How Political Signs Can Ruin A Real Estate Transaction – The Mortgage Note

Leading up to the 2024 presidential election, divisions were so high throughout the country that CBS News reported on the impact that political yard signs were having on home sales. And CBS wasn’t alone in covering that topic.

“You may not have bought that ‘Make America Great Again’ sign posted up on your next-door neighbor’s lawn, but if you’re looking to sell your house soon, you could end up paying for it,” Money Magazine reported.

With the 2026 midterm elections right around the corner, realtors today say political signs can be taken a variety of ways, but they still reflect the values of a few outspoken neighbors in every community, and that has a chilling effect on prospective buyers.

“It doesn’t change the appraisal value of a home or neighborhood, but it can change buyer perception, which affects marketability,” said Monica Nalbantoglu, director of sales with the Rob Jensen Company in Las Vegas. “Feelings drive an enormous amount of decision-making.”

Linda Lombardini, who co-owns Trillium Real Estate in Ann Arbor, Michigan, told CBS in 2024 that one set of her clients decided not to purchase in the area they were looking because they were so turned off by the political signs.

Jules Zaphire, a real estate agent at Locqube, said a similar thing has happened to him. He is licensed in New York and Connecticut.

“Can it negatively affect a buyer’s viewpoint of a neighborhood? Yes. And in some cases they do decide to not move to that location. I’ve dealt with it personally,” Zaphire said in a recent interview with The Mortgage Note.

“I tell my clients to look up the stats and see how things lean in any given neighborhood if it’s something that is important to them. There is a lot of change that occurs around you when buying a home, and this can include dealing with different political affiliations.”

Joshua Holt, CEO and broker at Holt Real Estate Team powered by PLACE, works in Madison, Wisconsin, and said he’s also seen examples of what Lombardini encountered.

“We have had buyers in our market that have chosen not to purchase homes simply because of things that neighbors have hanging up that do not align with their own beliefs,” said Holt. “Homebuying is a deeply emotional process. Buyers who see aggressive or inflammatory signs will wonder if they will feel welcome or safe in that community.”

Wendy Martorano, realtor with the Yackley Group, United Real Estate – Chicago, attributes this to the fact that people in today’s society tend to believe that if their political viewpoints are not the same, they won’t get along. She suggested buyers who are concerned about fitting into a neighborhood take their time to consider the full picture.

“I tell my clients to ask neighbors questions and just get a feel of what it would be like to live there. They have to do some homework and figure this out. Sit at a park. If there’s a clubhouse, check it out and meet the HOA people. You have to figure out what it is you want from the community,” said Martorano.

Holt suggests looking past the signage and focusing on the maintenance and care neighbors are putting into their properties.

“A neighbor who keeps their yard clean and respects property lines will make a better neighbor, even if they don’t politically agree with you,” said Holt.

Holt added that just because a neighborhood may lean one way now does not mean it will be the same situation in a few years.

“We advise that you can’t choose your neighbors, and people will come and go from a neighborhood. You may find one that has everything you like now, but then someone will move in with opposing views. Administrations come and go. Policies come and go. Change is always happening,” said Holt.

What can sellers do if their neighbors have political signs up?

“This is a tough one,” explained Holt. “If you are close with them, have a discussion and focus on the mutual gain that everyone gets in the neighborhood if the home sells quickly for top dollar.”

Outside of this recommendation, the same answer was given across the board: sellers should focus on what they can control. This means the focus should be on the home and how it can be made as appealing as possible.

“That is outside of the sellers’ control,” said Nalbantoglu. “Buyers should experience the community as it actually exists. We don’t want to hide things from buyers. The community is what it is.”

“There is not really much they can do because you can’t tell people how to feel and you can’t really hide it,” said Zaphire. “Your job as the seller is to show that the neighborhood is welcoming no matter what affiliation you have. You also show this by how you treat your house.”

“Bring buyers’ focus back to the tangibles: the condition of the house, the square footage, and other aspects of the property,” added Holt.

How should real estate professionals handle politics in general?

By keeping it out of their business relationships, explained Nalbantoglu.

“We all have the same goal, which is to attract the largest pool of buyers that can purchase their home. Most see logic in this way of thinking and will concede. It’s just best not to touch politics in the real estate sphere whatsoever,” she said.

Martorano specifically encouraged all real estate agents to avoid revealing which side of the aisle they fall on because it can only limit who might be willing to work with you.   

“Nobody knows what my team’s political views are. We don’t hang signs up on our front yard or post on the internet because I never want a potential buyer to not work with me because of the side of the aisle that I sit on. All real estate industry professionals should do this. You have to stay Switzerland,” she said.

According to a 2022 article by the National Association of Realtors, in a hyperpolitical environment, it’s best for industry professionals to stay above the fray.

“Great reputations are built one brick at a time, and buildings can come down with one bad move. You can destroy your reputation with one comment,” said 2011 NAR President Ron Phipps.