As you drive around you will notice many advertising signs, especially real estate signs.

Whilst these signs may be considered visual pollution by some, they are an essential marketing tool in real estate, and can play a vital role in generating interest in a property.

Many sales have been secured by a simple signboard catching the eye of a prospective buyer.

So, if you are highly motivated to sell, then I suggest that you allow your agent to place a sign at a strategic place on your property.

The sign should be highly visible, tasteful, and preferably only display one property, (even if an open listing), so it doesn't look cluttered and too desperate.

There are two types of signboards, the corflute sign and the colour pictorial sign.

The simple corflute sign has the agent's details on and their brand, and it allows other know your property is on the market. The advantage of the corflute sign is that the vendor is not usually charged to have one on display, so if you are on a tight budget, or have a property for sale that will be sold quickly, you may not want to outlay additional funds on a sign.

The other type is a colour pictorial signboard, this is a better quality sign which will consist of photographs of your property taken by a professional photographer.

These photos should give the passerby a 'taste' of what your property has to offer. In addition to the photographs will be a brief description or a short list of bullet points, containing basic information such as number of bedrooms, bathrooms, size of block etc...This signboard is also much larger than a corflute sign.

All signage placement and sizes are strictly regulated according to local government by-laws, and if agents do not comply with these laws they run the risk of a hefty fine.

So you can be reassured that the majority of agents work within these guidelines. However, if you are unsure you can contact your local authority for clarification.

To recap, signs are an effective marketing tool, and remember 'you can't sell a secret'.