Realtor marketing materials: the ten pieces to prepare and the rules that apply to each

Realtor marketing materials fall into three groups: listing materials that sell a property, prospecting materials that win new clients, and follow up materials that keep past clients close. A working set is ten pieces, each with a clear job, and every one needs the brokerage and licence details your market requires. Prepare the set once, keep the templates in one folder, and update them for each listing.

This guide lists the ten pieces, what each should contain and the rules to check before anything goes to print or online.

The ten pieces

Piece	Group	Job
Listing flyer	Listing	Sell the property in one page at an open house or on request
Property brochure	Listing	Tell the story of a higher value home in more depth
Yard sign and rider	Listing	Announce the sale and give a phone number to passers-by
Online listing pack	Listing	Photos, description, floor plan and video for portals and social media
Just listed and just sold cards	Prospecting	Tell neighbours about activity and invite valuations
Business card	Prospecting	Make contact simple at any meeting
Listing presentation	Prospecting	Show a seller your plan, pricing evidence and process
Buyer guide	Prospecting	Explain the steps of buying in your market
Local market report	Follow up	Share neighbourhood data with past clients and prospects
Thank you and anniversary notes	Follow up	Keep the relationship warm for referrals

What goes in each

The listing flyer

One strong photo of the front, the address, price, bedrooms, bathrooms, the area of the home and plot, three or four features a buyer would choose it for, and a clear contact line. Add a QR code to the full online listing. Make the description specific, such as the walk to the station or the south facing garden, and keep claims you cannot verify out.

The brochure

For homes with a story or high value, add more photos, a floor plan, details of the neighbourhood and a note on the work done. Structure beats decoration, a point we cover in brochure design. If you are building one yourself, making a brochure in Google Docs is a simple way to start.

Yard sign and rider

Large brokerage name, your phone number and the word that matters, such as For Sale. Keep it legible from the road. Check local rules for sign size and placement.

Just listed and just sold cards

A photo, the address or street, and an invitation to ask for a valuation. Be careful with sold prices and client details, which may be restricted by your market's rules or your client's wishes.

The listing presentation

A short deck or printed folder: who you are, how you price, the comparable sales behind your advice, the marketing plan and the timetable. Seller meetings are won by evidence. Show recent sales that are close in size and place, and explain how you reached the price range.

The market report

A one page summary of recent sales in the neighbourhood: homes sold, typical prices, days on market and what is on sale now. Source the figures, give the date range and name the data source, such as your local multiple listing service where the rules allow publication.

Rules to check before you publish

• Brokerage and licence details. Many regions require the brokerage name and your licence number on advertising. Check your regulator or association.
• Fair housing and equal opportunity. In the United States, the Fair Housing Act applies to housing advertising, and the Equal Housing Opportunity statement is commonly displayed. Avoid wording that suggests a preferred buyer.
• Listing data rules. Data and photos from a shared listing service may carry terms on use and attribution.
• Photo rights. Use photos you own or have a licence to use. Get written consent before using a client's image or testimonial.
• Pricing claims. Describe estimates as estimates and keep records of the data behind them.

When in doubt, ask your broker or regulator before printing a large run.

Print or digital

Keep printed pieces for places where people are, such as an open house, a sign, a letterbox drop and a handshake. Keep digital versions of each piece as a PDF and a web page so they can be sent in a message. Choose paper that feels solid for the listing presentation and the brochure, and cheaper stock for flyers and cards. For ideas on printed items and how to brief a supplier, see promotional merchandise and printed materials.

Keep one folder and one brand

Use the same colors, fonts, headshot and tone across every piece. Store editable templates with the logo files, the licence text and the standard disclaimers in one folder. A new listing then takes an hour and not a day, and every piece looks like it came from one business.

Track what each piece earns

Put a different phone extension, QR code or web address on each piece. Count the calls and scans from each. After a quarter you will know which flyers and cards produce valuation requests and which are only a cost. Our guide to real estate SEO shows how to turn the same neighbourhood knowledge into pages that attract those enquiries online.

What an assistant says when a buyer or seller asks about you

Buyers and sellers now ask assistants who to trust: "which realtor in this neighbourhood sells family homes", "what should I ask a listing agent". The reply names a few agents and describes how they work, using profiles, portals, reviews and your own pages. The details on your flyer, such as your specialty, area and years in the market, are only as findable as the web pages that repeat them.

Ask the question a seller in your area would ask and read the answer: is your name there, is your specialty described correctly, and which sources does it rely on? AI Knows Us runs this check across the main assistants for a business or a person who works under their own brand, and shows the sources, so you can make the printed claims and the online profile say the same thing. Our piece on what buyers ask ChatGPT about real estate gives the question types to try.

Questions about realtor marketing materials

Which piece should I make first?

The listing flyer and the business card. They are used every week.

How many pieces do I need?

Ten is a full set. Start with three and add as your business grows.

Can I use sold prices on a postcard?

Check your local rules and your client's consent first.

Print or digital?

Both. Print where you meet people, digital for sending.

How do I know which piece works?

Give each a different tracking number or code and count responses.