Do Buyers Agents Send Out "Thank You's"?

[mrsheppo]

We just bought a house last month and our agent gave us a $100 gift card to Lowes.

 

[allison443]

We bought a house about a month ago. I work with quite a few other people who recently purchased new houses, and each and every one of them recieved a "thank you" from their buyers agent. One got a card, one got a card and decorative flowering plant, and another got a basket with wine and chocolate.

We haven't gotten squat! (Not that we really NEED anything, but you know... )

And we found this house on the FIRST day she showed us houses, and we put in an offer the very next day. That was probably the quickest $2000 she ever made!!!

Is it normal for them to send things, or did my friends get spoiled? (Or did we get slighted?)

If so, let me live vicariously... what did YOU get?

Would you really be happier if you got a card like your friend got? I guess I just can't imagine devoting any time or energy to worrying about being "slighted" by a stranger who I had a brief professional relationship with. She did her job, you got the house.

I'm curious if you have to use a buyer's agent in your area-we never used one, and I don't think anyone I know has, either.


Enjoy your new home! That's the important thing!

 

[scrapquitler]

We bought houses twice. The first time we didn't get anything, the second time we got a nice gift basket with things like cheese, crackers, dips and stuff like that in it.

Honestly, I would not expect anything like that, and the basket the second time was a big surprise to me.

I don't expect a 'thank you' gift from people I buy things from: the hairdresser doesn't send me a thank you, nor does the car salesman, the insurance agent or the CPA. Why should I expect one from the real estate agent?

 

[Cindy B]

I was very suprised when we bought our current house. The realtor comissioned a local artist to paint a picture of the house and had it mounted and framed.

Part of me thought hey I know what the house looks like, I live in it every day. However, we have done some landscaping changes so it does look different.

I wasn't expecting anything and then this large delivery comes. It is quite nice. The other two houses we have bought-- nothing.

 

[coolbeans]

We got a card and a Mikasa crystal looking bowl full of candies.. yumm!

 

[claudia]

We bought a house about a month ago. I work with quite a few other people who recently purchased new houses, and each and every one of them recieved a "thank you" from their buyers agent. One got a card, one got a card and decorative flowering plant, and another got a basket with wine and chocolate.

We haven't gotten squat! (Not that we really NEED anything, but you know... )

And we found this house on the FIRST day she showed us houses, and we put in an offer the very next day. That was probably the quickest $2000 she ever made!!!

Is it normal for them to send things, or did my friends get spoiled? (Or did we get slighted?)

If so, let me live vicariously... what did YOU get?

it is pretty normal here for them to give a little gift....but just understand that unless she was also the listing agent she split that $2000 with the listing agent, then she split the $1000 with her broker and then paid taxes on her $500.....

 

[wdwfan16]

We bought a house about a month ago. I work with quite a few other people who recently purchased new houses, and each and every one of them recieved a "thank you" from their buyers agent. One got a card, one got a card and decorative flowering plant, and another got a basket with wine and chocolate.

We haven't gotten squat! (Not that we really NEED anything, but you know... )

And we found this house on the FIRST day she showed us houses, and we put in an offer the very next day. That was probably the quickest $2000 she ever made!!!

Is it normal for them to send things, or did my friends get spoiled? (Or did we get slighted?)

If so, let me live vicariously... what did YOU get?

Oh brother. Who really cares. No we got nothing and we wanted nothing.

 

[Becky2005]

We didn't get anything. I think it's completely up to the Realtor in this area. I actually think it's not really typical.

We didn't get anything when we bought our first house either & it was completely different agents.

 

[BelleWDW]

it is pretty normal here for them to give a little gift....but just understand that unless she was also the listing agent she split that $2000 with the listing agent, then she split the $1000 with her broker and then paid taxes on her $500.....

To the OP-the SELLER of the house is who "paid" your agent, as the poster above described, YOU paid her nothing.

It would have been nice for her to send you something, but nowadays house selling is WAY. WAY down and frankly SHE simply might need ALL of that $$ for herself.

 

[Scornelius]

Have you guys taken possession of the home yet? When we bought our home we were given a $200 GC that we could use in some home decor catalog, but we didn't receive it until our closing date. Our agent now sends us monthly newsletters, which I couldn't care less about, but also sends tickets to things like the National Home Show and other events like that.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

We bought a house the end of October and our agent just sent us a GC to Ruby Tuesdays. I thought it was a nice gesture, unnecessary, but a pleasant surprise. When we bought a house a few years ago, our agent brought us a large basket filled with breads, cheese and wine. That was lovely.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I don't expect a 'thank you' gift from people I buy things from: the hairdresser doesn't send me a thank you, nor does the car salesman, the insurance agent or the CPA. Why should I expect one from the real estate agent?

That is how I feel about it. We have sold five homes in my adult life. I think we got a card once and I know we got a lovely basket once full of local prodcuts (candies, maple syrup, etc). It was a nice surprise and I enjoyed it, but my desire to use an agent again is entirely dependent on whether or not s/he does a good job actually handling the purchase/sale of the home and not at all on whether or not I get some token gift or card after the fact.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

We got a $100 gift card from Morton's Steakhouse and a plant.

 

[momrek06]

We have bought and sold houses for years. I remember one time getting a lovely plant. Another time we receive a piece of art work. And then in 2005 we built our MA home and the builder gave DH & I a g.c. to CHOPHOUSE 111 in Worcester, MA!!! Very nice high end restaurant.

But to the OP, if we had received nothing, it would have been fine!

 

[Disney Doll]

I wouldn't expect to receive a thank you gift from any other person who worked for me and who got paid (ie-carpenter, landscaper etc.) so why would I expect a thank you from my realtor???

What would it say?? "Thank you for letting me work for you and paying me?".

I don't send my employer a thank you every other week when I get my paycheck either.

 

[Tasmen]

I've bought 2 houses and sold 1 with the same agent. She has always sent a thank you card, flowers and gave us a gift at the end of the sale. I periodically get cards from her in the mail with scratch off lottery tickets, gift cards, etc. on holidays, birthdays and anniversaries.

While I wouldn't expect something from her, I understand why she does it. It's good business. You want to keep people coming back. People are likely to remember the agent that sends/gives them 'freebies' over someone that doesn't.

 

[waltskids]

Our agent sent us a $100 gift card to a very nice restaurant near our house. Many of my friends have also received thank you gifts from their agents as well. We didn't expect anything so it was a nice surprise.

We also exchange Christmas cards every year as well. She is a wonderful person and we have recommended her many times.

 

[Ephany]

We received a nice thank you card, and then Christmas cards (from her, not the agency) for the next couple of years until she retired. I wish she was still available, I'd have used her to sell our current house, she was lovely to work with.

 

[Bren's Mom]

The agent we used to sell our home, who was the same one who represented us when we bought our new home, showed up 48 hours after we took possession with her husband and unloaded a beautiful Cracker Barrel rocking chair! I was shocked! Our new home has a lovely 'rocking porch' as I call it and I'd mentioned that my mom was buying us a Cracker Barrel rocker. She said she chose to get us a 2nd one so we can both sit out front and rock. I thought that was exceptionally sweet!

 

[mnrose]

Needless to say, I think it's extremely unprofessional. And, I let pretty much everyone I know hear the story. Dumbest move that agent ever made, IMO.