Design and Layout of Real Estate Marketing Pamphlets

Selling or leasing real estate requires a variety of marketing tools to lead to success. Some of the most utilized tools include marketing pamphlets and flyers. But not all marketing brochures and pamphlets are designed the same – or work. There are several critical components for this piece of marketing collateral to be effective in aiding in the sale or leasing of a house, condo, or apartment, whether you are a real estate agent, selling or leasing it yourself, or you are a bank selling a foreclosed property.

Presentation
Tri-fold pamphlets printed on 8½” x 11” paper stock present themselves much more professionally than a double-sided flyer, even when printed on identical paper stock. Other advantages to this form of pamphlet include it fits easily in a jacket pocket, and you can present the information in the order in which you want it seen.

One of the major mistakes made with a pamphlet is a fear of using white space. Use it! You want the pamphlet to be clean and crisp, with only critical information included, especially on the critical front and back pages.

Layout
Assuming you will use a tri-fold pamphlet, there is a specific order to how the information should be presented for maximum effect. Always include a “call for action” on the part of the person seeing the brochure. “Drive by” “Call me” “Set up an appointment” etc. are key words to include.

With a tri-fold brochure, you have in effect 6 surfaces with which to work. The typical reader will see the front and back, then proceed to the first inner page, the fold-over inner page, then the two interior pages.

Front page – Include the “curb appeal” picture, whether the property is for sale or for lease, the address of the real estate, and in a smaller font your contact number. That’s it. Make it clean and clutter-free.

Back page – Include a map to the location and at the bottom, place your contact information in bold, large print, or duplicate your business card.

Front inner-fold – Here is where you start selling the property. Include the square footage, the features and amenities, number of bedrooms (for residential property), and for commercial property, the traffic count and demographics of the surround 1 mile radius.

Inside pages – Here you can get a little wordy on the first two pages. Describe the neighborhood, transit access, school information, etc. Again, do not be afraid of white space, do not fill it side to side. If the property has some particularly outstanding feature or amenity, this is where you should include a picture of it.

Interior flap – the last page seen. Here is where you include the price information, repeat the location, tell about any special terms or restrictions, and repeat your contact information.

Pictures
We live in a multi-media world, and buyers and tenants want to see pictures of what they might be getting. For any type of real estate, whether it be a house, condo, apartment building, shopping center, or office building, not enough can be stressed about the property’s “curb appeal” or the first impression a potential buyer or tenant will have. The front cover of any marketing pamphlet must include that curb appeal photo to grab attention.

If you are uncomfortable taking a print-worthy photograph, hire someone or have the owner hire someone. There are services catering to real estate agents and landlords who will take several great digital photographs at a reasonable price.

Address Information
This might seem obvious, but paying attention that this critical piece of information is clearly placed on the front and back of the pamphlet is vitally important. Nothing kills the effectiveness of a real estate marketing piece like forgetting to include this information.

Have you ever picked up an advertisement for a business, saw that they have something you want, only to discover nowhere in the ad does it tell you where that business actually is? If not, you are unusual, since this is something that occurs more frequently than it should.

Contact Information
Only include a telephone number that you know will be answered professionally, no matter what time of day, whether it be via voicemail or a person. That number must be picked up so the person on the other end reaches you in a professional manner. If you have small children who might answer the number – DO NOT INCLUDE THAT NUMBER. You have just told the caller that you are not taking business seriously if a child answers the phone.

Tools
Buy a decent digital camera that is easy to download to your computer.

Get image editing software, so you can crop and brighten pictures to present them in the best light.

All of this layout work might sound dizzying, but with your personal computer and a word processing package installed, you can do a passable job of creating a brochure that looks professional by using templates available for free or at a minimal cost.

You may also consider investing in low-cost publishing software available at most office supply stores, or outsourcing this work for a nominal fee to a professional who designs this sort of thing on a daily basis.