Page 10 - The Bowler

Bored of boards and sigh at signs? Do estate agents’ boards actually work?
I am often asked whether a ‘For Sale’ or ‘To Let’ sign is still necessary in a predominantly digital world.
“Surely everyone looks on the property search sites?”,
“I live in a quiet street so what’s the point?” and “I don’t want the neighbours to know I am selling” are the three most common objections from clients when they first come to market.
It’s understandable, because on the face of it they
are all perfectly valid comments but dig a little deeper and there are more reasons to have a board than to not have one.
Firstly, and to dispel a myth, an advertising sign is to advertise the property and not the agency selling or letting it. As much as we like to see our signature bowler hats all over town, the focus is to showcase available properties to give our clients the best chance
of maximising enquiries.
So, let’s explore those objections:
“Surely everyone looks on the property search sites?”
It’s true that most people will look on search sites, but a lot of people will spot an advertising board before the property even hits the internet. A ‘For Sale’ sign is also indiscriminate on price, so you may receive an enquiry from someone who is searching in an entirely different price range online. I once sold a house to someone at £200,000 above their budget because they had always admired the property on their daily dog walks and spotted the board the day it was put up. They stretched their budget considerably and bought it.
10 | The Bowler | Issue One