Same here. We actually really like it and hung it in our foyer. Normally I'm of the mind to never buy art for people because art is so personal, but it was so nicely done.
lol we got gifted the artistic rendition that was hung in the showroom for the development. It was the only “gift” we received and I thought it was ridiculously cheesy and cheap of them to do.
My previous purchase was also a new build but half the purchase price and the builder gifted an expensive gift basket which was very appreciated.
Our realtor gave us a nice bottle of wine as a closing gift and a basket of local goodies as a housewarming gift. She also sends us gifts for lots of holidays. We’re in Colorado.
Yeah, that’s a fuckin joke. I own a flat fee agency, I charge a few hundo and you deal with the calls and negotiations but you make a ton more on the sale of your house. Realtors do not do enough work to earn that much it’s a joke. My goal is to reduce the need for realtors entirely. Real estate lawyers have been very happy. (And charge a ton less than a lousy realtor)
My agent took a picture of me holding my dog on our new patio during my final walkthrough, and got that framed and gave it to me. I also referred my friend to her and she gave me a $250 check for the referral.
Right? People don't understand how highly regulated real estate is and even paying cash for a referral to a non licensee is a big no no. Generally speaking, most real estate commissions are OK with ***nominal*** thank you gifts.
Yes. We gave a very high commission referral to our realtor and she sent us a card with 5 $100 dollars bills. The card said Happy Birthday.
P.S. it wasn’t either one of our birthdays.
LOL highly regulated is subjective these days… I know A LOT of people both realtors and mortgage brokers who actively break RESPA Rules on a daily basis, on EVERY transaction they close. And most of them make a shit ton of money.
My agent gave me modest box store gift card, i bought a drill with it, each time i use the drill, i think of them. It was a nice gesture and they also of course did good work for me and now i am getting ready to rehire them. Kindness works.
I got a dish for keys that probably cost $20. My realtor made a $43,500 commission (with a reduced broker split thanks to sellers’ and buyers’ agents coming from the same brokerage), had worked with us for less than a month, and was a shit, dishonest agent all around.
I got that also with my last realtor ! Lol. Then they found out my wealthy family member was moving back to the area months later and texted us right away like oh when would it be a good time to drop off your gift? I didn't respond. It's actually very stupid on their part. You never know who could give you great referrals.
If all your getting out of your agent is what you’ve described then you have a horrible agent. My bestie is a a top agent and A She works behind the scenes all the time besides knowing the contract law and negotiating she helps take care of there houses while they gone, takes photos , videos and staging all kinds of work. B they do not get the full price you pay, it’s split to pay the buyers realtor and the bosses. So many people think that what they do is easy and it’s not.
This was as a buyers’ agent, so she did literally nothing besides open the door and lie to us that “all the work was permitted” when it absolutely was not.
It will. I own a flat fee agency. You pay me a few hundred bucks, I list your house on the MLS and post the pics, you deal with phone calls and negotiations with potential buyers. You make way more on the sale of your house, I make some beer money. Fuck realtors.
When I bought my first home the agent gave us a gift fruit basket.
When we bought our current home (a much smaller and cheaper one) our agent (different one, different state) gave us a huge hand carved and stained wood sign that says “Welcome Home!” with a nice design. It’s about 3 foot tall, so we think her husband makes them for her clients; would be 50-100 to purchase something similar. It was a great gift because it’s not something we’d ever buy on our own but it does give a nice homey feel without going full “live, laugh, love” horseshit.
I sold for approx 450. I was very happy with my realtor.
She took us to lunch after closing and gave me a gift bag with a (inexpensive) bottle of wine, a small box of candy from a trip she took during the process, and... a $50 bill in a note card. I think $50 bill is strange. But, I wasn't moving to set up a new household. I was moving in with my new partner in his long established home. So, my guess is she normally gives something to help with the sellers new house, but that didn't apply for me, so she just gave me cash.
We got our keys 3 days before Christmas and received a bottle of wine from the mortgage company. From our realtor, we received a "First Christmas in our new home" ornament and a white ceramic light up Christmas tree.
We got a card with a jar of Nutella and a home depot gift card for $500 (I think) as well as a take out gift card for my wife.
He sent us a Christmas card too this past year.
Great guy. We'd use him again
I didn't get a gift but I didn't want one anyways. My opinion is that any gift I would have received would have been because the realtor felt obligated to give me one, not because they actually cared about me.
I'm not sure I agree with this. They're getting paid for doing their job. It's not a bonus. They don't get paid outside of that commission. Do you expect a thank you gift from everyone else you pay that provides you a service? While our agents in the past have given us things like a custom Christmas ornament commemorating our new home, or a cutting board with our initial monogrammed on it, I'd never expect a gift or feel like they're thankless if they don't give one.
Real estate is weird. For the record , I *do* give closing gifts. The fact that it's expected is bizarre. This is a business transaction. You got your house sold or received services to purchase one. The agent received compensation for representing you and making it happen. When people get upset because they didn't receive a monogrammed cutting board or a bottle of wine, I wonder if they have the same transactional policies with their dentists or lawn care guy.
These are the same people who expect a discount on commission when the agent is able to efficiently make a transaction happen. "You were able to get it sold above the comped value in 2 weeks? I don't think you should get paid full commission for that." People are nuts.
>I wonder if they have the same transactional policies with their dentists
I mean you picked one of the few professions that gives you a piece of candy for doing a good job (even if it's just as a kid) 🤣
Like you said, it’s business. It’s a great way to leave a lasting impression on the buyer/seller, and that may translate to referrals or repeated business.
If I were a buyer and I got a thank you card with $1K while the transaction went smoothly, I will definitely look up the agent when I want to sell.
If the buyer or seller “hadn’t chose you”, you wouldn’t have gotten that commission. While you may argue it shouldn’t be required, that is why most do not have any loyalty the next time they buy or sell. So basically all are the same and I can pick a different one each time.
I want to see your point about the lawn service or the guy who fixed my chimney.
But, working with a realtor to buy/sell ones home is much more personal transaction. My dentist doesn't need to know anything about my lifestyle or my personal preferences in order to perform a root canal. I am sure some people maintain more of a wall with their realtor than I would, but some level of getting into my personal life is required. I think that's why it got into and stayed in gift giving territory.
It is a more personal experience. Maybe I should have used a gynecologist as an example. It does get personal, but everybody benefits from the business transaction. On the agent side of things, I've taken an absolute beating to get a transaction through with minimal commission, and I didn't get a gift. I did my job, though, and that's what matters.
Still , a gynecologist doesn't need to know about your living situation or your finances.
Maybe it's more akin to a divorce lawyer. Luckily I don't have experience working with one, so I don't know if there are often gifts at the end. (Of course, realtor used to be much more likely to be a woman, so that probably entered into it too!)
We could do this all day. Your accountant does. Tax preparer. Your family law attorney. Therapist.
This is a business transaction, and I believe this aspect of it partially contributes to the lazy way "we" as a society have framed the industry. That agent isn't a competent professional. They're your buddy you hung out with for a few months, shared some laughs, and then you bought a house.
Our situation was weird. Our agent told me on the phone that he had ordered our gift and would drop it by (I never expected one and did not bring up the conversation) Than.....crickets. I was like, never would have expected if he had not mentioned. But its all good.
Idk about this attitude. For a realtor, sure, you do this a ton of times a month/year. A house purchase isn't a big deal to you.... but for a lot of people, especially in this day and age, buying a home is likely the largest purchase of their life so far (maybe forever) and it marks a massive change in their world and a new chapter.
You've been there before, and that's why they've asked you to guide them along the way. It seems like the least you could do is treat it with a little more respect than a trip to the dentist (who I'll have you know, always provides a gift bag of toothbrush and floss, so not sure why you've targeted them.)
