Updated November 2026. Which property brochure binding fits your home, how to make a real estate brochure step by step, three example layouts, print vs online, and the rules that apply.
For property brochure binding, saddle stitch (two staples in the fold) suits most homes in November 2026: 8 to 12 pages, page count in multiples of 4. Use a folded sheet for open houses and a glued perfect binding only past about 40 pages. Keep it short, with one strong cover photo, a floor plan and the key facts. Fair housing rules apply to brochures too, under 24 CFR 100.75.
The brochure backs up your listing; it doesn’t replace it. Put the home on the major home search sites and the MLS first with a flat fee MLS listing, then print.
Jump to: 🏠 What to include · 📸 Binding & paper · 🪜 How to make one · 📄 Examples · 💲 Print vs online · 🤝 Rules · ❓ FAQ
Key takeaways
- Most home brochures work best at 2 to 8 pages. Past 8, buyers skim and the print cost climbs.
- Saddle-stitch binding needs a page count in multiples of 4 (4, 8, 12). Wire binding lays flat; perfect binding suits 40+ pages.
- Federal fair housing rules name brochures by name: no words or images that show a preference for or against a protected group.
- If your home is listed on an MLS, handing out flyers is public marketing. Under NAR’s Clear Cooperation Policy, the listing must reach the MLS within 1 business day of it.
A brochure isn’t the main way buyers find homes anymore. They find them online. What a brochure does well is stay behind: on a kitchen table after a showing, in a bag after an open house. Getting people there is the job of good open house signs. That’s the job to design for.
What should a property brochure include?
Think of it as a short story told in order. Here’s a page plan that works for most single-family homes and condos.
| Page | What goes on it | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Cover | One hero photo, address, price, one-line hook | Shoot it in daylight from the street corner. |
| Inside spread | Living areas and kitchen photos, a short story of the home | Wide shots for space, one close-up for detail. |
| Facts page | Beds, baths, square feet, lot, year built, taxes, HOA | Match the MLS data exactly. |
| Floor plan | A simple plan with room sizes | Buyers keep this page most. |
| Area page | Schools, commute times, parks, shopping | Use facts, not adjectives. |
| Back cover | Contact, showing times, QR code to the online listing | One phone or email, not five. |
Start with the photos
Photos sell the visit. Captivating visuals are essential, and good light matters more than the camera. Use wide shots so buyers feel the layout, and a few close-ups of what makes the home different: custom cabinets, a new roof, a view. Our guide to home photos that upgrade your listing covers angles, light and how many shots each room needs.
Write copy a person would say
“Three bedrooms, two baths” is a fact. “The back bedroom gets morning sun and looks over the garden” is a reason to visit. Write a few sentences like that per room, then stop. Keep facts and stories apart: the facts page for numbers, the spreads for the story. For wording that sells without overselling, see how to write listing descriptions that attract buyers.
Keep the layout clean
Leave white space around photos and text. Use one or two fonts, a clear heading on each page and short bullet lists for features. A cluttered brochure feels like a cluttered house. Put price, address and contact details where the eye lands first.
What about testimonials?
For a single home, skip them. They belong in brochures that sell a service, like a builder’s or a brokerage’s. If you do use one, make sure it’s real, recent and used with permission.
Which property brochure binding should you choose?
Binding depends on page count and how the brochure will be used. Here are the common options, from simplest to most formal.
| Binding | Best page count | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folded sheet (bi-fold or tri-fold) | 4 to 6 panels | Open houses, mail drops | Little room for a floor plan. |
| Saddle stitch (staples in the fold) | 8 to about 48, in multiples of 4 | Most homes, condos | Page count must divide by 4. |
| Wire-O or spiral | Any count | Builder packs, land with surveys | Looks more like a report. |
| Perfect binding (glued spine) | About 40 and up | Estates, new developments | Doesn’t lay flat; longer lead time. |
| Pocket folder with inserts | Loose sheets | Homes where details may change | Inserts get lost. |
Page ranges are typical print-shop guidance and vary by paper weight; ask your printer before you design. For most homes, an 8-page saddle-stitched booklet hits the sweet spot: cover, two spreads, facts, floor plan, area and back cover.
Paper and finish
Heavier paper feels more serious. A gloss or silk finish makes modern photos look sharp. A matte finish feels warmer and suits older or rustic homes, and it’s easier to write notes on. Whatever you pick, order a proof first. Colors on paper rarely match the screen.
How do you make a real estate brochure, step by step?
Plan the pages before you open any design tool. Most sellers can finish a home brochure in an afternoon, then wait a few days for the printer.
- Get the photos first. Everything else is built around them. Pick one cover shot and 8 to 12 inside shots.
- Pull the facts from your listing. Beds, baths, square feet, lot, year built, taxes and HOA, copied exactly.
- Pick the format and binding. Count your pages and choose from the table above. Saddle stitch needs 4, 8 or 12 pages.
- Write short copy. A one-line hook for the cover, two or three sentences per room, and a short area page.
- Lay it out. Use a template sized for your printer, with bleed and safe margins, one or two fonts and plenty of white space.
- Add the way back online. A QR code on the back cover that opens your listing page with current photos and price.
- Check, proof, print. Read every number against the listing, run the fair housing check below, then order one printed proof before the full run.
Most printed copies get picked up at showings and open houses, so plan the run around them. Our open house tips cover the day itself.
What are good property brochure examples?
