Do Bandit Signs Still Work or Are They a Thing of the Past?

Have you ever heard of Bandit Signs?

Have you ever used them before to attract motivated sellers?

In this post I’m going to explain what bandit signs are, for those that may not know, and I will explain why they are STILL an effective way to get great leads.

What Are Bandit Signs?

A Bandit Sign is basically a miniature billboard or small sign used to catch the attention of people driving by.

These signs are typically made of corrugated plastic.

They are normally staked to the ground or affixed to telephone poles near busy intersections.

These signs are actually in violation of many cities codes hence the name “bandit sign”.

Why Should I Use Bandit Signs?

Bandit signs are a very effective & inexpensive method of marketing which is why so many wholesalers use them.

You may have read or heard elsewhere that bandit signs are a thing of the past and they are not effective today. This is completely false.

Bandit signs are a tried and true method of generating motivated seller leads that still works today.

Just think about it for a second. One sign at a busy intersection has the potential to be viewed by hundreds if not thousands of people for a very low cost.

Before placing any of these signs out you must be aware of the risks involved. There may be fines for placing these signs in your city.

Check with your local code enforcement office before hand.

How Much Do Bandit Signs Cost?

They cost as little as $1 per sign up to about $15. It really depends on the quantity of signs that you order at one time.

Where Should I Place the Signs?

The absolute best locations to place these are at busy street intersections with a stoplight or stop sign.

It is important that traffic will be stopped periodically near where your sign is placed.

People need time to grab a pen and write down your number.

Be aware of the neighborhoods you are placing your signs in. Bandit signs are not going to be very effective in highly affluent upscale neighborhoods.

If you use wood stakes to attach to your sign you want to make sure to find soft soil.

If the ground is too solid you will have a difficult time hammering it in.

If you are going to use metal H stakes you will need even softer soil because they bend very easily. The best areas for these are grassy areas.

Lastly, you can affix the signs to telephone poles with screws or a staple gun.

You may want to bring a stool or stepladder with you to place the sign out of reach of anyone walking by.

If you are just starting out I suggest that you place these signs yourself. Once you have a steady flow of deals bringing in income I highly suggest paying someone to place these signs for you.

You can easily find a college kid looking to make some extra money and pay him/her a dollar per sign placed.

What Should the Signs Say?

Your sign should have a very short and simple message of only 2-3 lines plus your phone number.

The most common & effective messages are:

WE Buy Houses. Cash Fast! Followed by your number

We buy houses. Then you number

We buy houses. Any area/condition. Then your number

Use large font/handwriting that is bold and easy to read

To save money you can buy blank corrugated plastic sheets and handwrite your message.

If you choose to do this make sure to use a large permanent marker.

Do not use your personal phone number on the sign or your company name. Just use your simple message and a phone number. That’s it!

Where Can I Find These Signs?

You can find many companies that carry these signs and will print your custom message on them.

Just by doing a Google search for “cheap bandit signs” or “Cheap yard signs”

I have used Dirt Cheap Signs many times and highly recommend them.

Some craft stores or Do It Yourself stores carry the blank corrugated plastic sheets if you are looking to save some money.

Some Home Depot’s, Lowes, and Michaels carry them.

The cost per sign really depends on the quantity and size ordered and also depends on if you are using stakes or not.

As mentioned before, you can buy them for as little as $1 up to $15 or more each.

It is important to use attention-grabbing colors. The most popular color scheme is a yellow sign with black writing/font.

Keeping Track of Your Signs

To help you with your placement of signs and remembering where they are at, print out a small map of your target area.

Once a sign is placed, make a highlighted dot for each sign.

It may also help to make a note of whether you placed it on a telephone pole or a stake.

Come Up With a Plan of Action

In order to see results from a bandit sign campaign you must have a solid plan of action.

Don’t expect to close a deal after placing a sign or two and hoping for the best. This is what the majority of new investors do. If they do not get any immediate results they write it off as a bogus method.

If you are serious about generated deals using this method come up with a 3-6 month plan.

Determine how many signs you are going to place out each day, week, and month.

Come up with a realistic budget that you can allocate to your campaign.

Stick with your plan. Make adjustments as needed throughout your campaign to see what is working best.

Change up the locations of the signs. Try out a few different messages.

Caution! There Is Risk Involved

Before you buy any signs it is important that you are aware of the risks involved.

Check with your local code enforcement office.

There may be fines associated placing these signs of $200-$500 or more.

Some investors place them out anyways because their return is far greater than the fines.

One way you may be able to avoid any fines is to place the signs out on Fridays after business hours and pick them up on Sunday afternoon/evenings.

This way all of the code enforcement officers are off duty.

It requires more of your time and effort but could save you from forking over fines.

From my experience and other investors I have spoke with, the city will give you a warning first before any fines are issued.

That being said you still need to check with your local code enforcement office so that you are fully aware of any and all risks associated with placing signs out in your city.

In the end, the choice is yours. When done property, bandit signs are still an effective way to generate leads.

Here’s to your success!