About Real Estate Newsletters

Real estate agents and firms throughout the United States rely on newsletters to give their clients general information on the marketplace. Real estate newsletters provide tips on buying and selling homes along with market trends such as average purchase prices, interest rates and government housing programs. These newsletters have to blend facts with a personal touch to keep consumers interested from the first page. Every real estate agent should think about length, regular features, publication intervals and the timeliness of information before sitting down to write a newsletter.

Size

The standard size of a real estate newsletter is 4 pages, essentially an 11 1/2-by-17 inch sheet folded in half. This format allows for an article on each page, a header and footer with agent information and a calendar for upcoming events. Another advantage of the 4-page newsletter is that it can be folded and stored easily in a jacket or purse, making the newsletter a fixture at open houses. As real estate agents have moved to the Internet with their newsletters, this format has given way to larger pages and longer documents due to the absence of printing costs.

Time Frame

The ideal publishing period for a real estate newsletter is once per month to capture the rapid changes in the market. An agency that chooses to publish a bimonthly or quarterly newsletter is providing old information to prospective buyers and sellers. Real estate agents should consider publishing a monthly print newsletter along with a weekly online supplement that provides important updates between mailings. The weekly supplement can point out changes in interest rates on FHA loans as well as newly passed legislation helping first-time homeowners while the regular newsletter can elaborate on buying and selling tips.

Features

The opening page of the typical real estate newsletter features an editorial or welcoming comment from the writer. This comment can range from a general discussion of the declining housing market to specifics on local housing programs. Many newsletters feature interest rates, community housing statistics and other numbers on the sidebar for easy access. The interior of the newsletter may feature a testimonial from a happy client, a feature story on home investments that increase property values and listings of premium properties on the market. The back page is a good place to put entertaining elements like crossword puzzles, event listings and pictures of real estate agents at work.

Types

Real estate newsletters can be categorized based on medium, color and editorial style. While agents and real estate firms still utilize print newsletters in great numbers, online newsletters are becoming more popular as a cost-saving tool. For real estate agents developing their own newsletters, black and white or monochromatic pages are less expensive but fail to dazzle the eye. A newsletter that uses property photos, graphics and elaborate design elements should be shown in full color to encourage the viewer to continue reading. The spectrum of editorial styles used in real estate newsletters spans from strictly factual to casual depending on the demographic served by the agent.

Considerations

Busy real estate agents who are pressed for time when writing their newsletters can use websites like ReadyToGo Newsletters to cut down their formatting and editing time. This website has a real estate newsletter template that can be filled with housing data, listings and pictures without much trouble. Another way to cut down on time spent working on a real estate newsletter is asking fellow agents and past clients to contribute. These featured pieces add a human touch to a newsletter and offer new insights for subscribers who are looking to enter the real estate market.

Resources

• Realty Times
• ReadyToGo Newsletters
• The Real Estate Library