Auckland real estate agents flout tough new sign laws

Just one sorry - new rules in Auckland City say that even if more than one agent is selling a property, only one sign is allowed. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Auckland City real estate agents are blatantly flouting laws for real estate signs, says one agent, brought in last month as part of an overhaul of rules designed to reduce messy signage across the city.

It is illegal for real estate agents in the Auckland City Council area to attach open home flag poles to their vehicles or erect more than two direction signs advertising an open home.

The new rules allow slightly larger real estate signs (from 1 square metre to 1.5 square metres) when a property is being marketed by several agents and only one sign is allowed.

But one Auckland real estate agent says some companies are ignoring the rules as the merger date for Auckland councils looms and tough market conditions prevail.

"They know the council isn't going to run around enforcing it and with the Super City merger they know these rules won't last," Professionals' agent Ross Brader said.

A company can be fined up to $20,000 for breaching the bylaw.

Houses in North Shore City and Manukau City can have more than one real estate sign, but only one is allowed per property in Waitakere City. There is no restriction on the number of real estate signs in Wellington City.

Brader says he's seen numerous examples of open home direction signs cluttering street corners, and agents continuing to use their vehicles to market open homes.

The use of signs was an "easy way to get your name out there" in what was a tough real estate market, he said.

"It's only about marketing for the companies themselves. It's nothing to do with getting the house sold," he said.

"I actually think there is no need for open home direction arrows and flags - there could just be a blanket ban," he said.

The Local Government Act 2002 required the council to review all its bylaws by July 1 2008.

A number of clauses of the "Signs Bylaw" were redrafted, some to provide greater clarity for the public, an Auckland City Council spokesperson said.

The council said it would be monitoring areas where there were a large number of non-complying signs and said it had already spoken to one agent about the new rules.

"The rules were explained and they altered or removed the signs so that they complied with the bylaw," the council said.

Real Estate Institute boss Peter McDonald said he was aware of the new rules, but had not heard any cases of agents flouting them.

McDonald said he would not be encouraging any institute member to operate outside the bylaw.