Tips for Mortgage Closing Gifts That Earn Return Business

The documents have been signed off; the keys handed over. But the relationship doesn’t end. It shouldn’t. It’s this happy customer that’ll lead to another. Now’s the time to take steps that won’t allow your customer to forget you. Giving a meaningful closing gift is an opening that you ought to explore.

But it can’t be a generic gift, can it? The more thoughtful the gift, the more you’ll stand out in the customer’s mind. The effort you’ve put in will show: it’s less likely to be tossed away, gifted forward or donated. Isn’t it a joy when your gifts are actually used?

Once you’ve a place in their memory, they’ll recommend you to others. And, of course, they’ll want you to take them through the process years later, when they put this house on sale or need refinancing.

This brings us to the question…

How to Make Gifts Work for You?

Yep, you’ve guessed it right. Picking this mortgage closing gift requires some effort. Here are some tips that can help you through the thought process.

Give them a warm welcome to their new home

The timing of your gift couldn’t have been more appropriate. They’ve just moved in. It’s a time for celebration. What’s more? You’re part of their journey. You got them here.

Now you’re taking it a step further. By welcoming them to their new home. With that in mind, your gift can be:

• useful, something their home doesn’t have.
• an experience that’ll introduce them to the area around them
• something that they use often, and for weeks & months, if not years.

Here’s what you need to know before you get started for picking the right closing gift:

Understand your customer

By the time you reach the closing, you’ve spent a lot of time with your customer. Make sure you use this time to get to know them better.

Be observant. What do they like? What don’t they? What are their cultural interests & hobbies? Do they like watching movies? Are they into gardening? What does their professional life indicate about them?

The more attentive you are, the more you’ll know. Take in their body language. What excites them? What disappoints them? What’s the chemistry like between the members of the family?

All this information can be put together to make your gift go beyond just names, initials & monograms on their gift. The gift itself will tell them you were keen to understand them. Once you’ve a grasp on this, the rest will flow.

So, let’s take a closer look at exactly ‘what’ the gift can be.

Form meets function

All your observations can lead to a gift that’ll be used by your customer. One might think a functional gift is boring. But who says useful cannot be aesthetic? Your gift can be practical, and bring joy when looked at too, like say a trendy coffee maker with coffee beans. Or a cheeseboard that says, ‘style’. Such a gift will remind them of you every time they use it, and it’ll make them smile when they see it.

If you’re struggling with the balance between form & function, remember a gift doesn’t have to be physical.

Gift an experience

This could be a gift coupon to a neighboring coffee shop. It introduces them to the locality & community around them. And they’ll remember you every time they consider going for the experience. In fact, even when they’re planning to go for the experience, you’ll be in their thoughts.

Moreover, you’ve picked up on the chance that they might remember you when they visit even later.

A gift that’ll be used often, and for longer

A question we often struggle with gifting is, “should it be a one-time-use gift or something that can be used repeatedly?” It’s a toughie, because both have value. You could combine the two types into a gift basket.

On the single-use side, it could be a bottle of champagne that you know they’d like, a subscription to a home décor magazine or even gourmet popcorn that they can enjoy with movie night.

You can combine this with something for the kitchen or the home office. Lean more towards this kind because it has more potential to stick. At the same time, you might want to avoid over-familiarity by gifting something for the bedroom. So be a little mindful.

Whatever you finalize, look out for ways to make it match what you know about them.

Use your branding wisely

This one again is a balancing act. It must serve as a reminder, but shouldn’t be in the face. Towards this end, the branding can be in self-colored tones or at a spot that isn’t the first thing that hits the eye. At the same time, it serves its purpose by nudging your customer’s memory when they want to remember where they got it from.

While this is a more permanent reminder, don’t underestimate the value of something that might be temporary, but leaves a mark.

Write a personal note

Can anything say personalization like a handwritten note? This note can tell your customer about your enjoyable experience with them. You could also add how you’d like to work with them again, whenever the opportunity arises.

That makes it a nice bow to the gift you’ve put your heart & mind into. If you’ve considered each of these tips to arrive at your gift, it’s likely to be a hit with your customer.. A win-win for sure. They’ll enjoy their gift, and you’ll enjoy repeat and/or referral business.