How Luxury Real Estate Brokers Are Making a Splash with a Gift That Gives Back Where It Matters Most
From a seller’s perspective, the real estate market is thriving, with high demand and low inventory driving home prices to record highs. As this seller’s market holds strong, it presents a challenge to realtors and brokers, who must find ways to stand out from the competition.
Real estate is a relationship business, and real estate brokers know that gaining a client’s respect and trust often translates to referrals and repeat business. To develop and grow relationships with new clients, it’s crucial for a realtor to leave each client with a positive impression. The right closing gift can accomplish this goal, but finding that gift can be daunting.
The ideal closing gift is both memorable and personal, and COUP Champagne raises the bar on both counts. COUP sources small-batch craft champagne from family-owned champagne houses in the Champagne region, and the company’s sleek, high-end packaging is customizable. “I think it’s really hard to deliver a gift and have the recipient say, ‘Wow.’ And that’s what we do,” says Ryan Tu, COUP CEO, “Part of it is the time and attention we put into sourcing great champagne and presenting it with a minimalist aesthetic. But the more meaningful part is that every bottle and gift set is personalized with a message and graphics that are unique to that occasion, which means that recipients know this was not some last-minute Amazon delivery, but a carefully considered and customized gift.”
When someone receives a bottle of COUP Champagne, they notice and appreciate that personal touch. “Knowing that someone put some thought into their gift is special in our mass-marketed consumer world,” says Tu.
As a closing gift, COUP Champagne commands attention, while providing realtors with an exceptional branding opportunity. Nicole “Nici” Ten Hoeve, the Director of Operations at Ten Hoeve Realty Group, recently started giving her clients COUP gift cases, which include a bottle, flutes, and a saber to smash the bottle open. She says, “What’s really great about this product is that not only can I give a client something that captures that memory of this moment when they’re making one of the biggest investments of their life, but I can also market myself moving forward with our brokerage logo on it.”
COUP offers realtors the ability to include a custom architectural engraving on the bottle, and Nici Ten Hoeve finds the process very easy. She sends a blueprint rendering of the client’s new home to COUP by email, and within 24 to 48 hours, the team sends her a mockup of what the bottle will look like. She says, “I order this product as soon as I know closing is happening, and we get the item approved and at my doorstep within five to seven days… For a small business like this to be able to turn around a luxurious, sleek, high-end gift in less than a week is phenomenal.”
COUP’s growing popularity in the real estate industry inspired the company to launch a new philanthropic campaign. For the remainder of 2021, the company is donating 5% of all sales of real estate agent closing gifts to Habitat for Humanity in support of affordable housing. It’s a cause that holds special meaning for Tu. “Affordable housing is a huge problem in the Bay Area where I grew up and in many parts of the country. The American dream of working hard to own your own home is extremely difficult in these areas, and I feel more needs to be done than ever before.” Tu has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, and says, “I believe in their model of helping those who help themselves. And knowing that every champagne celebration with our closing gift supports a family who is still working hard for their dream feels pretty good.”
In COUP Champagne, real estate brokers have found a way to differentiate themselves in the industry, and with this new initiative, they have yet another reason to give COUP as a closing gift with a purpose their clients will also appreciate. They will be giving back to an organization working to boost affordable housing and looking towards ending the homeless crisis — and that’s worth raising a glass.
Ready to make a difference at your next closing? The Real Deal readers can get a complimentary design for their closing gift by emailing concierge@