What I Keep in Every Closing Gift (And Why)

The first closing gift I ever gave was a bottle of champagne and a card I'd handwritten in the car. The client cried. I overcorrected for years after that, sending elaborate baskets that nobody really wanted. Then I overcorrected back.

What's in the box now: a good local olive oil, a small jar of salt from a producer in Julian, a hand-thrown ceramic mug from a studio in North Park, and a one-page printed map of the new neighborhood with my favorite walks, coffee, and groceries circled in pencil.

That's it. Four things. The map is the part nobody else does, and it's the part clients keep on the fridge. Six months later, when they're hosting their first dinner party in the new house, they pull it out for guests.

If you're a referral source — and most of my business is referral — the gift goes to you too. Same box. Same map, customized for your block. That's not strategy; it's just the way I want to do this work.