Imagine this…you’re finally in the home stretch — closing day is quickly approaching and you’ll soon be handing over the keys and popping champagne with your clients.
YAY!!
You want to get them something special, something that will be impactful — but also something they can put to use right away during this new and exciting chapter in their lives.
…Que the closing basket!!!
Not only is it a beautiful and fun gift to put together, but you can personalize each basket to your clients specific interests and needs! Who doesn’t get super excited over a big basket of goodies?!
I’m here to give you ideas of where to shop, what goodies to fill your shopping cart with, and other alternative closing gift ideas if a basket isn’t appropriate for your particular situation.
Where to shop:
Target (pro tip #1: hit up the dollar spot), Marshall’s, Homegoods, Amazon, Lowes, Etsy!
Pick a theme:
Picking a theme will help give your basket a cohesive look and spark your creativity. You can pull inspiration from an upcoming holiday or season, you can theme it “locally” to have items from the town they are moving to, or if they relocate (or buy a second home) at the beach or lake, you can run with a location-based theme. If they have recently been through hard times, maybe a fun flashy closing basket isn’t the appropriate gesture. Consider other thoughtful gifts such as covering the cost of their moving truck, hiring a professional for a deep cleaning, offer to pay for a professional family photography session with a local photographer, or a gift card to a fancy local restaurant for special night out.
What to include:
You know your client best, so items will vary from basket to basket. Bubbly, wine, Meyer’s cleaning supplies, a fresh scented candle, a faux plant, a cutting board, a whisk, dish towels, room spray, a recipe, a celebratory hand written card with a a gift card inside (to Lowes, Home Depot, Paint store, a nice local restaurant or pizza place — you know them best!) Don’t forget to put it all together in a basket they can reuse in their new home, too! Pro tip #2 – don’t be afraid to buy in bulk! If you see items that can be useful in future baskets, start stock piling!
What matters most is that you create a memorable and positive experience for your clients. You know the saying, people never forget the way you made them feel! Show off your creation in your instagram stories (or feed!), take a picture of your clients holding their closing gift outside of their new house or at the closing table and send it to them as a keepsake. If they use social media, ask them to tag you!! Share your closing ‘day in the life’ experience on social media and show off to the world how much time and energy you put into your client experience. The referrals will be endless!
Click HERE to read my previous blog post about using Letterboards to help stand out on closing day (& throughout your transaction)!
