The Cure for the Common For Sale Sign

Real estate startup Compass has reimagined its "for sale" signage design into modular ring posts that include LED lighting and embedded technology for expanded property data capabilities.

Matt Spangler, Compass chief creative officer, explains the vision, "Say it was just a plot of land—you could see a house modeled on the land, you could change the [house's finishes], you could see all the neighborhood data, you could see restaurants that are recommended." He tells Fast Company that a future goal of the mobile development team is to incorporate augmented reality into the sign, and digital signage updated in real time.

The final prototype, in the shape of a magnifying glass, stands tall in a 10th-floor conference room at Compass, emitting a gentle glow from the inner rim of its ringed frame. At first glance, the matte-black material and minimalist shape would appear destined for a patio, or inside a home. In fact, if it weren’t for the real estate agent contact information in the center of the glowing ring, it would be hard to call this a “for sale” sign. Compass agents sell trophy properties and are willing to to invest in trophy-worthy tools, or so the thinking goes ... The startup expects that its 4,100 agents will snap up the first run of signs; each one will cost roughly $1,000 and ship October 1. During feedback sessions, Compass says, over 90% of agents expressed interest in buying one.

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