What are the best realtor closing gifts?

[Daphne V.]

I know showing thanks to clients with a closing gift is a traditional way many real estate professionals seal up a transaction. A closing gift not only serves as a special treat to your home buyers and sellers, but it can also help make you more memorable long after a transaction ends. So what do think the best gifts are? I am curious to see what are some innovative gift ideas other than gift cards and/or meals. Also do you give gifts to your investor clients?

[Russell Brazil]

I am in the minority on this one, but I dont give out closing gifts

[Daphne V.]

@Russell Brazil -Is there a particular reason why?

[Russell Brazil]

@Daphne V. I just think they tend to be cheesy.  Also your client is so incredibly overwhelmed with the buying/selling of property, they are never going to appreciate the gift, and may not even remember that you gave them one.

I do however get small gifts into the hands of clients and other people in my database through out the year, I just dont do the closing gift thing.

[Colton S.]

@Daphne V. I gave a closing gift to my realtor in the form of a nice restaurant gift card. I wouldn't have done this if he didn't go WAY over and above for me, along with saving us thousands on what we were expecting. Lease I could do. (:

[Matt Lefebvre]

In relation to investors, I usually treat them to lunch or dinner after the transaction closes.  Its a little more difficult to treat them to a personalized gift, because by their nature, investments are a little more "businessy" as a transaction.  

For buyers or sellers, we usually shoot for something as personal as possible that comes up with the transaction.  Hand-drawn sketches (by a professional artist) of their house from the street always goes over well.  Or you could use something like Cutco products which allow you to place your marketing on their products.  

[Daphne V.]

@Matt Lefebvre. I agree for investor relations, it is a bit harder to come up with something other than a meal. On the other hand I really like the idea of the Hand-drawn sketches

[Jeremy Brown]

I'm on the buyer side of this and think of it much like Christmas or birthday gifts. If it's clearly something where you went out and grabbed something off the shelf at Target and threw it in a bag, don't bother. I'll take it as somewhere between neutral and annoying. If the commission was $10k and I get a $10 thank you gift, I'll probably think less of you. I'd much rather have a personalized, thoughtful card than a cheap bottle of wine. Maybe I'd think differently if I was really into cheap wine.

[Daphne V.]

I totally get the idea for holidays, birthdays, mother's day and so on. I also agree that personalized is the way to go. I wouldn't want to receive something off the shelf or something that looks like an advertisement. Also there is the timing factor, when should you give a gift?  So I am thinking in lines of a membership, maybe to Amazon Prime??? Instead of giving a one-time gift, I am considering using a subscription service. But what else is out there? All it comes down to knowing your client but still what other ideas do you have?

[Maria Stewart]

For my residential clients, I treat them to maid (cleaning) services. A lot of times they are tired with moving and packing, every one of my clients have used their gift right away and showed GREAT appreciation. Some have used the cleaning services to clean the place they are leaving (especially if they are leaving an apartment to get housing deposits returned) and many right after they finish unpacking.

I haven't been giving gifts for my investors. Honestly, they just want me to find more great deals!!!

[Percy N.]

I do about 10-15 transactions a year (flips and rentals). I do not expect a gift and generally don't get one.

However, when I sell a flip I always give a decent bottle of wine from my cellar ($50-$100 range), sometimes to the buyer's agent as well.

I like the idea of a subscription - wine club, coffee club, etc but I think that requires a little more personal knowledge about the other party's preferences.

[Daphne V.]

@Maria Stewart maid service is really nice idea and very thoughtful. 

[Eric Nelson]

My brother's realtor sends all of his clients a new air conditioning filter every couple of months.  Although it's not necessarily a closing gift, it fits your description of making you more memorable after the transaction ends.  I like the idea because it's a functional gift that would otherwise be a pain in the neck to go out and buy. 

[Daphne V.]

@Eric Nelson- What nice little idea. It is out of the box thinking. I like it.

[Bryce Sawyer]

Our first home purchase 4 years ago for our primary residence I don't recall getting any gifts from the realtor or the broker. If they did give a gift it was not memorable. We sold that home this last April and bought another primary residence home using the same realtor but a different broker. Our broker had taken some time to get to know us. He knew we did not drink alcohol. So he gave us a bottle of wine that of course has his name and business info on the label. I think he knew that by us not drinking it, that bottle will be around for a long time. And every time we see it we will remember where it came from.

[Fausto Carosella]

I usually give my clients a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and a couple of flute glasses. The bottle is a around 50 bucks so it's not like some 7 dollar bottle of headache water. I kind of look at it as a symbol of like "Hey you finally made it! Cheers!" as opposed to a "gift" per se. My gift was already killer service.

[Sam Shueh]

I ask clients what local scenes they want and paint in oil local scene so it is in their new home on the wall.

[Daphne V.]

@Fausto Carosella I always enjoy expensive adult beverages since I like my wine and bubbles but as @Bryce Sawyer mentioned, it does not work for everyone. And alcohol can be a touchy subject for some. How about a spa treatment after the move? And then maybe little reminders like air conditioning filters.

By the way thank you everyone. I think I am getting really good ideas what clients might enjoy and what not to do.

[Teddy Smith]

I usually by them a book on investing. I bought one client "Aggressive Tax Strategies For Real-Estate Investors" because he was always talking about tax deductions.

I very rarely buy gifts though unless I see something that really reminds me of a client or something they would really like. I think the gift buying thing is a bit cheesy too.

[Account Closed]

I have a friend here in the area that is a buyer's agent.  He presents his clients with a gift basket from a local winery (yes, we have wineries here in the Denver area).

https://www.balistrerivineyards.com/gift-baskets/

[Diane Kruse]

My realtor gave me smoke detectors for all the bedrooms in the duplex he helped me purchase - much appreciated, and nice he noticed they were absent.  I also received a very helpful book on renting property.

I also received a carving board with the logo of the lending company on it.  That has stayed in the box and I do not see putting it out for cheese and crackers for company....

[John Thedford]

I know some agents like to give items with their name embossed, etc. I personally am not a fan of those types of gifts. If you want to give something, a nice gift basket with items to use on move in might be appreciated. 

[Jay Hinrichs]

@Percy N.  for me living in the Napa valley for so many years  we are wine centric.

so I like to give a wine club subscription to a little known ( to them usually) winery for the year.

Lately its been little wineries I like in Walla Walla .. little known but knock out reds

and when agents take me out as the seller its usually a nice dinner when I am in their town.

I like to go to whatever the area is known for.

[Kuba F.]

I don't remember getting a gift as an investor. From that point of view I would welcome anything that helps the deal move forward: design services, hd coupons or gift cards, and even cleaning or yard services.

On the other hand I like to reward my realtors for working their proverbial buttinkskis off.
Usually the gifts are specific to the realtor and their interest.

I love the idea of maid service and filters for buyers. Very thoughtful.

[Tony Wooldridge]

@Jay Hinrichs, Thanks for the Walla Walla shout out!  

[Jay Hinrichs]

@Tony Wooldridge  little best kept secret in the wine world.... Napa Quality cabs at half the price.

we stay at the witman when we fly out there in our little bug smasher for the weekends.

its fun.