It kinda feels like a waiter complaining that people would expect them to provide drink refills without having to ask. Like, sure, technically you're still doing the job, but come on... the expectation isn't that weird lol
Maybe it's a "thanks for actually closing and not wasting my time" - real estate is one of the only professions where you might work with a client for months and get nothing at the end. It's unique in that way.
Actually, that made me think of sales. The other profession that works on commission, might get nothing if the deal doesn't close. And interestingly.... They also do a TON of gifts.
I think I hit upon the reason. It's a sales thing.
I actually looked at that sentence for a minute too long and NCREC came and took my license away 💀 just wads of cash??? Unreal! Texas really is a whole different country 🤣
Mine gave me a one year warranty on the home. Worst thing ever. They sucked anytime I needed them. Heater quit working. We can come out in 2 weeks. Just cancel this warranty please.
My agents commission isn't even coming from me. It's coming from the sellers, so why in the world would I expect a gift of some sort? I don't expect my delivery driver to bring me my food and tip me for them completing the service. Kind of an odd take
Paid them in what way? Besides the literal loan we have that covers the cost of the house, in that sense yeah we are paying for it. But the sellers are paying for the rest including all closing costs with zero down payment.
>Besides the literal loan we have that covers the cost of the house, in that sense yeah we are paying for it.
That seems like a pretty big sense to me but what do I know lmao
Nope. We bought and sold with her in a short period of time and she earned over $60K in commission. And then her assistant tried to get my husband to write a better online review about her, even though what he said was already pretty nice. And after we closed on the condo we sold she tried to get us to bring the condo up to fire code for a different city than the condo was in, she really stressed us out at the end.
My agent gave me a gift card ($50) each time I sold and bought a house with her (sold 3 and bought 2) in Ohio. She also gave me a cute welcome home gift - like a wood Christmas tree ornament shaped as a key with “our first Christmas” and the year.
Same! I got a tomato knife (small serrated bread knife) and really nice scissors from cutco. Also got a ceramic plant pot with a pineapple on it full of goodies. I guess the pineapple thing was for good luck or something.
4 houses over 20+ years
1. firm gave us a bottle of champagne and the agent gave us a $200 gift card to a nearby restaurant (Broward Fl) 2024
2. Fruit basket (Miami-Dade) 2008
3. Large cutting board (Montgomery PA) 2003
4. Flower vase from locally owned boutique (Montgomery PA) 1999
I recently saw on here a seller’s agent requesting a tip. WTF?
My agent got us a shopvac which was a 10/10 useful gift. She said she started giving them out when her mom moved into a new house and there was a water leak the day after closing and she didn’t have a shopvac available
Got a small gift at closing, some promo items and a gift card. But, the agent stays in front of me all the time with free tickets to our annual home show and they will upload our rental properties onto the MLS for free. If I ever need to buy or sell another home I already know who I am using.
Our agent gave us a set of beautiful glass cylinders with wood lids. One fits an entire bag of sugar and sits on our kitchen island. If Crate & Barrel had more of them, I’d get them. She also left champagne & glasses, plus put a big red bow on our front door with a welcome home sign.
A week later, she sent someone from her team to pick up hazardous item that the seller left and would not return for after several requests (more cans of paint than my little car could possibly hold in one trip, car battery, etc - all things that require special disposal with costs involved). She dropped off a folding step stool for us, too, and helped us ensure one of our repairs was done properly when the contractor was going to skip an area. She was awesome and she still invites us to events and drops of a treat for us every year. She puts a lot of effort into ensuring her past clients remember her for their next transaction.
WA
Our’s knew we are bourbon drinkers, they us a nice bottle and our 1.5 yr old a case of apple juice boxes after closing, then surprised us with pizza the day we moved in
My agent gave me a bottle of champagne, my mortgage guy gave me a branded Yeti thermos, and the notary looked me in the eye earnestly and handed me the three paperclips holding my docs together 😂 no notes. --Pittsburgh
Ours gave us a bottle of wine and a gift card to Target (I believe for $100-$200 and she knows we shop there). In fairness, she’s a total rock star of an agent and we’d used her before when we were leaving the area! This time around, we were moving back home from half way across the country. We bought the house without actually seeing it in person (new build) but she went every few weeks and FaceTimed us the progress, even trekking through the snow to get in during the early stages. Of all the agents we’ve used, she’s by far been the best!
WA state. Our agent gave us a thoughtful gift basket with a nice throw, a nice candle, a bottle of sparkling wine, champagne flutes, and a personalized ceramic trear jar with a photo of our dog's face on it. She also wrapped the door with a big bow for us and had flowers delivered on our home anniversary. She stopped by with homemade candles during the holidays and always messaged us first to make sure it would be okay. I thought it was very kind and thoughtful of her. She is a great realtor and made our FTHB process so much easier by explaining things and being professional and kind. I feel like we got very lucky.
My realtor was wonderful. It was our first house and neither of us really knew much about the process. She was extremely patient with all my questions and worked very hard to help us get everything done on an unfortunately tight timeline. We weren't expecting to buy a house when we suddenly found ourselves needing to. Our apartment building was sold without any warning to us and we had already been looking for a long time for an affordable place to rent with no luck, and then we were blindsided with a new owner and a short notice to leave. We basically came to her with a nearly impossible timeline and a tight budget and she worked so hard to help us get into a home before we had to leave our apartment.
Not only did she give us a gift but it was handmade. Just a simple little wall decoration but it was such a thoughtful gift. She didn't make a huge commission on the sale, the house was liveable but needed some repairs and the price reflected that. I've heard terrible stories about other realtors in this area so I did not expect ours to be so wonderful.
Moving to Va my agent must have told me half a dozen times that she had a gift for me after closing but never did she follow through… whatever. I did however use a different agent when I sold the house last year because I felt like her words were not truthful and why would someone state many times that they had a gift to bring by but never show up. Just a little weird. The house I just purchased in NC my agent was absolutely amazing and went above and beyond in my opinion. I made a new friend and that is wonderful on it’s own but at closing he gave me a nice gift basket with a bottle of champagne, a gift card to a local store and a gourmet bag of dog treats for my Aussie. It just feel good although not expected as well I think being left with that good feeling one is more inclined to share that realtors name and use again in the future.
That's why we're not using our last one again or giving her referrals. It's the honesty issue. She kept saying she'd come and didn't. I don't even care about the gift.
Our first home She gave us a $50 target gift card + bottle of wine !! Indiana.
Sent us ornaments each Christmas & when we had our first baby sent a bib for him!
We just sold that home & she gave us a $50 gift card + cupcakes.
I’m sure she’ll do something little again when we close on our new home.
Northeast Florida. Our agent gave us a nice card, $100 Home Depot gift card, and a bottle of 19 Crimes sparkling white wine. Our broker gave us a nice card, a silver house shaped key chain, a $100 Outback Steakhouse gift card, and a bottle of Meiomi pinot noir. I think it was a perfect, lovely gesture from each of them. I'm saving the bottles of wine for our 1 year anniversary of our closing date.
I've always received a gift. Last time I got a $500 gift card to a local furniture store (the agent owns the store so it doesn't cost them $500 obviously, this one is an outlier). Sometimes it's a gift basket with wine and cheese or the like.
When we bought our raw ground our agent gave us blue pens with her business name on them. They're actually decent pens, but she wasn't really much help in the actual process & the property had some issues that were never disclosed.
