20 Affordable Closing Gifts Guaranteed to Impress Your Clients

Are you struggling to find impressive closing gifts (at an affordable price) for your clients?

You want something special. Something that shows your clients how much you value them and how much you appreciate their business. But you don’t want to spend a fortune when you’ve already spent so much money on advertising the seller’s listing or driving the buyers around town.

Not to worry, somewhere in this list is the solution to your problem. 1 of these 20 closing gifts is going to be a perfect fit for your most recent clients and for your future clients.

Quick note: this post was originally published in 2018. Here’s the new and updated version!

But before we jump into the list, let’s lay a few closing gift ground rules.

Rules for Impressing Your Clients with Your Closing Gifts

Here are just a few rules to make sure your closing gift is well-received.

Don’t brand it.

At first glance, branding your closing gift sounds like a good idea. You want to keep your name in front of your previous clients so they can send you referrals and repeat business, right? For years that’s all the closing gift was: just another way to keep top of mind.

But today’s sophisticated buyers and sellers are actually put off by this transparent form of marketing.

There is a place for branded gifts, but it’s not at closing (more on this in a bit). Closing is just about your clients. The gift should focus on them, not you.

Besides, if you get them a gift they love, they’ll think of you when they see it anyway. Even without your branding on it.

Pay attention to the shelf life.

Having said that, it would be great if your gift lasts a while. Like I said, your clients will think of you when they see your gift. So long-lasting items are better than, say, a fruit basket.

That’s why I’m also not a fan of experiences as closing gifts. Your sellers may remember that whale watching tour forever, but their memories of the event itself will eclipse the memory of receiving the vouchers from you.

Affordable doesn’t mean cheap.

To quickly clarify, we’re looking for affordable-but-impressive closing gifts. Cheap key chains, mousepads, or coffee mugs are a non-starter.

Consider your clients’ interests and personalities.

To really impress your clients with your closing gift, consider their interests and personalities. Don’t just get the same gift for every client.

Also consider your clients’ needs.

One of the best ways to impress your clients is to be considerate of their needs. Ask yourself if your client will need something in the near future that they might not already have.

This works especially well for out-of-area buyers. Ask yourself if there’s something they might need now that they’re locals. Maybe a snow shovel for Colorado buyers from California. Or monogrammed beach towels for Midwesterners who’ve relocated to the coast.

And your clients’ circumstances.

And don’t forget to consider your clients’ circumstances.

Did your sellers sell because of a divorce? Don’t get them a sketch of their old home to remember it by. They’re trying to move on.

Personalize when possible.

People love to see their names on stuff. They just do.

Your closing gift is just the beginning.

No matter which amazing closing gift you choose, don’t let that be the end of your working relationship. Continue to market to your clients long after the sale to build your referral business.

Your email list is a good starting point. Notify your previous buyers every time you publish a new blog post relating to homeownership. Assuming your posts are full of valuable information, your former clients will appreciate the helpful tips, and you’ll stay top-of-mind.

And remember how I said there is a place for branded gifts? Anniversaries of closings are a perfect time for small branded gifts. Maybe a bottle of wine with a custom label and a branded corkscrew. Or a sporty water bottle or tote bag. Or even a thumb drive (thumb drives are the pens of the 21st century).

Ok, that concludes our list of rules.

Without further adieu, here is our list of 20 affordable closing gifts guaranteed to impress your clients.

Affordable Closing Gifts to Impress Your Buyers

We’ll start with closing gifts for buyers because they are, by far, the easiest group to buy for!

They have a new home. And new homes need all kinds of new things to fill them.

So, keeping the ground rules in mind, consider these affordable-yet-impressive closing gifts for buyers.

Quick note: many of the following headers link to the Etsy website. Etsy is a great resource for closing gifts because Etsy sellers are incredibly creative, producing thousands of unique products. And they offer tons of options for personalization. Many of the following links are affiliate links, which means we earn a small commission on purchases you might make after clicking our links (at no cost to you!). If you want to learn more about affiliate links and how you can add them to your own real estate website, we dish on the details in How to Make Money Blogging About Real Estate.

Ok, now on to the list…

1. Garden Decor

A personalized garden stone with the buyer’s last name is a thoughtful gift, sure to be appreciated by your garden-loving buyers for years to come. Or how about a bench for the first-time buyers who never got to enjoy a garden bench in their years of apartment living?

2. A New Home Photo Shoot

New home photoshoots will take off in the next few years. They’re just like engagement photos or pregnancy photos but focused on the buyers in their new home. It’s the perfect way for the Instagram generation to commemorate this milestone in their lives. If you haven’t already read it, check out our post on how to make money with new home photoshoots. They are an ideal Realtor side hustle.

3. Tools

First-time buyers may need some common tools to handle the maintenance responsibilities that come with homeownership. You can even find engraved toolkits on Etsy.

4. A Framed Map

You might be able to find a vintage local map. Or you could work a current map into a personalized work of art for your buyers. Anything your buyers can display in the home is good for you as well. Your buyers will have friends and family asking where’d you get that?! And your buyers will be able to tell them about you.

