Why a Closing Gift Can Hurt Your Real Estate Business.

If you want to go beyond expectations, and succeed in impressing your clients and creating a lasting relationship, you will want to choose from curated, memorable gift ideas. When you select gifts that are uniquely meaningful to each client and fit their interests and lifestyle, they will feel appreciated and feel that you truly know and understand who they are.

A top tier gifting partner like Client Giant, can help you schedule gifts that can arrive throughout the buying or selling process. Most clients might expect a seller closing gift only, so the arrival of realtor gifts for sellers or buyers before and perhaps even after the closing will be a surprise. They’ll feel delighted, and cared for, when these special gifts arrive.

Gifts That Are Subscription-Based

High-end subscription-based gifts are perfect for any stage of the real estate buying or selling process. You could send a subscription to a gourmet food club, or to a company that provides offerings of curated wine or cheese.

Coffee and tea lovers would also appreciate a subscription box filled with new gourmet coffee or tea discoveries. Floral subscriptions are another option, and a stunning flower display will dress up the home and offer a visible sign that you care about your client. Explore more gifts for real estate agents to discover creative ways to elevate your client gifting strategy.

Relaxation or Spa Kits

Buying or selling a home can be a stressful process at times, so anything that can help make the journey more relaxing would be appreciated. Sending a beautiful luxury spa or relaxation kit goes beyond the usual house closing gift ideas, and would be welcome any time.

You could include a selection of top-quality bath products, warm robes and other products that are perfect for spa-like pampering. Essential oils for calming and good sleep would also be a good choice. If you’re looking to scale your efforts, bulk gifts for clients are a good option to ensure every client feels equally appreciated.

The Perfect Experience

If you are looking for other top tier gifts for sellers at closing time, or any time during the real estate process, consider giving an exclusive experience. These gifts, which are perfect for buyers too, will wow your clients and have them talking about the experience on social media and with family, friends and colleagues.

A private champagne or wine tasting, either at a local winery or via an at-home tasting, would be a delight. Unique cultural or adventure experiences like a private tour of an art museum, or a hot air balloon ride, would also be great ideas. Let a client gifting service help you create memorable moments for your clients that stand out.

Custom Portrait of the Home or Neighborhood

For a truly one of a kind gift, you might commission an artist to create a beautiful sketch or watercolor of the buyer’s new home. This would also be lovely for sellers who want to be able to remember their existing property.

Another wonderful option would be for the artist to create a custom map of the neighborhood, incorporating key memorable landmarks.

Luxury Gifts for the Kitchen and Dining Room

When guests gather, the kitchen and dining rooms become the center for entertainment. A luxury small appliance or top-tier, artisanal cookware is a gift that will be visible and will be used for years to come.

Wine enthusiasts would love an elegant aerator set or top end wine decanter. For entertainers, you might consider an engraved charcuterie board with cheese knives, or beautiful serving trays. Check out even more ideas, including birthday gifts for clients, to make every occasion feel extraordinary.

Wonderful Gifts for the Great Outdoors

If a home has an outdoor space, you could create a wonderful gift that includes luxury items for the outdoors. Gardeners will appreciate a stylish planter with exotic plants, or a lovely bonsai tree.

Outdoor games, premium tools for cookouts or barbecues or a beautiful fire pit for gatherings would be great options too.

If you’re seeking more inspiration, consider holiday gift ideas for real estate clients that cater to a variety of interests.

When you provide gifts throughout the real estate journey, and after closing too, you’ll find that your clients are delighted and surprised. The best gifts are ones that appeal to each client’s interests and lifestyle, and show that you really understand and appreciate who they are.

Striking the Right Balance to Show True Appreciation

Closing gifts are a time-honored tradition in Real Estate transactions, and while these gifts are nice gestures, they can potentially send the wrong message.

All Real Estate professionals look forward to closing day. It’s the day all the hard work pays off. You and your clients have been calling each other almost every day since you met. You answered all the questions imaginable to reassure your clients that you were taking care of everything. The signing of the paperwork and phone calls comes to a quick end after becoming best friends in the span of 30-180 days.

Closing day comes and your client is excited to cross the finish line and complete the transaction, grab the keys, and begin this new chapter in their life. 

After days—and sometimes months—of frequent phone calls and working together, how can you as a REALTOR show appreciation for the high level of trust your clients have placed in you? After all, some people never get to own a home. Of those who do, many only make such a monumental purchase once.

How do you display gratitude for your clients in a way that makes them certain they’ve made the right choice?

