Realtor closing gift ideas, and how much to spend
The closing gifts clients remember are the ones they use in the first month: a stocked toolbox, a doormat, a gift card to a nearby restaurant, or a card with the link to your list of trusted pros. Pick one amount you can give at every closing, so no client gets a smaller thank-you than another.
Do realtors give gifts at closing?
Yes, a closing gift is a common custom, but nobody requires one. A sincere handwritten note does more than an expensive gift with no note at all. If you give a gift, put the note with it, and make the note the part they keep.
How much should a realtor spend on a closing gift?
There is no standard figure. Set one amount you can afford on your smallest deal and give that to every client, so the gift never tracks the sale price. A first-time buyer on a small condo and a seller on a large house then get the same thank-you.
Decide the amount once and stop deciding it deal by deal. Whether a gift is tax deductible is a question for your accountant, and this article doesn't cover it.
What's a good closing gift for a real estate client?
A good closing gift is something the client uses in the first month in the house. Practical things win, because a stocked toolbox gets opened in week one and a vase may never come out of its box. The ideas below are split by who they're for.
Gifts for buyers
- A small toolbox with a hammer, screwdrivers, a tape measure and picture hooks gets used the first weekend they hang anything.
- A doormat gets used every day, starting with the day they move in.
- A gift card to a restaurant near the new house means the first night doesn't involve cooking among boxes.
- A kitchen fire extinguisher is easy to forget in a move, and it's one less thing on their list.
- A card with the link to your list of trusted pros is there the first time something breaks.
Gifts for sellers who are moving away
- A gift card to a grocery store or restaurant in their new town helps the first week there.
- A framed photo of the house they sold is a good fit for sellers who loved the place.
- A moving-day kit with packing tape, markers and snacks helps if you give it a week or two before closing.
What can you give instead of a closing gift?
You can give something that costs little or nothing and still gets used. A handwritten note costs a stamp. A home binder with their closing papers, appliance manuals and warranty information saves them a search the first time something breaks, and a printed seasonal checklist like the ENERGY STAR heating and cooling maintenance checklist fits inside it.
Your go-to list of pros works as a gift too. A Proferral go-to list opens with no app and no login, so your client can pull up a plumber's number from the driveway. If the list is the gift, read what to put on a realtor vendor list before you send it.
For the rest of the first week, see what to do after closing. For the gift moment a year later, see home anniversary messages.
Sources
A list of pros can be the gift
In Proferral, you send a client their go-to list by text or email from your own phone, and it costs nothing on the Free plan. It only lists the pros you add, so it's a good gift only if those pros are good. See your go-to list.
It's free, no credit card needed, and you're never charged unless you choose Pro.