Conventional real estate signs are a necessary and familiar accessory for real estate agents. But they’re also kind of a pain. They’re big and bulky and don’t easily fit in most car trunks. The stakes can damage a car’s interior upholstery and seating. They’re dirty and muddy, and many agents have to pay someone to install and remove them.
Longtime North Texas Realtor Patricia Manos wanted an easier way to market her properties. She came up with the idea of EZ Stow Signs. They solve many of these common complaints agents have about lawn signs.
“I’ve put up with conventional signs for 37 years and I never found a good solution— my car is a vital asset to support my success, but it seems that every time I wanted to buy a new car, one of the issues I had to consider is the transporting of the signs,” Manos said. “So I, along with the help of my family and some great engineers in Ohio, came up with the solution, and that is when EZ Stow Signs was born.”
This Dallas-based, family-run company is aiming not only to make their products popular in DFW, but also to take their signs national.
“We have created relationships with Keller Williams, Fathom Realty, and ReMax, and I’m sponsoring prep courses at the Champions School of Real Estate,” said Robert Spragins, sales manager for EZ Stow Signs and Manos’ son who has taken his mom’s idea and launched a business. “We’re also attending the National Association of Realtors convention in Orlando in November — we’re renting a booth there to get national exposure, and we’re also attending area trade shows and will be adding more sizes to our product line.”
EZ Stow Signs will fit in almost any trunk, with a collapsible, compact sign design. The removable stakes can be easily wiped off or put into bags, keeping the car clean, and attach to the bottom of the frame. This means Realtors can install and reuse their own sign panels, transport them in standard-sized cars, and protect the trunk or interior from sharp stake points. When it’s time to assemble one, the stakes screw on with four bolts.
Spragins said the signs are more expensive, but because of their construction, will last longer than conventional signs and save money in the long run.
“The thing that makes signs unappealing to the eye is the wear over time, particularly rust,” he said. “Our signs are powder coated, not painted, and made in the USA of two-inch rolled carbon steel with stainless steel hardware, all non-rusting materials.”
Spragins is about halfway through the process of getting a patent for the signs, a two-year process. The company, which is in its first year of business, currently sells two sizes of signs, 18 inches wide by 24 inches high with a 6-inch bottom rider space and 24 inches wide by 18 inches high with a 6-inch bottom rider space. More options will be coming soon.
