Client gifting is an important part of a good real estate marketing strategy. It’s a thoughtful gesture that leaves a lasting impression when done right.
The best closing gifts leave the recipient feeling good about being in your sphere of influence.
It reaffirms their choice to use you as their agent. It encourages clients to continue that business relationship with you and gives you a touch point to follow up. It can generate leads and spark conversation, positive reviews, and social shares.
When do real estate agents give gifts?
- Real estate closing gift for buyers
- As a thank you to real estate referrers, both industry partners and individuals
- Giveaway as part of an event raffle or social media campaign
- Part of an email drip campaign
- Part of a mail drop, like notepads or magnets
- Gift basket as part of a brand collaboration
- Seasonally as part of a holiday marketing campaigns
- As part of charitable giving
- To stay in touch with contacts with small gifts for a wide audience like coffee gift cards
What makes a good real estate client gift?
The perfect client gift is something that centers the recipient. It should make them feel like someone is thinking of them, is grateful to them, or is rooting for them, and went to the trouble of curating something for their specific situation.
Avoid this when getting closing gifts for buyers
Notice what’s being left out of the description of a perfect closing gift: anything that feels transactional.
It might feel counterintuitive, because if you’re gifting as part of running your business then of course it’s a transactional exchange. After all, you’re saving that receipt to claim a deduction at tax time.
And yes, that’s true, but client gifting is about leaving someone feeling good about having done business with you.
If your present feels transactional to the recipient, there’s room for improvement. Otherwise, you risk wasting time, money, and resources on a gift that at best doesn’t resonate, and at worst leaves a bad taste in the recipient’s mouth.
You don’t want to be spending your valuable time and money only to prevent someone from referring you or doing business with you in the future.
The perfect gift from a real estate agent
Look for gifts that correspond with your niche
- If your niche is young families, personalize your closing gift with some toys, coloring pages, or snacks specifically for your client’s children.
- If your niche is first-time home buyers, choose something your clients may not have needed as renters, like a toolset or smart doorbell.
- If your niche is downsizers who are already drowning in things to get rid of, reach for experiential gift certificates or a bottle of wine to recognize their new chapter.
Gifts that are useful to someone in the moment
- A gift box full of snacks, wine glasses, cleaning supplies, and other small gifts that are useful on moving day or during your client’s housewarming party.
- Fresh flowers from a local florist to brighten up the space in the middle of unpacking chaos.
- A gift card to a local restaurant for when cooking supplies are in a mystery box that can’t be found.
Gifts from local makers or local businesses
- Locally roasted coffee beans or other food items.
- Look for local artisan gifts or unique finds on Etsy, like ceramic kitchen implements from a local potter, candles from a small business, or items that can be personalized like adding your client’s family name to the gift for newlyweds.
- For out-of-town clients, a gift card to a popular local experience or landmark is the perfect way to acquaint them with their new neighborhood.
How do I associate a giveaway with my real estate business?
So, how do you actually take a present and turn it into a branded gift that doesn’t feel transactional?
It’s easier than you think! A hand-written note and using the colorways from your personal brand go a long way.
Do:
- Create a nice unboxing experience with a box or basket, tissue paper, and ribbon in your brand colors.
- Include a signed hand-written note, which can be on a branded note card. You can talk about how you curated the items for their specific situation to make an otherwise generic item feel like a personal gift.
- Choose the gift items themselves to be in your brand colors. If you’re collaborating with a local business, you may be able to customize the package designs at an affordable price.
Don’t:
- Don’t allow your logo to dominate the product’s look or the recipient’s enjoyment of the product. It can be appropriate to include it depending on the situation but don’t let it dominate.
- Don’t give gifts that aren’t related to either the person, niche, or moment. For instance, don’t gift a bottle of wine to someone that doesn’t drink.
- Don’t give gifts that will just end up in the trash. If it’s something your client is going to glance at and throw away, then you only succeeded in wasting your money.
- Don’t give a gift without a personal touch. The packaging and note card are important parts of the recipient’s experience.
Follow-up and engagement
When you’re gifting, always schedule a follow-up in your real estate CRM. Do this regardless of the reason for your gift. This is a friendly check-in call or email for you to connect after a reasonable time has passed.
Ask about their satisfaction with the gift and use the opportunity to check in on how the person is doing.
You can also use this chance to check off items on your post-close checklist. For example, if this is a client that hasn’t left a review yet, you can ask them to leave a real estate client testimonial.
Round out your conversation by asking if there’s anything else you can assist them with, or inviting them to your next client appreciation or other real estate event.
This is a great way to build up your relationship with this past client, referring partner, or lead by demonstrating your genuine interest in their well-being beyond the transaction.
The Takeaway
Client gifting is all about feelings. You want to leave the recipient feeling appreciated and primed to reciprocate.
You want to feel good about concluding that deal, event, or getting in touch with that person. While it’s a part of doing business, you want to find a happy medium between a gift that highlights your good qualities and one that recipients are happy to receive and will find useful.
Use gifting as part of your lead generation strategy by following through and scheduling a touch point with the recipient afterward.
