Maintaining a successful real estate business means treating your clients with five-star customer service. A great way to do that, while celebrating the sale is to give your clients a closing gift. Gift ideas can be tricky—you want something personal but not too personal, that’s also functional and shows you care about them and their new home. Bonus points, if your contact information is included on the gift somewhere.
We’ve compiled eight thoughtful and unique gift ideas for your favorite clients. Consider how you can swap out your typical gift ideas with these.
- Digital Home “Assistant”
Whether you’re considering an Amazon Alexa or Google Home, home digital assistants are fun and surprisingly practical.
“There’s an ever-so-slight learning curve in figuring out what Amazon’s Alexa can and can’t do, but once that’s passed, the Echo Dot can forecast the weather, read an audiobook, order a pizza, tell Dad jokes, or any number of things they should find charming,” says Kelsey Mulvey, with Business Insider.
- Compost Bin
A kitchen counter compost bin is a great place for the new homeowner to keep kitchen scraps before taking them out to be composted. Many retailers sell attractive kitchen countertop bins that close tightly to keep odors from seeping out while adding a decorative element to the room. With so many people trying to reduce their carbon footprint, this is a great way to get your clients started. Outdoor compost bins can also be found for reasonable prices if you want to set your clients up with a complete composting system.
- Designer Fire Extinguisher
A fire extinguisher falls into the category of “a gift no one wants, but everyone needs.” You don’t normally think of fire extinguishers as being sleek and modern or decorative, but the company Safe-T is out to change that with designer extinguishers that go with any home style or motif.
Consider your client’s home décor and match it accordingly to the variety of styles available for the perfect gift that will surely never be duplicated.
- Personalized Stationary
Help your clients say “Thank you” and “Thinking of you” to their loved ones more often with a personalized stationary. “One of my own favorite gifts to receive is personalized stationery and cards that I can use for individual thank you notes and special messages,” says Alyssa Gregory, The Balance.com.
- A Personalized Pet Portrait
If your client is a pet owner, a personalized pet portrait is a great gift to commemorate their love for the family pet. There are many places you can have this done, with a local artist that you know of. Otherwise, head online to work with a company like Paint Your Life or “commission” the work with a creative professional on Etsy.
- Wireless Home Security System
New security systems are simple to install, easy to monitor, and affordable. After purchasing the basic wireless “kit,” your clients can customize for their needs: “Motion detectors, glass-shatter alarms, and gate sensors are all compatible with these DIY kits and you’ll never have to worry about paying for equipment you don’t need,” explain home security experts. Best of all, this inexpensive system can provide your client with peace of mind in their new home.
Wireless options are also portable, meaning it’s a gift that your client can take with them if they need to, for vacations or extended stays away from home.
- Gift Cards
You can’t go wrong with a gift card. “To help alleviate the stress of being house rich, but money poor, get the new home owner a gift card,” says Jonathan Chan with Reviewed.com. Many homeowners find items that they weren’t planning on needing once they move into their home. Gift cards can take the sting out of having to make some of those big and small purchases.
- Framed Historic Local Maps
Unique and personal, a framed map of the area that your client lives in is just the type of gift they’ll appreciate for years to come. An aerial photograph is an alternative if you can’t find the type of map you want, or even a custom painted image of their neighborhood or the downtown area of their new city.
BIO: Jessica Thiefels has been writing for more than 10 years and been in social media and content marketing for five. She’s currently a full-time blogger and has been written for Lifehack, Inman, Reader’s Digest, Homes.com, and more. Follow her on Twitter @Jlsander07.