Best Print Formats for Realtors: Signs, Cards, and Flyers

Real estate is one of the few industries where print isn’t optional. A listing without a sign looks like a listing nobody’s working on. An open house without directional signs is an open house people can’t find.

But not every format pulls its weight. Here’s the print we see agents and brokerages rely on most, and how we recommend getting the most out of each.

Yard signs and riders

The yard sign is still the most-seen piece of marketing a listing gets. Neighbours walk past it every day, and drive-by buyers use it to decide whether to call.

What works:

18 × 24″ coroplast (corrugated plastic) is the standard. It’s light, waterproof, and affordable.
Double-sided so it reads in both directions of traffic.
H-stakes for lawns, or a post-and-frame setup if your brokerage uses one.
Riders (usually 6 × 24″) for “Sold,” “Open house,” “Coming soon,” or “Price reduced.” Riders let you update the message without replacing the main sign.

Design tip: your phone number is the most important thing on the sign. Make it big enough to read from a moving car — letters at least 3″ tall. Your photo, logo, and brokerage branding come second.

Open-house and directional signs

Directional signs get buyers from the main road to your door. They’re small, but they do a lot of work on a Sunday afternoon.

What works:

A-frame signs with replaceable inserts for corners and sidewalks
Smaller coroplast signs with arrows on stakes, in a matching set
A consistent colour so buyers can follow the trail

Order them in a reusable set with your brand and an arrow, rather than listing-specific details. That way, one batch works for every open house.

Feature sheets

A feature sheet (sometimes called a property flyer) is what buyers take home after a showing — and what they compare on the kitchen table later.

What works:

8.5 × 11″ on 100lb gloss to make photos look their best
Strong hero photo, key details (beds, baths, square footage, price), and three to five highlights
Your contact info and photo on every sheet

For higher-end listings, upgrade to a heavier cover stock or a folded brochure. It feels more substantial and signals that the property is special.

Just-listed and just-sold postcards

Postcards are one of the most effective ways to build your name in a neighbourhood. A just-listed card tells neighbours what’s happening on their street; a just-sold card shows you get results.

What works:

4 × 6″ or 6 × 9″ on 14pt or 16pt cover stock so they hold up in the mail
A big photo, a short headline (“Just sold on Maple Street”), and a clear call to action
Mailed in batches to the surrounding streets

We can source postcards set up for Canada Post Neighbourhood Mail — mention it when you request a quote.

Business cards (and when to go premium)

Every agent needs cards, and most go through a lot of them. Standard 16pt matte or gloss cards are a reliable choice for everyday use.

For luxury listings or client meetings where the first impression really matters, consider premium business cards — soft-touch, foil, or ultra-thick 32pt stock. It’s a small cost relative to a commission, and clients notice. Our card thickness guide explains the options.

Vehicle decals and magnets

Many agents spend half their day in the car. A set of door magnets or a rear window decal with your name, brokerage, and number turns that time into advertising. Magnets are best if you also use the car personally; decals look more permanent. See vehicle decals for options.

Put it together as a listing kit

The agents who get the most out of print treat it as a kit, not a series of one-off orders. A typical new-listing kit looks like:

Yard sign plus rider
Feature sheets for showings
Just-listed postcards for the neighbourhood
Directional signs for the open house

Order the reusable pieces (signs, riders, directional signs) once, then reorder the listing-specific pieces (feature sheets, postcards) for each new property. Keep templates for each so updates are quick.

Let us handle the whole kit

Different shops are best at different things — one may be great at coroplast signs, another at postcards. As a print brokerage, we source each item from the shop that does it best, including trade-only printers you can’t order from directly, and you deal with just one point of contact.

See everything we do for real estate, or get a quote on signs for your next listing.