A Realtor’s closing gift is all about UX: the User Experience.
The little things say a lot about your business. Great companies built on great customer service get the little details right.
A closing gift might be a little detail. An awesome closing gift won’t redeem a terrible transaction. A terrible closing gift won’t ruin the awesome deal your clients got.
But having a gift to commemorate a momentous moment in your client’s lives will speak volumes about you and your business.
Here are some great ideas for closing gifts for your real estate buyers!
Home Warranty
In some areas or market conditions, it may be common to negotiate the seller to pay for a home warranty.
But if that is not the case, paying for the first year of a home warranty can be a highly relevant gift!
This kills two birds with one stone. You want give something to them of value to commemorate their new homes and you want them to have a positive experience in their home. If an appliance kicks the bucket in that first year, your home warranty in place will be a great opportunity to remind them of the value you’ve provided them and keep their experience stress free.
I had a client whose A/C basically exploded just a month after closing, the repair of which would have been $7000 to them but for a home warranty.
Home Warranties are admittedly expensive versus the $100-$200 budget you might be considering for a closing gift. And they don’t make for naturally photogenic and shareable closing table photos. It might make sense to pair them with a smaller gift that you can share with them in person as well.
Engraved Home Portrait
Personalized and real estate related items make the best closing gifts. It shows that you didn’t just nab something off the shelf at Hobby Lobby, and also keeps the gift connected to the event you are celebrating and the service you provided.
A custom engraved home portrait meets both of these criteria while still being an abundantly affordable option.
Just grab a photo of the home and let companies (like us at RealZeal!) convert that into a timeless memento of their new home.
Local Business
What are the best local businesses? The mom and pop owners who give your town character?
Consider getting some gifts from these shops. Beer from a local brewery. Christmas decorations from downtown. Tickets to the local theater.
These can be the best gifts because they support local businesses as well as intimately introduce your clients to their new town.
Thank You Note
Closing gifts don’t have to be expensive gestures.
Be one of the first people to send them mail at their new address with a simple thank you card.
Better yet, consider pairing your thank you card with some change of address postcards for them, ready made for them to send to friends and family.
With email, social media, and texting dominating most forms of communication, physical mail is increasingly in fashion as a way to stand out because it takes more effort and there is less junk mail to compete with for their attention nowadays.
Food
Food isn’t necessarily the best closing gift because, as a perishable, it will be gone. Other closing gifts stick around in their home and can serve as reminders of you and your excellent service.
But food can be a much appreciated gift nonetheless. Especially when they’ve just come to a new area, are busy unpacking, the electricity isn’t on in the fridge yet, and they don’t have any food!
Consider a “first night” package or perhaps even gift cards to local restaurants to take the pressure off trying to come up with meals during a stressful move.
Personal Shopping Spree
Do you know what stores they like to frequent? Are there some home improvement projects they are going to jump on right away?
Consider paying for a shopping spree at Lowes, Hobby Lobby, Ikea, or a designer store, or whatever it is they are into.
There will always be new furniture, decorations, fixer-upper projects, or other expenses related to nestling into a new space. A shopping spree can be a fun way to celebrate while serving a need.
Remember the Kids and Pets
Consider adding something extra for the kids and pets.
We have a package for kids that features a customized coloring book of their new home, plus a copy of the Berenstain Bears Moving Day book.
If they have a cat or dog, some cat scratch posts and dog biscuits are an easy way to include them in your thoughts.
A Fresh Start
The best time to clean a house is when it is completely empty.
Before their move in, consider having the home professionally cleaned on their behalf!
Perhaps the seller was obligated to do the same, but more often that is probably not the case.
Showing up on moving day with a fresh, clean home will only reinforce the satisfaction of their experience.
Le Creuset
I had never heard of Le Creuset and still know basically nothing about it.
But my wife does. She bought quite a few before we married (apparently they are cheaper in the UK) and we are still using these pots today.
These are fairly expensive closing gifts but will blow out other cheap tidbits you might be considering instead. They will make an impression!
New Keys
I cannot imagine how many homebuyers fail to get their new house rekeyed after purchasing.
What is an absolutely necessary practice for property managers in between tenants is, for homeowners, left to whether they happen to remember or not.
Don’t let your clients forget. Do it for them! Rekeying a home is not expensive and they will appreciate your looking out for them in a practical way. Just one more thing that improves User Experience!
HomeBot
Everyone wants to know how much their house is worth. Doing an annual CMA for past clients is probably a good idea. Do it during the tax appeal window and help your sphere of influence and past clients appeal their property taxes!
Or, get HomeBot!
HomeBot is a service for Realtors and lenders to help clients stay informed about their equity and home value.
Don’t let your past clients rely on the Zestimate for tracking their home valuation!
You can add up to 500 clients for just $25/mo, making this one of the perfect ways to stay top of mind with past clients while delivering real estate content and value.
Lunch Date
You can take them on a lunch date to a hot spot in your area, or just send your customers ahead on their own.
You may want to do this after they’ve moved in and settled a little bit, but don’t wait too long are you might forget altogether!
This can be a great way to introduce them to the best spots in your town.
Custom Welcome Mat
Let your customers mark their new territory as theirs with a customized door mat welcoming all to their home.
These are affordable and easy to get customized. Good ones can last a long time, too, ensuring that your gift gets attention any time they are at their front door.
Consider even getting several for all their exterior doors, and help keep their home clean from outside mud and stuff!
Photography Session
We got our family portraits done outside our old house a week before moving. A way of remembering it before our next home. It was a good thing, too, because it took us a while to find a new and affordable photographer in our new town.
You can do the same thing for your clients but at their new home!
Connect them with a local photographer (perhaps your listing photography person?) to come take some shots of them in front of or around their new home.
Consider paying for having their favorite framed and delivered as well!
Donation to Charity
If you have a strong mission at your brokerage built on giving, you may already have charities and programs you are involved in. Your community and civic passion may have been a major reason your clients chose to work with you!
Lean into that brand by making a donation on their behalf to charity. A percentage of your commission is a common practice.
Or you can get them involved by inviting them to choose which of several charities they would like their donation to benefit.
Conclusion
2nd Corinthians says “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”
Giving is not giving if it comes with the expectation of something in return. That is called a transaction, not a gift. Paradoxically, the only way to get something from giving is to give without expecting anything. Have a generous spirit, and your reward will come in time.
