Over the years, national surveys have determined that the number one source of prospective buyers are the For Sale By Owner Signs in the front yard.
People cruise around neighborhoods they are interested in living in. Studies have also shown that
people calling for more information after seeing your FOR SALE BY OWNER SIGNS are far more likely to turn into buyers than people who call after seeing
an ad in the newspaper. This makes sense since when people see your For Sale By Owner Signs, they already know the neighborhood, the exact location, the style
of house and the all important curb appeal that has piqued their interest.
Therefore, if you are allowed to put up FOR SALE BY OWNER SIGNS, DO IT! Some communities limit or forbid the use of these signs, so if you never see one in your
neighborhood, check before putting it up.
What Kind of For Sale By Owner Signs?
An effective, professional-looking sign will not only get the message across that this house is FOR SALE, but it also tells prospects that you are a serious seller who does things the right way.
If you think we are overstating this, picture your family on a road trip. You have been driving all day and are now looking for a place to stay. You pass two motel signs: One is attractive, professionally designed and painted and has all of the information you expect, the other is a generic sign that says "MOTEL" and has the telephone number and address hand-written in black marker. One place feels clean and inviting while the other seems to be the setting for a horror movie.
Now imagine two houses, one with a hand-scribbled sign, the other with professional-looking For Sale By Owner Signs : Which for sale by owner signs better convey the message that the seller is most likely to be a knowledgeable and reliable seller to deal with? Which house is more likely to have been professionally maintained? Prospects will look at all of the trouble the FSBO went to and think, "If this minor thing is okay, won't the rest surely follow?"
What makes for effective For Sale By Owner Signs?
Effective For Sale By Owner Signs have certain things in common: They are thoughtfully designed and have the following Specific Information:
"For Sale"
"For Sale By Owner" or "FSBO". These are powerful words since they imply that there may be real value
to be had here and that the owner has confidence in his/her house and that they are proud of it.
Phone Number
Additional important information, such as:
"Shown by Appointment Only"
Effective For Sale By Owner Signs
Good For Sale By Owner Signs should convey a sense of trust and quality, a sense that this is a quality house and that the person putting up this sign can be trusted.
New, clean, well-designed, and clearly readable For Sale By Owner Signs makes the kind of statement that leads to your goal. This is not the place to scrimp by pasting over a sign that has already seen its better days or using a marking pen to write your phone number and other information on a ready-made, one-size-fits-all hardware store sign. Your house may have been lived in before, but it is new to the prospective buyer and a new sign sets the vital first impression.
REMEMBER, First Impressions Last!
How Many For Sale By Owner Signs Do I Need?
The three most important things in determining how many signs you need are, Location, Location, Location.
Does everything about real estate always come down to location?
Well...not everything, but it is easy to see why the location of your house is important when deciding how many signs you need. If, for instance, your house is on a busy street, a single For Sale By Owner Sign out in front is all you need. You are going to get a lot of exposure just from people passing by. Also, those prospects responding to your newspaper ads and internet listing will be able to spot your house without too much trouble.
The other extreme is the secluded location, many turns from a main street. If this is your situation, you will need a For Sale By Owner Sign on the main feeder street to get prospects' attention, smaller For Sale By Owner Signs with the basics plus a directional arrow at each turn and the sign in front of your house. Of course, special situations may call for unusual solutions. For example, houses that are located between two main streets may be served by two main For Sale By Owner Signs.
When?
Put up your For Sale By Owner Signs as soon as you are ready to show your house, but not a moment sooner. We can almost guarantee that once the For Sale By Owner Signs go up, you will be getting calls and be on your way to selling your house.
