Give the Gift That Makes An Impression

If you do it right, gifts and giveaways can foster greater awareness of your brand. 

Whether it’s closing gifts or swag to hand out to prospective clients, real estate agents are always on the lookout for different and creative real estate promotional items. Promo products can help you stay top of mind with your clients and prospects, so they refer you to friends and family, and return to you when they are ready for another round of real estate buying and selling.

You’ve seen the common items — gift cards to home improvement stores, welcome baskets chock-full of goodies for the new homeowner, magnetic sports schedules, pens with your logo on them… the list is practically endless.

Why go with the common items, though? Try something that will make you stand out. After all, the point is to stay top of mind, to be memorable, and for people to see an item and think, “That’s our agent!” Here are a few ideas for creative promotional items.

Items for daily use

Every sales trainer will tell you that making frequent “touches” with clients is the key to getting you/your brand locked in their memory. Many real estate promotional items will get looked at once and then shoved in a drawer or box, never again to see the light of day. You’ve made one, and only one, touch.

On the other hand, items that people use on a daily basis will keep making touches for potentially years to come. For example:

• Engraved kitchen knives. Everyone likes a good knife. Think how often you reach for a knife in the kitchen, and how useful a high-quality knife can be. Many major cutlery brands offer engraving services that will put your name, logo, website URL or other contact info literally in the hand of your client almost every day.
• Branded house keys. One of the best feelings you experience as a real estate agent is when you hand over the keys to a home buyer. People take their keys everywhere and keep them for years. Take advantage of this branding opportunity and imprint your logo and contact info on the key. There are many websites that will brand keys in bulk for very low prices.

Gifts that keep on giving

Gift baskets are wonderful gifts. A basket of snack foods or one full of household items like cleaning supplies are very useful for people in the middle of the chaos that surrounds moving into a new home. The problem is that once the gift basket items are used up, they’re gone forever. They don’t make a lasting impression.

Why not try a service that delivers a gift on a monthly (or quarterly) basis? You’ll be top of mind every time the delivery person knocks on your client’s door. Does your client enjoy wine? There are numerous wine clubs that deliver a variety of wines for an economical cost.

Clients that don’t drink? No problem! Here is a list of 17 food subscription clubs, including chocolates, pies, fruit, and candies. There’s even a Bacon of the Month club. Bacon!

Techno swag

Real estate agents love their technology gizmos — phone cases, iPad sleeves, thumb drives, chargers — and so do many of their clients. One added benefit of technology promotional items is that people other than your clients will see them, potentially increasing the awareness for your brand.

Green/eco-friendly gifts

Promote an earth-friendly message to clients and potential clients by providing “green” gifts like reusable tote bags, coffee tumblers, seed packets and flower bulbs.

Unique gifts

One of the most unique real estate gifts I’ve ever seen was a watercolor painting of a clients’ new home. An agent hired (for a very reasonable fee) a young artist from the local art school to paint a watercolor of the home. On the watercolor frame was a small label that said, “Home Sweet Home” along with the agent’s name and website URL. These paintings were always very well received — the agent’s clients raved about them.

What about a fire extinguisher with an engraved plate on it? Though not a “pretty” gift, it’s certainly practical. One client contacted their realtor that had given them a fire extinguisher years after he sold them a home to let him know that the fire extinguisher saved their home when a barbecue fire spread to a wall and patio cover. Who do you think those folks will call the next time they look for a home? Maybe the guy whose thoughtful gift saved their home from a fire.

Make a lasting impression

A well-chosen gift (and its message) stays with your important contacts long after your recently sold flyers and Fourth of July flags have been tossed aside. Good promotional items stick. They remind people of what you do. That is a good thing. Stay top of mind by giving creative promotional items that people will use and remember.

Our Real Estate Virtual Assistants Can Help!

If you need help researching promotional item ideas, or would like help in ordering or designing a gift, give us a call! We would love to help you find just the right gift that will make your clients remember you for years to come!