Settlement Gifts - did you get one and what was it?

Discussion in 'The Buying & Selling Process' started by Miss Monopoly, 7th Jun, 2017.

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  1. Miss Monopoly

    Miss Monopoly Well-Known Member

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    Just interested to hear from anyone about gifts they received from their REA after buying or selling a house.

    Is it common practice these days to receive a gift?

    Were you offended by the gift - (cheap and crappy or not personal) or blown away by a gift you were not expecting? or did the agent just genuinely convey his/her thanks for using their services and you really felt appreciated?

    My experience has been the token bottle of wine pulled out of a box of 12 behind the reception desk with a half hearted "Congratulations". No thought put into at all. I'm very grateful for the wine and they didn't need to do it but I felt like it was a bit of a let down as the agent had been so professional during the buying process and this stock standard gift and the way it was presented took the shine off him a bit
     
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  2. BKRinvesting

    BKRinvesting Well-Known Member

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    Only received a gift once.
    It's was a gift basket filled with goodies.
    Was quite nice :) funnily enough I wasn't a fan of the agent but you deal with who you need to deal with to get the house you want.
     
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  3. Jess Peletier

    Jess Peletier Mortgage Broker & Finance Strategy, Aus Wide! Business Member

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    Interesting - would no gift at all have been better? I sometimes think so. I don't like token gestures, and would prefer nothing in most cases, especially if it's a stupid key ring or something dumb like that.

    Although, wine is wine :)
     
    Last edited: 7th Jun, 2017
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  4. D.T.

    D.T. Specialist Property Manager Business Member

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    Vinegar in a red bottle :(
     
  5. hwbesqu

    hwbesqu Active Member

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    Packing boxes and tape-practical but not exciting-especially as the property was bought for investment!
     
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  6. Sackie

    Sackie Well-Known Member

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    Wine, chocolates, gift baskets, jb hifi vouchers, perfume for the wife, watch (but gave it away not my style), personalised key rings to the house, and other stuff I cant remember. Also quite a few lunches and coffees to chat and solidify our new 'friendship' (though i probably initiated some of those but they refused to let me pay). I find REAs are just like anyone else in a career, they want to network and build solid relationships as well as chat with other people who are passionate about the same thing. And if another deal or two can be made in the future then even better.
     
    Last edited: 7th Jun, 2017
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  7. MC1

    MC1 Well-Known Member

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    Third world problems
     
  8. Miss Monopoly

    Miss Monopoly Well-Known Member

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    It's market research not something I'm upset about.
     
  9. Perthguy

    Perthguy Well-Known Member

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    One house I bought I got a strange gift box with strange food items like vanilla and fig jam, some kind of biscuit and perhaps a dip or spread and some kind of alcohol too probably. I found it bemusing to be given a gift for buying a property. Worse was that the real estate agent had his assistant hand over the keys at the property and present the gift. It would have been more personal if he had congratulated us personally but I didn't like him much so probably best I didn't have to see him again ;)

    In all the other properties I have bought or sold I have not been given anything. For me it is a business transaction and real estate agents impress me by being honest and doing a good job. I don't expect a gift.
     
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  10. Perthguy

    Perthguy Well-Known Member

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    I have conducted business (buying and selling) with a number of agents over the years. The agents who impress me are honest. For example, I have had agents tell me, if you offer x, I will get the deal over the line, even if I have to lower my commission to do that. Then the deal gets done and the commission was lowered to get the deal done. I really respect an agent who has integrity and that is a lot more valuable to me than wine, chocolate or movie tickets.
     
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  11. Sackie

    Sackie Well-Known Member

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    Sure they get you the deal you and they want, I wonder though if it was the best deal for the seller. Perhaps yes, perhaps no. ;)

    Imho at the end of the day they do what's in their best interest 99% of the time.
     
  12. Perthguy

    Perthguy Well-Known Member

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    If they lower their commission then that is good for the seller. I have seen an agent charge less than half the commission to get the deal through.

    A good deal for the seller is selling the property before the bank repossesses the property and liquidates it ;)
     
  13. MC1

    MC1 Well-Known Member

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    You were happy with the service he provided, but the cheap bottle of wine took the shine of him .... please. Are people really this bored these days
     
  14. Sackie

    Sackie Well-Known Member

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    ahhh.. much better :p
     
  15. Dan Donoghue

    Dan Donoghue Well-Known Member

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    No gift from the agent but what a gift Sydney capital growth has been since we bought 8 years ago ;)
     
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  16. AlexV_Sydney

    AlexV_Sydney Well-Known Member

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    no gifts from REA, but the former owner left some high-quality furniture in nearly new condition.
     
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  17. Miss Monopoly

    Miss Monopoly Well-Known Member

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    I was chatting with some other business owners recently and they were shocked with how many gifts we give our clients every year.

    We are truly grateful for all the opportunities we have been given and each year I make up a different gift for each client and their office staff and write a personal card to say thank you

    It's quite enjoyable to think of new gifts each year and we get some lovely feedback so was thinking about doing some corporate gifts as a business to bring some real thoughtfullness and gratitude into business deals

    I know our clients love the gifts they receive every year and we love giving them so thought other businesses might want to do the same
     
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  18. larrylarry

    larrylarry Well-Known Member

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  19. jodes

    jodes Well-Known Member

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    We have three properties and received three gifts- two bottles of Moet (at the back of our cupboard as neither of us really like champagne) and one voucher for a dinner at a nice restaurant which we actually quite appreciated but haven't had a chance to use yet!
     
  20. Ace in the Hole

    Ace in the Hole Well-Known Member

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    I was given a bill for their services.
     
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