Are ‘for sale’ boards becoming obsolete?

December 23, 2025

Earlier this year, Westminster Council announced that it would apply to ban estate agents from displaying sales boards outside residential properties in the local area; now, Epping Forest Council is the latest to follow suit.

With this in mind, Jack Malnick, Property Expert and Managing Director at Sell House Fast has shared his thoughts on the proposed changes to the property industry:

“For decades, estate agents have used for-sale boards to attract potential buyers, but with more councils applying to ban such boards, it has led many estate agents to argue that this could have a detrimental impact on the industry.”

Why are councils applying to ban sale boards?

“Councils across the UK have applied to stop estate agents displaying sale boards for several reasons. Many believe that sale boards make residential areas look cluttered, while Epping Forest Council’s decision aims to help preserve the special architectural and historic character of a conservation area.”

What does the ban on sale signs mean for estate agents?

“It has been suggested that in 2025, around 1.2 million properties were sold in the UK, marking a 3-year high.

“Although the exact figures aren’t available, it would be fair to say that a large percentage of Brits looking to buy a property would head online to begin with, rather than driving around their desired location to look for estate agents’ boards outside of properties.”

“Although estate agents are fighting against the proposed bans, in reality, it’s unlikely the industry will see any noticeable changes. It’s fair to say that some estate agents may lose a small number of viewings, but the chances of this resulting in properties not selling or being on the market for prolonged periods are minimal.”

“Sale boards are, more than anything, a marketing tool for estate agents to display how dominant they are in the local property market, so it’s understandable why agents are pushing back against local councils when they believe this could impact new business and property sales.”

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