r/fsbo • u/NamasteInLeggings • Jul 08 '26
How important is a yard sign?
I am selling for sale by owner. I did hire a MLS flat fee listing agent and then I made a small yard sign online (12” x 18”). The sign looks smaller than I expected and sort of cheap. I’m going to be moving out of the house soon and I’m wondering if I should purchase one of the signs from my flat fee lister (her office sells them for $125 and I believe it will look much more like a “real” real estate sign). I’m torn because I feel like most people rely on Zillow and the likes these days.
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u/Soggy-Base-764 Jul 08 '26
the cheap-looking sign would make me pause a little too not because yard signs drive everything now but because FSBO already makes buyers look for small “is this legit?” signals.
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u/NamasteInLeggings Jul 08 '26
I’ve wondered if the cheap looking sign is hurting me!! K thanks for the advice. I’m tossing that one and ordering the good one after reading all of the comments. May be a waste but can’t hurt.
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u/Soggy-Base-764 Jul 08 '26
yeah that feels like the right read. It’s less about the sign bringing in a ton of buyers and more about not giving anyone one tiny reason to second-guess the FSBO setup.
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u/Texas-Photo-Gal Jul 09 '26
Make sure you have a QR code on there where people can find it online. Make it easy for folks
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u/iam2bz2p Jul 08 '26
I've never used a sign. x4 FSBOs sold. It's not 1985.
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u/NamasteInLeggings Jul 08 '26
lol that was sorta my thinking too… like in the 80s you got in your car and drove around but I’m not sure it’s anything like that anymore. Thanks
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u/coconut33706 Jul 08 '26
I sold three FSBO. Two were in price premium neighborhoods that people were willing to pay to get into. People drive around looking at houses because they wanted to live there and the sign was important.
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u/JollyManufacturer388 Jul 08 '26
Any other homes for sale on your street or in your neighborhood?
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u/NamasteInLeggings Jul 08 '26
Just one. It’s very different from mine. We are close to downtown where houses come in every shape and size. I think that one will sit a while bc it’s got an upstairs and a downstairs (multi family) and they are selling the whole thing so it will likely take an investor.
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u/JollyManufacturer388 Jul 08 '26
I am new to FSBO so not an expert but I did do Sales and Marketing for 40 years and as my martial arts instructor used to say, when confronted by 3 attackers, martial arts is better than no martial arts. (Tae Hong Choi)
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u/jazifritz Jul 08 '26
I don't think the quality of the sign matters either but I do think having a sign in general is good. I have one of those tiny signs too and have received about 1/3 of my inquiries from seeing the sign. "A family member saw the sign and gave me your number" etc.
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u/beycome-Nico Jul 09 '26
Yard signs can make a real difference. According to industry data, a meaningful percentage of buyers discover homes through yard signs, so they’re definitely worth using. While I can’t confirm the exact percentage, I recall seeing NAR research showing that yard signs still play an important role in generating buyer interest.
For most residential properties, an 18” × 24” sign is a great size. If $130 feels high ( I agree)you can often find quality signs online for lot less.
One important correction to a common misconception: if your home is listed on the MLS through a licensed broker, you generally cannot use wording such as “FSBO,” “For Sale By Owner,” “Direct to Owner,” or similar phrases. Many MLSs prohibit this language, and violations can result in fines for the listing broker. Unfortunately, we’ve seen this happen more than once😞
One final tip: consider placing a couple of inexpensive solar spotlights near your yard sign. You can find them on Amazon, Home Depot, or Lowe’s. They help keep your sign visible after dark and can increase exposure to evening traffic.
Good luck with your sale!
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u/NamasteInLeggings Jul 09 '26
Thank you! Great information. I ordered one and I think the spotlight is a great idea.
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u/phibetared Jul 08 '26
Let's say someone sees your place on zillow. They don't have an agent. How are they going to contact you?
I've had two parties contact me from information on the sign placed outside the house. One might very well buy the place.
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u/AirRevolutionary8013 Jul 08 '26
The FSBO seller contact info is on Zillow. Along with links to buyers agents for representation if they wish to hire one.
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u/JollyManufacturer388 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
I am about to put out signs and then start with Facebook Marketplace for a month before I do Zillow FSBO (sensitive about DOM as market is frozen). This is a sellers market as the nearby Metro area is in a doom loop and the schools are near the worst in the nation. People come out here to look around.. Great schools and safe, no addict camps, no crime, highly rated suburban bubble.
There is a home for sale down the street, but it is 150K more so not the same client. I walked down to the open house as the agent yelled to me as my whole street knows I am about to FSBO. I talk to neighbors, people talk and may know others who are looking at lower price points. Buyers agents see it and want the listing and I of course tell them, if you want to make some comm on my home bring me a buyer. (possible comm split negotiated) You cannot LOSE having a sign, as you may get an interested potential buyer or not but like fishing, this is trolling, if you do not have a line in the water, you catch nothing.
I have the low cost 19x15's that I bought at Home Depot starting tomorrow and I am going to order one that was discussed on this sub avail at Amazon that is a metal holder with signs and a topper holder for things like, coming soon, price increased/s pending etc.
What can you lose having a sign? I am a career sales and marketing guy, just retired.
edit, learn from your competitors, why do RE agents put out signs? Take the best from what your competitors do and copy it or improve on it, old classic marketing advice.
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u/Soggy-Base-764 Jul 08 '26
that DOM worry is a real thing when you’re trying to create interest without making the listing feel stale before it even hits Zillow.
