Reader Help: Realtor Gift?

By Hillary

After agonizing over fitting a new baby into our small space, my husband and I decided to put our condo on the market and look for a larger home. It was a difficult process but I'm happy to say that our condo finally sold and we purchased a new, larger condo that will officially be ours in five weeks (only seven weeks before my due date. Hold me.)

Our Realtor was a rockstar. Yes, it's her job to sell our condo and to help us find a new one and yes, she is making a hefty commission off our sale and purchase, but my husband and I both feel like she worked her butt off for us and made a stressful situation a fairly positive one. Which brings me to my question: is it appropriate / expected / weird to give a Realtor a gift? 

I'm guessing that the greatest gift you can give a Realtor is your repeat business (which we've already done - we used this same Realtor when we bought our first condo) but that somehow feels inadequate. I thought a $50 Ikea gift card and this gorgeous personalized stationery  from Cami's Paperie on Etsy would make a lovely gift but I'm doubting myself.

Is it inappropriate to give a Realtor a gift? If we want to show appreciation for a job well done, should we just do it with cold hard cash? Is tipping a Realtor something that is expected? If so, how much does one tip? I'm desperate here, people. What's the protocol?

{Photo credits:  etsy.com}

Comments

[Roz]

not sure about Relators specifically, but as an event planner, I certainly don't expect anyone to tip me or give me a gift for pulling off a fabulous event, because it's my job. But when someone does recognize it, it feels AWESOME, and I don't think it's inappropriate at all. I truly appreciate a nice card and a gift and actually prefer it to just cash (but maybe that's just me).

[Tia]

You are paying her THOUSANDS (maybe over 10k if she is doing both sides) of dollars. You owe her nothing. Repeat business, referrals, and a "thank you" are more than adequate.

[Jennie]

I don't think it's necessary, but it sure would be lovely of you. And I love what you picked out!

[HereWeGoAJen]

We gave our Realtor a small gift- a kitchen towel and a set of napkins. I don't think you can go wrong with a small present when you feel truly appreciative.

[Rianne]

We sent our realtor a HUGE arrangement of long-stem white flowers as a thank you. It knocked her socks off more than I think money would have, because it was such an old-world, classy gesture (all my honey's idea, truth be told.)

[Nanette]

Yeah, I'm with Tia on this one -- I don't think you *need* to do anything more. However, I think the stationery you picked out is perfectly fine. Maybe include a note about how you appreciate her work, and how you'll be sure to share with your friends/family via email/Facebook/blog, etc., and maybe with a review on Yelp or something.

[d]

I think a nice thank you card is more than sufficient...not everyone needs tipped for doing their job or even doing it exceptionally well. You are paying her a nice fee, you have given her repeat business. Realtors often give the homebuyers/sellers gifts...never heard of them exchanging gifts though.
If you are set on a gift, I would keep it small and simple - like maybe the stationery only.

[jennielynn]

We gave our realtor a gift certificate to her favorite restaurant and a pair of movie tickets. Yes, she made money and yes, it was her job, but recognizing someone with a small gesture is thoughtful. I think the stationary is lovely and the perfect thank-you.

[Maggie]

I am wondering this same thing. I LOVE MY AGENT. I know she made her money, but that doesn't mean I can't also send a giant bouquet to her office. Of course we don't need to - we WANT to.

[Lisa]

The best gift your realtor can use is referrals. Give her a 5 star rating on yelp and/or throw a BBQ at your new place. Invite your neighbors and your realtor.

[A Little Coffee]

It's not necessary but I'm sure it would be appreciated if you want to give the gift. Don't feel obligated though. But if you want to, the gift you've picked out is lovely! As a financial planner, I work on a similar commission-based business model as most realtors and I can tell you that the absolute best gift you can give (perhaps even better than repeat business, as that's probably many years off) is referrals. Help spread word of mouth about how awesome she is and give your realtor the contact info of the people who need her help... way way more effective than her waiting for them to call her. I also think that a genuine, heartfelt thank you explaining why you appreciate the work she did for you is one of the most rewarding parts of working with clients. Lastly, I don't think cold hard cash is particularly appropriate... she already just made plenty of that off her commission.

[Jen]

Well, first off I should tell you that I am a Realtor. I think its very sweet of you to want to give a special thanks to someone who is going above and beyond her normal duties. A small gift, a simple card, or even lunch out after Closing would be very thoughtful. Maggie above has a great idea. When you have your house warming party, invite your realtor. Don't forget to introduce her to all your guests and tell them how awesome she was. A referal is the biggest compliment that I can get from my clients.

[auntie]

I think this is the same as any other time you might recognize someone for a job well done...if you feel like "rewarding" her somehow, then go for it! I believe that if "the spirit moves you" to do a little something special for her, then you should do it. Yes, she just earned commission on your sale, but that's not the same as a tangible, visible token of your thankfulness. And who wouldn't be thrilled to get a little gift from a client because you made them happy?

I like the idea of either sending her flowers (very visible), or inviting her to your housewarming party (to meet potential clients).

[Tara]

We were not super fond of our realtor when we bought our current house (she screwed up several things along the way, including an issue with our earnest money that almost delayed closing, while we were at the darn closing!), but we loved the opposing realtor who actually sold us the house. We didn't give her a gift, but we recommended her to everyone we knew, and she sold 3-4 more houses off of us, which is maybe the best gift she could have received? I think a card is a great idea, and maybe a small gift if it's what you want to do, but I don't think it's expected at all.

[K]

I recently bought a house and really appreciated my Realtor as well. He went above and beyond for me and even sent me a gift card soon after I moved to the new place. In return, I sent him a thank you note. I thought it was sufficient. I also referred a friend of mine who is currently working with him to purchase a house of her own.
That being said, I think a small gift would be appropriate and appreciated.
As for inviting the realtor to your housewarming... my realtor only works off of referrals (he doesn't advertise any other way) so he actually throws his client's housewarming party and networks at the events.