5 Client Appreciation Ideas During the Pandemic

Engaging in client appreciation is an important aspect of running a real estate business. After all, clients who feel appreciated are more likely to give you return business or a referral.

While most of the client appreciation ideas out there focus on in-person events, those are not exactly feasible in the age of COVID-19. With that in mind, we have a few socially-distanced ways that you can focus on client appreciation during the pandemic.

Client appreciation ideas for real estate agents

1. Send a thank you card.

Sometimes there’s no better way to say thank you than by sending a heartfelt thank you card. For best results, be sure to handwrite them and to use nice stationery. If you’re not the best at writing out cards, you could also consider creating a script to follow.

As for what to include in your card, the formula is simple. Start by thanking the individual for their business. Transition into telling them that you’ve been thinking about them and that you hope that they are well and enjoying their home. Then, wrap things up by reminding them that you are here for them if they ever need your services in the future.

If you want to make your thank-you card extra special, you could include a small gift with it. In this case, a gift card will probably work best. However, you might also consider including a small trinket like a new keychain for their house keys.

2. Step up your pop-by game.

In real estate, pop-bys are another marketing tool. Typically, pop-bys are small gifts that have a slogan attached in order to remind the client to use your services. For example, you could give a client an ice cream scoop that says, “Call me to get the SCOOP on the real estate market.”

That said, if you really want to do something nice for your client appreciation, you can use the idea behind pop-bys, but take it to the next level. In this instance, you could drop off a homemade pie or a nice bottle of wine.

Here, rather than relying on a slogan, it might be a better idea to write your former client a note. Again, the note should thank them for their business and tell them that the gift is meant as a show of appreciation. However, regardless of what you write in the note, don’t forget to remind them that you’re available if they ever need you.

3. Give the gift of a virtual experience.

These days, there are plenty of virtual experiences that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home. You can live stream concerts, tour museums, and even take virtual vacations. With that in mind, another option is to give one of these experiences to your client as an appreciation gift.

If you’re unsure of where to start looking for events like these, Viator has a good selection of cultural experiences. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for more of an entertainment experience, Ticketmaster and Live Nation have started to offer tickets to virtual experiences as well.

4. Show your client appreciation by donating on their behalf.

Right now, we could all stand to focus on the good in the world and there are plenty of us who need extra help. To that end, think about giving the gift of doing good by donating to a charity on your client’s behalf. In this case, you could either donate for them to a charity of your choice or let them pick the charity and then make the donation.

A word of caution: if you are going to pick the charity for your clients, you may want to present your gift as an opportunity to make a donation instead of just going ahead and doing it for them. Unfortunately, many charities can be polarizing and you don’t want to offend anyone by donating in their name to an organization that they do not support.

5. Rent out a drive-in movie theater.

Lastly, if you can’t get over the idea of not having an in-person event, consider renting out a drive-in movie theater for your clients’ enjoyment. That way, you can share an experience with all your clients while still maintaining the proper social distance.

For those who are considering going this route, you may want to also hire a food truck for the event. Think about hiring someone who can provide popcorn and classic movie snacks to go with the show. Otherwise, be sure to provide them for your guests in individually wrapped portions.

The bottom line about customer appreciation during COVID-19

While client appreciation events typically happen in person, there’s no reason why this tradition can’t be updated for the current environment.

With a little planning and forethought, it’s still completely possible to show your clients how much they mean to you and your business. This is one instance where you might have to get creative.

However, if you do, it will pay off in a big way.