Morning Perky,
Yep--they're $345 each and we get a $60 rebate back on each one. It's steep but Bigtoe advertises that we do it, so I'm stuck doing it!

I add the swimming pool to homes with pools, too, which jacks it up even further but pool pump motors take a beating here with all the blowing sand and general vacationer abuse.

In four years we've been offering them, I've had three or four owners need and use them that I've known about, which feels good.
(Of course, I dread hearing the "gory details" afterwards when a vendor doesn't do things exactly perfectly for the owner...!)

Well, if the commission is good then I guess I wouldn't have a problem doing it. I might do that if I get both sides of a typical deal.

I pay to install a swimming pool in their yard. j/k. I haven't kept up on the closing gifts as much as I should be.

I like the response if you do your job right, you'll be the one with the gift

I think if you give a gift, it should be something useful...if you don't give a gift, you should stay in touch with them afterwards - I always called my clients one week later to see if they found any idiosyncracies with the house - many i still talk to today.

Here is a thought and it is free, VERY useful to the new homeowner and it will keep YOUR NAME and contact information in front of the homeowner until they sell.

Go through the house and note the make, model#, serial# of all appliances, if new, include name and number of company who installed it. Ask the seller for name and number of local services - snowplow company, house cleaner, handy man, trash collector etc.
- note important telephone numbers for schools, animal control, take-out delivery whatever is useful to your area

Place all information in easy to read format, leave room for notes in appliance section.

Create a "banner" with your picture, logo, contact information and put it on top of each page. Place it in an attractive binder of some sort and give it to the buyer at closing.

You can call it their "Household Information Kit" with all their info in one nice handy binder.

Will they save it and use it? I would, wouldn't you? Best of all they will see your info every time they look at it.

Five years later when they are ready to sell, will they remember the name of the person who bought them a gift card or they name of the person who created the household information kit?

Here are some additional thoughts the Members posted a few months ago under "House Warming Gifts at:

http://www.agentsonline.net/forums/ubbth...html#Post230593

Wow, paying for their home warranty is a great gift.


Compete Realty Team
Compete Realty
http://www.competerealty.com

I've taken the keys to the new home and made customized copies using either their favorite team or some character that epitomized their character. For a few dollars, you've given them a personalized gift that they will hopefully use everyday. I've also had a great deal of success with hosting small house warmers. If you get the loan officer to pitch in, you can really control costs. The benefits are great with this gift.

My company hosts customer appreciation events where all the money we might spend each on our individual clients is pooled into a nice quarterly picnic or brunch with an open bar.