Real Estate MarketingProject Brochure
Synonyms: Sales brochure، Project booklet، Property catalogue
Last updated: 2026-09-25
Short Definition
A project brochure is a printed booklet or digital file (PDF) presenting the details of a project or property, such as location, floor plans, areas, specifications, prices, payment plan and images, handed to prospects at exhibitions and sales centres or sent to them electronically.
Overview
A project brochure is a printed booklet or digital file (PDF) presenting the details of a project or property, such as location, floor plans, areas, specifications, prices, payment plan and images, handed to prospects at exhibitions and sales centres or sent to them electronically. It is one of the oldest real estate marketing tools, yet it still matters because buyers return to it when comparing and deciding, and it may later become a reference in disputes over what was promised.
In Saudi Arabia a brochure is a real estate advertisement under REGA's Regulatory Bylaw on Real Estate Marketing and Advertising (2026), which defines an advertisement as any content published to promote a real estate product in any visual, written or audio medium. It must therefore show the advertising licence number, its expiry date and the advertiser's licence number, or a QR code linking to them, and for off-plan projects the project licence number. The Bylaw prohibits content that contradicts reality or suggests anything inconsistent with the property's nature, and the Real Estate Brokerage Law requires disclosure of material information and forbids misleading information. The Civil Transactions Law also requires the sold item to be known to the buyer by sight or by a description of its distinguishing features, and allows a contract to be annulled for misrepresentation on an essential matter.
In practice, a good brochure combines legal accuracy with marketing appeal: areas that match approved plans, clear prices stating what they include, artist's impressions distinguished from real photos, an issue date, and no promises that cannot be substantiated.
⚖️ Legal Basis
A project brochure is subject to: (1) REGA's Regulatory Bylaw on Real Estate Marketing and Advertising, Board Decision No. 2/35/M/26 dated 25/10/1447H, which requires an ad to state the rights advertised, the property's description, condition and location, related services and any existing disputes, the advertiser's name, the advertising licence number and expiry date and the advertiser's licence number, or alternatively the licence number with a QR code (Art. 5), and prohibits content contradicting reality (Art. 7); (2) the Real Estate Brokerage Law, Royal Decree No. M/130 dated 30/11/1443H, which requires disclosure and forbids misleading information (Art. 10), with fines of up to SAR 200,000 (Art. 19); and (3) the Civil Transactions Law, Royal Decree No. M/191 dated 29/11/1444H, through its provisions on misrepresentation (Arts. 61–62), the buyer's knowledge of the sold item (Art. 308) and sale by sample (Art. 309).
💡 Practical Example
A developer in Riyadh prints 5,000 copies of a brochure for an off-plan residential project at a cost of SAR 30,000 and emails a PDF version to registrants. The brochure shows the project licence number and a QR code, floor plans with areas matching the approved drawings (a 3-bedroom, 165 m² apartment priced at SAR 1,050,000), a clear line beneath the 3D renderings, 'Artist's impressions; non-essential details may differ in execution', and an issue date. When the phase-two price rises to SAR 1,120,000, the developer withdraws the old copies and issues a new edition with an updated date instead of leaving two conflicting prices in the market.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- ✗Printing the brochure without the advertising or project licence number and without a QR code.
- ✗Showing renderings or 3D visuals without labelling them as artist's impressions, or with specifications beyond what will actually be built.
- ✗Stating areas or amenities that do not match the approved plans, opening the door to annulment or compensation claims.
- ✗Failing to disclose a mortgage, restriction or existing dispute on the property, although the Bylaw requires existing disputes to be stated.
- ✗Leaving old copies with expired prices or terms in circulation without an issue date.
🌍 International Differences
Many markets prohibit misleading statements in property marketing materials, and some Gulf markets require project or advertising permit numbers in marketing materials. The Saudi system is distinctive in setting a list of mandatory data for real estate ads while allowing a QR code as a substitute, and in tying off-plan projects to the project licence number. In Turkey and Egypt, local advertising and consumer-protection rules should be checked when distributing brochures for projects there.
FAQs
Is a project brochure a real estate advertisement that needs a licence?▾
Yes. REGA's Real Estate Marketing and Advertising Bylaw defines an advertisement as any published content promoting a real estate product in any written or visual medium, so a brochure must carry the advertising licence number, or the licence number of a project exempt from individual licensing, or a QR code linking to the data.
What information must a property brochure include?▾
The rights advertised; the property's description, condition and location; related services and any existing disputes; contact details matching the licence; the advertiser's name; the advertising licence number and expiry date; and the advertiser's licence number. The licence number with a QR code may be used instead.
Is a developer bound by what the brochure says?▾
Its content may be relied on to prove what was promised to the buyer, especially if the contract refers to it. The Civil Transactions Law allows a contract to be annulled for misrepresentation on an essential matter, so the brochure must match reality and the approved plans.
How can artist's impressions be shown in a brochure without misleading?▾
Place a clear caption under each rendering stating that it is an artist's impression, separate renderings from real photos, and do not show amenities or finishes that are not in the contracted specifications.
What should I do if prices change after the brochure is printed?▾
Withdraw the old copies, issue a new edition with an updated date, and update the PDF sent electronically. Circulating conflicting prices exposes the advertiser to accusations of misleading and causes disputes with buyers.
