I have been through many real estate deals as the buyer or seller. As the client I have received some great gifts from some of the excellent Realtors that I have worked with. I know giving a gift to your clients at closing is completely optional, but I think it's a great idea. When I was the client I loved it.
As a new agent that is coming close to completing my first deal. I am trying to figure out what I want to give to my clients to show my appreciation for their business. In the past, I have been given gift cards to restaurants, hardware stores, etc... And I think they have been excellent gifts. I would like to get some feed back about what other people are giving, and how to gauge the amount of the gift. Should it be the same for every deal or should it be according to price? Any creative ideas? Thanks for any help!
Aaron Poling
Long & Foster
I have used - one years worth of pest control service, a few months of house cleaning, or gardening.
these are things people like to have but sometimes can't afford.
and to be honest you can get some great deals for these services.
I like to give a home improvement store gift card at settlement. Not too original but I think almost every new home owner ends up making a least a couple of trips to pick up some essentials. Welcome to the business and to AR.
Congratulations on getting ready to close your first deal! That's a big milestone and hopefully you'll be buying loads of settlement gifts in the future.
I given gift cards to local stores or restaurants but lately I've been getting a Visa Gift Card so they can go where ever they want. I also have great binders for clients which they can keep all there important paperwork for the house (bills, mortgage info, insurance, repairs bills, etc). It's got my company name on it and it's got a place for your card.
I make a charitable contribution to the clients favorite charity. They LOVE it. It shows you care about the big picture.
I think gifts are a very important part of showing my clients that they are more than just a paycheck to me. The more personal and creative the gift is, the better. During the escrow period I pay very close attention and sometimes even lead the conversation in a particular direction, to get the info I need to give them the perfect gift. A few examples, personalized doggy dishes along with some gourmet doggy treats for the couple who talks non stop about their beloved fido, or a beautiful plant for the garden enthusiast, here in So Cal a girft certificate to a local winery is almost always a hit. But the most important part is showing the client that I care, that I pay attention to what they like, and that I want to KNOW them, now and in the future. By the way, stopping by with pizza on Sunday evening (call first) after the big move is usually very well recieved and a great opportunity to drop their gift off as well. Hope that helps some.
Aaron. my wife is getting ready to close with her first buyer and she asked me tonight what she should give. Then I came upon this blog. Great timing. I'm going to have her read the comments here to give her ideas. Thanks for the timely post and congrats on your first closing. By the way, take a picture of the home and frame it. Makes a good conversation piece, like framing that first dollar made in a new business.
The gift cards aren't that original but have certainly been appreciated. I usually do restuarant if they are knew in area. If not I do home improvement or home decor stores. A couple of times I have done a bottle of champaine. It depends on there situation. Good Luck!
Congratulations on your first - ofmany closings! It really depends on the client, but home improvement cards are always something they use and appreciate. We had a couple that closed on a cute new cabin and needed to be furnished to put on a rental program, so a gift card for a really neat moose & bear type cabin decor shop was a big hit (for our area). Don't forget a little something for the kids and the dogs.
I enjoy giving gifts, and I try to put some thought into them. The amount I spend depends on the size of the transaction--perhaps $25-50 for a small transaction, and as much as a couple hundred dollars for a large transaction or repeat client or someone especially important to me. I like to make the gift something that will have longevity, that will remind clients about me, or will perhaps catch their visitors' eye (leading, hopefully, to remarks that my Realtor, Sara Rubida, gave me that!). For first-time buyers I often give a good do-it-yourself home maintenance and repair book (with my name and a nice message inscribed inside). Clients will pull this out for years as they need to fix a leaking faucet, repair the switch on a lamp, etc. A gift I sometimes give to buyers of nice homes ("forever" homes) is a painting or portrait of the home, and there are Web resources and other resources to have these made up from a good photograph. A related gift is a set of notecards with the home photo on the front. Another great gift with longevity is a breadboard (East Bay Furniture Company), with the clients' name burned into the top and my name and message burned into the bottom side.
Whoops, more on settlement gifts. . .I like to make them a family affair, where that makes sense. If there are kids, include a small gift for the kids, such as a book. If there are beloved pets, include a small gift for the pet too! On a couple of occasions, I have blown away the agent on the other side of the table by bringing him/her a token gift, such as a small box of chocolates.
WoW Thanks So much for all the great ideas, this has really helped