The Real Estate Agent's Guide to Closing Gifts

If you've searched "best closing gifts for real estate clients," you've probably found the same handful of lists everywhere — candles, wine, a gift basket, a gift card. They're not wrong, exactly. They're just written by people who've never actually sat at the closing table with their clients.

We have. My wife and I run The Baird Team here in St. Louis (Coldwell Banker Gundaker Realty), and LaserArtsDesign is something we built alongside that realtor work. So this guide isn't theory. It's what we've learned from being the agent handing over the gift, and from making gifts for a lot of other agents who do the same thing every week.

Why the Closing Gift Matters

As you know, real estate is a referral-driven industry. The closing gift is often the last thing a client associates with you before they decide whether to recommend you to a friend. A forgettable gift gets forgotten. A gift that sticks around — one that sits on a counter, holds their keys, or is displayed at their next dinner party — keeps your name in front of them long after closing.

When to Give It

At closing (for buyers and sellers)

This is the most common time to present a closing gift, and it works — but think about it. Doing it this way means the gift is one more thing competing for attention on a day that can be overwhelming for the clients.

Move-in week(for buyers)

This lets the gift double as a housewarming moment, and it gets noticed and used immediately rather than set aside in the chaos of closing day.

A week or two after closing (for buyers)

Waiting until the dust settles often makes the strongest impression — it's a genuine "thinking of you," not just a transaction courtesy.

What to Budget

You may have heard that gifts are limited to $25 by the IRS. However, this is the maximum you can deduct on your taxes, not what you can spend.

According to IRC §274(b), a business can deduct no more than $25 of the cost of business gifts given directly or indirectly to any one person during the tax year. Anything above that is a non-deductible marketing cost.

This cap has been in place since 1962 and is not indexed to inflation. $25 in 1962 is roughly $270 in today's dollars — which is why the rule feels so out of step with what closing gifts actually cost.

Here is a practical example: A realtor gives a client a $60 engraved cutting board. $25 is deductible; $35 is not. The $35 is considered a non-deductible marketing cost.

My next post will go into greater detail on all of this.

Closing gift budgets generally fall into three tiers, and all three are legitimate depending on the relationship and the deal size:

$25–$40** — a single, well-chosen personalized item. A slate coaster set or an engraved cutting board lands comfortably here.

$40–$75** — a slightly larger or paired item, like an engraved lazy Susan or a tumbler set for the whole household.

$75+** — bundles, multiple pieces, or gifts for repeat/referral clients.

A useful rule of thumb: the gift doesn't need to scale with the sale price of the house. It needs to scale with the relationship — a first-time buyer you spent six months with is worth more gift budget than a fast, easy referral deal, regardless of price point.

The Mistake Most Agents Make: Treating Buyers and Sellers the Same

Buyers are moving into a house and a neighborhood — gifts tied to the new home are well received.

Sellers are often packing up and sometimes leaving the area entirely — bulky or house-specific gifts miss the mark. Portable, keepsake-style items work better.

Closing Gifts for Buyers vs. Sellers is worth a read before you place an order, especially if you're buying for both sides of the transaction.

Why Personalization Beats "Nice"

Wine, candles, and gift baskets are OK, but they're consumable by design — used up or eaten within a week, with nothing left to remind the client who gave it to them. A personalized, engraved piece works differently: it's still on the counter a year later, and your name, or theirs, or both live on.

Simplest personalization options work best:

• Client's last name or a simple monogram

• Closing date or move-in date

• New address, house number, or street name

• A short, genuine message instead of a generic "Congrats on your new home!"

  

Remember, the goal isn't to make the gift about you but rather to make it feel like it was made specifically for them. That's the difference between a gift that gets kept and one that may get regifted.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ordering too late.** Personalized items need to be designed, with a proof sent to you for approval before production. Build in a buffer, especially around holiday seasons.

• Skipping the proof.** Never approve a personalized order sight-unseen, and don't work with anyone who skips that step either — a misspelled name or wrong.

• Giving something too heavy or bulky. ** This applies to a seller who's moving.

How the Personalization Process Actually Works

Every order starts the same way: you tell us what you want engraved — name, date, address, message, whatever fits — and we design it and send back a proof showing exactly how it'll look. Nothing goes into production until you approve it.

FAQ

How far in advance should I order a closing gift?

As soon as you have a confirmed closing date for a personalized gift. As realtors, we know that closing dates can shift — order early enough to absorb a delay without panicking.

What if my closing date moves up?

Tell us as soon as it changes. Personalized orders can sometimes be adjusted if you tell us soon enough.

Do you offer bulk pricing for agents closing multiple deals a month?

Yes — reach out, and we'll put together a quote. It might be worth setting up a standing arrangement if closing gifts are a recurring part of your business rather than a one-off.

What's the most popular closing gift you make?

Slate coaster sets and engraved lazy Susans, by a wide margin. Coasters fit comfortably in the $25–$40 range and work well for sellers. You don't need their new address, only the letter of their last name (for example). Lazy Susans fall in the $40-$75 range and are perfect for buyers where you may want to engrave their new address and closing date.

Can I use the same gift for buyers and sellers?

You can, but it's worth reading my blog buyer vs. seller breakdown first — a few small adjustments make the gift land noticeably better for each.

If you're an agent trying to figure out what to give your next client — or you want to set up a standing order so you're never scrambling before a closing — happy to help you work it out. Reach out anytime at bob@laserartsdesign.com.