Real estate is about forming relationships and cultivating them, developing trust and a mutually-beneficial partnership along the way.

For your clients, you aren’t just helping them buy or sell property; most of the time, you’re helping them move on from or onto new homes, places they’ve made, or will make their own. It is a sentimental thing, something quite personal and emotional, and showing your clients you care and value them is important in the relationship.

Once the holidays come around, the time of giving arrives. With Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas all arriving in December, it is a time of festivities, a time to share and celebrate with family and loved ones. In the season of giving spirit, many businesses provide their clients with small or large gifts as a way to show their appreciation.

These gifts aren’t just gestures of appreciation; they are also helpful relationship-building tools. Providing your clients with a seasonal gift is an effective way to show them that they are more than just business to you, that you care about and value them. The best clients are satisfied, loyal clients. You never know what the future holds, but a happy client spreads positive word-of-mouth messages and will prioritize you for down-the-road business. 

Let’s take a look at some quality holiday gift ideas to show your clients you care:

1. Personalized Gift Baskets

A personal touch goes a long way when giving gifts. When you’re giving your clients gifts, gift baskets are always a surefire success. These are the standard for business gifts because they offer a variety of gifts bundled into one. If your customer doesn’t like one of the things they receive, that’s okay! There’s much more within the basket.

You can customize the gift baskets with a personal note. Take your time with this. Craft a message to your client that is more than just a “Happy Holiday!”. Think about your experience, and write something personal and friendly. Mention their kids’ names, if they have. Keep it short and friendly, and find a gift basket with a range of inclusive offerings that anyone would adore. 

Check out some of the different personalized gift basket options you can find online.

2. Charitable Donations in Their Name

In the spirit of giving, there’s one gift that you can provide that will show your clients you are a real estate agent with values. The holiday season is massive for charities, with a shocking 31% of annual donations occurring in December. Charity is something that everyone appreciates and values, and if you want to provide your clients with a gift that will warm their hearts, a charitable donation is the way to go.

Once again, personalization is key here. In your experience with the client, did they mention any causes that meant a lot to them? There are countless different worthy charities out there, all in need of additional funding, but if your client mentioned something specific that meant a lot to them, a charitable donation to that cause is a deeply personal and thoughtful gift. 

For finding a charity for the specific cause you’d like to donate to, Charity Navigator is a useful tool.

3. Stylish Coffee Table Items

One eminently usable gift that always seems to deliver results is a coffee table item. These simple but stylish décor adorns coffee tables and helps add to a room’s aesthetic. For this gift, your knowledge of the client and the house they reside in will help you come up with something high-quality.

Coffee table items include things like books, typically hardcover, picture-oriented books, trays, vases, and more. Try and come up with something simple but stylish, something that would work within the property you’ve helped your client acquire. If your client loves something like cars, fashion, or sports, many different coffee table books revolve around these kinds of niches that make for chic home additions. 

For advice on what to look for in coffee table décor, HGTV has you covered with useful tips.

4. Branded Gifts

We know, we know. Many real estate agents cringe at the idea of handing a client a gift with their name or company name plastered upon it. For good reason! Most people aren’t overly excited to receive branded gifts unless that brand happens to be a major retailer, not their real estate agent. However, there are tasteful ways to provide clients with gifts they’ll love that are still branded marketing tools.

One appealing way to give your clients a branded gift that is actually something they’d appreciate is with the help of EvaBot. EvaBot is an A.I-based gift box source created specifically for real estate agents. It is used by many of the biggest real estate firms in the industry to deliver high-quality, branded gifts that your clients will genuinely enjoy. 

5. Local Artwork

One of the driving aspects of the real estate industry is that it is community-based. You aren’t just selling someone a home; you’re selling them on a neighborhood, a community, a city even. A gift that showcases that connection to the place where you’ve sold them a property is a piece of local artwork.

This doesn’t have to be some grand painting or major piece that will take up space in their home. It can be a small sculpture, ceramics, even something as simple as a handmade coffee mug. Your knowledge of the home and the homeowner should guide you on this. Avoid going overboard, but get them something high-quality that fits with the aesthetic of their home. This gift is also a great way to support local artists.

There are numerous ways to find great local art, typically by doing some Googling. If you need help, ArtFinder is a tool that connects you to a wide variety of independent artists.

This holiday season, show your commitment to your clients with a thoughtful, personal gift. This is an important part of the relationship-building process. For forming new relationships, you can look to StreetText. This tool connects agents to prospective clients with an extensive lead-capture system done through Facebook Ads. It is a passive and efficient way to develop your client base.