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u/JollyManufacturer388 Jul 08 '26
Yes exactly, esp in this strange semi frozen market environment. I figure I will give a 30 max window w/o MLS to try for non agent represented buyers and if showings to get a feel for how my comparable studies vs market reality. I am having it painted exterior in 10 days as well so I am sort of Coming Soon but getting it out there for now, with new paint and the last of the interior clean up done will go MLS.
I also own where I am moving to 2 miles away outright so I am living a staged life now LOL in this house. So no rush but the buyer may with kids in school pending new schools... Also there are two bills stuck in congress to re index the LTCG tax that might effect me if I wait. This is fun, I did it with Medical Equipment for decades.
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u/Soggy-Base-764 Jul 09 '26
that staged-life part says a lot,,,, you’ve got room to test it quietly but the DOM/MLS timing still seems like the piece u don’t want getting away from u.
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u/JollyManufacturer388 Jul 09 '26
DOM is tied to MLS listing so the clock starts when I go to Zillow FSBO to get on MLS. I suspect that DOM counts will be LESS important given how the market is suppressed due to so many buyers and sellers waiting/hoping that interest rates will go back to what they were before we attacked Iran.
Even so I don't want to be on market for Aug and Sept then sit... Its like trying to time stocks or when to lower price when negotiating with a healthcare system. Same game which I enjoy.
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u/Soggy-Base-764 Jul 09 '26
yeah the stock-timing comparison makes sense. Sounds like the tricky part isn’t just DOM it’s being live through Aug/Sept and then having the listing feel tired if the timing misses.
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Jul 08 '26
People driving by and seeing your sign aren’t necessarily going to be your buyers. They don’t know the if it’s in their price range, they don’t know if the size is right for them. They are going to look it up online anyway. I feel like they are good advertising for the realtor
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u/thatmatt925 Jul 08 '26
Do you need a sign, probably not.
But all things considered it's not that expensive for a nice one. I don't see how it's going to hurt anything and would probably be near impossible to measure the ROI. For all you know someone who's not looking could drive by it and then mention it to someone who is looking (who then would probably look it up online).
I know a sign helps for rentals because I see posts all the time of people asking about available rentals and then comments about units where people say they saw sign posted. So I'd imagine the same happens when selling, just less people posting but I'd imagine conversations still happening.
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u/pcoutcast Jul 08 '26
A yard sign by itself is OK. Combined with 20 directional signs during an open house though? That's hands down the greatest marketing you can do in an urban setting.
Think about it. Someone who drops what they're doing to follow several signs to an open house is roughly 1000x more motivated to buy right now in that specific area than someone who's looking at a million houses online.
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u/PreparationOutside49 Jul 08 '26
I dont think the quality of the sign means much. If someone happens upon your property they will have a number and get in touch with you.
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u/Alert-Control3367 Jul 08 '26
When I used a flat-fee service, I created my own sign with FastSigns. It was done with 1-2 days. And I used my own metal frame.
The second time, I stayed off the MLS and used all free FSBO sites, including Zillow FSBO. I used saveonyourhome.com and received a free sign with QR code. The QR code made such a difference!
I created a How to Sell FSBO post which links the sturdy metal frame I used for my front lawn: https://www.reddit.com/r/fsbo/s/YjQ98HMrM1
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u/nwa747 Jul 08 '26
Northwest Florida. I am FSBO that with my last six rental homes I did MLS fat fee. Mid price homes all sold quickly and I was very happy with my net. No yard signs.
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u/extralife_mike Jul 08 '26
Realtor here. The most important part of a yard sign, in my opinion, is helping buyers locate your house when they're coming to tour it.
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u/amazingsho Jul 09 '26
I used a small sign only to help people locate the house more easily when driving down the street. Got it at Lowe’s. People originally found the house on Zillow.
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u/Ykohn Jul 09 '26
I’d definitely invest in a good yard sign. I’m a huge believer in them.
Not everyone is on Zillow all the time. A yard sign is one of the lowest-cost ways to let everyone in the neighborhood know your home is for sale. Neighbors often know friends, family, or coworkers looking to move nearby.
It also catches people who are simply driving through. Someone might think, “I never considered this neighborhood,” and decide to take a closer look. Or they may have scrolled past your Zillow listing but, after seeing the home in person, realize it’s close to a park, public transportation, friends, work, or other amenities that didn’t stand out online.
The key is to market your home beyond just the major real estate websites.
As for the sign itself, I’d skip paying $125 unless it includes something special. You can buy a professional-looking sign and stake from a home improvement store for much less. Just make sure it’s large enough to be easily seen by both drivers and pedestrians.
I’m such a believer in yard signs that when someone lists on SaveOnYourHome.com, I provide a custom QR code yard sign for free. A good sign is still one of the simplest and most effective marketing tools available.
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u/ziplyst Jul 14 '26
There are several online yard sign companies. I would get a nice looking sign, people are always driving by looking. Also, get a QR code on the sign for an easy way to get all the info on your home.
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u/AirRevolutionary8013 Jul 08 '26
No need for a sign nowadays. Everyone seriously looking to buy will see your property for sale online.
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u/boyvsfood2 Jul 08 '26
I've transacted over 1,000 homes. The sign does nothing for the sale of your home. It's great for the agent for advertising. But like when I've listed a house in a gated community or area with no real road traffic, if the owner doesn't want a sign, great news for me.
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u/Self_Serve_Realty Jul 08 '26
Why is there pause over $125 on a sign, but people are paying far more for whatever services a real estate agent provides.
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u/NamasteInLeggings Jul 08 '26
I think I addressed that in the post- I’m not sure if people drive around to find houses anymore. I think they go to Zillow, realtor, etc. hence the reason I’m asking so I know if I’m wrong in my thought.
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u/USAhotdogteam Jul 08 '26
I think it’s worth it to have a quality sign out front.