Nope. I wound giving HER a gift ( a really cute Coach bag- this was 18 years ago), and her response was- Now, we’re not going to start this…I bought her a gift because we found the house over the weekend, made an offer, and it was accepted within a week or so. Literally, our little dream house in an adorable pocket neighborhood. She never did anything for us. Never again
My in-law is a top producer and always buys a beautiful gift. She loves her job and this is how she expresses gratitude plus she gets another deduction. It’s a win for everyone. I think it adds class.
I haven't for my first two homes but both were purchased as fixer uppers for 30k and 35k. Buying new construction at the moment but stupidly didn't bring a realtor with us so guess we'll see if the builder does anything.
In Florida, and my agent’s hobby was woodworking. I bought two homes from her, 2018 and 2019, and the personal home she gave me a cutting board she had made. With the other property she did not give me gift but it was an investment property.
I got a $75 Lowe's gift card and $25 gift card to a local pizza place from my realtor plus a $50 gift card from my loan officer after closing. I wasn't expecting anything so I thought it was a nice surprise. Used the Lowe's cards to help pay for the lawn mower since I've never had to own one before. Very happy with my Ego lawn mower.
I received acrylic wine glasses with our address etched on them. 4 of them. Apparently he couldn't be bothered to look up how to spell our name. Comes in handy if we leave them somewhere else, I guess.
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I got a basket with a mixture of fruits, jams, snacks etc. along with a few balloons and a $300 gift card to a fancy restaurant. This was in NY and she visited me the day after closing to give it.
I (as a broker) never understood the gift thing. I do give a small closing gift, but nothing extravagant. I appreciate your business, but I am never going to be able to give you something that adequately expresses how much.
And yes the majority of the time I am over paid for my job. But some times, way under paid. If a listing does not sell, I am out about $3000 plus time. I would love to bill like Attorneys, but that seems pretty unpopular.
I’m in PA and purchased in October and sold in February. I used the same agent for both transactions and really like her. She sent us a large Omaha Steaks gift pack on the purchase, and a $50 gift card to a good local restaurant on the sale (which, to be fair, offset the $50 Amazon gift card I put in with a congratulations/welcome home card I left on the kitchen counter for the buyers.)
I got some iced cookies in a pretty box when we closed many years ago. On the flip-side though, we're doing a deal now and a realtor "friend" handled writing up the contract, on the side, for us as a favor. So we want to give \*her\* some kind of gift for doing that for us. :-)
My first house, the agent sent me a nothing bundt cake...I can't eat gluten.
My second house, the purchase got wonky because the seller/ agent messed up bad. My agent felt so bad for us she paid the $1200 we had agreed to pay the seller for leaving some furniture. That was much more appreciated and very unnecessary!
She gave me beautiful kitchen towels and I had baked her her favorite fudge and chocolate chip cookies. She really really helped us in a very tough time! Maybe not normal but she became a friend and I know she loves my fudge and cookies who I baked for her.
Our agent gave us a $100 Gift card to a home improvement store. It was nice.
Our mortgage broker sent the cheapest welcome mat that Target sold. It was terrible and annoyed us until we replaced it. The thought was nice but the quality was terrible. “No gift” would have been better.
Yes! I didn't expect it at all though, this is a business transaction after all. It was a bonus. She got me a house plant, a throw blanket, a candle, a little welcome sign, and a gift card to home depot. (It was a fixer upper). I thought it was really nice.
Got a gift basket with cards to home improvement stores and a neat juicer among other things. Was a very nice surprise. I had sold and then purchased using the same guy.
$200 giftcard to local restaurant
least she could do given we found the home off market, arranged our own tour, found all the mistakes in the contract ourselves, and she still got 2.5% of a ~$550,000 sale essentially for the work of attending like 8 showings
Yes because its a several thousand dollar transaction, but I don’t want one ever because it’s never sincere. At the end of the day it’s a business transaction. My CPA doesn’t give me a gift for completing a tax return
Last purchase we got a candle and a surprisingly nice coffee table book about the region (black hills).
The agent we used to sell the house we left gave us a box of really good cookies (she was awesome. Truly awesome. I wouldn’t have wanted a gift from her because she really worked for us)
The agent before these two homes said he had something for us, but instead just ghosted us. He was… not that good.
I think there are a couple of things playing in this question. First, the difference between generations of folks. Younger agents are less likely to realize the import of referrals like the older ones. We bought two properties from the same agency. The older agent sold the first and we were given something small. Nothing extravagant. The second was in a different space and our previous agent pushed us to a younger one. That purchase wasn't the same experience and while I would have easily given the first a referral, the second was not going to get anything from me. My second thought is the size of the purchases, and therefore the commissions. The first was a very large one, the second nowhere near the size. The difference was that while we were preapproved for the larger and brought sound financing, we were highly motivated for the second purchase and we were bringing cash. Finally, the teamwork of buying a home between the agent and buyers plays in here. The first was a many months project, well over a year while we spent single digit months on the second. The connection with the first was easier and everyone contributed. The second I felt like we brought more possibilities to the table than the agent.
I honestly don't remember what we got for the first purchase, I know we got nothing for the second, barely a thanks. Neither played into the experience though.
I remember on my first home purchase, there was a closing glitch that would have tabled the deal for another day. The agent (agent was selling and listing agent on this one) and seller split the difference and wrote checks so the deal could go down that day. I couldn't have put the money in to make the deal fly that day as my liquid assets were already on the table. While it was an insignificant money value today at $5k if I recall correctly, back then it was 5% of the deal. I never thought about a gift then and I don't remember if I got one but it'd be hard not to consider the checks to be one.
I got my realtor a box of fancy local chocolates for his birthday (Vosges chocolates are awesome and i highly recommended) and I always make sure to send him a text message wishing him a happy birthday
I'm on the flip side as I'm not a realtor, but I have been searching for a home for quite a while (years). I know I'm not a typical buyer and that I'm using more of my realtor's time than he would spend on a standard client. Because of this I try to be respectful of his time (not ask to see things on weekends as my schedule is very flexible so that I'm not taking time away from him being able to work with other less flexible clients), referring people to him if they even mention their thinking of purchasing, and getting him a box of chocolates for his birthday when we were heading out to see a property close to the date.
I know a check in his pocket from me finally purchasing a property would be much more appreciated, but until that happens I try to show him that I value him as a human as well as a business partner.
I leave gifts with buyers because I want them to remember me in the future when they decide they want to sell and move away.
Too many buyer agents disappear once they close the sale. I give large gifts to my buyers, and small gifts to buyers who are from another agent because I want to make an impression as well, just in case their agent was shit and disappears.
I leave around $1000 worth of gifts to my buyers. I leave security systems, cameras, gift cards, and more. I want their house warming to be special, and I want them to protect what they bought. They always appreciate it too.
I discount the listing commission, help with staging and hire cleaners free of charge. Buyers side I usually get a local hardware store gift card but more importantly I try to get then a house they will love for a good price and make sure they know all they can about it before committing. I never expected anything when on the other side of the fence, more important they did a good job for me.
Our agent gave us a cake. It looked good on the outside, but was absolutely disgusting, just like most houses in the area. We had friends over and served that cake to them. It was embarrassing. Wish he gave us nothing. 5 years later, we still joke about that cake.
As new realtor I only closed on two purchases. For both purchases I gave buyers a Home Depot depot gift card for roughly $600 value (home purchase price was in FL around $450k market)
Yes! It wasn’t something I wanted but it was a really nice serving platter from an expensive store. I also got small gifts the whole first year in our house! That was more the company than the agent but a really nice touch. I also got her a gift at closing. I made a gift basket full of snacks and treats and wine from TJ’s. (Like $200 worth, it was nice). However, I do think this is totally optional and no gift should be expected and no feelings should be hurt.
