Letter from the Publisher: We need to talk about boards

The debate on boards, which has been going on for a while now, has re-emerged recently thanks to a Twitter campaign.

Tweeting under the mysterious moniker @3flyingducks, UK Board Watch 2015 has been posting images of agents' boards which it says are illegal.

The campaign, like so many unfortunately, appears to be anti-agent but with only 101 followers it doesn't seem to be having its desired impact thus far.

What it has done, however, is get people thinking and talking once more about the future of For Sale and To Let boards.

To say the discourse around boards in recent years has often been negative is somewhat of an understatement. In 2008 it was reported that sales of boards had hit an all-time low. In November last year angry residents took to sawing Barnard Marcus boards in Croydon. Also in November, Hastings Council won backing to enforce a permanent ban on boards on its seafront.

These are just a few of many stories, and there have been other high profile bans in areas of London, Brighton and Newcastle, among other locations.

Despite all this negative publicity, for many consumers boards act as a reminder and still influence their choice of agent. Because of this, many agents up and down the country still invest heavily in boards and stand by them unequivocally.

It isn't just members of the public that aren't fans of boards, though, there are numerous agents who have spoken out about the issue including Marc Cox, Director of Mishon Mackay in Brighton and Gideon Gold of Hunters in West Hampstead.

It is frequently argued that the value of significant numbers of sold boards in a local area remains high to an agent and as we are reminded all too often, standing out in a competitive market place is crucial and boards provide the opportunity to promote the brand.

The main issues raised seem often not to be with the boards themselves but with their placement and in some instances, the sheer number of boards around one property.

This debate is one that will not go away but one thing for sure is that the majority of agents will continue to use boards to advertise properties for sale or to let.

In true Industry Views style we have spoken to a number of agents and suppliers to the industry to find out their thoughts on boards

Nigel Poole, Director, Veco:

Sign boards are still an effective weapon in the estate agent's marketing armoury. Apart from raising local awareness of the agent's own brand and the availability of the property to the market, the sign board outside a property is instantly visible to passers-by, some of whom may not be actually looking for a property but who have always said to themselves if that property comes available I'd love to live there.

Occasionally the sign board can have a detrimental effect when it forms part of a line-up of other boards outside a block of flats or lying in the footpath after a transaction has completed. In this case the estate agent should be aware that local opinion can quickly judge that if the estate agent is not able to keep their own house in order then how can they be likely to effectively market their home

Andrew Ellinas, Director, Sandfords:

In central London there are no For Sale/Let boards. They aren't permitted anymore after they were banned throughout most of central London by authorities in 2010. The result has meant that both residents and tourists can enjoy the beautiful buildings and surrounds that the capital has to offer rather than a city filled with boards everywhere. Having said that I personally purchased my house from a board, so they do serve their purpose and are in fact a great marketing tool within certain areas.

Mike Simons, Partner, MPL Interiors:

"Despite the digital age where almost every property search starts online, boards still have a place in agency. There may be fewer buyers and tenants driving round the streets looking for boards but boards are still a vital marketing tool. Even on a subconscious level, they are a great branding exercise and are a visual indication than an agent is active in an area. The kudos attached to lots of 'sold' and 'let by' boards remains, sending a signal to both home movers and agency rivals."

Rob Wellstead, Managing Director, Lenwell:

"For Sale and To Let boards are a great form of advertising for both the property, and the agent alike. Used correctly they provide an important signpost, and could mean the difference between selling or letting a property, or not.

"I am completely against the use of fake boards for myriad reasons. Equally, I find it unfortunate that local authorities continue not to enforce planning regulations where fake boards are reported."

Fran Mulhall, Operations and Lettings Manager, GFW Letting:

"The To Let/For Sale Board debate is a pretty contentious discussion and I can see why as there's a strong for and against argument on either side. I think, from an agent's point of view, they still provide a direct and valuable way of getting their brand out there but on the other side I can see how boards left over a long period of time can be unsightly."

"Personally, I think 'fly-boarding' and multi-boards do bring down the general feel and look of an area. For example, prior to the new regulations in Newcastle Upon Tyne in specific areas such as Jesmond, there was a real issue with agents putting them up indefinitely. The local community felt like this affected the attractiveness of living in the area and I can totally understand why."

Laura Cooper, Lettings Branch Manager, Hunters:

Boards are crucial for increasing awareness of properties on the market on both the buying and lettings side. I believe they are a necessity for attracting passing traffic. Many of my customers weren't considering moving until they saw a board in a more desirable area than theirs whilst passing by and therefore wouldn't have thought to look online. Additionally, a large proportion of our calls at Hunters start with I've seen a board on and I want more details on x property.

On the opposite side of things, it does appear we have an increased number of neighbours complaining about boards and housing developments where boards are not allowed. Personally, I have only ever had a handful of actual owners and landlords that have not wished to have a board, primarily this has been because they don't want their house advertised as vacant or want the neighbours to know they're selling or renting.