Illegal Real Estate Closing Gift Laws Can't Spoil the Caribbean

Creative real estate financing has lead to caps on real estate closing gifts. In some states new home gifts are illegal over a certain dollar amount. Utah prohibits closing gifts that cost over $25.



So how do you say thank you with a gift under $20? Real estate closing gifts are serve as a thank you gesture and promotional material. In real estate, you live and breathe your referrals. Any chance you get at increasing these referrals should be grabbed.



My friend Terry just closed on her home this year. I thought her Realtor closing gift was quite brilliant! It solved the illegal closing gift cap while enjoying a trip to the Caribbean.



Back up! Her Realtor gave her a Carribean trip as a closing gift? That must have cost 1000s? Well....not exactly.



I looked up this "closing gift trip" and it impressed me enough to share it in this article. Her Realtor is definitely onto something everyone should consider as a real estate closing gift. The closing gift cost a mere $19.97. What?!!! The real estate closing gift was a culinary trip. It came with special blends and all kinds of easy recipes to break in her huge new kitchen.



Even better, the agent actually marketed herself for 3 months after the closing. Here's how it worked. Each month Terry got a new blend and a bunch of recipes to try. The culinary closing gift took her to Tuscany,the Caribbean and even, Columbia. The recipes were adventurous, yet easy. A few simple ingedients plus the exotic flavor blends were a hit with the family.



Instead of vanishing after clsoing, the agent basically said thank you 3 times. For around $6 and change, the perfect closing gift was affordable and left an impression. Terry fell in love with her first recipe. She was excited to get the second blend via the mail. Each time she called me and told me about what she was going to be cooking.



The closing gift made a profound effect. It took center stage to the tiny problems her new home had after closing. In all reality, the closing gift acted as a diffuser, a housewarming gift and a thank you card. Diffusers are priceless in new home construction.



It’s NOT the dollar amount of your closing gift. Put your money away. Yep, you earned that commission- KEEP IT! Stay away from artwork, too. I can barely pick out something my husband would like around our house, let alone a client. If you want to make an impact, if you want to get their future referral business, then make the closing gift PERSONAL.