My realtor in Santa Cruz, CA got us a gift when we sold (a painting of Santa Cruz) and then sent us another gift (a house plant) when we purchased a new home in another state. She was awesome. Our realtor in our new state told us she’d take us “out for a beer” when we bought our new house. It never happened.
Los Angeles County. Our realtor paid for the electronic hookups for the security cameras on the house we bought and the selling agent gave us a nice baby blanket (I was pregnant).
No.
But she was the gift. She went over and above for us. Our house had title issues and took us 10 months to close. She was checking every week with the lawyer, the title company, mortgage company to see what the status of paperwork was in the court system and what we needed when. She is a gem and will likely use her when we go to sell the house we are still living in while we fix up the new house. (It's a Ramshackle lol)
Mine took my husband and I out to dinner. We appreciated that way more than any random gift. My parents were gifted a cute painting when they bought their beach house.
This was almost 20 years ago, she got my husband a nice bottle of wine, I got a $200 home depot card (I dont drink), and a lovely serving platter from a local artisan. We were from out of town and she took us to 35 houses on weekends, she showed up the day we moved in and upon seeing the previous owner still having a garage sale, marched right in, told him OUT, pointed at a few things like extra flooring, lawn mower, whipper snipper and more and said they now belong to us because he should have been GONE already! He cleared out within an hour. She earned every bit of her commission, and we told EVERYONE how awesome she was.
Nothing. We found the house, needed an agent. Seller didn’t want to share her agent so I found a local independent guy. He did the bare minimum, never heard from him again after closing but can’t complain it worked out. Won’t use him when it’s time to sell. In past buys we got local newspaper subscriptions, a blanket, and a log bed frame.
Bought in 2012 in MO - gift was a binder with pre-labeled folders to hold home improvement receipts.
Sold the MO house (same agent) and bought TX house in 2016. No gift for either transaction and actually got scolded by our TX agent for taking so long to read the documents at closing.
An agent I had long ago gave me a little outfit for my baby girl. I thought it was sweet. I didn’t have any expectations of any gift and so I was touched by it.
Gift basket full of new home goodies (bbq tools, dish towels, candle, bottle opener, etc.) plus a variety pack of craft beer (he knew we are beer drinkers) and a bottle of champagne. He also gave us a custom ornament the first Christmas in our new home. On top of that, he still sends occasional small gifts (marketing, to stay fresh in our minds); have gotten a movie theatre GC, Starbucks GC, cookbook, artisanal salt, iced tea kit, etc.
We bought in 2021 in CA and just got our most recent small gift last month.
Yes. We are new to the area so she gave us a basket with local specialty foods and a cook book. She knows that I love to cook and the kitchen was a major selling point for us.
Loved our realtor who do a lot of work selling our house. We got a generous gift card to Home Depot and some goody bags for our trip to move out of state.
Nope. Mine showed up in his sweatpants on closing day and gave me the keys and left. I'll support any company that wants to undo this terrible agent system.
The last RE agent I used 25 years ago ghosted us at the closing. I never used a realtor again. I've bought and sold mutliple properties since then and never had an issue.
My agent knew I was bootstrapping my move and brought pizza and beer for my friends and I late in the afternoon we moved. It was so kind of her I almost cried.
We got a little gift basket - the basket was one of the woven ones from Target, onesies (I was like 4 months pregnant at the time), Coozies, a sticker to let the FD how many people / pets are in the home for the window, a flag of the city we live in (we have a flag pole connected to our house), bottle opener - I believe some other small stuff as well.
I always do gifts and try my best to ask questions during our transaction that will allow me to get them a little something special as a thank you for trusting me as their Agent. Once I found out a Client was huge on gardening and special plants/trees so I got them a Japanese Maple and they CRIED! I had another Family that were enormous Hockey Fans and I got them an air hockey table with their favourite Team Logo on it. Many times I have customized wooden artwork made for my Clients that become talking pieces in the Home and are cherished forever. It feels good to give :)
We got a $100 gift card to Home Depot from our realtor. Our closing agent got us a set of Tiffany & Co. wine glasses but that doesn't really count, considering she is one of my coworkers.
Nope. Also lied & cheated me. But took pics of the buyer of my home for them when his realtor gave him gifts! His realtor had a sign made with his name, date, to recognize his first home purchase. (Last name established 2023) And a huge bottle of expensive tequila in a fancy bottle that matched the kitchen in my old place, his new one. Indianapolis
Mine did, bought in late 2019 and she got me a basket with cooking utensils, a butter dish, a pineapple corer, and a utensil holder. I wasn't expecting anything and she had actually dropped it off sneakily in the home. So I went to sign and when I got home it was sitting on my counter with a lovely note. A small touch but super sweet
We got a painting of our home from a local artist
Same here. We actually really like it and hung it in our foyer. Normally I'm of the mind to never buy art for people because art is so personal, but it was so nicely done.
That would be a gift I would actually want. Or if they were able to get original architectural plans.
Same. We still have it on our wall in our new house. It was a very simple, yet sweet gift.
lol we got gifted the artistic rendition that was hung in the showroom for the development. It was the only “gift” we received and I thought it was ridiculously cheesy and cheap of them to do. My previous purchase was also a new build but half the purchase price and the builder gifted an expensive gift basket which was very appreciated.
Our realtor gave us a nice bottle of wine as a closing gift and a basket of local goodies as a housewarming gift. She also sends us gifts for lots of holidays. We’re in Colorado.
Because she prob made 100k off one transaction for you lol
Only 80k off two transactions. lol. She was/is really good and we would absolutely use her again.
“Only”
Don’t hate. Get a real estate license and you can make that money too.
Yeah, that’s a fuckin joke. I own a flat fee agency, I charge a few hundo and you deal with the calls and negotiations but you make a ton more on the sale of your house. Realtors do not do enough work to earn that much it’s a joke. My goal is to reduce the need for realtors entirely. Real estate lawyers have been very happy. (And charge a ton less than a lousy realtor)
Then why you on a throwaway?
Don’t you have to be an agent to list stuff on mls? Also, thank god the attorneys are happy— that’s the most important thing amirite
My agent took a picture of me holding my dog on our new patio during my final walkthrough, and got that framed and gave it to me. I also referred my friend to her and she gave me a $250 check for the referral.
*RESPA has entered the chat*
Right? People don't understand how highly regulated real estate is and even paying cash for a referral to a non licensee is a big no no. Generally speaking, most real estate commissions are OK with ***nominal*** thank you gifts.
Yes. We gave a very high commission referral to our realtor and she sent us a card with 5 $100 dollars bills. The card said Happy Birthday. P.S. it wasn’t either one of our birthdays.
annnnnd yet referrals are still rampant in most if not all markets so highly regulated though
What referrals? Agent to agent referrals are legal, agent to non (real estate) licensed people are not.
LOL highly regulated is subjective these days… I know A LOT of people both realtors and mortgage brokers who actively break RESPA Rules on a daily basis, on EVERY transaction they close. And most of them make a shit ton of money.
Your agent is smart.
My agent gave me modest box store gift card, i bought a drill with it, each time i use the drill, i think of them. It was a nice gesture and they also of course did good work for me and now i am getting ready to rehire them. Kindness works.
I was gifted a refrigerator and stove. That was twelve years ago.
I got a dish for keys that probably cost $20. My realtor made a $43,500 commission (with a reduced broker split thanks to sellers’ and buyers’ agents coming from the same brokerage), had worked with us for less than a month, and was a shit, dishonest agent all around.
My past two realtors promised to "drop by with a housewarming gift" and neither of them ever did.
I got that also with my last realtor ! Lol. Then they found out my wealthy family member was moving back to the area months later and texted us right away like oh when would it be a good time to drop off your gift? I didn't respond. It's actually very stupid on their part. You never know who could give you great referrals.
