Your client bought their house in 2019. If they're typical, they won't sell until around 2030. When they do, four out of five sellers call exactly one agent.
Your Christmas gift is one of the few chances you get to make sure that agent is you. That's why the pie is the wrong gift.
The short answer. Give every past client one useful thing with their household name on it, not your headshot. An engraved mug or tumbler at $27 to $40 gets used every morning for years. A pie is gone by Boxing Day, and food gifts are only half deductible. For 25 or more households, order by November 20.
By Chen Deng, founder, LAMOSE, Calgary, Alberta
Why the Christmas gift matters more than the closing gift
The closing gift thanks a client for a deal that's done. The Christmas gift is for the next one, which could be ten years away.
The National Association of Realtors' 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers puts numbers on that gap. It's a US survey, but the pattern holds for anyone who lives on referrals:
- Sellers had owned their home for a median of 11 years, a record high.
- 66% of sellers used an agent they were referred to or had worked with before.
- 80% of sellers contacted only one agent.
- 91% of buyers said they would use their agent again or recommend them. Only 18% of repeat buyers actually went back to the agent they'd used before.
That last pair is the whole problem. Nearly everyone likes their agent. Few of them remember the agent's name a decade later. Your December gift has to cover that gap.
Pop-by gifts compared
Search for realtor Christmas gifts and you'll get Etsy listings, Pinterest boards and TikTok videos. The usual ideas are pies, popcorn, cookies, candles and branded calendars. Here's how each one does against that 11-year wait.
| Gift | How long it lasts | Tax treatment (Canada) | What they see |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pie, cookies, popcorn tin | A day or two | Food: counts at 50% under ITA s.67.1 | Your tag, until the recycling goes out |
| Restaurant gift card | One dinner | Food: CRA treats it as a food expense, 50% | Nothing after the meal |
| Candle or ornament | One season | Not food: normal business-expense test | Maybe your card, stored with the decorations |
| Branded calendar or fridge magnet | One year, if it goes up | Not food: normal business-expense test | Your face, which is why most go in a drawer |
| Mug or tumbler engraved with their name | Years of daily use | Not food: normal business-expense test | Their name every morning, your name on the back |
Food gifts aren't a bad idea because they're food. They're a bad fit for a job that takes a decade.
Put their name on it, not yours
A magnet with your headshot is an ad. People put ads in drawers. A mug with "The Nguyens, Est. 2021" on it belongs to them, so it stays on the counter where guests see it.
That's also where your referrals come from. In the same NAR survey, 43% of buyers found their agent through a friend, neighbour or relative. The gift is doing its job when a guest picks it up and asks where it came from.
What to engrave, in order of how well it works:
- The family name and the year they moved in. The best choice, because it marks something that happened to them.
- Their street name or the house's coordinates. Good for buyers who love the neighbourhood.
- First names only. Fine for couples and singles. It works less well for families.
If you want your brand on it, put a small logo on the back. At LAMOSE, engraved names and text are free on every piece, and a laser-engraved logo adds $2.
What to send, by budget
Pick one gift for the whole list, and step up only for the handful of clients who've already sent you business.
| Budget per household | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Under $20 | Winnwell hockey puck, $17.99 ($8.60 each at 50+) | A real official puck with their name on it. It suits hockey families and costs little across a long list |
| $25 to $30 | Peyto 12 oz mug, $27 | Used with the morning coffee, so it gets seen at the same time every day |
| $35 to $40 | Grouse 16 oz tumbler, $35 | Goes in the car and to the rink. Wide mouth, easy to clean |
| Referral clients | Emerald 16 oz, $40 | Our 316 stainless tumbler. Save it for the people who have already sent you someone |
For a couple, one piece with both names beats two matching ones. It's the one they'll keep on the counter.
What the tax rules say
If you're self-employed, client gifts are a business expense. Two rules decide how much of it you deduct.
Food and drink count at half. Section 67.1(1) of the Income Tax Act deems any amount spent "in respect of the human consumption of food or beverages or the enjoyment of entertainment" to be 50% of the lesser of what you paid and what's reasonable. The CRA's (now archived) bulletin on that rule treats a restaurant gift certificate the same way. A $30 pie is a $15 deduction.
Everything else follows the normal test. A non-food gift falls outside section 67.1. It has to be spent to earn business income and be reasonable in amount. A $35 tumbler for a past client is a modest, ordinary business gift. Keep the invoice and a list of who got one.
This is general information, not tax advice. Your accountant decides how it applies to your own return.
When to order
December pop-bys run into two walls: busy carriers and clients leaving for the holidays. Aim to drop off or deliver in the first two weeks of December, then work backwards.
| Your list | Order by | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 25 households or more | Friday, November 20, 2026 | Artwork proof, then 5 to 10 business days on the laser, then shipping |
| Under 25, names only | Friday, December 11, 2026 | Personalized cutoff for delivery before Christmas |
| Pop-bys in person | Three weeks before your first drop-off | Leaves room for one round of changes to names |
If you're not delivering in person, we can ship each gift to the client's door with your note inside. We can also send the whole run to your office. Orders of three or more come in a gift box.
We've seen the late version of this. One client-gift note from December 11, 2019 ended: "This is a client gift, and we are hoping to have before xmas!" That's cutting it close for a whole list.
Plan your client list
Send us the list of names, how many, and whether you want your logo on the back. We'll send a proof and a delivery date in writing. See the holiday gifting options.
Frequently asked questions
What are good Christmas gifts for realtors to give clients?
One useful thing with the household's name on it, delivered in early December. An engraved mug or tumbler at $27 to $40 gets used every morning for years. A pie or a popcorn tin is gone in a day.
Do real estate agents give gifts to past clients?
Many do, usually as a December pop-by. It makes sense. In NAR's 2025 survey, 66% of sellers used an agent they were referred to or had worked with before, and 80% contacted only one agent.
How much should a realtor spend on client Christmas gifts?
Plan on $25 to $40 per household for your whole past-client list. Spend more only on the few clients who send you referrals. Give everyone else the same thing.
Are realtor client gifts tax deductible in Canada?
Food and drink gifts count at 50% under section 67.1 of the Income Tax Act. A non-food gift falls outside that rule, so the normal test applies: it has to be spent to earn income and be reasonable. Keep the receipt and the list of who got one. Your accountant has the final word.
Should my logo go on a client gift?
Small, on the back, if at all. Put their name or their street on the front. With their name on it, it stays out on the counter. With only your logo, it goes in a drawer.
When should realtors order client Christmas gifts?
For 25 households or more, order by Friday, November 20, 2026. For a smaller list, order by Friday, December 11, 2026. If you are doing pop-bys in person, order three weeks before your first drop-off.
What is the 5 gift rule for Christmas?
It is a family budgeting rule: give one thing they want, one they need, one to wear, one to read and one to do. For a client, you only need the "need" one. Pick something they will use every day.
Every past client already has a coffee mug. Give them the one with their name on it. Your name will be on the back when they sell.
Sources: National Association of Realtors, 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers (US). Income Tax Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 1 (5th Supp.), s. 67.1(1). CRA Interpretation Bulletin IT-518R, para. 17. LAMOSE holiday terms at lamose.com/holiday, checked September 27, 2026.
Send your whole client list one gift that stays out
Send us your list and we engrave each household's name, add your logo on the back, and send a proof with a delivery date in writing. Order by November 20 for 25+ households.
Plan a bulk order Shop gifts
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