A guide for agents
How much should a realtor spend on a closing gift?
There is no rule, but there is a range. Here is what agents actually spend, how to pick a number for this client, and what the IRS lets you write off.
Guides
Closing gift guides for real estate agents
Short, honest answers on what to give, what to spend, what to write, and what the rules say.
A guide for buyers and sellers
What to get your realtor after closing
You have the keys. Your agent has a signed file and a commission. If you want to say thank you with more than a text, here is what actually lands, what it costs, and what to skip.
Closing gift guide
Closing gift baskets: what they cost, and one alternative
Baskets are the default closing gift for a reason: they are easy, and everyone likes snacks. Here is what a closing gift basket actually costs once it is delivered, when it is the right call, and what to send when you want to be remembered past the first weekend.
Closing gift guide
Closing gifts for sellers: what to give a client who just left a home
Most closing gift ideas assume a new house to fill. A seller just left one. Here is what to give by situation, what each idea costs, and which ones miss.
Closing gift guide
Closing gifts for buyers: what helps in moving week, and what lasts
A gift for a buyer can do one of two jobs: help in the week they move, or still be in the house a year later. Very few do both. Here are eight ideas with rough costs, sorted by the job they do, and what changes for first-time, second-home and condo buyers.
Closing gift guide
Personalized closing gifts: a name, a logo, or their house
Most personalized closing gifts put a name on an object. Here is what that costs, what can go wrong, the two other kinds of personalized, and what is left of each a year after closing.
Closing gift guide
What to write in a closing gift card: 22 notes to copy
The gift is chosen and the card is blank. Here are 22 short notes, sorted by the client in front of you, and a few rules for making a copied one sound like yours.
Closing gift guide
Are closing gifts tax deductible for real estate agents?
Yes, up to $25 per recipient per tax year. Here is what the IRS rule says, what counts toward the $25, the two shortcuts it does not support, and the records to keep.
Closing gift guide
Can real estate agents give gifts to clients?
Two questions sit under this one: is a closing gift allowed, and is it normal. In general, yes to both. Here is what federal law says, what state rules add, and where a thank-you turns into something else.
Closing gift guide
Home anniversary gifts from a realtor: nine ideas by budget
The one-year mark after closing is the touch agents talk about and rarely act on. Here are nine ideas with rough costs, card wording for year one, five and ten, and the cases where the card alone is the right call.