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Real estate business cards are one of the most important tools in your arsenal. They’re easy to hand out to potential clients and can lead to new referrals when you least expect it. But are your business cards up to the appropriate standard? Use the following ideas and examples to create real estate business cards that will help you stand out.

Helping your real estate business cards stand out in a crowded market can be tricky. However, with the right design principles, you’ll find your cards are doing your networking work for you. These 16 do’s and don’ts should get you on the right track.

One recent fad in the business card industry is the addition of a small near-field communication (NFC) chip. These chips work similarly to how you tap your credit card at the checkout. A potential client has to hold the card up to their phone, and then the NFC chip will share your information automatically. That way, you don’t have to worry about people losing your card as your info will be saved on their phone.

While this sounds appealing, the cost is often prohibitive, especially if you want to continue handing out cards. Prices vary wildly across the market, but one of the cheapest options we could find was $14.99 for a single NFC card from Popl. Theoretically, you could just buy one card, keep it for yourself and let clients tap it to their phone if they’re interested. This would end up being cheaper than having hundreds of business cards printed.

However, this would also prohibit you from handing out business cards to people when you’re in a hurry, posting them at local coffee shops or including them in gift bags that you might give to new homeowners. In the end, we’d recommend avoiding this trend. If you are set on offering a more digital version of a business card, putting a quick response (QR) code on your card instead could be much more cost-efficient.

With all of that advice in mind, you’re probably wondering what a good real estate business card looks like. We’ve curated a few examples so that you can see what helps a card stand out.

If you’re digging a double-sided card, this is a good example. It keeps it simple and light on the front so the eye doesn’t get overwhelmed. Then, on the back, it lists all of the agent’s contact information—along with their agent number and brokerage.

Everything is spaced well, meaning it’s easy to skim and find the information you want. The color scheme is also appropriate as the purple tones match the hues of the Berkshire Hathaway logo.

In a sea of horizontal designs, why not try your hand at a vertical card? These can work great if you have a lot of information to list out as they’re set up more like a typical page. This specific example lists all of the real estate agent’s contact information in one place as well as their affiliations.

The color scheme on this card is also something to admire. It just uses two tones—black and pale gold—to create a lux vibe attractive to buyers and sellers.

After you build up your business, you’ll likely want to create your own brand. This card offers up an excellent example of how to do that without being over the top. The front of the card features the agent’s headshot—with the background cut out carefully so that it appears as if she is part of the card. There’s also her agent number, email, phone number and brokerage. Then, on the back of the card, we can see her personalized logo, along with a witty slogan.

Don’t have a headshot? No problem. This card provides an example of how you can use a logo to fill in the extra space. The name and title are on the right side, along with a city skyline. On the left is the agent’s contact information. The card is black and yellow—a big and bold combination that stands out in a world where many business cards are white.

Now that you’ve seen the best, it’s time for the worst. Here are some cringy cards that no one should emulate.

There’s nothing much cheesier than a key-shaped card. Look at this example. Nearly everything about it is unappealing, from the bright eyesore yellow to the wall of text on the left. Not only that, but because of its odd size, this card likely won’t fit in anyone’s wallet—meaning it’s going straight in the trash as soon as you hand it out.

It also includes a fax number, which isn’t relevant in today’s modern society.

While the design of this card isn’t so bad, the details are. This real estate agent was more concerned with listing their contact information and socials than they were with even saying what they do. This card doesn’t mention that this person is a real estate agent and, because there is no brokerage logo or house imagery, it’s unlikely a person would figure this out on their own.

This card is a bit of a mess from start to finish. It includes way too many details all listed right in a row, creating a wall of text that no one can read comfortably. The spacing is off, and there is a major spelling error that puts this real estate agent’s credibility into question. Not many people would take this person seriously as a real estate agent.

Having the best-designed real estate business card in the world won’t matter if you don’t choose a quality printing service. Ideally, you’ll want a service that offers design customization, various cardstock options and pristine print quality. A professional printing service like Vistaprint offers ready-to-go templates and a wealth of printing options to meet any need and budget.

You don’t have to be a professional designer to create an effective real estate business card. By following in the footsteps of some of the examples we provided—and staying away from classic mistakes—you can create cards that will get your name out there.

Most importantly, make sure your card is easy to read and has all of your contact information. That includes your name, phone number, email address, website and socials. A headshot or logo of your brokerage also isn’t a bad idea.

Keep in mind, once you’ve curated a relationship with a potential client, you’ll need to maintain their interest. Check out our guide on the best CRM for real estate to find the best tools for managing communication with all of your prospects.

Ideally, you’ll want to include your name, phone number, email address, website, agent license number and brokerage information. For a more modern vibe, also consider using a QR code or NFC chip.

The color you choose depends on your niche. For example, black and hold business cards could create an upscale vibe for the luxury home market. However, blue and red are also popular colors.

Many online printing services, such as Vistaprint, offer design templates to help you create a custom business card. You can also use a free design program like Canva to create your own card layout from scratch.

Kristy Snyder is a professional writer and editor living in Pittsburgh with over 10 years of content creation experience. In addition to being a Content Editor for Clever Real Estate, she has contributed to numerous leading financial and tech websites, including Bankrate, The Simple Dollar, NextAdvisor, and more. Connect with her on LinkedIn to learn more about her work.

Rob is an SMB writer and editor based in New Jersey. Before joining Forbes Advisor, he was a content producer at Fit Small Business. In that role, he was responsible for writing, editing, and strategizing content geared toward small business owners. Before that, he worked at PCMag as a business analyst.