Three layouts cover almost every home. Choose by price point and how buyers will meet the brochure.
| Example | Format | Pages | What’s inside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open house handout | Tri-fold, letter size | 6 panels | Cover photo, 4 photos, key facts, floor plan sketch, QR code |
| Condo or starter home booklet | Saddle stitch | 8 | Cover, two photo spreads, facts, floor plan, building amenities, contact |
| Larger home or estate | Saddle stitch or wire-O | 12 to 16 | Room-by-room photos, upgrades list, survey or site plan, area guide |
| New development or multi-unit | Perfect binding or pocket folder | 40+ or loose sheets | Unit types, price sheet insert, amenities, builder details |
A pocket folder is handy when the price or available units may change: you reprint one insert, not the whole book.
Should your brochure be print, online or both?
Both, for most sellers. Print is for people who are already standing in the house. Digital is for everyone else, especially out-of-town buyers.
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Buy a home →A digital flipbook keeps the page-turning feel online. Platforms that make flipbooks let you upload the same PDF, share one link and update it without a reprint. Add a QR code on the printed back cover that opens the online version or your listing page, so the paper copy leads back to current photos and price, the same way a for sale sign with a QR code works.
- Print: open houses, showings, neighbors who might know a buyer.
- Digital: email replies, social posts, out-of-town buyers, buyer’s agents.
- Both: change the price or status in one place, then reprint only if needed.
Where can you make property brochures online?
General design tools such as Canva or Adobe Express have real estate brochure templates, and most online print shops take a PDF upload with their own size presets. Start from a template that matches your printer’s size and bleed, so nothing gets trimmed. Export a print PDF for the printer and a lighter one for email.
Should you hire a property brochure writer?
For a typical home, you don’t need to. A writer or designer earns their fee on a large estate, a new development or a building with many units, where the brochure carries a lot of detail. In high-priced markets like New York City, sellers and developers often hire one. Ask for samples, who owns the files, and how many revision rounds are included. Note that Beycome doesn’t list homes in New York yet.
Still, a brochure doesn’t replace the MLS. Buyers’ agents search the MLS, and the big portals pull listings from it. Digital marketing starts with that listing. A Beycome flat fee MLS listing puts your home on the major home search sites and the MLS for $99 in most states ($129 in California and Illinois), with $0 due to Beycome at closing, with the maximum photos the MLS allows and unlimited updates. Enhanced, at $399, adds 25 professional photos and customizable flyers and brochures, per the Beycome flat fee MLS page. Curious what sells? Browse homes Beycome sellers have closed.
What rules apply to property brochures?
Fair housing wording
The federal rule at 24 CFR 100.75 makes it unlawful to publish any notice or ad for the sale of a dwelling that shows a preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. It lists brochures and flyers by name. It also covers photos and illustrations.
In practice: describe the home, not the buyer. “Three bedrooms near two parks” is fine. “Perfect for a young couple” is not. Many states and cities add more protected groups, so check your local rules.
Clear Cooperation, if you’re on the MLS
Under the NAR MLS Clear Cooperation Policy, a listing broker must submit a listing to the MLS within one business day of marketing it to the public. NAR names flyers displayed in windows and yard signs as public marketing. So if you plan to list on the MLS, list first and print second.
Facts that match
Square footage, taxes and HOA fees in the brochure should match your MLS listing and public records. If a number is an estimate, say so. Add the date the brochure was printed. Prices and details change.
Want more ideas for a by-owner sale? Our FSBO marketing design tips cover signs, flyers and social posts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best binding for a property brochure?
For most homes, saddle stitch: staples in the fold, 8 to 12 pages in multiples of 4. Use a folded sheet for open houses and perfect binding only for long brochures of about 40 pages or more.
How do you make a real estate brochure?
Plan the pages first: cover photo, two photo spreads, facts, floor plan, area and contact. Write short copy, keep lots of white space, order a printed proof and add a QR code to the online listing.
How many pages should a property brochure have?
Usually 2 to 8. A single home rarely needs more. Larger estates or new developments may run longer.
Can I make a property brochure online?
Yes. Design a PDF with any layout tool, then share it as a digital flipbook or a link. You can update the online copy without reprinting.
Do fair housing rules apply to brochures?
Yes. 24 CFR 100.75 names brochures and flyers. Describe the property, not the kind of buyer you want.
What are some property brochure examples?
A 6-panel tri-fold for open houses, an 8-page saddle-stitched booklet for a condo or starter home, and a 12 to 16 page booklet for a larger home.
Do I need a property brochure writer?
Not for most homes. A writer or designer helps on large estates and new developments. Ask for samples and who owns the files.
Should I hand out brochures before my home is on the MLS?
If you plan to list on the MLS, list first. Under NAR’s Clear Cooperation Policy, a listing must be submitted within one business day of public marketing such as flyers or yard signs.
Binding page ranges are typical print-shop guidance and vary by printer and paper. Fair housing rules vary by state and city; this is general information, not legal advice. Beycome prices as of November 2026; “$0 at closing” means no Beycome fee at closing (taxes, title fees and any agreed buyer-agent compensation still apply). Beycome lists in 17 states and DC.
Sources
- eCFR, 24 CFR 100.75, discriminatory advertisements, statements and notices, read October 26, 2026.
- National Association of REALTORS®, MLS Clear Cooperation Policy, read October 26, 2026.
- Beycome, listing package features, October 2026.
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