The deal is done, and your clients have closed on the sale of their home. Now is the time to show your appreciation for their business. Members of Lab Coat Agents, a Facebook group dedicated to exploring the “science of real estate,” have several great seller closing gift ideas you can use to do just that.
Here are their suggestions as compiled by staff writer Marian McPherson in an Inman.com article, “7 totally unforgettable seller closing gift ideas:”
1. Personalized household items
Consider gifts such as knives, wine glasses, wine bottles or blankets and pillows. No company logos, though. “The gift can come off as an ‘advertising ploy’ rather than a sincere gesture,” Lab Coat Agents member Mickey Shea in the article.
2. Housewarming items
Think of the gesture as a housewarming gift in lieu of a “thank you for your business gift.” In the article, member Jolene Yenik Cingiser said, “I’m not thanking them for using me. I am saying, ‘Welcome to your new home.’” As such, customized wreaths, doormats, or “Just Moved” cards to send to family and friends are wonderful ways to say that, according to McPherson.
3. Commissioned art or photo albums
Just because the sellers have moved doesn’t mean they won’t miss their former home, McPherson noted. “To help them keep a piece of their former home, commission a painting or pencil sketch by a local artist,” she suggested. “The paintings, which can be up to $100, are an unexpected gesture that will keep you on your client’s mind,” she wrote. Lab Coat Agents member Sean Broady frequently gifts sketches to clients. “Don’t worry about branding it. They see the picture in their home every day and remember you immediately,” he said in the article.
4. Donate to charity
Make a donation to a charity on behalf of the seller. “In addition to doing something great for your community, agents see it as a sincere way to build company identity and culture,” McPherson wrote.
5. Monthly subscription
Monthly subscriptions to a service or a yearly magazine subscription are simple yet thoughtful gifts. A service like quarterly.co, which sends a monthly gift box curated by celebrities, is one such service suggested by member James Haydon.
6. Gift cards
“The jury is still out on this idea, but some agents think gift cards can go from tacky to thoughtful with a little extra planning,” McPherson wrote.
7. Champagne toast
According to McPherson, a champagne toast is something some agents do for both seller and buyer once the deal is complete. Lab Coat Agents member Mary Steele Allen said she doesn’t often do closing gifts for sellers. “I do many things for clients while the home is listed,” she said in the article. But she sometimes celebrates with them at the settlement with a champagne toast.
What kinds of gifts have you given to sellers upon closing? Let us know!
