Then another box opened up with a message on it..."Here's a couple bottles of wine, some wine glasses and a bottle opener, don't drink them both tonight or you'll wake up with a terrible headache. If you don't listen to me – here is a bottle of ibuprofen."

In a smaller box there was a disposable camera and the note said - "Make sure to take some pictures of each other enjoying your home and your lives - it goes by fast! Send me a picture some time!"

Finally there was a home owner's manual in a 3 ring binder with all kinds of services such as his personally rated local restaurants, emergency numbers, information on our loans, and the cover even had our photo on it. It was because of this treatment that I always referred my friends to him, and went back to him until the day that he passed away. He ended up selling us three more homes and also helped a lot of my friends purchase their homes as well.

So now I'm asking the question. Do you give closing gifts and if so, what kind?

I’ll give you the results from the poll at the bottom of the article along with some links to inexpensive gift ideas – but first, here are some fantastic ideas from real estate agents around the country. We’d like to thank these agents for allowing us to share their names, agencies, photos and ideas with us to pass along to you.

	Al Chavarria President Assistance Real Estate Inc Spring Valley, CA www.babyboomerbroker.com I always give my clients something at close of escrow. It's such a happy moment that you have to take advantage of it. I have given many different gifts over the years. My favorite is to buy 10-15lbs of carne asada and then barbeque for them at their house warming party. Tell me that wasn't a good place to get referrals. Currently I'm also giving out metal ice chests and every big party they have everyone wants to know where they got such a cool ice chest. It's the icing on the cake; you should always give them a closing gift.
	Len Moyer REALTOR® Century 21 HT Brown Columbia, MD www.HowardCountyHomesTeam.com We have given closing gifts for 12 years. But, starting 9 years ago, we began an "After Care program" of 9 touch points in the first year after the sale, each gift mailed to them with a personalized card that we create. The total cost of these gifts for each client is less than $150, but the timing of each gift is important, and so is the message on each card. We get referrals for nearly 20% of our past clients in the first year. Sometimes we get multiple referrals from clients in their first year as a result of our after care touch points. This is one of the most important parts of our business plan.
	Cori Sandler Sales Rep Home Life Realty One Ltd. Toronto, ON www.corisandler.com I am a potter and usually gift my clients a piece of pottery. I have had a number of agents in the past purchase pots from me for closing gifts, including house numbers in clay, or lovely bowls or wine goblets. They are always appreciated. - My pottery website is undergoing some changes, but I invite you to check it out, www.corisandlerpottery.com - I will ship if you are interested.
	Julie Raese REALTOR® Coldwell Banker-Success Rock County, WI www.juliesellsjanesville.com When a client spends more than $200,000 (this is a high end for my area) I have a local caterer send a package good for a Hors d’oeuvres Party for 10 or a special dinner for 4 catered at their new home. It gets great reviews and I don't have to pay for it until it's used. A win-win for everyone! Guess who they talk about at the event? Another thing I do is send Thanksgiving cards to all who have referred someone to me and/or have closed on a home that year. In the card is a gift certificate to a local bakery for their Thanksgiving pies or holiday goodies (whatever they want to order). It's only for $7.50 (of which $2.50 is paid by the baker). I've been doing this for 4 years. People just love it. The bakery has a record November and December every year. No one can just buy $7.50 worth of sweets. They simply send me the certificates back at the end of the year and I pay for only the used certificates. People now call me so they can get on the bakery list!
	Carlene Gauler REALTOR®-ABR UC Carolina Coastal Realty Georgetown, SC www.georgetownscrealestate.net I make homemade wines for my clients. I label them with a personal message, put the bottle in a nice wine bag or box, and add 2 nice wine glasses. This is for them to toast their new home with friends & family. Plus I also make them a beautiful door wreath loaded with flowers, leaves & bows with the colors of the home to hang on the door to welcome there family & friends. They always think it is a great closing gift! I also follow up with them a few days after the closing to see if I can help them in any way & then monthly I call or send a card. I find they like the fact I take the time to do something just for them.
	Ron & Alexandra Seigel Owners, Speakers, Trainers, Educators Napa Consultants, International Santa Barbara, CA www.NapaConsultants.com A good gift idea is to give Fruit of the Month Club, or anything of the month. That way when the package arrives, your name is in their mind every month, and if someone else is in their home when the goodies arrive, they can immediately refer you...We have received these types of gifts from friends, and I always thank them each month.

While it has never been considered mandatory for a real estate agent to present a customer who has finished a large sales transaction with a closing gift it has become somewhat of a tradition in the real estate industry. Some agents will offer housewarming gift baskets, wines, personal gifts and some spend a lot of time creating brilliant displays of personal creativity to give their clients.

Still, others offer mere housewarming best wishes. In fact, according to our survey 22% of agents polled do not buy closing gifts at all for their buyers. The logic behind this is simple - they are from the school of thought that believes the quality of their work is enough and shows the commitment to the buyer and the premium value they place on their customers. However, our survey points out that the overwhelming majority (77%) of real estate agents still prefer a closing gift option to close out a real estate deal.

So what are the keys to presenting good closing gifts? There are a few things you must keep in mind while thinking about real estate closing gifts. The first and most obvious factor is cost. You have to ensure that your gift is not too easy on the pocket, as it might end up insulting the customer and backfire on you (I.e. a McDonald’s coupon booklet). On the other hand, the gift should not be so generous as to leave a giant hole in your pocket (I.e. refrigerator, swimming pool). Also, it should not make the customer feel awkward; there should be no feeling of inappropriateness, especially since it is the time when you are closing a real estate transaction.

Another very important concept for agents and their closing-gift-giving is timing. Some agents utilize a multiple gift strategy spacing out several gifts over months to gain a larger branding/referral impact. Things like fruit of the month clubs, wine of the month clubs, chocolate of the month, or anything-of the month will end up getting a great response and are a good bargain for the cost.

Each agent must make their own decision about how they will manage their business and how they will keep up with their customers post sale, however through this study we can see the efficacy of closing gifts and the effects they have on both sides of a sale. The perception of service and likelihood of a referral are greatly increased with the giving of appropriate closing gifts.