Excellent Service is the best gift of all. 

Stay in touch with clients without begging for referrals.  

80% of the time my clients give me a closing gift. 

I rarely give a closing gift.  It is not a one-size-fits-all thing. I would never make it about me or anything branded me. If a client gets a closing gift it is special and meaningful to them. 

I love to cook, so I do a house warming party and tell them to invited 30 to 50 people, I have the lender pay for half the food and I pick up buyers at it.

Provide service beyond expectations and forget closing gifts.

You can always treat them to a meal during your follow up process.

I always give a closing gift unless they were jerks, which is rare when working by referral. I give them something that supports their interests or if they mention a need for their new home that is proportionately appropriate. 

There are a lot of great dedicated closing gift websites these days. Client Giant being one of the many.

I've been giving personalized gifts for years - AFTER the sale and often during a housewarming party that I host for the buyers.

No two buyers have the same wants/needs so, I prefer to make it personal.

I no longer give out closing gifts. There might be a special situation where I might get a personalized gift but that is not the norm.

Miriam Odegard 

If you're in a gift giving mood, I would like a pony.

Pearls for the Soul is my best gift for all occasions. Over 800 positive uplifting sayings. Not only will the person you give it to always remember you when they use it but you will feel good about giving a gift that keeps on giving

I never have.

My clients do appreciate the big checks though.

Tailor it to the client . . . some clients 'have it all' and just appreciate the work done. Others would love a gift! And sometimes I send random gifts to former clients if I see something I think they will love!

Miriam to me, it depends on the clients interests.  Can vary from restaurant gift certs, wine, something for their new home......I've done so many different things over the years.

I don't do closing gifts. I will bring by a housewarming gift after a client moves in.

depends on the client and the price point.  I have given home warranties to young buyers and branded items to others.

I often give a gift. For me I want to give something meaningful as well as easy for me to duplicate. There's a little shop in Raleigh that does gift baskets. I give them a marketing items (ie coffee cup, cutco spreader, etc) and she puts it together in a beautiful container with a few snacks and perhaps local coffee or local wine. It's more of a celebratory gift. I like that she uses local snacks. It supports local, has high quality marketing pieces, and all I have to do is let them know to put it together then pick it up. It is about $50 for the container, snacks, beverage (coffee, tea or wine), cutting board, and wrapping it with a big bow plus the cost of my marketing piece.

I give gift cards as closing gifts.

For a recent buyer closing, I gave a gift card to a local restaurant and, also, a general purpose gift card.

I have given Home Depot or Lowes gift card when the situation was appropriate. 

It is so easy to let Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist go first.

I use to give housewarming gifts to my buyers. They would depend on the buyers, if they wanted to do reno's I would give GC's to Home Depot etc, if they were foodies the a GC to a restaurant, or a gift basket with wine, glasses and other snack that my wife would make up. 

No closing gifts here.  I think too many people give closing gifts because someone told them that they should.  I'm not going to give someone a gift because they hired me to do a job, and I did a good job for them.

I think you should consider what your purpose is.  If the purpose is to thank them for the business, is a closing gift the best way to do that?  If your purpose is to get referrals, is the closing gift the best way to do it?

Think through what your purpose is.  Decide is a closing gift is the best way to achieve that.  If it is, it should be fairly obvious what gift would achieve that goal.  If a closing gift isn't the best way to achieve that, figure out a better way.

I understand the question.
Very much like accepting a dinner invitation and thinking being a good guest is sufficient. You really, really, really don't want to arrive empty handed.
My philosophy is the gift must be appropriate with the recipient. The gift card, although universally acceptable is the give up gift.
The reality is an agent spent a month or more with these folks and have made some important observations regarding their interest and passions.
For the young family I would go with 'The Dinner Table Journal" a journal that guides parents in using the dinner table as the place to learn how to communicate, to win humbly, lose graciously, share pain and success, be vulnerable and feel safe.
For the crafter they would get the TOOL that will spend the most time in their hands. For example, a branded Speed Square works well.
For the community activists a figure that amplifies their call.
For the wood crafter a decimal to fraction conversion table.
For the artist an apron.
Something they will touch when they are engaged in what gives their life meaning.
Yes, it is a lot more work.

For a Buyer a great home in an incredible location.  For a Seller and Check and no headaches to look back on.