Does Size Matter?

I can’t help but shake my head with amazement when I see real estate signs on properties.  Did the owner ever consider the sign as one of the most important items the agent uses to market their property. Second only to a properly designed web site.

Since the economy has declined, real estate agents and specifically commercial real estate agents have reduced the size of their signs.  I recently noticed a for sale sign the size of a residential yard sign on a commercial property.  This might not have been such a big deal if it weren’t for the high weeds and the speed of the traffic passing the site.

With the current economy, it is vital that every detail be considered by the commercial real estate agent when marketing a property.  The owners are trusting a large and valuable asset to the agent.  The sad part is the owner probably didn’t put much effort into selecting the agent so why would I be surprised that the sign wasn’t even considered.

The size of the property, the location and type of property dictates the type of sign.  If the property sits on a major highway, even a typical 4’x8′ sign may be hard to see.  In many cases, even a large banner placed up high may be more appropriate than a sign on the ground.  However, a large banner may cost over a thousand dollars.  Not many agents are willing to spend that kind of money on a listing.  Maybe they don’t really believe in the listing in the first place.

Owners, please consider this issue when interviewing a prospective commercial real estate agent.  If the agent doesn’t think enough to have a proper sign, properly placed and maintained, why would you trust them with one of your more valuable assets.

Speaking of maintaining, how many times have you seen a sign hidden by weeds or leaning and about to fall down because your agent doesn’t care enough to have the sign maintained much less go by and visit your listing.  It’s not uncommon for an agent to acquire a listing, put up a sign and wait for the phone to ring.  Never to see the property again until their listing is about to come up for renewal.

A proper size sign for commercial real estate should be at least 4’x8′. It should contain bright colors and be noticeable.  At Cravey Real Estate Services, Inc., we also put up riders that contain additional information such as e-mail addresses and web sites to make it easier for people interested in the property to acquire additional information 24-7. The riders may add as much as 4′ to the sign so the sign may end up 8’x8′.

Size matters, especially in this economy when every possible tool should be used to help the owner sell or lease their property.