Like branded business gifts, closing gifts for real estate clients can sometimes appear impersonal and make them feel undervalued or unappreciated. As a REALTOR, this is something you definitely want to avoid.

Putting a Price on the Client’s Trust in You

This person put what is probably their biggest asset in your hands. They trust you with the roof over their family’s head. Their home. Their future.

You may be a top producer and sell over 100 homes a year, but this is most likely their first property purchase. The homebuying process is life-altering.

Giving a closing gift to your client quantifies what working with them meant to you, effectively putting a price on that relationship. If your closing gift is a branded mug or T-shirt, your clients may feel that all the time you spent together means a lot to them and very little to you. 

Put yourself in your client’s shoes.

You hired someone to help you sell your home. You have a deep personal investment in your home, filled with memories and important moments. You and your agent talked every single day throughout the process, sometimes after business hours. You shared your concerns and hopes for the future.

Now closing day is here. The stress is over, and you can start the next chapter in your new home. You are incredibly grateful for your REALTOR’s assistance in making this huge transition as seamless as possible.

“Thank you so much for your help! My family and I really appreciate this,” you tell them.

“You’re very welcome,” they reply, handing you a closing gift. “Thank you for trusting me. Here is a bottle of wine.”

How do you feel? What is running through your mind?

To make matters worse, most clients will never hear from their agent again. Many Real Estate agents treat closing day as the end of the relationship, and they move on, always looking for their next sale.

Sure, a Real Estate transaction is just business. But the best businesses treat their clients like friends, not like just another stack of money.

Closing Gifts Conclude the Working Relationship

In Real Estate, relationships are everything. But gifts don’t build relationships—people do. 

Think about the professionals you work with repeatedly, like your accountant or financial advisor. You go back to the same person again and again because of the service they provide, not because they give the best corporate branded gifts.

Handing a closing gift to a client feels a whole lot like saying goodbye. So does “Don’t forget I’m never too busy for your referrals!”

If you’ve done more than your job description, you won’t have to ask for referrals. Your clients will rave about their experience with you. Think about when you walked out of a movie theater after seeing a film you loved. You couldn’t wait to tell your friends about it and urge them to go see the movie, sometimes even offering to see it a second time with them.

Closing a transaction shouldn’t feel like the end of the relationship. Your clients should be promoted from client to friend. And friends are more than happy to recommend their favorite professionals to their loved ones.

If you want to improve your client retention and earn referrals, you need to focus on clear communication and giving your clients your absolute best throughout the entire process.

Losing the Element of Surprise

You’ve heard the age-old saying, “Timing is everything,” and it rings true in this situation.

Imagine that your wedding anniversary is coming up, and one of your friends gives you a call two days before the actual date to wish you a happy anniversary. You will likely tell your spouse all about the call and how thoughtful it was. 

Now, fast forward to the day of your anniversary. All your friends and loved ones are calling you, texting you, and sending well wishes on your social media profiles. How many of these messages will you remember? Probably not many. 

The surprising message makes more of an impact and feels more meaningful, even if the sentiment is exactly the same. 

If you’ve ever had someone pay for your meal in a restaurant or in a drive-thru lane, you know that being thoughtfully surprised is a memorable experience. You’ll likely tell your friends or coworkers all about the kind gesture. 

A closing gift isn’t surprising—it’s expected.

If you want a moment to have an impact, taking advantage of the element of surprise is your best bet.

Go Beyond the Expectation

At the end of a Real Estate transaction, your client is probably half-expecting a closing gift. You could meet their expectations…or you could heighten the experience by surprising and delighting them before the transaction closes. Or send another real estate client gift after closing day if you really want to make an impact.

Even better, what if this thoughtful gift-giving never stopped? What if you showered your clients with surprise gifts throughout the length of a transaction?

Pull out the red carpet for everyone who works with you. If you have an in-person meeting scheduled, bring them a coffee. Surprise them with branded business gifts other than a box of chocolates with your company logo on the packaging.

Handwritten cards go a long way. Write your client a quick note to let them know you have everything covered.

Don’t wait until the transaction closes to treat your clients. Leave that to your mediocre competitors.

All in all, a closing gift isn’t a bad thing. 

But you do have better options than summarizing the entire professional relationship in that one generic box of chocolates, that single bottle of wine, or that $100 gift card to Home Depot.

You and your clients talked to each other every day. They trusted you and valued your advice and input on the entire home buying or selling process. Don’t let that relationship run out after the gift card does. Remember that gifts do not make relationships, but they do help communicate on behalf of people. So, surprise your clients with thoughtful touches throughout the process to show them that you are thinking of them and know exactly what surprises will make them smile.