Please note: This website contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
How to Turn Home Sellers Into Your Best Source of Referrals
When I was actively selling real estate, I had one guiding principle baked into my bio from day one: I didn’t just want my clients to be happy with their experience — I wanted them to rave about it to literally everyone they know. Neighbors, coworkers, their book club, their Facebook feed, all of it.
Here’s the truth about home sellers: they talk. A lot. Every neighbor who watched your sign go up in the yard is going to ask how it went, and the answer you want them to give is some version of “She was amazing, you have to call her.”
It doesn’t matter whether you’re in an easy market or a brutal one, multiple offers or crickets — the impression you leave has almost nothing to do with how hard the market was and everything to do with how well you took care of them along the way. Here are fourteen specific things I’ve done over the years to make sure my sellers walked away feeling like they got the VIP treatment, not just a transaction.
14 Ways to WOW Your Home Seller Before and After the Sale
During the Transaction
1. Communicate… often. This is the whole ballgame, honestly. Silence is what makes sellers anxious, not bad news delivered promptly.
2. Contact them at least weekly by phone or in person to review feedback from showing agents and buyers, even when there’s nothing new to report. “No news” updates count.
3. Send a weekly email with everything you’re doing to promote their home, including links to your actual marketing online so they can see it, not just take your word for it.
4. Set them up on new listing alerts so they’re the first to know when a comparable home hits the market in their neighborhood — nothing worse than them finding out from a neighbor.
5. Surprise them with fresh flowers. Completely unnecessary, wildly effective. Do it once, mid-listing, when they least expect it.
6. Keep the flyer box filled — or better yet, pair it with a QR code sign that links straight to your listing page. An empty flyer box looks like nobody’s paying attention, and a QR code never runs out.
7. Give them a list of your preferred vendors before they ask — movers, cleaners, handymen, whatever they’re likely to need. Anticipating the need lands so much better than scrambling to answer it.
8. Provide a net sheet so they know exactly what they’re walking away with, not a vague estimate they have to trust blindly.
9. Stop by the house before the buyers do their final walk-through. Catching a problem before the buyer does is worth its weight in gold.
10. Take a picture of the sellers in front of their home. You’ll use this later, and it takes ten seconds.
11. Send a pizza over on moving day. Nobody wants to cook while surrounded by boxes, and this is the kind of thing they will absolutely tell people about.
When the Home Sale Is Complete
12. Assemble all of the transaction paperwork together, including the Settlement Statement, in an actual legal-sized folder (8×15) instead of a stack of loose papers in a manila envelope. It’s a small thing that makes the whole process feel a lot more official and cared-for.
13. Bring chilled champagne to the closing (if it’s appropriate for the area and situation). A little celebration at the finish line goes a long way.
14. Give them a highly personalized gift. Two of my favorites:
- A photo book with pictures of their home, including that photo you took of them out front (see #10). Snapfish and similar services run anywhere from about $30 for a small softcover up to $100+ for a larger hardcover, depending on size and finish.
- An original painting or hand-drawn portrait of their home. Multiple artists on Etsy specialize specifically in this as a realtor closing gift, typically running $60 to $250 depending on size and medium, with turnaround usually a few weeks — so order it as soon as you have a closing date, not the week of.
Want to make this even more memorable? Pair one of these gifts with the same energy from our Amazing Open House Experience guide — the handwritten thank-you note trick works just as well at closing as it does after an open house.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I budget for seller appreciation gifts and touches?
Most of these ideas cost very little — flowers, pizza, or a net sheet cost next to nothing, while a closing gift like a photo book or house painting typically runs $30 to $250 depending on what you choose. Treat it as a real cost of doing business rather than an afterthought; see our Real Estate Agent Expenses guide for how to budget for it alongside your other costs.
Do these ideas work for every price point of home?
Yes — scale the gesture to the situation rather than skipping it entirely on a lower-priced listing. A handwritten note and a pizza on moving day cost almost nothing and mean just as much to a first-time seller as champagne means to someone selling a luxury home.
When should I start doing these things — at listing, or wait until closer to closing?
Start immediately at listing. Weekly communication, vendor lists, and small surprises like flowers work best spread throughout the transaction, not saved up for the end. Save the bigger closing gifts (photo book, painting, champagne) for the finish line, once you know exactly how the story ends.
What if a seller seems too busy or private for personal touches like this?
Read the room and adjust rather than skip it entirely. A quiet, private seller may not want a phone call every week, but they’ll still notice and appreciate a well-timed email update, a thoughtful gift at closing, or a genuine handwritten note — the frequency and format can flex, but the underlying care shouldn’t disappear.
Editor’s note: This article was created by Kerry Lucasse, Agent/Owner at eXp Realty. Information deemed reliable but is subject to change.
PIN THIS IMAGE TO SAVE AND SHARE THIS POSTS!
Ready to get more from your brokerage? Learn why agents voted eXp Realty Top Place to Work!
Please note: This website contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
