Feature
INNOVATION IN DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE A board is a board – or is it? Not these days it isn’t. Boards generally fall into two types, Flag boards and ‘T’ boards, says Steve Watson at Agency Express, “Both are equally common in their usage but there are certain regional variations. Flag boards are traditionally more popular with agents in the north, as they are easier to erect at terraced properties with no front garden. Whereas ‘T’ boards are generally favoured by agents in the south.” The T board is also the main choice for
Signboards’ clients, with 75 per cent of them opting for the traditional style and with First Signs and Labels’ clients, but, says Matthew Lilley, “shaped boards are becoming more popular, giving a unique board to help agents stand out from the crowd.” Agents are getting more adventurous in
terms of colour too, says Gary Gosney. “They’re moving away from standard two colour and, with the advances in technology, the use of multi colours, shades and tones are almost standard in the design of T boards. Advances in printing technology allow us to produce the boards quickly and effectively.” This is pretty big business; Kremer has
invested over £0.7m in the last 3 years in the latest eight colour printing machines, which shows their confidence in the demand! Steve Watson agrees, “Traditionally, estate agency boards have been printed in either two or three colours using a screen printing; the more colours used, the more the board costs. It has been possible to screen print in full colour of several years but the additional cost has meant that this option wasn’t generally chosen. “The major screen printers/board
production companies, like Kremer Signs, have invested in the technology to digitally print boards and this will open the door to more creative designs/full colour boards, as it costs the same to print in one colour or full colour.” Colour is undoubtedly important, but even
if all the colours of the rainbow are available, should they be used? Andy March says that care is needed, “Most
agents are either careful to choose a good design house, or ask us for input with their own design before going to press. Most people now understand that a design shouldn’t be cluttered and only contain the basic messages: Is the property ‘For Sale’, or ‘To Let’, the agents logo (of course!), the branch telephone number and web address.” So less is more. Gary Gosney agrees and says that the craze for wacky designs or ones with animals (first used by Countrywide, back in the 90s) “Were very misunderstood. You either loved them because they were highly recognisable or like most, you were left thinking ‘what do these animals have to do with selling houses?’. However it still achieved brand recognition. In the same vein you could argue, ‘what does a monkey have to do with PG Tips’ or ‘what does an opera singer have to do with insurance’?”
24 l September 2012 l TheNegotiator
“Applicants visit the area they are moving to; when we take calls here in Oxford, it’s clear that the caller is outside the rental property.”Bob Urwin Martin & Co
QR CODES Those strange square barcode designs that hit the signboards in 2010 (although they have been available for many years) have had mixed reviews. The idea is that using a smart phone you scan a QR code on a For Sale or To Let board and instantly receive, on your smartphone, full details and pictures of the property. Gary Gosney says that they are becoming a
fashion ‘accessory’ on the boards, “They are being used more and more. However, most agents are using the QR code to drive traffic to the website rather than individual properties.” Prior to the availability of QR codes, some
agents tried text numbers on the board – you text a code to a certain text number and receive a text back containing basic details of the property, says Steve Watson, “QR codes are certainly a major advance on texts but have not generally been taken up in great numbers by estate agents on their boards. Most agents now display a QR code in their newspaper advertising but less than one per cent of UK agency boards contain a QR code.” Andy March isn’t convinced either. “The jury is still out on QR codes. We have some independent agencies that are using them, as
well as having printed 20,000 for a national brand. Agents need to ensure that they have a mobile optimised website, and understand that they can be printed in their corporate colours, not just black! We can provide geolocate codes and NFC tags quickly and economically.” Matthew Lilley at first Signs and Labels says
agents like them but the buyers don’t seem so sure, “QR codes are definitely in fashion and its important for agents to keep up with technology and with other agents! Most agents are going for QR codes printed as part of their board design directing them to their website. “However, not many are going for the expensive ‘Individual Property Information’ QR codes,” he says, “I would expect QR codes to be replaced with newer technology in the near future; I don’t see too many people stopping and scanning when they see a board with a QR code on it.” Agency Express’s Steve Watson also thinks
there is new technology on the way, “The new contactless technology boards contain a ‘chip’ which allows anyone with a Smartphone to simply wave the phone near the board and details of the property will appear.”
www.thenegotiator.co.uk
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