Holiday Gift Ideas for Real Estate Clients
- 20 Sep 2024
- Real Estate Marketing
- agentcrate
The holiday season will be here before we know it. As a real estate agent, this is the perfect time to show your clients some appreciation through thoughtful gifts. Finding meaningful gifts that demonstrate your gratitude, and strengthening those client relationships in the process, should be a priority.
In this post, we’ll explore 10 great holiday gift ideas for real estate clients to spark inspiration for your client gift giving this season. For each idea, we’ll provide specific examples and tips to help you make these gifts special and personalized for each recipient.
Food Gifts
Food gifts are a go-to during the holidays for good reason – edible treats are almost always appreciated! A food gift is a foolproof way to wow your real estate clients this season.
Gourmet gift baskets overflowing with delicious goodies make perfect client gifts. Fill baskets with wine, fruit, baked goods, cheese, coffee, chocolate and other tasty edible treats. Tailor baskets to clients’ tastes – a basket full of their favorite snacks will feel extra thoughtful. For clients with more sophisticated tastes, look to food items from local artisanal producers like small-batch chocolates, fruit preserves, pastries, charcuterie, candy, maple syrup and more. The options are endless, and supporting local businesses by choosing locally-made food items adds a thoughtful touch.
No matter what food items you include, make sure to finish each gift with a thoughtful personal note. Handwrite a message on a card or gift tag sharing your appreciation for the client and wishing them happy holidays. A personal note makes food gifts feel special rather than just an ordinary year-end client gift.
Local Experiences
Gift your real estate clients tickets to a local event, restaurant, museum, tour, show or other experience they can enjoy. This allows them to get out and explore the community where they live in a meaningful way. And they’ll associate these memorable experiences with you.
Research clients’ interests, pastimes and bucket list items to select an experience gift that will truly resonate with them. Is there a music festival, play, sporting event or food festival coming up that fits their lifestyle? That makes for a thoughtful surprise. For clients who are art aficionados, gift a membership or tickets to a local museum. Foodies would appreciate a gift card for the trendy new bistro in town. Experiential gifts with a personal touch make clients feel special.
Include a note with the experience gift explaining why you selected that particular activity for the client. Sharing how you tailored the experience to their interests helps make the gift even more thoughtful. Local experiences also make for wonderful closing gifts.
Home Goods
Help make a house feel like home with holiday gifts tailored to each client’s style. Candles, blankets, décor items and other home accessories are a thoughtful option for newly purchased properties.
Candles make wonderful gifts to spread coziness through a home. Choose scents aligned with their favorite aromas. Diffusers with essential oils also promote relaxation. Cozy blankets and pillows in home décor patterns giftees will love make watching TV and reading more comfortable in their new abode. Monogrammed and customized items like blankets, knickknacks and door mats add a special touch.
If you can, discreetly inquire about any décor needs or wants from new homeowners and then surprise them with items in those desired styles. Otherwise, stick to more classic and neutral styles that generally complement most spaces. A little pampering to make their house feel extra homey will be appreciated.
Personalized Closing Gifts
For clients who recently closed, a closing gift commemorates this major milestone. Give them a meaningful memento of the process.
Custom picture frames featuring photos from closing day make a personal and lasting gift. Present clients with professionally framed pictures of them shaking hands on the front steps, posing with the sold sign or walking through the home for the first time after closing. Such images memorialize the meaningful event. For artistic clients, commission a local artist to create custom artwork of the home’s façade or features. Original pieces become wonderful home décor reminders of the process. Personalized items like monogrammed vases, cups or jewelry boxes also applaud a successful closing.
Closing day is also a great opportunity to gift clients a bottle of nice champagne or wine along with glasses to toast their new home in style. A small floral arrangement or house plant livens up the new space as well. Find closing gifts that recipients will enjoy and remember.
Holiday Cards
Sometimes simple gestures mean the most. Don’t forget to send holiday cards to all of your clients spreading season’s greetings. These don’t need to be elaborate or expensive. The goal is simply to maintain that client connection.
Mail out physical holiday cards to each client. The tangible card feels more meaningful than e-cards and email messages. Include a thoughtful handwritten message in each card tailored to the individual client. Reflect on your working relationship, highlight their positive qualities and wish them well in the New Year. Handwritten notes feel heartfelt.
Sign holiday cards from your whole real estate team, rather than just yourself. This demonstrates unified appreciation from you and your colleagues. Mail holiday cards out by mid-December so they arrive prior to the holidays. This thoughtfulness reminds clients why they enjoy working with you.