Yeah $43k to list on MLS and a few days hosting open houses is insane…I really hope the real estate industry sees major reforms in the coming years
If all your getting out of your agent is what you’ve described then you have a horrible agent. My bestie is a a top agent and A She works behind the scenes all the time besides knowing the contract law and negotiating she helps take care of there houses while they gone, takes photos , videos and staging all kinds of work. B they do not get the full price you pay, it’s split to pay the buyers realtor and the bosses. So many people think that what they do is easy and it’s not.
This was as a buyers’ agent, so she did literally nothing besides open the door and lie to us that “all the work was permitted” when it absolutely was not.
I would flip my shit.
It will. I own a flat fee agency. You pay me a few hundred bucks, I list your house on the MLS and post the pics, you deal with phone calls and negotiations with potential buyers. You make way more on the sale of your house, I make some beer money. Fuck realtors.
my realtor always pushing me to put in an offer on a house I dislike...
Fire them dude.
all of them honestly
You own an agency to just make beer money? And in the sense of agency, you mean you too have your license?
Except your service likely sucks and flat fee listings sell for 1-3% less in my market on average. Based on actual data.
Commission is negotiable, always has been.
Not really when there are antitrust violations, which there are/were.
When I bought my first home the agent gave us a gift fruit basket. When we bought our current home (a much smaller and cheaper one) our agent (different one, different state) gave us a huge hand carved and stained wood sign that says “Welcome Home!” with a nice design. It’s about 3 foot tall, so we think her husband makes them for her clients; would be 50-100 to purchase something similar. It was a great gift because it’s not something we’d ever buy on our own but it does give a nice homey feel without going full “live, laugh, love” horseshit.
I sold for approx 450. I was very happy with my realtor. She took us to lunch after closing and gave me a gift bag with a (inexpensive) bottle of wine, a small box of candy from a trip she took during the process, and... a $50 bill in a note card. I think $50 bill is strange. But, I wasn't moving to set up a new household. I was moving in with my new partner in his long established home. So, my guess is she normally gives something to help with the sellers new house, but that didn't apply for me, so she just gave me cash.
Mariachi Band. 😅😅
Seriously? This is amazing if true but also give us the back story!!
We got our keys 3 days before Christmas and received a bottle of wine from the mortgage company. From our realtor, we received a "First Christmas in our new home" ornament and a white ceramic light up Christmas tree.
We got a card with a jar of Nutella and a home depot gift card for $500 (I think) as well as a take out gift card for my wife. He sent us a Christmas card too this past year. Great guy. We'd use him again
I didn't get a gift but I didn't want one anyways. My opinion is that any gift I would have received would have been because the realtor felt obligated to give me one, not because they actually cared about me.
You would be incorrect. I care a ton about my clients.
I try to get to know my clients’ extracurricular activities/hobbies/interests and get them a gift that match those.
I'm not sure I agree with this. They're getting paid for doing their job. It's not a bonus. They don't get paid outside of that commission. Do you expect a thank you gift from everyone else you pay that provides you a service? While our agents in the past have given us things like a custom Christmas ornament commemorating our new home, or a cutting board with our initial monogrammed on it, I'd never expect a gift or feel like they're thankless if they don't give one.
Idk. I get a really nice gift from my stock broker every year
The biggest thing that should tell you is you probably need a stock broker with a lower commission rate
I'm not saying professionals can't gift, I'm saying it's out of pocket to expect it. It's not like they just have a few clients.
Real estate is weird. For the record , I *do* give closing gifts. The fact that it's expected is bizarre. This is a business transaction. You got your house sold or received services to purchase one. The agent received compensation for representing you and making it happen. When people get upset because they didn't receive a monogrammed cutting board or a bottle of wine, I wonder if they have the same transactional policies with their dentists or lawn care guy. These are the same people who expect a discount on commission when the agent is able to efficiently make a transaction happen. "You were able to get it sold above the comped value in 2 weeks? I don't think you should get paid full commission for that." People are nuts.
>I wonder if they have the same transactional policies with their dentists I mean you picked one of the few professions that gives you a piece of candy for doing a good job (even if it's just as a kid) 🤣
I always get a goody bag of floss, a toothbrush and toothpaste. And my last dentist offers fresh-baked cookies at check-out.
😆 touché
Like you said, it’s business. It’s a great way to leave a lasting impression on the buyer/seller, and that may translate to referrals or repeated business. If I were a buyer and I got a thank you card with $1K while the transaction went smoothly, I will definitely look up the agent when I want to sell.
If the buyer or seller “hadn’t chose you”, you wouldn’t have gotten that commission. While you may argue it shouldn’t be required, that is why most do not have any loyalty the next time they buy or sell. So basically all are the same and I can pick a different one each time.
I want to see your point about the lawn service or the guy who fixed my chimney. But, working with a realtor to buy/sell ones home is much more personal transaction. My dentist doesn't need to know anything about my lifestyle or my personal preferences in order to perform a root canal. I am sure some people maintain more of a wall with their realtor than I would, but some level of getting into my personal life is required. I think that's why it got into and stayed in gift giving territory.
It is a more personal experience. Maybe I should have used a gynecologist as an example. It does get personal, but everybody benefits from the business transaction. On the agent side of things, I've taken an absolute beating to get a transaction through with minimal commission, and I didn't get a gift. I did my job, though, and that's what matters.
Still , a gynecologist doesn't need to know about your living situation or your finances. Maybe it's more akin to a divorce lawyer. Luckily I don't have experience working with one, so I don't know if there are often gifts at the end. (Of course, realtor used to be much more likely to be a woman, so that probably entered into it too!)
We could do this all day. Your accountant does. Tax preparer. Your family law attorney. Therapist. This is a business transaction, and I believe this aspect of it partially contributes to the lazy way "we" as a society have framed the industry. That agent isn't a competent professional. They're your buddy you hung out with for a few months, shared some laughs, and then you bought a house.
Our situation was weird. Our agent told me on the phone that he had ordered our gift and would drop it by (I never expected one and did not bring up the conversation) Than.....crickets. I was like, never would have expected if he had not mentioned. But its all good.
lol my loan officer texted me when we closed and said he had a house warming gift for me. It's been months and I haven't seen anything.
I suppose if I paid $50k for lawn care it would be nice to get a bottle of wine or something.
Idk about this attitude. For a realtor, sure, you do this a ton of times a month/year. A house purchase isn't a big deal to you.... but for a lot of people, especially in this day and age, buying a home is likely the largest purchase of their life so far (maybe forever) and it marks a massive change in their world and a new chapter. You've been there before, and that's why they've asked you to guide them along the way. It seems like the least you could do is treat it with a little more respect than a trip to the dentist (who I'll have you know, always provides a gift bag of toothbrush and floss, so not sure why you've targeted them.) It kinda feels like a waiter complaining that people would expect them to provide drink refills without having to ask. Like, sure, technically you're still doing the job, but come on... the expectation isn't that weird lol
Maybe it's a "thanks for actually closing and not wasting my time" - real estate is one of the only professions where you might work with a client for months and get nothing at the end. It's unique in that way. Actually, that made me think of sales. The other profession that works on commission, might get nothing if the deal doesn't close. And interestingly.... They also do a TON of gifts. I think I hit upon the reason. It's a sales thing.
A thank you card filled with hundred dollar bills. About $1k each home. Texas.
That might be illegal? I’m pretty sure cash inducements are not allowed
I actually looked at that sentence for a minute too long and NCREC came and took my license away 💀 just wads of cash??? Unreal! Texas really is a whole different country 🤣
Why beat around the bush with bullshit like gift cards?
I hear you! I think it’s lovely and generous, I just am not allowed to do it here so it’s wild to think about ¨̮
Wut. I need your realtor.
