous font can actually have a negative effect. 

4) Be unique. Make a sign that has something different compared to the other average for sale signs used in the market. This can be a fun color design with shapes, or a unique logo. The goal here is to be memorable!”

Ashley Baskin, Licensed Real Estate Agent, Serves On The Advisory Board For HomeLife Digest

Real Estate Signs That Include A Headshot Of The Realtor(s) Involved Attract More Eyes And Grab People’s Attention

“My tip for creating a real estate sign that stands out is to include an image of yourself.

Believe it or not, real estate signs that include a headshot of the realtor(s) involved attract more eyes and grab people’s attention. People will look to see the real images of the people and their eyes will also look over the company name, the website, and more.

Most realtors have a nice image of themselves that they use in their marketing materials that they can also use for their real estate signage. Try and make it as much of a headshot as possible and don’t take any shortcuts on the quality of the photo.

On top of the added appeal of the signage, people will also begin to recognize you in person after seeing your face on these signs so often. It really is a win-win when you put a picture of yourself on your real estate signage.”

John Kirshenboim, CEO and Owner, John Buys Bay Area Houses

Know Your Audience, Use Clever Typography To Stand Out, And Incorporate Interactivity

“Main design tips:

1) Know your audience – The importance of aesthetics as it pertains to your target audience is crucial. Social media is now the leading place to conduct data research on your audience. You would be surprised to learn that certain fonts, colors, imagery, and design styles trend differently among different age groups. Zone in on who your audience is and visually cater to them in order to stand out as a business and brand they can identify with.

2) Use clever typography to stand out – This is a simple sign that has one objective. To sell a property, therefore do not overwhelm the message with imagery. Keep it clean, simple, one or two colors and get creative only within your typography. If you want to incorporate imagery, then so with a symbol that blends into the typeface. There is a lot you can do with a title – mix up the fonts, or font weights, sizes, or colors.

3) Incorporate interactivity – Aside from brand name/logo and contact details, you may have a good chance of engaging possible buyers by introducing an interactive feature that requires action in order for them to reveal your message. This can be done with a QR code, which can then take them to a social media account of the property, your brand, or your website. Why a QR code and not just note the website or social media handle? Because it inspires curiosity and encourages the customer to interact with the sign in order to discover what lies behind the QR code. If you only leave a website or social media handle the customer may see it, note it down, or take a picture but may forget about it later on. Current action is what you’re aiming for here.”

Crissy Bogusz, Lead Graphic Designer

A Creatively Shaped Sign, Customize the Post Sign Holder, And Use Contrasting Colors

“According to Red Crow Marketing, the average American sees between 4,000 and 10,000 ads per day. It is more important than ever to make sure your signage is unique and stands out.

Use a creatively shaped sign – One simple way to make a sign stand out is to get a custom shaped design. Most realtors and home sellers use plain white rectangular signs when selling their homes; those do not get a second glance. By having a sign that is circular shaped or even rectangular with an added feature will grab a passerby’s attention better than any standard design.

Customize the Post Sign Holder – A great way to draw attention to your sign is by putting in a little work to the post sign holder. By painting the sign holder, the same color as the house’s color scheme, the sign will pop and feel like it is more natural and belongs in front of that house.

Use Contrasting Colors – Making a good For Sale sign is a balancing act. The sign should be easy to read and stand out from its surroundings, while not being too obtrusive. Contrasting colors grab attention and set the tone for the buyer. Choose colors that stand out but do not look unprofessional. A great tool to use when selecting contrasting colors is the color wheel. When you have a color you like, find the color opposite of it on the wheel to determine the most contrasting color. If it looks like it works well together, you are on your way to a great sign.”

Dillan Thompson, Acquisitions Manager, Easy-Man Buys Houses

In today’s ultra-competitive real estate space, realtors must utilize numerous design and marketing strategies to formulate a strong brand identity and flourish in the future. Essentially, these key elements will attract and engage potential clients, thus increasing sales and maximizing the growth of your real estate business.