A Sign of the Times

Delno interesting tree

This is not a riddle but a transformation in real estate marketing.  Recently a client asked me my thoughts on putting signs on a house.  I explained that for more than 20 years we thought signs did more harm than good.  The client said, “Good because I do not want one on my house”!

In the world of real estate pre Internet putting up a- for sale sign and an ad in the local paper were the ways to market real estate.  What worked 20 years ago does not work today.  If you realtor is demanding putting up a sign ask yourself is your realtor working for you or for him or her self?

Another question you should ask is in a global real estate market is a sign in my front yard the best way to market my house to my potential buyers?

Signs are not all bad or always bad there is a time and a place for everything.  We use signs to make it easy to find the properties we have for sale.  The sign locates the property it does not sell the property.

In today’s global Internet based world the time and place for real estate signs are fewer and fewer.  In many cities there have been attempts to ban or limit for sale signs.  Fifteen years ago there were some major lawsuits contesting the right of a government to restrict or prohibit real estate for sale signs.

Many covenant controlled communities world- wide have prohibited real estate for sale signs.  This is especially true in higher end communities and almost always the case in gated communities.

Signs, like advertising in the local newspaper were often more about the real estate agent advertising his or her business rather than marketing the seller’s real estate.  The rise of the Internet and the shift this year to more than 80% of all buyers finding their dream property and dream real estate agent on the internet should be the death knell of signs for all sophisticated sellers and real estate agents.

Today the Internet helps buyers to locate properties and to actually sell the property.  An easy measure for any buyer or seller to assess the skills of the realtor is to look at the agents website.  Does the website show the real estate to its maximum advantage?  Does the website respect and honor you by being truly first class?  Does the website make it easy for you to learn more about the real estate? Does the website make you want to buy?

I look at about 2- dozen real estate websites a week.  Quite frankly most of them turn me off as both a buyer and a seller.  Good real estate websites are expensive, hard to create, take a lot of time money and energy to maintain.  Good real estate websites are always works in progress, growing, evolving keeping up with changing technology and changing wants and needs of sellers and buyers.

Signs never or rarely changed, which is why “old fashioned” agents still like them.  Websites are always changing which is why only a few are really great.  Change, especially technological change is very expensive.

Over the years I have found there is a direct correlation between the quality of a website, the quality of the real estate on the site and the quality of the real estate agent.  Signs were relatively inexpensive but even with signs we saw the best agents had quality signs and the others did not.

Because of the significant costs of quality websites the situation today is even more dramatic.  Great agents make significant investment in their businesses.  Great agents know that it takes money to make money and they act accordingly.

If you believe a website is the real estate sign of today you should ask yourself what messages is this “sign” sending to me?   Is this a quality “sign”?  Does this sign respect me?  Does this sign do justice to the property it is marketing?  Does this sign say the agent cares about the seller?  Does the sign say the agent cares about me?  Does this “sign” say welcome to the real world of realistically priced real estate bought and sold by people who know the market?

What are your thoughts about old- fashioned real estate signs?

What are your thoughts about real estate websites?

What do you want from a real estate website?

We had a wonderful meeting with some lovely people yesterday.  They are doing some final polishing on a really beautiful home.  We look forward to presenting it to you later this year.

The local government has taken back from Divi Divi the old sunset Beach Hotel site by the Hato circle.  When the new plans for the site are announced we will immediately share them with you.

Hurricane Earl is far away from us.  Its only effect to us was to suck up our wonderful breezes yesterday.  It was eerily still and quiet and very hot.  None of the several storms in the Atlantic is projected to come within hundreds of miles of Bonaire.

We have been hard at work on our big new project that we will be rolling out any day now.  We are so excited about how it will help you and all the friends of Bonaire.  Please join us in having a day of health happiness peace and prosperity.