3 Best Practices When Designing Real Estate Sign Riders


Even though many real estate agencies are shifting to advertise their properties online, traditional advertising practices are still viable methods to gain clients. Nothing beats the experience of taking a look at the physical location of the residential or commercial property, after all, as it gives potential customers a better idea of what the space looks like.

When people are interested in acquiring real estate, they want to contact the seller as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, agents can’t always be on the property, especially when visitors come unannounced. Fortunately, with the help of real estate sign riders, real estate agents can get in touch with potential buyers in a snap. They may not have to spend extra money and effort on marketing strategies and deploy tactics to attract the right clients. This could easily provide solution to problems like these.

Real estate sign riders make up a portion of a real estate sign or graphic frame. They might already have invested in real estate seller lead generation tools that bring in the right clients on their doorstep. However, for those selected clients, these frames can come in real handy. They act as the real estate agency’s call-to-action, displaying important information like the name of the real estate agent and contact number. Although sign riders have a simple function, they can impact an agency’s sales. However, real estate agencies can’t reap the benefits of sign riders if they’re designed poorly.

As an agent in this industry, one of your main goals is real estate lead generation to find as many potential clients as possible. As such, your sign rider needs to stand out from the rest of the competition. Needless to say, designing the perfect sign rider isn’t easy as there are several factors you need to consider (e.g. the look of the sign, your budget, number of signs, etc.). Thankfully, you can make things easier if you keep the following sign rider design practices in mind:

1. Use the Correct Template

Sign rider designs can fall into one of the three following templates:

  • Ready made
  • Customizable
  • Blank

Depending on your branding and budget, one template might suit your needs better than the rest. Ready-made signs, for example, are less of a hassle to work with since all you have to do is choose from a list of readily available design elements like the size, the material, and colors of the sign. However, ready-made signs don’t give you a lot of customizability and often display generic statements like “Sale Pending” or “For Rent.”

Customizable templates, on the other hand, allow you to be more creative with your branding. You have more wiggle room to tweak the sign’s design, which means you can change the message written on the sign and add other features like your company’s logo. Depending on how elaborate the design is, however, the price of producing the sign rider can get expensive.

Lastly, blank templates are templates that don’t have any features. However, you’re still able to insert your information or message on the sign. Although this option is the simplest out of the three, it’s quick to manufacture, looks clean, and direct to the point.

2. Choose the Right Material, Color Scheme, and Font

If you’re choosing a template that lets you change the sign rider’s design elements, you have to be smart when selecting its material, color scheme, and font. You need to create a sign that’s not only durable enough to withstand the elements, but to be readable and pleasing to the eye as well.

The typical materials used in creating sign riders include the following:

  • Corrugated plastic. The cheapest and weakest material. This option is great for real estate companies looking for temporary signage.
  • Rigid plastic. More durable than corrugated plastic but not as tough as aluminum.It can handle a fair amount of weather exposure and will need to be replaced from time to time. It’s the perfect middle ground option.
  • Aluminum. The most durable option as it can last for years even when it’s constantly exposed to harsh weather conditions. As such, it doesn’t need to be replaced as often. However, it’s the most expensive choice.

When it comes to the sign’s colors, refrain from being too flashy. It’s best to use your brand’s color scheme as it helps give the sign rider a more consistent visual presence. Using your brand’s colors also makes your company more recognizable to your audience, giving them a sense of familiarity each time they pass by your sign. This way, you can quickly build a trust between your business and your audience, gaining more potential clients as a result.

Finally, you have to remember to use a readable font when writing your contact information. After all, you want to communicate with your audience as clearly as possible. There are several readable fonts you can choose from, but the most popular signage fonts include the following:

  • Futura
  • Garamond
  • Helvetica
  • Trajan
  • Verdana

3. Keep Things Simple and Direct

You want your sign rider to encourage potential buyers to contact you the minute they’re interested in the property. Usually, most individuals who are interested in selling a property might approach the local agents (check out these Crawford Home Buyers as an example) to help the process run smoothly as possible. Not many are aware of using signs as a promotional tool. Therefore, if you are incorporating it, you need to keep your message simple and direct. Although it’s tempting to include QR codes and catchy one-liners, these design elements may make your sign look gimmicky and less attractive to passersby. By displaying your contact details upfront, your audience won’t have to be bombarded by unnecessary information in order to give you a call.

Designing a real estate sign rider isn’t as simple as it seems. There are several factors and design choices you need to consider, from the template of the sign to the message it’s going to display. As such, it helps to keep these best practices in mind when creating a sign rider for your agency. Using these practices as your guide will ensure that you’re using your sign rider budget at its fullest.