Gifts for a newly minted real estate agent?
December 9, 2011 11:16 PM Subscribe
My brother just received his RE license and I'm looking for ideas for gifts to help him get started. A friend in RE suggested blank note cards, but I'm not sure that he would send them. Any other ideas?
Other ideas I've been throwing around: no iron shirts (my husband has some he loves), winter gloves he can use with his phone, a subscription to highrise to manage his contacts, a good headset, some 'sales/marketing' books I found very useful, but he tends to resist anything I suggest he read.
Or any other suggestions of gifts for a 30something guy? FWIW he's in Pittsburgh, PA.
Other ideas I've been throwing around: no iron shirts (my husband has some he loves), winter gloves he can use with his phone, a subscription to highrise to manage his contacts, a good headset, some 'sales/marketing' books I found very useful, but he tends to resist anything I suggest he read.
Or any other suggestions of gifts for a 30something guy? FWIW he's in Pittsburgh, PA.
A couple of those magnetic signs for the sides of his car, with the company name, his name & contact info --- "call snowymorninbluesBrother for all your real estate needs!"
posted by easily confused at 2:08 AM on December 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by easily confused at 2:08 AM on December 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Depending on budget:
A nice watch.
A good pair of practical/smart shoes (Rockport make some comfy ones you can walk around in all day and look smart).
A dark wool coat, jacket, long peacoat, etc., for winter.
Or a gift certificate for a department store that sells this stuff so he can pick his own.
posted by carter at 4:51 AM on December 10, 2011
A nice watch.
A good pair of practical/smart shoes (Rockport make some comfy ones you can walk around in all day and look smart).
A dark wool coat, jacket, long peacoat, etc., for winter.
Or a gift certificate for a department store that sells this stuff so he can pick his own.
posted by carter at 4:51 AM on December 10, 2011
Best answer: Cash so he can afford to eat while he's not selling houses in this economy?
Kidding...
How about a well done web site? Most real estate agent web sites make me cringe.
posted by COD at 5:44 AM on December 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
Kidding...
How about a well done web site? Most real estate agent web sites make me cringe.
posted by COD at 5:44 AM on December 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: A gift card to get his picture taken by a professional photographer.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 6:32 AM on December 10, 2011
posted by SuperSquirrel at 6:32 AM on December 10, 2011
Noiron shirts. Or cash.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 7:13 AM on December 10, 2011
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 7:13 AM on December 10, 2011
Best answer: Realtors always need a few basic tools, and they never have them.
A really good flash light (re-chargable is better). A good tape measure. A multi-screwdriver.
Beleive, he will use those three items more than he realizes.
posted by Flood at 9:04 AM on December 10, 2011
A really good flash light (re-chargable is better). A good tape measure. A multi-screwdriver.
Beleive, he will use those three items more than he realizes.
posted by Flood at 9:04 AM on December 10, 2011
Best answer: GPS for his car.
Professional photo
Money/gift card for custom marketing materials, i.e. places that do custom pens, mugs, key chains (don't do pens but you get the drift)
Gas gift card
Blank cards with his name on them
Books on selling real estate
A box to keep in his car with Windex, Formula 409 (or something similar), paper towels, cleaning wipes, tape measure, hammer, trash bags, flash light, scented candles
If your brother is resistant to sending cards and reading material on sales, it doesn't bode well for being successful in real estate. It's brutal in the beginning and you have to let people know you're doing it and you have to follow up. He has to prospect, prospect, prospect
posted by shoesietart at 9:19 AM on December 10, 2011
Professional photo
Money/gift card for custom marketing materials, i.e. places that do custom pens, mugs, key chains (don't do pens but you get the drift)
Gas gift card
Blank cards with his name on them
Books on selling real estate
A box to keep in his car with Windex, Formula 409 (or something similar), paper towels, cleaning wipes, tape measure, hammer, trash bags, flash light, scented candles
If your brother is resistant to sending cards and reading material on sales, it doesn't bode well for being successful in real estate. It's brutal in the beginning and you have to let people know you're doing it and you have to follow up. He has to prospect, prospect, prospect
posted by shoesietart at 9:19 AM on December 10, 2011
Oh yeah. A really really good tape measure. And gas cards would be excellent.
(Hubby is a realtor. Most of the stuff people are mentioning would work great.)
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 9:59 AM on December 10, 2011
(Hubby is a realtor. Most of the stuff people are mentioning would work great.)
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 9:59 AM on December 10, 2011
Laser distance measure tool (in lieu of a regular tape)? Really good GPS? Tablet computer to keep listings notes whatever on (or let him pick one)? Really good digital camera (especially for indoor shots of course)? Books on architecture, decorating, and real estate that he might not normally seek out? Personalized office materials like nice folders to give stuff to clients in, cards, paper, pens (or let him pick the design and pay for it)
posted by thefool at 10:10 AM on December 10, 2011
posted by thefool at 10:10 AM on December 10, 2011
Response by poster: Wow, thanks everyone. All of these ideas are really great, especially the tools and the stuff to keep in his car. Maybe help him get set a website set up. Off to check with my parents about what he already has/doesn't have....
posted by snowymorninblues at 11:07 AM on December 10, 2011
posted by snowymorninblues at 11:07 AM on December 10, 2011
Oh, and toilet paper (in the box he keeps in the car). Empty houses often don't have any and during an open house people sometimes have to go to the bathroom. Or he does.
posted by shoesietart at 4:28 PM on December 10, 2011
posted by shoesietart at 4:28 PM on December 10, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by elizeh at 1:28 AM on December 10, 2011