Is a closing gift necessary? Required? Optional? Do you give a gift to your buyers or sellers when you close a transaction for them? My wife and I do. We have done so for almost 20 years now. We always know it is very appreciated. We did different kinds of gifts in the beginning, home warranties, gift baskets, tickets to local events, etc. They were all appreciated, some more than others, sometimes we knew of their appreciation, other times did not hear a word.
In the past several years, we went strictly to gift baskets, buying them from a local shop and letting them make the selections. As time progressed, we started telling the shop owner what we wanted in the basket. Those of you who have bought baskets know you can spend a considerable amount of money and get a basket that has little or no warm and fuzzy feelings.
We have now progressed to custom baskets. Baskets that are designed to the seasons, to the families life style as we know it. Some baskets are very large, other a bit smaller but still very personalized. We enjoyed a nice visit with a family last evening who recently used our professional services and as all do, when they arrived to the new second home, found a personalized gift basket and a welcome to your new home card from my wife and I.
While we visited on their new home, the fun they are having, a comment came up about the husbands sister and her family who also about the same time bought a second home, even more expensive than this couples. They shared with us a conversation during Thanksgiving where the sister ask "did you guys get a gift from your agent when the sale closed?" Not knowing any different, our buyers went into a long story of the beautiful gift basket and card, how thoughtful we had been, how they enjoyed the chocolate, wine, cheese and crackers and the basket even had wine glasses, an opener, a knife, napkins. It sounds like our buyers just went on and on telling the entire family gathered for Thanksgiving dinner how thoughtful and considerate, how could we know so much about them and their boy to have a basket with just the right kinds of goodies......... And when they were done telling of the basket, and ask what did your agent give you, the answer was nothing........not a bottle of wine, not a card.....nothing.
The family began to laugh some it sounds like to which their mother said to the sister, "well, you got a heck of a deal and a beautiful vacation home." The sister answered "yes, but it would have been nice to be appreciated and welcomed to our new vacation home." Our buyers said well we will give you our agents name and number so when you need to sell, you will have the best of the best.
So, what is it you do? Do you give a gift?
Comments(3)