Real estate signs are designed to capture attention.

Image is everything if you're advertising houses for sale, open houses, or your agency. Yet, many real estate agents overlook the importance of being the standout brand in their neighborhood or area.

With potentially hundreds of buyers driving past your real estate signage each day, it's a positive investment to make.

But, as with anything, where do you start? How do you find designers?

Is this something a real estate agent really needs to think about?

Fear not.

This article will give you the best examples of real estate signs on the market today. Let's focus on shapes, types, and colors that will get the phone ringing.

What makes a great real estate yard sign?

Your signs represent your brand.

It's your stand-in-the-front-yard agent promoting your listing all day, every day. It pays to devote time (and money) to a solid yard sign.

From our experience, your audience pays attention to these core details:

• Variety.
• Material.
• Background.
• Images.
• Font.

There's nothing worse than driving past a property with an ugly-looking for-sale sign planted in the ground.

Home buyers can be impulsive.

And even though most people search for properties online¹, your signs can still generate leads.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do my colors work well together?
• Is my font too small?
• Is my font type readable?
• Does it look like all the other for-sale signs in my area?

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8 sign examples to give you inspiration

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1. Compass

Innovation & Risk-taking

The augmentation of technology into the yard sign has arrived.

While others have chosen to innovate by going vertical, Compass has gone round. Of all the signs on this list, this is the only one truly willing to risk change on a large scale -- and it works.

This round shape aesthetic features a digitally printed sign panel that is mounted within a built-in lighting system which is very eye-catching (to say the least) while still preserving the ability to read from a distance and at night, accomplishing something the typical sign has never been able to achieve.

It also features a built-in QR Code to prompt consumers to download the Compass App.

2. Keller Williams Luxury

Eye-Catching and High Class

The most unique features about the yard sign for KW Luxury International sign is Golden, eye-catching lettering made possible by its digital/screen hybrid printing process. Equally, and perhaps arguably more notable, is the clear coat application.

This process seals and encapsulates the printed ink with a high impact resistant, ultra-gloss protection, resulting in a sign that looks better, longer.

The aesthetic design remains steadfast in their agent-centric model, by allowing Luxury Associates to brand themselves within their templates.

Photographs are no longer on the sign and the approach is now more about the consumer, giving them pride in the fact that their home is a “Luxury” property, represented by a Luxury Associate.

It's an impressive use of negative space while combining potentially three separate logos and Associate contact information that doesn't look too crowded, busy, or hard to read. There is no additional fluff on this sign and that leads to the potential buyer having no confusion about what information is most important.

3. North Group

Balanced and Minimal

The North Group's minimal and strong branding really shines in their sign.

Great use of white and negative space, not only that, but a preponderance of it. While many are losing the large headshot for more modern and simple information only, Amy Youngren has found a way to marry the two in a really nice balance.

As the face of this luxury brand she still gets the facial recognition without overpowering the information that matters the most. The overall sign design represents how and why the graphics don't need to be bigger.  Smaller graphics, with the use of balanced negative space, draws your eyes to where you want them to go.  Without thinking about it.

That's what "simple" means.'

Furthermore, simple is safe.  

Simple design relies on the integrity of the brand. Not vice versa. Your brand (what other people say of you) is represented through your logo.  In other words, when people see your logo, they think of your brand.  

The goal is to have reciprocity, to invoke pleasant and calming emotions, which in turn, are attributed to your business. This sign has embraced simple, minimalist design.  

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4. Live Love Homes

Simple and Creative

Live Love Homes stands out from the crowd in a big way by cutting through the noise of traditional yard signs, accomplishing multiple goals at once.

Consistency in yard signs for all expansion locations? Check.  KWRI compliant? Check. Local REC compliant? Check. Lead Capture? Check!  Aesthetically disruptive design? Check! Check! Check!

With a simple text to an easy number, you get just as much from an agent as you would with conflated URLs, phone numbers, and emails.

This is strong thinking outside the box and I would be surprised if it didn't have a positive impact on their business and connectivity. Kudos to the Ben Kinney Team on developing the now synonymous hand-holding-phone image to “text-to-lead”.

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5. Century 21

Bold and Full Of Character

Century 21's rebrand was one of the very best from this year.

Deciding to start from scratch instead of just refreshing their brand was a bold move and it paid off for them in a big way. The use of minimal, flat design in their yard sign, as well as incorporating the new C21 logo mark into patterns, borders and abstract marks, is reminiscent of luxury brands like Gucci or Tiffany.

Keeping consistent with a "gold" color palette, the most refreshing feature is the two variants to better suit their teams.

One featuring a darker palette as well as the beautiful new mark they designed this year, and the other a clean and modern lighter palette that accentuates the Century 21 gold.

6. EXP

Personal and Generous

Similar to Amy Youngren and North Group, eXp has found a way to keep the large headshot for agent recognition while not completely overpowering or ignoring the key reason these signs exist: information.

Associates coming to eXp from other brokerages are bringing their brand with them and are polishing up their image on their way.

Compared to other national real estate brokerages, eXp’s agent-centric model has loosened the chains on standards and identity requirements for yard signs significantly.  eXp allows more latitude for agents to customize their yard signs, without the constraints of color use, how much, how little, size of brokerage logo (given local REC rules), etc…

Rather, the popular sign design trends for eXp (in addition to flat, minimalist design), are tending toward larger-than-life photos, prominent abstract logo marks, and less contact information.  These designs are a good representation of just that.

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7. Re/Max

Modern and Easy To Understand

Another change to the norm this year was RE/MAX ditching the 3d elements and shadows for a flat, modern aesthetic, and while it's not a shock or big change, it is a welcome one.

The most significant upgrade to their yard sign is two-fold:  Flat design and vertical orientation. Understandably, vertical signs are, in general, easier to read. The clean design elements ensure the information is clear and hyper-focused. Notably, RE/MAX is the only other company on our list that incorporates it's 'For Sale' within the actual sign itself (Compass being the other).

There's very little confusion about what each element is or how to get in contact with the agent.

8. Villa Real Estate

Clean With a Clear Message

There are definite challenges to striking it out on your own and creating a brokerage but it does have its advantages - especially when it means you have the freedom to display whatever you want, or think is the most important, on your yard sign.

Villa Real Estate really goes above and beyond to deliver a minimal, pleasant to look at sign without the often cramped, additional compliance information.

By having a short and sweet company name and a well designed logo, they can really display their brand to the world and ensure readability is never a problem.

Real Estate Sign FAQs

How much do real estate signs cost?

The cost will depend on the materials, the type of frame you use, and where you have them printed. The most commonly used 'open house sign' will be an a-frame. These cost anywhere between $100-$250 per sign₂. Again, the price will be heavily influenced by the material and design.

• Post sign costs: anywhere between $55-$80 (quantity can bring the overall unit cost down).
• Condo sign cost: The average condo sign cost is between $30-$45 per sign.
• Directional sign cost: The average direction sign cost is between $18-$30 per sign.

What do you need on a sign?

Each real estate sign design is different. But there are a few mandatory considerations for brokers. Your logo, phone number, and a picture of you (or the team) can go a long way. These basic additions to your design can keep your budget small without detracting from the sign's effectiveness.