Anyone who scoffs at the humble real estate agent's for sale bulletin board and dismisses it as “visual pollution” is seriously mistaken, and not only the real estate agent, but also the seller/landlord of the property listed for sale, is probably here. I am a victim of. 
cheap and effective
In other words, a real estate agent board is the cheapest and most effective marketing tool in a real estate agent's arsenal. Its incredible commercial potential is undervalued by consumers and, absurdly, even by some real estate agents.
I've spent most of my 50 years in this business convincing some of my clients to flip a switch in their heads and embrace the huge potential of this simple device. Sometimes I think “Doubting Thomas” is guilty of overthinking a problem.
As an example, at least one-third of the market is made up of potential buyers/tenants. This means applicants who are not yet on a real estate agent's mailing list or online real estate portal.
But when they see a for sale board during their normal travels, they often get a desire for a brick-and-mortar location, and this is the only way real estate agents can get this inquiry.
in the mood
Prospective applicants may be walking or driving through an area and see a bulletin board outside the property. They are always relaxed and encourage you to call their agent if you feel like buying or renting.
Once you have been told the price and the details have been emailed to you, there is already a lot of 'tissue typing' process that has taken place before you even cross the property threshold.
This is an absolute gift for sellers and agents alike, as it eliminates hours of needless back-and-forth and cajoling. Thanks to the board, this is an investigation that otherwise might not have happened at all, and can easily result in a deal.
social anxiety
But Britain has a strange habit of social anxiety. This means that sellers and homeowners feel that bulletin boards are “invading” their most important privacy, as their neighbors may not yet know about the potential move.
For homeowners, that's the equivalent of “exposing your pants in public.” This is a misnomer, and I call it “Jackson Pollocks” (or at least it rhymes).
A neighbor whose curtains twitch at the mere sight of a stranger clutching a sales bill accompanied by a shrewd suit-wearing real estate agent is intimidated by the owner selling his house without prior notice. I'm sure he'll be interested in seeing if he's renting it out.
strong assets
So if they're going to know anyway, why deny yourself that you're such a powerful marketing asset?
Without a board of directors, not only would you lose broad access to markets, but the value of your largest tax-exempt capital assets could decline, thereby potentially incurring valuable losses.
I can't tell you how many times residents in an area have told me that if they had known a property was for sale, they might have been interested in buying it because there was a for sale board outside. You might say “it wasn't and they didn't either” but the owner could have gotten a better price…we don't know.
What matters is that when a client locks their front door for the last time after a transaction is completed, we want them to cherish the warm feeling of satisfaction that Glentree could do nothing to obtain, repeat. However, this cannot be said without a board on better terms.
Westminster Council Claims
Westminster City Council is misguided by claiming that the board is not needed because most applicants start their applications online. This is simply not the case, as these serve to direct applicants to the portal.
Why should real estate agents be penalized when their boards are currently relatively modest in size and no different from the usual billboards of landscapers and architects working on a particular redevelopment project? .
Trevor Abramsohn (main photo) is Chief Executive Officer of Glentree International
