Agent Resources

Relocation Guide Resource vs. Canva and Etsy Templates: Which Is Right for Idaho Agents?

From the team behind the Life in Idaho Area Guide, the personalized relocation guide for Treasure Valley real estate agents.

The six 2027 Life in Idaho Area Guide covers fanned out, led by Spirit of Boise

Buyers moving to the Treasure Valley from out of state have a lot of questions before they ever tour a home. Which city fits their lifestyle? What are the seasons really like? Where are the parks, schools, coffee shops, and weekend spots? A relocation guide answers those questions in one place, with your name, photo, and branding on it, so the agent who sent it becomes the local expert they trust with the move.

A good guide also earns its keep long after the first conversation. You can send it in follow-up emails, share it on social media, hand out printed copies at open houses, and give it to clients at closing. Once you decide a relocation guide belongs in your marketing, the next question is how to get one. There are three common routes:

  1. Buy a template from Canva or Etsy and fill it in with your own local content.
  2. Build your own from a blank page.
  3. Use a done-for-you guide written for your market and personalized with your branding.

Each option has real advantages. The right choice depends on your time, your budget, and how you plan to use the guide. Here is a plain look at each one.

Option 1: A Canva or Etsy Template

Template marketplaces sell relocation guide layouts that you customize yourself. You get a designed document with placeholder text and stock photos, then replace everything with information about your area. The layout is the easy part. The local content is where the real time goes.

What works well

  • Inexpensive to buy, and you own the finished file

  • Full control over every page and every word

  • Reads entirely in your own voice

What to plan for

  • You write all of the local content. The template gives you a layout, not information. Every city, event, restaurant, and resource has to be researched and written by you. For a guide that covers the whole Valley, that can easily add up to a full work week of hours you are not spending with clients.

  • Updates are on you, every year. Events, businesses, and local details change constantly, so expect another round of research and rewriting each year. Outdated information costs you credibility.

  • It is not built for Idaho. Most templates are made for any market, so Treasure Valley specifics have to be added from scratch.

  • No lead capture. A template is just a document. Collecting leads means building a landing page, form, and CRM connection yourself, which is more time and more tools to manage.

  • Check the license. Some templates limit commercial use, printing, or sharing with clients.

Option 2: Build Your Own From Scratch

Some agents skip the template and design a guide in Canva, InDesign, or a word processor. You get the most control over format and design, no template license to worry about, and a guide as long or as short as you want. It works best if you have design experience and plenty of time to spare.

What to plan for

  • All the work of a template, plus the design. You write the content, find photos you have the rights to use, and lay out every page yourself.

  • Expect a week or more of work. Research, writing, photos, and design for a full area guide can take 40 hours or more on the first version. That is a week of showings, follow-ups, and client calls.

  • It needs a refresh every year. Plan on a smaller version of the same effort every edition to keep the guide accurate.

  • Leads and printing are separate projects. A landing page, CRM connection, and a printer are all yours to set up and manage.

Option 3: A Done-for-You Local Guide

A done-for-you guide is written and designed for a specific market, then personalized for each agent. The Life in Idaho Area Guide is an 80-page guide to Boise and the Treasure Valley, made by This Is Boise and updated every year.

This is the option that gives you your time back. Instead of a week of research and design, you send your information, pick a cover photo and color theme, and the guide is built for you. It comes with your name, photo, logo, and contact information, and a digital flipbook link you can share anywhere. The Signature and Ultimate packages add a landing page that captures leads and sends them to your CRM.

The six 2027 Life in Idaho Area Guide cover options

The six 2027 cover options.

What works well

  • Saves you a week or more of work. The research, writing, photos, and design are done for you. Your part is sending your information and choices.

  • Updated every year without extra work. Each new edition is refreshed with current events, dining, and local favorites, so you never hand out stale information.

  • Written by locals for the Treasure Valley. Content specific to Boise and the surrounding cities, not a generic template.

  • Leads come to you automatically. With Signature and Ultimate, your landing page captures leads and sends them to your inbox and CRM. No setup on your end.

  • Printing is handled. Order discounted printed copies anytime from a local Boise printer.

What to plan for

  • The area content is shared. Other Valley agents use the same guide with their own branding. Your cover, color theme, agent pages, and landing page are yours.

  • It is an annual plan. The guide renews each year with the new edition. Details are on the Pricing page.

  • It covers the Treasure Valley. If most of your business is outside the Boise area, it is not the right fit.

How the Three Options Compare

A quick look at what each option costs you in money, time, and effort.

Template Build Your Own Life in Idaho Area Guide
Cost to get started Low None One annual rate
Your time A lot: all content and photos The most: content, photos, and design Very little: send your info and choices
Local Idaho content You write it You write it Included, 80 pages
Yearly updates You do them You do them Done for you
Your branding Anything you want Anything you want Your photo, logo, cover, and colors
Capturing leads Set it up yourself Set it up yourself Landing page and CRM delivery*
Printed copies Arrange your own Arrange your own Discounted local print portal
Best for Agents with design time who want full control Agents with design skills and a unique idea Treasure Valley agents who want it done and want the leads

*Lead capture and CRM delivery come with the Signature and Ultimate packages. Compare packages

Which One Is Right for You?

A template or your own design may fit if:

  • Most of your business is outside the Treasure Valley

  • You have design experience and enjoy the work

  • You have the time to research, write, and update the guide yourself

  • You want a short, personal guide in your own voice

A done-for-you guide may fit if:

  • Your business is in the Boise area and Treasure Valley

  • You would rather spend your time with clients than in a design program

  • You want the content updated every year without doing it yourself

  • You want the guide to bring you leads

Some agents do both: a done-for-you area guide for the full overview of the Valley, plus a short piece of their own about their story and how they work.

Common Questions

Is the Life in Idaho Area Guide the same for every agent?

The area content is the same. Your cover photo, color theme, agent pages, and landing page are personalized to you.

Can I use my own brand colors?

Yes. Choose one of the eight color themes, or pick Custom Colors when you order and send us your brand colors.

Can I get printed copies?

Yes. Order them anytime through the print portal at a rate we negotiated with a local Boise printer, with flat-rate shipping or free pickup in Boise.

What do I need to provide?

Your name, photo, logo, bio, contact information, and your cover and color choices. We handle the rest.

See the Guide Before You Decide

The easiest way to compare is to look at the finished product. Flip through the full sample guide, and see what is new in the 2027 edition.

2027 early bird pricing: use code EARLYBIRD27 at checkout for 25% off any package through November 30.

Get the Life in Idaho Area Guide

An 80-page relocation guide to Boise and the Treasure Valley, personalized with your name, photo, and branding. Share it digitally, hand out printed copies, and capture leads with your own landing page.