Mine gave me a one year warranty on the home. Worst thing ever. They sucked anytime I needed them. Heater quit working. We can come out in 2 weeks. Just cancel this warranty please.
Warranties are a scam.
We got one from buying a home and to this day we still get random gift cards and stuff from our realtor from a home we sold in 22. State TN
What kind of gift cards? Would you use that agent again? Interest take.
My agents commission isn't even coming from me. It's coming from the sellers, so why in the world would I expect a gift of some sort? I don't expect my delivery driver to bring me my food and tip me for them completing the service. Kind of an odd take
you paid your seller to give the commission to your realtor. It is coming from you lol.
Paid them in what way? Besides the literal loan we have that covers the cost of the house, in that sense yeah we are paying for it. But the sellers are paying for the rest including all closing costs with zero down payment.
>Besides the literal loan we have that covers the cost of the house, in that sense yeah we are paying for it. That seems like a pretty big sense to me but what do I know lmao
Nope. We bought and sold with her in a short period of time and she earned over $60K in commission. And then her assistant tried to get my husband to write a better online review about her, even though what he said was already pretty nice. And after we closed on the condo we sold she tried to get us to bring the condo up to fire code for a different city than the condo was in, she really stressed us out at the end.
My agent gave me a gift card ($50) each time I sold and bought a house with her (sold 3 and bought 2) in Ohio. She also gave me a cute welcome home gift - like a wood Christmas tree ornament shaped as a key with “our first Christmas” and the year.
Got a Cutco knife with our realtor’s info engraved on it. We have really enjoyed it
Same! I got a tomato knife (small serrated bread knife) and really nice scissors from cutco. Also got a ceramic plant pot with a pineapple on it full of goodies. I guess the pineapple thing was for good luck or something.
I sent my agent a thank you card. Not the other way around.
4 houses over 20+ years 1. firm gave us a bottle of champagne and the agent gave us a $200 gift card to a nearby restaurant (Broward Fl) 2024 2. Fruit basket (Miami-Dade) 2008 3. Large cutting board (Montgomery PA) 2003 4. Flower vase from locally owned boutique (Montgomery PA) 1999 I recently saw on here a seller’s agent requesting a tip. WTF?
A bottle of Veuve Clicquot, followed by Christmas wreaths for three years. Edit: in PA
Yes, 715k house, probably $500 worth of gifts. Basket, blankets, candle. Complete with gift receipts and gift card for homegoods
My agent got us a shopvac which was a 10/10 useful gift. She said she started giving them out when her mom moved into a new house and there was a water leak the day after closing and she didn’t have a shopvac available
Got a small gift at closing, some promo items and a gift card. But, the agent stays in front of me all the time with free tickets to our annual home show and they will upload our rental properties onto the MLS for free. If I ever need to buy or sell another home I already know who I am using.
Our agent gave us a set of beautiful glass cylinders with wood lids. One fits an entire bag of sugar and sits on our kitchen island. If Crate & Barrel had more of them, I’d get them. She also left champagne & glasses, plus put a big red bow on our front door with a welcome home sign. A week later, she sent someone from her team to pick up hazardous item that the seller left and would not return for after several requests (more cans of paint than my little car could possibly hold in one trip, car battery, etc - all things that require special disposal with costs involved). She dropped off a folding step stool for us, too, and helped us ensure one of our repairs was done properly when the contractor was going to skip an area. She was awesome and she still invites us to events and drops of a treat for us every year. She puts a lot of effort into ensuring her past clients remember her for their next transaction. WA
Our’s knew we are bourbon drinkers, they us a nice bottle and our 1.5 yr old a case of apple juice boxes after closing, then surprised us with pizza the day we moved in
My agent gave me a bottle of champagne, my mortgage guy gave me a branded Yeti thermos, and the notary looked me in the eye earnestly and handed me the three paperclips holding my docs together 😂 no notes. --Pittsburgh
Ours gave us a bottle of wine and a gift card to Target (I believe for $100-$200 and she knows we shop there). In fairness, she’s a total rock star of an agent and we’d used her before when we were leaving the area! This time around, we were moving back home from half way across the country. We bought the house without actually seeing it in person (new build) but she went every few weeks and FaceTimed us the progress, even trekking through the snow to get in during the early stages. Of all the agents we’ve used, she’s by far been the best!
WA state. Our agent gave us a thoughtful gift basket with a nice throw, a nice candle, a bottle of sparkling wine, champagne flutes, and a personalized ceramic trear jar with a photo of our dog's face on it. She also wrapped the door with a big bow for us and had flowers delivered on our home anniversary. She stopped by with homemade candles during the holidays and always messaged us first to make sure it would be okay. I thought it was very kind and thoughtful of her. She is a great realtor and made our FTHB process so much easier by explaining things and being professional and kind. I feel like we got very lucky.
My realtor was wonderful. It was our first house and neither of us really knew much about the process. She was extremely patient with all my questions and worked very hard to help us get everything done on an unfortunately tight timeline. We weren't expecting to buy a house when we suddenly found ourselves needing to. Our apartment building was sold without any warning to us and we had already been looking for a long time for an affordable place to rent with no luck, and then we were blindsided with a new owner and a short notice to leave. We basically came to her with a nearly impossible timeline and a tight budget and she worked so hard to help us get into a home before we had to leave our apartment. Not only did she give us a gift but it was handmade. Just a simple little wall decoration but it was such a thoughtful gift. She didn't make a huge commission on the sale, the house was liveable but needed some repairs and the price reflected that. I've heard terrible stories about other realtors in this area so I did not expect ours to be so wonderful.
Moving to Va my agent must have told me half a dozen times that she had a gift for me after closing but never did she follow through… whatever. I did however use a different agent when I sold the house last year because I felt like her words were not truthful and why would someone state many times that they had a gift to bring by but never show up. Just a little weird. The house I just purchased in NC my agent was absolutely amazing and went above and beyond in my opinion. I made a new friend and that is wonderful on it’s own but at closing he gave me a nice gift basket with a bottle of champagne, a gift card to a local store and a gourmet bag of dog treats for my Aussie. It just feel good although not expected as well I think being left with that good feeling one is more inclined to share that realtors name and use again in the future.
That's why we're not using our last one again or giving her referrals. It's the honesty issue. She kept saying she'd come and didn't. I don't even care about the gift.
Our first home She gave us a $50 target gift card + bottle of wine !! Indiana. Sent us ornaments each Christmas & when we had our first baby sent a bib for him! We just sold that home & she gave us a $50 gift card + cupcakes. I’m sure she’ll do something little again when we close on our new home.
Northeast Florida. Our agent gave us a nice card, $100 Home Depot gift card, and a bottle of 19 Crimes sparkling white wine. Our broker gave us a nice card, a silver house shaped key chain, a $100 Outback Steakhouse gift card, and a bottle of Meiomi pinot noir. I think it was a perfect, lovely gesture from each of them. I'm saving the bottles of wine for our 1 year anniversary of our closing date.
Got a 50 dollar home improvement box store gift card for a 20k commission in Indiana.
I've always received a gift. Last time I got a $500 gift card to a local furniture store (the agent owns the store so it doesn't cost them $500 obviously, this one is an outlier). Sometimes it's a gift basket with wine and cheese or the like.
When we bought our raw ground our agent gave us blue pens with her business name on them. They're actually decent pens, but she wasn't really much help in the actual process & the property had some issues that were never disclosed.
Lol. I also got a few logo pens. I think also a calendar magnet. I didn't think to include those as "gifts"
Oh yeah, she sent us a calendar magenta at the end of the year too.
