Real estate signs that text back.

The types of real estate signs

Most agents use a handful of sign formats, and each does a different job:

• Post and yard signs. The main panel hung from a post or staked in the yard. This is the sign buyers photograph and remember.
• Sign riders. The small strips clipped above or below the main panel: "For Sale," "Open House," "Price Reduced," "Pending," and increasingly "Scan to ask." Riders are where you add a QR code without reprinting the whole sign. See our real estate sign rider ideas.
• Directional and arrow signs. Placed at corners and intersections to route traffic to an open house or a hard-to-find listing.
• Open house signs. A-frames and yard stakes that go up for the event and come down after. Pair them with open house lead capture so the foot traffic does not vanish.
• Window and panel signs. Static info displays for the listing itself.

Standard real estate sign sizes

You do not need a catalog, just the common sizes:

• Main panels are typically 24 by 18 inches or 24 by 36 inches, sized to read from a moving car.
• Riders are usually 24 by 6 inches, designed to clip onto a standard panel or frame.
• Directional signs are commonly 18 by 24 inches, large enough to read at speed but small enough to stake at a corner.

A QR code reads reliably from a few feet away when it is at least about 1.5 inches square, so a rider or a panel corner is plenty of room. Bigger is better for a drive-by scan.

Where you can put a sign: placement and the rules

Visibility wins, but signs are regulated. Three things to check before you stake:

• Local sign ordinances. Cities and counties limit size, height, count, and how long a sign can stay up, especially directional and open-house signs in the public right-of-way. Check your municipality's sign code before placing directionals.
• HOA rules. Many associations restrict sign type, placement, and timing on the property itself.
• Fair Housing. A sign is advertising, and real estate advertising falls under the Fair Housing Act: no language that signals a preference based on a protected class. The National Association of Realtors keeps current guidance on fair housing compliance for member marketing.

The upgrade: a sign that captures the lead

Here is the gap. A traditional sign gives a buyer a phone number and asks them to call a stranger and wait for a callback. Most will not. They will scan the next listing instead. A real estate QR code on the sign closes that gap: the buyer scans, an AI answers their questions instantly from your approved facts, and you capture the lead before they leave the curb. For the setup details, read our QR code real estate sign guide and how to generate leads from real estate signs.