A closing gift is typically given to show appreciation for your client's business.  By combining this with a little bit of marketing savvy, you can give your clients something that will help them remember you long after the sale.  My own Realtor(R) did this with a small piece of framed art from a local artist and I think of her every time I look at it.  For this and many other reasons, she is the one I refer my friends to and the one I will call when I'm ready to move. 

As the owner of a virtual assistant company, we help clients buy closing gifts often, and we are always on the lookout for quality products that save time for our clients.  

Recently I came across two companies that are now on my roster of gift services and wanted to share with you.

Magic Envelopes is a company that provides gift catalogs.  Each catalog is in a specific price range and theme, and the gifts themselves are not priced in the catalogs.  Your client will not know how much you spent.  For instance, you could send a catalog of home gifts and let your client pick what they most want for their home after they have settled in from the move.  Another catalog has spa products, for example (pampering after the move!).  There is even a newlywed catalog.  There are over a dozen of these catalogs to choose from with dozens of items within each one.  Best of all, you don't have to shop, wrap, or deliver the gift, and it comes in a beautiful envelope from you.  Shipping is included in the pricing as well, and there is a 180-day satisfaction guarantee. 

The gift catalogs range from $25 to $500, the products can be as simple as a nice picture frame or as elaborate as a vacation package (airfare not included).  If you purchase a lot of gifts you can buy a membership for $48/year that will give you wholesale pricing on all the catalogs, so your gifts will cost even less (or you can upgrade and purchase nicer gifts).  Jen Sagel is the owner of Magic Envelopes and works with Realtors all the time.  She will help you design a closing gift system that both pleases your clients and simiplifies your life. 

(Virtual Assistants, this is also a great tool for you to use when coordinating closing gifts for your clients.)

Blessing Project is another great discovery.  This company buys handmade paper, stones, and other media from women's villages and cooperatives around the world and crafts them into beautiful three-dimensional cards suitable for framing.  You can see a gallery of the cards at The Blessing Project website, and cards range from $19 to $195 (large card in shadowbox frame).  The small shadow box is 6-1/2 x 6-1/2 inches and is $49, which seems like the perfect price and size.  The only drawback to Blessing Cards is that they do not have online ordering yet, though you can download the form and fax in your order.

Remember, if you choose to give a closing gift, think long-term.  What can you give that will keep your client thinking of you as they enjoy their new home?