When it concludes a real property transaction, a lot of agents will offer their clients a closing present–a thank you that leaves a lasting impression. There are a myriad of options. The options are endless: You can opt for something traditional, such as cutting boards that are personalized and wine bottle, or provide an item that is more geared towards service, such as a home cleaning following move-in day or a consult for an interior or landscaping designer.
“For me, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all gift,” says Jennifer Diliz, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty in Coral Gables, Fla. For instance, one of her recent clients was referring to a conference on finance that she wanted him to attend, so Diliz gave him tickets. “It has to be personal to create a memorable experience,” Diliz adds.
Abigail Davis, PSA, RSPS, an agent in real estate with Corcoran Reverie, a company in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., also adheres to this method. “I love to provide a closing gift that gives them a start to the lifestyle they’ve fallen in love with,” states Davis, who is a seller of second and vacation homes along Florida’s Emerald Coast. The customized gift boxes that she makes with items such as co-branded koozies beach towels, personalized notepads, and cards designed by a local artist using watercolors — are designed to welcome customers to their new lifestyle. Davis will also include a special present in each box, such as a present to a pet owner or a gift card for a local restaurant. “I’ve even thrown in redeemable experiences, like scuba diving in our local reefs.”
Looking for ideas for your closing gifts? Here are a few suggestions.
Give Them a Laugh
You’ll surely smile when you give your clients a miniature bobblehead doll. Since the past decade, Brian Morgan, a broker for the Corcoran Group in New York, has been distributing bobblehead dolls to a few members of the firm’s clients. Bobbleheads are created for all members of the family — and even their pets.”The reaction has always been extremely positive,” Morgan says. “They appreciate it because they know it took some extra time and thought to have that created.” Morgan creates his final gifts by giving bobblehead dolls a bottle of wine or other items based on what he believes clients will appreciate the most. You can choose from a range of options to purchase bobblehead dolls that are custom-made, beginning at around $60, at places such as Bobblegifts.com(link to external), Etsy.com(link is external), or Bobbleheads.com(link is external).
Personalized Watercolors and Portraits
“If the seller lived in the home for more than 20 years, I get a custom watercolor painting of the property,” says Christine Dupont Patz, GRI Broker and owner of RE/MAX in Cherry Creek Inc. in Denver. “That home holds so many memories for the seller, and a painting is a great keepsake of a cherished location.” There are a variety of choices for personalized watercolor paintings that can be found on Etsy.com(link external), such as My Happy Place(link is external), which offers prints of watercolor that feature the name of the family and the year that they moved in. Portraits begin at $39.95 and include photos that start at $30, which have the house’s GPS coordinates(link can be external).
Try an AI-Generated Gift
Artificial intelligence will guide you to the ideal present without doing any heavy lifting. EvaBot(link that is not internal) is a “rapport-building AI.” After you have closed the application, send the EvaBot link to your customers, and an AI-generated chatbot is going to ask them a set of questions about their preferences as well as their preferences and way of life. In about an hour, EvaBot chooses a gift that is based on their preferences and will prepare it for being delivered. EvaBot will then package the advantage inside your company’s branded box and include a personal note. The gifts can range from wine, gift certificates, cakes, flowers, and much more. The cost of gifts ranges between $30 and $250. Also, you can make use of EvaBot to monitor gifts on a dashboard to streamline future outreach and gifts that could be given for clients, like birthdays or anniversaries of home purchases.
A Burst of Florals
“My favorite closing gift is flowers,” says Aaron Walker of Coldwell Banker Shook in Lafayette, Ind. “Flowers are always thoughtful gestures. The choice of flowers you choose in accordance with your client’s preferences, their favorite colors or even their house’s design shows that you’ve thought about your client’s preferences in putting thought and consideration into the present. Flowers also add a touch of elegance to the home your client is moving into.” Send flowers to a local florist or use an online service that delivers locally. Some businesses, such as BloomsyBox(link that is not internal), offer a specific delivery service for real estate that consists that includes fresh flowers, plants and pet-safe arrangements that start with $59.99 each month. You can choose a prepaid three-month subscription or choose the month-to-month option. You are able to cancel the subscription at any time. You can also use Postal Petals(link external), which is a fresh, farm-to-table flower delivery service that lets your customers to select their own bouquets beginning at $89.
Outfit a Movie Night
Make their movie night more cozy. Lazer Designs has a popcorn set which includes an personalized laser engraved popcorn bowl(link is external), starting at $48. Include the name of your family member on the bowl to add a personal addition. The popcorn bag produces around seven cups. The popcorn options include cheddar, kettle corn, toasty cinnamon, and more. You can select additional options, like extra personalized bowls or glassware.
Offer Up an Unforgettable Experience
Consider gifting an experience, like a certificate to take a cooking class through cozymeal.com(link is external) or williams-sonoma.com(link is external), or tickets to the local theatre or symphony. “I started giving ‘experiences’ to some of my clients as a closing gift, and the response has been incredible,” says Adie Kriegstein, a member of Compass located in New York. “My favorite is ‘City Climb,’ where you can actually climb up the side of a skyscraper.” Gift cards to local restaurants close to the new residence of your client could be a great addition to a night out.
Give a Personalized Address Stamp
It is easy for customers to give their new address using an address stamp that self-inks. The Perfect closing gift’s self-inking Address Stamp(link external) comes in classic or monogram designs and comes in a range of design styles. Self-inking stamps can last from 5 to 10,000 impressions prior to needing an refill of the ink. It can also be personalized with your company’s name, logo, image, or photo, as well as contact information so customers don’t forget who gifted the stamp to them. Prices start at $74 (with discounts available for purchases in the bulk). “We believe this offers the best ROI for a closing gift because clients never get rid of them,” says Christy Kolbo with the Perfect Closing Present. “Some customers keep this personal gift for the full life of the home, and that means when the client is ready to move, they have easy access to the agent’s contact information so they can use them again.”
Smarten Up Their New Home
A video doorbell will help customers feel secure and safe. In addition, as prices go down, video doorbells could be a useful modern, high-tech gift. The doorbells can be linked to an app on mobile devices and allow homeowners to know who’s knocking on their door regardless of whether they’re on their way home or away. They’ll come with two-way audio and video, as well as motion-activated alarms and app-based alerts. There are a variety of low-cost smart doorbells starting at just $60 from brands like Blink Video Doorbell(link external), Ring(link is external), Google Nest(link an external link) and Arlo(link is external).
Design Your Own Wine Label
A bottle of champagne or wine is a typical closing present however, you can add a special note with a custom label. For instance, you could create your own label with the words, “Home sweet home,” and will include your family’s name as well as the year in which they moved into. Label Your Brand(link is external) enables you to create the wine label of your choice by using images, photos, logos and more. Prices start from $3.75 per bottle. The company also provides custom wines hang tags(link to external) that can be attached to bottles beginning at $0.99 per label.
Inspire Some Outdoor Fun
Homeowners are focusing their attention on maximizing the outdoor space. Give them some entertaining outdoor ideas, along with possible games to play at the housewarming celebration or your clients to play to make connections with their new neighbors. The most popular outdoor games could include an Bocce ball set(link is external) and the cornhole boards(link that is not internal) (that might include customers who are their top sports teams) and a large Chess board(link has an external link) or a pickleball set at home set(link to external) or any other options(link has an external link).