Providing excellent customer service and the perfect real estate closing gift are two key factors to building meaningful relationships with your clients. Relationships that will get you plenty of repeat business, referrals and 5 star online reviews. You already have the excellent customer service part figured out. Now let’s take a closer look at how to give the perfect closing gift to your clients.
Call it a housewarming gift instead of a closing gift.
It’s best not to bring your closing gift to the actual closing. Your clients, whether they are buying or selling their home, are focusing on getting the deal finalized and are too distracted for anything else. Actually it’s a perfect time to mention that you have a special housewarming gift that you would like to drop off once they get settled into their new home. This will give you a reason for stopping by and seeing if they are settling in okay. It’s also your first touch-point in your referral marketing plan. Of course if they are moving out of the area you can bring it to the closing or mail it to them at a later date.
Make the appreciation gift personalized and tailored to your client.
By now you should know your client pretty well. You’ve worked with them and have gotten them through one of the biggest financial transaction they will ever make. Selecting a personalized gift has many benefits. Your client knows that you put thought into the gift and because it’s personalized they know you had it made just for them. It also has the added benefit as a higher priced gift because it was custom made and can’t be purchase in a regular store.
Provide a long lasting tangible gift.
Most of our client appreciation gifts are personalized home decor such as pillows and wall art. The reason is that they are gifts that your clients will display in their homes for many years to come. Unlike a gift card to a restaurant or home improvement store, these gifts become part of their home. And because they’re unique they often get brought up in conversations with friends and family. Some even share them on their social media, giving you a great shout out.
Set a gifting budget.
Setting a budget for your closing gifts is a good way to help narrow down your gifting options. Remember, this is your first step in your relationship marketing plan so you want to get this right. The real estate standard for client gifting is around 5% to 15% of your net profit and should 10x your return, according to John Ruhlin, author of Giftology. You’ll want to consider how much of your budget will go towards the closing gift and how much to allocate to the rest of your client retention strategy.
A custom gift will have a higher perceived value and can be an affordable option.
Make the gift extra special by making the packaging beautiful.
Don’t overlook the importance of presentation. You’ve probably heard the saying “people eat with their eyes first” in regards to food. The same concept is true for gifting. However, you may want to also keep in mind the ease of opening the gift since your clients will want to thank you in person. A gift bag, ribbon and beautiful tissue paper can provide an easy answer.
Try stocking up on supplies after major holidays when these items typically go on sale. Your local dollar store can also be an economical solution.
A thank you gift note is the most important part for building a meaningful client relationship.
The gift note is the most important part of the closing gift. When you take the time to write a handwritten thoughtful note, your clients will notice and will feel connected to you. Some agents have a knack for knowing just the right thing to say in their thank you notes. If you’re not that fortunate we’ve got you covered. You can use these thank you note template examples to get you started.
The perfect closing gift is a good start to building a meaningful relationship with your clients. But remember, it’s just the first step in your ongoing relationship strategy. Many real estate agents rely solely on relationship marketing to keep their pipeline full of new buyers and sellers. It takes time, it’s a snowball effect, but it’s definitely worth the effort.
