From glue sticks to glossy magazines.
There was a time when putting together a property brochure involved far more scissors than software.
Back in 1996, producing details for a new instruction was a surprisingly hands-on affair. Photographs were developed, selected, physically trimmed and carefully glued onto master sheets before being photocopied. If you wanted to change the price after printing fifty copies… out came the correction fluid.
It was time-consuming, but it mattered.
Those property details were often the very first impression a buyer had of a home. Long before websites, social media or video tours, the brochure did almost all of the selling.
Many of our team were producing those brochures themselves. They remember spending evenings assembling property particulars by hand, loading photocopiers with paper and hoping the machine didn’t jam halfway through.
The tools have changed dramatically.
The objective hasn’t.
Today's brochure is only the beginning.
Modern property marketing starts long before a printed brochure is opened.
Professional photography, cinematic video, drone footage, floorplans, social media, targeted advertising and property portals all work together to introduce a home to buyers before they even arrange a viewing.
By the time someone walks through the front door, they’ve often already explored every room online.
Yet the printed brochure still has an important role.
Not because buyers need it to find the property anymore, but because it gives them something to take away. A well-designed brochure becomes part sales document, part keepsake—something buyers return to after a viewing while deciding whether they can picture themselves living there.
That’s why we still invest heavily in ours.
More than a specification sheet.
A good brochure shouldn’t simply list room sizes and tick-box features.
It should tell the story of a home.
How the kitchen connects to the garden. Why the morning light fills the sitting room. Which room has become the family favourite. What makes the location special.
The best homes deserve more than a collection of measurements.
They deserve thoughtful presentation.
Experience still matters
While the marketing has evolved beyond recognition, the advice behind it remains remarkably familiar.
Many of our team were already working in the property industry when these glue-stick brochures were being made.
They’ve lived through every major change—from newspaper advertising and printed particulars, to Rightmove, smartphones, social media and AI.
They’ve seen what genuinely helps a home sell and what simply becomes the latest trend.
Technology gives us more ways to reach buyers than ever before.
Experience tells us which ones are actually worth using.
Looking ahead
Twenty years from now, we’ll probably look back at today’s marketing in much the same way we now smile at glue sticks and photocopiers.
The tools will continue to evolve.
Buyers will continue to change.
But presenting homes beautifully, understanding people and giving honest advice will always sit at the heart of what we do.
Coming Soon
Over the coming weeks we’ll be exploring how these aspects of the industry have also changed in the last 30 years:
Property Search
Local Knowledge
Buyer Database
Communication
Thinking about your next move?
Whether your home deserves stunning photography, a beautifully designed brochure or simply honest advice on where to begin, we’d be delighted to help.
Let’s talk about your next move.