Charitable Donations
Show clients you care about the causes important to them through charitable holiday gifts made in their honor. Identify organizations your clients actively support or that align with their values.
Make a donation to that meaningful charity in the client’s name. Look up the addresses of organizations near them to select local groups improving the community they live in. Include a card for the client detailing the donation and explaining why you chose that particular cause. This thoughtfully shows your commitment to supporting community groups and issues that matter to your clients.
Beyond the intrinsic value of contributing to important causes, these charitable gifts enable clients to take part in advancing social missions through your donation. The act of service demonstrates compassion and caring.
Tech Accessories
Upgrade your real estate clients’ electronic experiences with tech accessories as holiday gifts. These useful gadgets improve everyday activities like commuting, exercising, traveling and more.
Portable phone chargers, wireless headphones, phone cases, tablet accessories – consider which tech add-ons would benefit your client. Upscale versions of tech accessories really optimize daily use. For frequent travelers, noise-canceling headphones enrich trips while premium phone cases protect devices with style. Fitness enthusiasts appreciate wireless earbuds to pump up their workout playlists. Include a personalized note sharing how the gift will help make activities like their commute or exercise routine better.
Though gifts like tech accessories may seem impersonal, your thoughtfulness in selecting items that enrich specific aspects of your clients’ days shows you pay attention to their needs. These useful gifts put a smile on any tech aficionado’s face.
Subscription Boxes
Subscription boxes curated to clients’ hobbies and interests make fun monthly gifts. Sign giftees up for regular shipments of niche products tailored just for them.
Do clients love entertaining? Gift a monthly delivery of new recipes and ingredients to try. For bookworms, pick a literary subscription box that mails a newly released novel each month. If pets are their passion, choose a pet box with an array of canine or feline treats and toys. Monthly boxes for cooking items, crafting supplies, baked goods, beauty products, fitness equipment, coffee samples and more all exist.
Research clients’ favorite pastimes and select a subscription service that will introduce them to new discoveries within that realm monthly. Monthly arrival of packages adds an element of surprise and delight. Wrapping up the first month’s box as a holiday gift presents the entire concept. Subscription gifts demonstrate how well you know their interests while providing joy throughout the year.
Wellness Gifts
Show clients you care about their health and wellbeing through gifts supporting wellness routines. While perhaps not top of mind, wellness gifts demonstrate that you value clients holistically, not just concerning their real estate matters.
Yoga mats, essential oils, cozy slippers, mediation apps, fitness equipment, healthy cookbooks – there are many directions to go. Choose useful items clients can incorporate into self-care routines like exercise, nutritious eating, mental health relaxation and more. Add a personal note encouraging recipients to take time focusing on their wellness, even during the busy holidays.
When selecting wellness gifts, consider clients’ existing routines and needs. For the yoga devotee, gift exotic yoga accessories. The busy parent may appreciate guided meditation subscriptions for snatches of mindfulness. There are many ways to promote healthy balanced living through your thoughtfulness. These gifts provide lasting value beyond the holiday season.
Handwritten Notes
Sometimes it’s the gifts from the heart that mean the most. Consider including handwritten cards or letters in clients’ holiday gifts emphasizing what they mean to you. The personal touch of a handwritten message makes a lasting impression.
Along with each gift, include a thoughtful handwritten holiday card or note. Express your gratitude for clients, highlight their positive character traits and emphasize how much you value your working relationship. This personal, non-templated message shows the depth of your appreciation.
Handwritten care put into the message, the card selection and penmanship amplifies the sincerity. Mailing these notes or presenting them with gifts face-to-face can make meaningful moments. Sincere sentiments that come straight from you resonate deeply and remind clients why they enjoy working together.
Branded Gift Baskets
Branded gift baskets are a thoughtful way to combine practicality and personal branding. You can curate high-quality snacks, beverages, or treats that reflect your client’s preferences, while subtly including items branded with your real estate logo. Think of it as a premium thank-you gift that keeps your business in mind without being overly promotional.
You can choose a theme for the basket, such as gourmet snacks, artisanal coffee, or a wine and cheese pairing. Adding a few branded items like mugs, cutting boards, or even a personalized bottle opener makes the gift feel useful. This way, each time the client enjoys the contents, they are reminded of your thoughtful gesture.
These baskets are also versatile for different types of clients. For first-time buyers, a basket filled with new-home essentials can be both helpful and appreciated. For long-term clients, more luxurious items like premium wine or local delicacies add an extra personal touch.
