The 2017 Buyer’s Guide For The Real Estate Agent In Your Life
The holidays are rolling around once again, and you might be finding yourself in a quandary that you’re unsure how to get yourself out of. Every year when the holidays are near, you may be the one who waits until the absolute minute to buy your gifts, unprepared and generally unhappy since you felt so rushed. Or you could be someone who buys extremely safe gifts that you know are sure to impress.
But what if you had the perfect guide to help you find a gift that shows you really understand the person you’re shopping for?
The best gifts are always going to be the ones which require a little thinking. They have a little more meaning if you gift something that will get daily use or if it’s something that has been on the receiver's wishlist for some time.
For those of us lucky enough to have hard working real estate agents in our lives, they need some love, too, and finding the perfect gift can be a challenge. Fortunately, here’s a great buyer’s guide for every budget and gift if you’re trying to make a real estate agent smile this season.
1) Year subscription to floor plan software
Price: $2.99/month - $199/year
No two rooms are created equal — well, maybe some are — and creating floor plans can be an annoying manual process. With recent advancements in AR (augmented reality) there have been tons of new apps and tools to emerge that bring futuristic innovation and modern day utility together.
With just a smartphone, a real estate agent with a subscription to MagicPlan can easily create floor plans with an incredibly easy-to-use interface. In case the yearly subscription is on the verge of scaring you away, here’s a video of the software in action.
2) Subscription to a popular home improvement magazine
Price Range: $10 - $60/year
For real estate agents, one of the most critical parts of the sale is staging a house where they put finishing touches on a home for presentation to potential buyers.
Staying current with interior design trends are huge if renovating a home, not to mention if the home being sold had a large renovation project before put up for sale. From choosing the right paint colors to kitchen countertop materials, a subscription to one of these top magazines will help a real estate immensely.
3) A gym membership
Price Range: $10/month - $300+/year
Without suggesting that the real estate agent in your life needs to lose weight, staying in shape is going to play a huge role in their mental health. They work hard all year round and keeping fit will their mind sharp so they can continue to do their thing for years to come.
4) A vintage or luxury watch
Price Range: $200 - $5,000+
When an agent is showing a home, they need to look clean, polished and exude confidence. But they probably already have a closet full of work attire they like, so what do you get these folks that can help show they’re both successful and have a good sense of taste?
Answer: a vintage or luxury watch.
With a variety of styles, prices, and materials to chose from, there’s a whole world of options to find the right watch for your real estate agent. And yes, these items can be pretty pricey, but there are times to find discounts. For the week of Thanksgiving, your best bet for Black Friday watch deals are going to be with retailers that specialize in luxury watches.
5) A tool kit
Price Range: $15 - $75+
There are a few sacred things a real estate agent should always keep in their car; one of those is to have a handful of solid hand tools for those rare occasions where they need to jump in and fix something. Some agents go so far as doing all the repairs in a home they’re selling, but that’s not everybody.
Every once in awhile, an agent may find they need a wrench or hammer on standby. This is one of those opportunities where you can step in and give them a half-decent tool kit.
6) A digital tape measure
Price Range: $20 - $70
One of the staple pieces of gear that a lot of real estate agents have on hand is a tape measure. They’re used throughout the entire process of evaluating, renovating, and eventually selling a home.
Your real estate agent may have his or her “old faithful” that’s provided years of service, but perhaps it’s time they’re in desperate need of an upgrade. To get them a tape measure that will be sure to put a smile on their face, you simply can’t go wrong with a highly efficient digital tape measure.
7) A Chromebook by Acer
Price Range: $215 - $250
When it first came out, Google’s Chromebook had a lot going against it since it was one of the first major laptops to be manufactured without a Microsoft or Apple operating system preloaded on it. The thing is that Chromebook is supported by Google’s amazing family of products from email, to spreadsheet and other document creation tools.
The reason why a Chromebook is so good is that you can get great build quality from Acer Chromebooks without the huge sticker price of its Windows and Macbook cousins. Real estate agents are always on the go and need reliable technology to support them in the field, and the Chromebook will do just that at a great price.
8) A Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Price Range: $950+
After the launch of Apple’s divisive iPhone X, and thousands of people dissatisifed with the Google Pixel 2, The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 stands to be one of the finest mobile devices to come out this year.
The number of features are too long to list, so here’s a review of the Galaxy Note 8 from popular YouTube channel Linus Tech Tips:
The important things to remark about the Note 8 are its camera and screen size. The camera is superb and the screen is perfect for folks who are always working on the go; a perfect combo for real estate agents.
9) A jump starter
Price Range: $40 - $170
It’s hard to think about a real estate agent’s day to day grind without considering how much time they spend in their cars. Which is why a few select gadgets can be meaningful gifts for these folks.
There’s nothing worse than finishing up showing a house to a new home buyer in the dead of winter, only to find the car won’t start. A jump starter is great to have in general, but they can be a real lifesaver for an agent who is always working out of their car. Not to mention, if the potential buyers are having car troubles as well, a jump starter will make the agent look like a real hero.
10) A plug tester
Price Range: $5 - $30
This isn’t necessarily a fun gift, but it’s another staple that any good real estate agent will always have with them. Checking outlets will give them an idea of what electrical repairs are needed, which will probably go into consideration for overall costs to sell the home. This is a good stocking stuffer, but that doesn’t mean you should go on the cheap.
11) Bluetooth enabled lockbox
Price Range: $40 - $150
Bluetooth seems to be everywhere nowadays, but in many cases, it’s a pretty good idea to implement new technology if it has its uses. For real estate agents, lockboxes are one of those everyday use items that they run into, but just wanted to make sure it works.
Fortunately, Bluetooth enabled lockboxes are becoming more common and add an extra layer of security. This one from Master Lock allows multiple users for permanent or temporary access, and it will send notifications if there are any tampering attempts.
12) A decent drone with video camera
Price Range: $100 - $600+
If there has been one technological advancement that should be considered as a real game changer for real estate agents, it’s using drones to film and photograph the property when putting together the listing on multiple digital platforms.
They’re easy to use and create fantastic videos to help sell the property since they should look good on every social media platform. They can be a steep initial investment, but it’s well worth the consideration since this may be the best gift you get your real estate ever.
Conclusion
The holidays are a time where gift giving can be just one way that we express how we feel about the people in our lives. But this holiday season, this gift guide should give you a few ideas on what to shop for this year with the real estate person in your life on your mind.