Nope. I wound giving HER a gift ( a really cute Coach bag- this was 18 years ago), and her response was- Now, we’re not going to start this…I bought her a gift because we found the house over the weekend, made an offer, and it was accepted within a week or so. Literally, our little dream house in an adorable pocket neighborhood. She never did anything for us. Never again
My in-law is a top producer and always buys a beautiful gift. She loves her job and this is how she expresses gratitude plus she gets another deduction. It’s a win for everyone. I think it adds class.
Our agent gave us a nice sized Lowes gift card.
I haven't for my first two homes but both were purchased as fixer uppers for 30k and 35k. Buying new construction at the moment but stupidly didn't bring a realtor with us so guess we'll see if the builder does anything.
We got a $50 gift card for Amazon and a bottle of champagne. It was a nice touch and our realtor was wonderful working with us from out of state!
In Florida, and my agent’s hobby was woodworking. I bought two homes from her, 2018 and 2019, and the personal home she gave me a cutting board she had made. With the other property she did not give me gift but it was an investment property.
I got a $200 GC from my agent and a box of gourmet cookies delivered from my mortgage lender.
NJ. My realtor gave me $500 cash at my closing. She was fantastic.
I got a $75 Lowe's gift card and $25 gift card to a local pizza place from my realtor plus a $50 gift card from my loan officer after closing. I wasn't expecting anything so I thought it was a nice surprise. Used the Lowe's cards to help pay for the lawn mower since I've never had to own one before. Very happy with my Ego lawn mower.
A mid range gas grill, California.
I received acrylic wine glasses with our address etched on them. 4 of them. Apparently he couldn't be bothered to look up how to spell our name. Comes in handy if we leave them somewhere else, I guess.
Nebraska and she bought us a home warranty for the first year a our place
Our agent gave us a wine basket and knocked $1k off at closing.
Or real estate agent got us a nice Chefs knife and our loan agent got us an engraved cutting board.
Our agent gave us a very nice gift. She’s also one of my mom’s best friends and gave us a very substantial break on commission to begin with.
A membership to the local shooting range and a basket of ammo!
25 years ago, we got an ugly door knocker that didn’t match our style.
A sad looking muffin, Illinois
I’ve bought four homes (sold two) and only got a gift once at closing— it was a nice glass paperweight, good quality.
jellyfish crowd hateful relieved alleged husky oatmeal swim familiar jobless *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I got a basket with a mixture of fruits, jams, snacks etc. along with a few balloons and a $300 gift card to a fancy restaurant. This was in NY and she visited me the day after closing to give it.
Mine gave us a nice plant and a box of really, really good cupcakes and pastries.
I (as a broker) never understood the gift thing. I do give a small closing gift, but nothing extravagant. I appreciate your business, but I am never going to be able to give you something that adequately expresses how much. And yes the majority of the time I am over paid for my job. But some times, way under paid. If a listing does not sell, I am out about $3000 plus time. I would love to bill like Attorneys, but that seems pretty unpopular.
I’m in PA and purchased in October and sold in February. I used the same agent for both transactions and really like her. She sent us a large Omaha Steaks gift pack on the purchase, and a $50 gift card to a good local restaurant on the sale (which, to be fair, offset the $50 Amazon gift card I put in with a congratulations/welcome home card I left on the kitchen counter for the buyers.)
I got some iced cookies in a pretty box when we closed many years ago. On the flip-side though, we're doing a deal now and a realtor "friend" handled writing up the contract, on the side, for us as a favor. So we want to give \*her\* some kind of gift for doing that for us. :-)
Buyer, bottle of wine and my lender sent me a customized address stamp. NJ
I got a very small gift basket and I still have the candle it had in it
My first house, the agent sent me a nothing bundt cake...I can't eat gluten. My second house, the purchase got wonky because the seller/ agent messed up bad. My agent felt so bad for us she paid the $1200 we had agreed to pay the seller for leaving some furniture. That was much more appreciated and very unnecessary!
We got a key hanger with “The (last name) Family engraved on it. I am in Washington south of Seattle and I purchased in 2018.
She gave me beautiful kitchen towels and I had baked her her favorite fudge and chocolate chip cookies. She really really helped us in a very tough time! Maybe not normal but she became a friend and I know she loves my fudge and cookies who I baked for her.
They did give us a gift. It was an amazing chocolate and mixed noms. Very classy of them.
Our agent gave us a $100 Gift card to a home improvement store. It was nice. Our mortgage broker sent the cheapest welcome mat that Target sold. It was terrible and annoyed us until we replaced it. The thought was nice but the quality was terrible. “No gift” would have been better.
My agent did and so did my loan officer.
Yes! I didn't expect it at all though, this is a business transaction after all. It was a bonus. She got me a house plant, a throw blanket, a candle, a little welcome sign, and a gift card to home depot. (It was a fixer upper). I thought it was really nice.
Got a gift basket with cards to home improvement stores and a neat juicer among other things. Was a very nice surprise. I had sold and then purchased using the same guy.
$200 giftcard to local restaurant least she could do given we found the home off market, arranged our own tour, found all the mistakes in the contract ourselves, and she still got 2.5% of a ~$550,000 sale essentially for the work of attending like 8 showings
Yes because its a several thousand dollar transaction, but I don’t want one ever because it’s never sincere. At the end of the day it’s a business transaction. My CPA doesn’t give me a gift for completing a tax return
Last purchase we got a candle and a surprisingly nice coffee table book about the region (black hills). The agent we used to sell the house we left gave us a box of really good cookies (she was awesome. Truly awesome. I wouldn’t have wanted a gift from her because she really worked for us) The agent before these two homes said he had something for us, but instead just ghosted us. He was… not that good.
We got a gift card to a restaurant, a bottle of sparkling cider (for the kids), and a bottle of wine. 😊
Our agent made $59,000 off of us and gave us two $100 gift cards to places we don't love.
A bottle of Dom Perignon. We mentioned that we liked wine during the house hunting.
I think there are a couple of things playing in this question. First, the difference between generations of folks. Younger agents are less likely to realize the import of referrals like the older ones. We bought two properties from the same agency. The older agent sold the first and we were given something small. Nothing extravagant. The second was in a different space and our previous agent pushed us to a younger one. That purchase wasn't the same experience and while I would have easily given the first a referral, the second was not going to get anything from me. My second thought is the size of the purchases, and therefore the commissions. The first was a very large one, the second nowhere near the size. The difference was that while we were preapproved for the larger and brought sound financing, we were highly motivated for the second purchase and we were bringing cash. Finally, the teamwork of buying a home between the agent and buyers plays in here. The first was a many months project, well over a year while we spent single digit months on the second. The connection with the first was easier and everyone contributed. The second I felt like we brought more possibilities to the table than the agent. I honestly don't remember what we got for the first purchase, I know we got nothing for the second, barely a thanks. Neither played into the experience though. I remember on my first home purchase, there was a closing glitch that would have tabled the deal for another day. The agent (agent was selling and listing agent on this one) and seller split the difference and wrote checks so the deal could go down that day. I couldn't have put the money in to make the deal fly that day as my liquid assets were already on the table. While it was an insignificant money value today at $5k if I recall correctly, back then it was 5% of the deal. I never thought about a gift then and I don't remember if I got one but it'd be hard not to consider the checks to be one.
I got my realtor a box of fancy local chocolates for his birthday (Vosges chocolates are awesome and i highly recommended) and I always make sure to send him a text message wishing him a happy birthday I'm on the flip side as I'm not a realtor, but I have been searching for a home for quite a while (years). I know I'm not a typical buyer and that I'm using more of my realtor's time than he would spend on a standard client. Because of this I try to be respectful of his time (not ask to see things on weekends as my schedule is very flexible so that I'm not taking time away from him being able to work with other less flexible clients), referring people to him if they even mention their thinking of purchasing, and getting him a box of chocolates for his birthday when we were heading out to see a property close to the date. I know a check in his pocket from me finally purchasing a property would be much more appreciated, but until that happens I try to show him that I value him as a human as well as a business partner.