5. Personalized Wall Art

Rustic wood art is a popular option. You can personalize with your buyers’ names, the property address, the closing date, and even the geo-coordinates. Want something even more personal? How about a custom watercolor painting of the new home? Just send a photo of the home to Custom Canvas Creations, and they’ll create a custom watercolor painting from that photo!

6. Personalized Dishes

Casserole dishes are especially popular. And they are used for almost every gathering, which means friends and family will see them and probably ask about them.

7. Indigenous vegetation

Do your buyers have a green thumb? Get them a local plant to care for. One of our agents gave their buyers a lemon tree, and the buyers loved it so much that they took it with them when they moved years later. Even though it meant more paperwork and warning all prospective buyers that the lemon tree was not included in the sale.

Just head to a local nursery to find something your buyers will love. And make sure you get the instructions for care so you can pass them along to your buyers.

8. A personalized return address stamper

This isn’t for everyone, but your old-school buyers who still send letters and cards through the mail might love a personalized return address stamper.

9. A Welcome Mat

Personalized welcome mats can range from sweet to hilarious. There’s a perfect welcome mat for every homeowner.

10. Throw pillows

Yes, you can even get throw pillows personalized with the buyer’s names, closing date, address, etc. embroidered on them. Check out some of the fun options from BigHeartGiving!

11. A door knocker

You guessed it; you can also get door knockers personalized. They add a sophisticated touch to classic homes.

12. A BBQ grill

Another benefit to owning a home after years of living in an apartment: you can use a grill! Lots of first-time buyers are excited about the idea of BBQ-ing in their own backyard. But their money has to go to more practical needs. You could be the hero that buys them a BBQ!

13. A cheeseboard

Yes, one more personalizable idea for housewares. Many new buyers are excited to entertain in their new space. And today’s modern hosts are all about the cheeseboard.

14. Lawn games

Lawn games are fun for everyone! Bags, Bocce Ball, Jumbo Jenga, Jumbo Yahtzee. The lawn games might not get as much use as some of the other items on our list, but they certainly stand out. And they’re a great go-to when your buyers are hosting, or even attending, an outdoor get-together.

Honorable Mention: a Home Decor Subscription Box

For a truly unique closing gift for sellers, consider getting them a one-year home decor box subscription! Designed Life Delivered offers quarterly boxes to help homeowners freshen up their decor with the changing seasons. While this type of service won’t fall into every agent’s budget, it’s the perfect way for luxury agents to give their clients a quarterly reminder of the exceptional level of service they provide.

Affordable Closing Gifts to Impress Your Sellers

Sellers are much harder to buy for.

With your buyers, you had the advantage of knowing exactly where they were moving to and being able to visualize their lives in that space.

But sellers are more of an unknown. They could be moving on to any number of circumstances:

• Are they buying another home locally? Hopefully, you’ll be their agent for the purchase, so you want to save any housewarming-style gifts for the closing on the purchase.
• Are they moving out of the area? Are they happy about it?
• Maybe they’re moving into a retirement home or moving in with family?
• Or maybe the house had to be sold under sad circumstances like a divorce or a death.

So you can’t just get your sellers a housewarming-style gift.

The one good thing about buying for sellers is that you may have a touch more flexibility in shelf life. If the sellers are not in a position to be repeat clients or generate referral business, you don’t have to worry so much about the sellers being able to see a tangible gift and think of you.

So here are a few out-of-the-box closing gifts for sellers that will impress without breaking the bank.

15. A donation to a charity close to your buyer’s heart

A charitable donation can be a lovely gesture. This is especially fitting when the home is sold because of the owner’s death. They may have a foundation they supported, and the family would surely appreciate and remember your donation.

16. A spa package

Moving is stressful! Help your sellers relax afterward with a spa gift like a massage, facial, or spa day pass.

17. A piece of the property

If your sellers have happy memories of the home, send them off with a little piece of it. Take a leaf or flower from the yard, press it, and frame it.

18. A classic champagne toast

If none of these other options seems appropriate, offer a simple and classic champagne toast. You can toast to success and happiness in the next phase of your sellers’ lives.

Affordable Closing Gifts to Impress Your Investors

Real estate agents often ask about good closing gifts for investors.

Honestly, investors probably aren’t expecting a closing gift. They’re not making a major life change like your typical buyers and sellers;  they’re simply buying or selling another asset.

The best gift you can give your investors is to find them a great deal. And you’ll be top of mind for your investor clients because you’ll contact them every time you learn of a deal that might work for them.

Having said that, first-time investors did just make the leap to “real estate investor”. So it’s a big moment for them, and it should be commemorated.

So here are just a couple of closing gift ideas for investors.

19. A bottle of champagne or a cigar to celebrate another successful closing.

It will be a pleasant surprise the first time and something the client comes to look forward to as you work together on more deals.

20. A memento of the first-timer’s first property

A sketch of the property, personalized to include the investor’s name and date of their first-ever real estate investment purchase, would be a nice way to commemorate the investor’s achievement.

Did We Miss Anything?

Do you have a favorite closing gift that didn’t make our list? Tell us about it in the comments!

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