The gifts you give clients, whether on closing day or for the holidays, can be just about anything. While they aren’t absolutely necessary, when building relationships, it really is the thought that counts.

Whether your clients are buying or selling, as their REALTOR®, you’ve no doubt already learned a few things about them and their preferences, so you may already know exactly what they want, without much extra effort. A gift can be purely celebratory like a bottle of bubbly and a congratulations card, or something useful, like a Nest Thermostat or smoke detector for their new home.

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Thinking of a good idea might feel tricky depending on the relationship you have with the client, and what you know about their daily lives so, here are a few things to think about, plus some suggestions to get the ball rolling.

We also asked REALTOR.ca’s 12,500 Instagram followers which gifts they’d rather receive from their REALTOR® and some of the answers might surprise you!

Gifts for the kids

Let’s start with an easy one—do your clients have children? If not, skip to the next category.

A nice gesture to make children feel included in the process, and welcome in their new home is to include them in the gift you give your clients. Depending on their ages and family lifestyle, this can be a fun gift to buy—anything from books and board games to sports equipment can play well here (pun intended).

We asked if our followers would rather receive “games or books” for their children and it was a completely split vote – 50/50.

Gifts for amateur chefs

Another go-to category to think about when putting together client gifts is the heart of the home—the kitchen. If you know your clients well enough to know that availability of delivery services, and proximity to restaurants was high on their priority list, maybe they’re not Michelin Star chefs, but most people would benefit from a small everyday kitchen appliance like a nice coffee machine, blender, or air fryer.

We asked if our followers would rather receive a “coffee machine or blender” and blender came out on top with 68% of the vote.

Gifts that come in a basket

If a large refrigerator and multiple ovens were included as nice-to-haves on the wish list, it’s likely your client likes to cook and possibly host. In that case, gift baskets of artisanal foods from local markets, specialty curated charcuterie boards, or subscription food box services could be the way to go.

We asked if our followers would rather receive a “food delivery box or grazing/charcuterie board” and 76% said grazing board.

Gifts for the first-time home buyer

For the first-time home buyer, there are some things REALTORS® know are beneficial but may not be high on the immediate priority list when purchasing one’s first home. By that we mean: smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, video doorbells, and other home safety tools that rank high on the practicality scale, but lower on the fun scale.

We asked if our followers would rather receive a “smoke detectors or a video doorbell” and the video doorbell easily won this round with 81% of the vote.

Gifts for clients who are new to town

So, what if your clients are moving from out of town? Gift them an experience that’s something unique to their new home. If you know their preference for beer or wine and can find a local brewery or vineyard that offers tasting tours, this is a great way to ease them into the local social atmosphere. Add to that a voucher for a taxi or car service and it might be the perfect stress-free evening they need after moving into their new home.

We asked if our followers would rather receive a “vineyard tour or brewery tour” and vineyard tour triumphed with 75% of the vote.

Gifts for clients who like going out

On the same note, sometimes getting out of the house and no longer being surrounded by boxes might be a welcome change, so, gift your client a night out at a local restaurant, or sporting event to lighten the mood. If you know they’re avid hockey fans, or they love a good Italian restaurant, they’ll appreciate the personal gesture.

We asked if our followers would rather receive a “dinner at a restaurant or tickets to a sporting event” and 84% said they’d rather dine out.

Gifts for clients with pets

Another simple, yet thoughtful, gift is something to welcome the furry family members to their new home. If you know pets are part of the equation, think about including an item or service for them in your gift. Pet grooming, pet-safe toys, treats, accessories, or even a subscription box are great options for the animal lover.

We asked if our followers would rather receive “pet toys or pet grooming services” and the vote was close, but pet toys snagged the win in this round with 55% of the vote.

Gifts for clients who want more outdoor time

Maybe your clients No. 1 requirement for their new home, or reason for selling their current one is the yard (or lack thereof). If so, backyard games or tools are great gifts that can be used time and time again. There are always classic games like bocce, beanbag toss, and badminton, but also new games that have become popular like Spikeball and Kan Jam. As for tools: gardening gear, a good hose, or hedge trimmers are useful for those with aspirational landscaping goals.

We asked if our followers would rather receive “yard games or yard tools” and with 72% of the votes, games won this round.

Gifts for tech-lovers

For the technically inclined who seem to have everything, home gadgets can be great gifts that many wouldn’t opt to buy themselves. Sure, they may not need a robot vacuum, a smart home hub, that fancy essential oil diffuser, or an automatic pet feeder with a built-in camera, but why not indulge just a little?

We asked if our followers would rather receive “a robot vacuum or smart home hub” and in a significant victory, 86% voted for the robot vacuum.

Gifts for life at the cabin

What about a gift for cottage or cabin buyers? This is an opportunity to get creative since the lifestyle offers so many possibilities for activities. Barbeque tools, fishing equipment, monogrammed beach towels, watersports equipment, lawn games, fire pits, and just lounging in Muskoka chairs are all good starting points for inspiration.

We asked if our followers would rather receive “Muskoka chairs or a fire pit” and fire pit easily won this round with 74% of the vote.

Branded gifts

Last, but certainly not least, items branded with your logo, or name are great to stay top-of-mind with your clients but can carry a sales focused connotation if they’re not also useful. Think about the everyday items you interact with and what makes you inclined to use something with another company’s branding on it. Try to find high quality items, for example: if you choose water bottles, or beverage tumblers, glass or stainless-steel options not only look nicer than plastic but can also be more environmentally sustainable (depending on the product you choose). Solid wood or bamboo cutting boards, canvas totes, and reusable produce bags are all things that can be easily used on a day-to-day basis and show that you’re thinking about your client’s lifestyle.

We asked if our followers would rather receive “a branded cutting board or branded beverage tumbler” and the cutting board stole the show with 72% of the vote.

The thought of gift-giving might be fun for some, and stressful for others so, whether you choose to purchase any of the gifts mentioned here or stick with what you know, the sentiment remains the same and hopefully your thoughtfulness will be remembered.

What did we miss? Have you given a gift your clients raved about? Let us know!