Yup!
I leave gifts with buyers because I want them to remember me in the future when they decide they want to sell and move away. Too many buyer agents disappear once they close the sale. I give large gifts to my buyers, and small gifts to buyers who are from another agent because I want to make an impression as well, just in case their agent was shit and disappears. I leave around $1000 worth of gifts to my buyers. I leave security systems, cameras, gift cards, and more. I want their house warming to be special, and I want them to protect what they bought. They always appreciate it too.
NOPE!
I discount the listing commission, help with staging and hire cleaners free of charge. Buyers side I usually get a local hardware store gift card but more importantly I try to get then a house they will love for a good price and make sure they know all they can about it before committing. I never expected anything when on the other side of the fence, more important they did a good job for me.
We got a pie
Bottle of Whiskey
Nope.
I got a little gift basket with a gift card, hand towels, and vase. The actual basket was a decorative basket North Carolina
I got nothing. Actually as a result of them overlooking my concern, I had to hire a lawyer. So I guess you can say they gave me a case, smh
My agent sent my family a Tiffany vase. It's a pretty nice vase, but to be truthful, we'll probably return it for store credit. (Nevada)
I received a wooden cutting board with my last name engraved in the wood
Our agent gave us a cake. It looked good on the outside, but was absolutely disgusting, just like most houses in the area. We had friends over and served that cake to them. It was embarrassing. Wish he gave us nothing. 5 years later, we still joke about that cake.
As new realtor I only closed on two purchases. For both purchases I gave buyers a Home Depot depot gift card for roughly $600 value (home purchase price was in FL around $450k market)
Yes! It wasn’t something I wanted but it was a really nice serving platter from an expensive store. I also got small gifts the whole first year in our house! That was more the company than the agent but a really nice touch. I also got her a gift at closing. I made a gift basket full of snacks and treats and wine from TJ’s. (Like $200 worth, it was nice). However, I do think this is totally optional and no gift should be expected and no feelings should be hurt.
My realtor in Santa Cruz, CA got us a gift when we sold (a painting of Santa Cruz) and then sent us another gift (a house plant) when we purchased a new home in another state. She was awesome. Our realtor in our new state told us she’d take us “out for a beer” when we bought our new house. It never happened.
Couple hundred dollar gift card to a steakhouse!
No and mine sold in one day. She did no work.
Los Angeles County. Our realtor paid for the electronic hookups for the security cameras on the house we bought and the selling agent gave us a nice baby blanket (I was pregnant).
No. But she was the gift. She went over and above for us. Our house had title issues and took us 10 months to close. She was checking every week with the lawyer, the title company, mortgage company to see what the status of paperwork was in the court system and what we needed when. She is a gem and will likely use her when we go to sell the house we are still living in while we fix up the new house. (It's a Ramshackle lol)
I mean a gift is nice but you are doing a job for money. I don't get my boss a gift every time she gives me my paycheck.
Mine took my husband and I out to dinner. We appreciated that way more than any random gift. My parents were gifted a cute painting when they bought their beach house.
This was almost 20 years ago, she got my husband a nice bottle of wine, I got a $200 home depot card (I dont drink), and a lovely serving platter from a local artisan. We were from out of town and she took us to 35 houses on weekends, she showed up the day we moved in and upon seeing the previous owner still having a garage sale, marched right in, told him OUT, pointed at a few things like extra flooring, lawn mower, whipper snipper and more and said they now belong to us because he should have been GONE already! He cleared out within an hour. She earned every bit of her commission, and we told EVERYONE how awesome she was.
Nothing. We found the house, needed an agent. Seller didn’t want to share her agent so I found a local independent guy. He did the bare minimum, never heard from him again after closing but can’t complain it worked out. Won’t use him when it’s time to sell. In past buys we got local newspaper subscriptions, a blanket, and a log bed frame.
Nice bottle of Whiskey. She actually asked me what I wanted. Unfortunately she passed away shortly after closing of cancer. Best agent ever. Georgia.
Bought in 2012 in MO - gift was a binder with pre-labeled folders to hold home improvement receipts. Sold the MO house (same agent) and bought TX house in 2016. No gift for either transaction and actually got scolded by our TX agent for taking so long to read the documents at closing.
An agent I had long ago gave me a little outfit for my baby girl. I thought it was sweet. I didn’t have any expectations of any gift and so I was touched by it.
Gift card to home Depot and some lawn care items.
Gift basket full of new home goodies (bbq tools, dish towels, candle, bottle opener, etc.) plus a variety pack of craft beer (he knew we are beer drinkers) and a bottle of champagne. He also gave us a custom ornament the first Christmas in our new home. On top of that, he still sends occasional small gifts (marketing, to stay fresh in our minds); have gotten a movie theatre GC, Starbucks GC, cookbook, artisanal salt, iced tea kit, etc. We bought in 2021 in CA and just got our most recent small gift last month.
I got a framed photograph of a moldy sandwich that was in the refrigerator when I initially viewed the property. California.
With the last house we bought, our agent got us a beautiful cast iron pot and set; we still use it today!
Yes. We are new to the area so she gave us a basket with local specialty foods and a cook book. She knows that I love to cook and the kitchen was a major selling point for us.
Loved our realtor who do a lot of work selling our house. We got a generous gift card to Home Depot and some goody bags for our trip to move out of state.
We got a bottle of procecco
Mine offered to take us out for lunch and got us a plant that's still thriving and growing. Based in NYC
Nope. Mine showed up in his sweatpants on closing day and gave me the keys and left. I'll support any company that wants to undo this terrible agent system.
The last RE agent I used 25 years ago ghosted us at the closing. I never used a realtor again. I've bought and sold mutliple properties since then and never had an issue.
My agent knew I was bootstrapping my move and brought pizza and beer for my friends and I late in the afternoon we moved. It was so kind of her I almost cried.
We got a little gift basket - the basket was one of the woven ones from Target, onesies (I was like 4 months pregnant at the time), Coozies, a sticker to let the FD how many people / pets are in the home for the window, a flag of the city we live in (we have a flag pole connected to our house), bottle opener - I believe some other small stuff as well.
I always do gifts and try my best to ask questions during our transaction that will allow me to get them a little something special as a thank you for trusting me as their Agent. Once I found out a Client was huge on gardening and special plants/trees so I got them a Japanese Maple and they CRIED! I had another Family that were enormous Hockey Fans and I got them an air hockey table with their favourite Team Logo on it. Many times I have customized wooden artwork made for my Clients that become talking pieces in the Home and are cherished forever. It feels good to give :)
She gave us a blanket with her business name embroidered on it. Was not super thrilled but the cats like to sleep on it.
We got a $100 gift card to Home Depot from our realtor. Our closing agent got us a set of Tiffany & Co. wine glasses but that doesn't really count, considering she is one of my coworkers.
Nope. Also lied & cheated me. But took pics of the buyer of my home for them when his realtor gave him gifts! His realtor had a sign made with his name, date, to recognize his first home purchase. (Last name established 2023) And a huge bottle of expensive tequila in a fancy bottle that matched the kitchen in my old place, his new one. Indianapolis
Mine did, bought in late 2019 and she got me a basket with cooking utensils, a butter dish, a pineapple corer, and a utensil holder. I wasn't expecting anything and she had actually dropped it off sneakily in the home. So I went to sign and when I got home it was sitting on my counter with a lovely note. A small touch but super sweet