Unfortunately, that offer is almost certainly against the licensing board’s rules of whatever state they’re in and could have caused them to have their licensing revoked. So it’s probably good that they never followed through with their offer. A better plan most certainly would have been not to make such an offer to begin with.
I ended up getting the key pendant. I’m also going to make up a gift basket for Eddie and I’ll write up a nice referral letter for her to keep. I’ll need to get a bunch of her cards, just in case I ever run into someone looking for a Realtor. I also like your idea of calling the boss. She does work for an office and since it’s not her name in the name of the company, I’m assuming she has a boss. I’ll definitely send a letter to the owner, letting them know how we feel about her.
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone!!
I see you already got the gift, but I was going to suggest waiting till you had been in the new house for at least a few weeks before getting her anything, just to make sure she really was as great as you thought, and not just bullshitting you. Like the people who bought a house that abuts our back yard, who were told by the realtor that the property was much larger than it actually is. Sorry, that garden you started to plant? It’s actually on our property, as ascertained by your surveyor as well as ours, so you’ll be removing it. Too bad if the realtor told you the property line is actually about 40 feet away from its true location.
Huh. I just sent mine flowers when I bought my house. Now I feel like a cheapskate.
When my father finally sold his house (it took a year, as it was not in a very desirable neighborhood) he bought the agent champagne.
I think a good referral and a pretty good bottle of wine is about the right level.
put me strongly in the “her split of the commission is gift enough” camp.
(if it has been explained here that she was a buyer’s agent without receiving some split of the commission, then carry on!)
muldoonthief : I actually got the key because I love it too so if we decide in the end that she isn’t as good as we think she is, I can keep it for myself. 
You’re way nicer than me. I’d never think to buy a realtor a gift. Nor would I send my financial advisor one, even though he’s made me thousands of dollars over the years. (Of course, he’s my husband, but you get the point.) As others have said, the best gift is referrals.
Invite her to your housewarming party, feed her, and get her tipsy. Maybe even let her win a few hands of Uno.
That was my plan for our realtor, but we never had a proper housewarming party.
My new plan is to invite her to our “5 years in the house” party next year, let her see all the improvements we’ve made and how much more the house is worth now, and then promise that we’ll let her sell the house again someday.
Frankly, I think the realtor should be giving YOU a present. Something for the house… It would NEVER be on my agenda to gift them.
You think of the realtor more like a “friend” now? Really? Unless you refer buyers/sellers to them, you’ll find out that it’s one-sided. It’s their job to be friendly; their livelihood depends on it. But don’t confuse friendly with friendship.
It wouldn’t have occurred to me to by my realtor a gift. He made a mint on a split commission. When I bought my house two years ago, he dropped by about six weeks after the closing (enough time for me to be settled in, I guess) and gave me a gift. A lovely pair of crystal candlesticks. Ten years ago, my aunt’s realtor gave her a barbecue after she bought her house.
I’m amazed at all the comments that Realtors are the ones who buy the gifts. I thought going on HGTV was the only way to get a gift from a Realtor.
Hmm…interesting to note that they then tried to get us to join their pyramid scheme which might have been a “legal” off-spring from their original offer. Thanks for mentioning that.
It’s very common amongst realtors.
All we get from ours are ads in the mail.
Unless I was moving to another city, to be honest, I’ll never use a REALTOR(C)!!!111! again.
See’s chocolates.
I’m pretty sure it’s uncommon to tip a used car salesman. Houses are in the same category.
When was the last time a used car salesman spent 8 hours of his/her Saturday hanging out at your house, helping you to clean?
About two weeks ago, but only for three hours.
Just once. In 1960. For 20 minutes.
/Sorry, had to.