MARKETING


Marie O’Callaghan, Brand Control administrator, Chancellors writes: “While I am extremely surprised to see the Sale Board debate as such a hot topic, it appears to be hugely controversial. As a homeowner working within the


Opinion 2


marketing sector of the property industry, I can appreciate most arguments, however my opinion is that ‘Sale boards up’ are better than ‘Sale boards down’. Whilst Sale boards are by no means the ultimate selling tool, they are a very powerful advertising method for agents. It is essential in such a competitive industry for agents to maximise every opportunity to increase the exposure of their brand. An increase in brand presence ensures confidence within potential vendors and landlords that a strong, established brand will provide a trustworthy and professional service. The Chancellors Group of Estate Agents


Opinion 1


Yes fOr hOuses, nO fOr BlOCks! Outside London boards are just as popular, perhaps with reservations. Kate Boyes, Partner at Alexandre Boyes in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, says, “Yes I am proud of our boards – they are


a new design, they are clean and contemporary and they reflect our brand. They are also the cheapest and one of the most effective forms of brand awareness. Their presentation is an extension of our image, and therefore we recently changed board companies because our previous contractor was not thorough enough and our boards were untidy – wonky, badly positioned etc. The odd board disappears, we have had an ex tenant vandalise a To Let board with


In this increasing ‘big brother’


society I’d respect board bans by freeholders but not blanket bans from ivory towers!’


32 DECEMBER 2010 PROPERTYdrum


the not very imaginative addition of an ‘i’ in between the two words… And we are very respectful of other agents’ boards and how we deal with them as, again, this is an extension of our professional conduct. They are useful in certain locations –


school catchments, rare rural areas – where by they can encourage impromptu purchases. However if I put my block management


hat on I would happily ban them! We do not allow boards to be erected at the blocks that we manage as it brings down the image of the building. Blocks with a high number of units in them would invariably have boards outside due to rental turnover – not only does this alter the image of the building, but it also lessens the impact of the boards. I think it should be down to the


individual freeholders of houses and flats to make the decision on banning boards – not the council. In an ever increasing big brother society, owners should be able to make their own commercial decisions. If residents’ associations or parish


councils etc. decide that boards should not be allowed in certain areas due to aesthetics then I would respect that as they are local representative bodies – but not blanket bans from ivory towers!”


have just undergone a re-branding exercise soon to launch to the public. Our boards which are now bright yellow and red, and potentially far more visible than the previous design. Our boards are also often used to advertise local events for schools and organisations that our branches choose to sponsor, and our contacts for these opportunities are equally as delighted with our revised and highly visible designed boards. I can only assume that the majority of


negativity supporting the ‘Boards down’ campaign is from those people who are not currently motivated to actively sell or let their property. It would be interesting to see how many of these people would be willing to forfeit a board if it was their property they were desperate to sell. A sale board is not particularly


Red, yellow, red, yellow, it’s bright, it works!


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