Seasonal Decor
Seasonal decor is a perfect holiday gift that clients can immediately put to use in their homes. By gifting items like holiday wreaths, festive ornaments, or even tasteful centerpieces, you’re giving something that’s both timely and useful. Clients will appreciate the thoughtfulness, especially if the decor matches their personal style or the current season.
Consider customizing the decor to reflect their home’s aesthetic. For example, minimalist homes might appreciate simple, modern pieces, while those with a rustic vibe may enjoy more traditional, hand-crafted holiday items. You could also opt for decor that highlights local culture or features regional elements, making the gift even more unique.
When clients use these seasonal decor pieces, they’ll think of your attention to detail and how you went beyond a generic gift. Since it’s something they can bring out year after year, this also becomes a long-lasting reminder of your business relationship.
Home Maintenance Kits
Home maintenance kits are a practical and valuable gift that aligns perfectly with the needs of new homeowners. These kits can include essential tools like screwdrivers, tape measures, or even more modern gadgets such as smart thermostats, security cameras, or energy-efficient light bulbs. Providing a gift that can actually help clients maintain their home sends a strong message that you care about their long-term well-being.
You can tailor the contents to fit your client’s home type. For a client moving into an older home, you could focus on tools for minor repairs or energy-saving upgrades. For clients who bought a newly built home, smart home accessories or basic toolkits could be more fitting. Either way, these gifts show that you’re thinking about their practical needs.
This thoughtful approach not only sets you apart but also helps you stay top-of-mind when they think of home-related services in the future. Plus, it adds a layer of professionalism, showing you’re an expert in more than just the buying and selling process.
Greenery or Plant Gifts
Potted plants or small indoor trees make for a fresh, eco-friendly gift option that adds a welcoming touch to any home. Plants like succulents, peace lilies, or fiddle leaf figs are visually appealing, low-maintenance, and long-lasting, making them perfect for new homeowners who are still settling in. They also improve indoor air quality and create a calming environment, which many clients will appreciate.
Plants are a great way to reflect the personal connection you’ve built with your clients. If you know their taste, you can pick out something that fits well with their decor or lifestyle. Even better, include a handwritten note explaining why you selected that particular plant, adding a personal touch to the gift.
This is a gift that keeps on giving—your clients will enjoy watching the plant grow over time, much like their relationship with you. Every time they water it or admire its greenery, they’ll be reminded of your thoughtful gesture.
Local Art or Crafts
Supporting local artisans by gifting unique, handmade artwork or crafts is a thoughtful and community-focused gesture. Items like framed prints, pottery, or hand-carved woodwork reflect both the local culture and the individuality of your client’s new home. This type of gift not only supports local talent but also provides your clients with something truly one-of-a-kind to decorate their space.
Local art or crafts can also be a meaningful way to connect your clients to the area they’ve just moved into. If they’re new to town, a piece of artwork that reflects the city’s character or history can help them feel more at home. For long-time residents, finding a local artist they may not have known about adds a personal touch to the gift.
By gifting local art, you’re showing that you’ve put thought into something that will enhance their new space. It’s a unique gift that demonstrates your connection to the community, while also giving your clients a beautiful, lasting reminder of their homebuying experience with you.
Final Thoughts: Gift Ideas for Real Estate Clients
The holidays are the perfect time to show real estate clients your appreciation through meaningful gifts. A little thoughtfulness and personalization with gifts goes a long way toward strengthening your client relationships and making lasting impressions. Implement some of these holiday gift ideas to make this season special for the clients who mean so much to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is an appropriate amount to spend on holiday gifts for real estate clients?
A: $25-50 is generally an appropriate amount for client gifts. Thoughtful gestures do not have to be overly expensive. Focus more on finding a gift that shows your appreciation.
Q: When should I send holiday gifts to clients?
A: Send physical gifts like gift baskets and cards by mid-December so they arrive before December 25th. Experiential gifts for events in December or January can be given closer to the timing.
Q: Should I give holiday gifts to both past and current clients?
A: Yes, showing your appreciation through gifts is a great way to maintain relationships with past clients as well. Don’t leave anyone out.
Q: What if I have dozens of clients? Giving individual gifts isn’t feasible.
A: Consider sending a holiday e-card or making a donation to charity in your entire client list’s names if your list is very large. Add a personal note in each e-card.
Q: What if I don’t know a client’s interests well enough to tailor a gift?
A: More general gifts like food baskets, self-care items, tech accessories are still thoughtful even if not personalized.
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