Real estate deal toys: the building itself
Most deal toys record the terms. This one is the property: a miniature of the building, small enough for a desk, starting from one photo or the architect's rendering, with the deal in raised letters on its base if you want it.
One piece or one for everyone at the table, on a lettered base or without. We reply by email. From $99 a piece without a base.
Why the building makes the deal toy
A deal toy marks a closing for everyone who worked on it: the sponsor, the lender, the brokers and counsel. On a property deal, the one thing every party shares is the building.
A miniature of it says which deal it was at a glance. It carries no firm's logo, so it suits every side of the table, and it sits on a desk or a shelf where clients and colleagues ask about it.
Deals it suits
Any deal where the property is the story.
- Acquisitions and sales of a single building.
- Developments, from the architect's rendering before the building stands.
- Refinancings and recapitalizations of a property the team knows well.
- Leasing milestones, like a headquarters lease or a building reaching full occupancy.
On a lettered base
The building can stand on a slim base in the same matte white, with two short lines in raised letters: the project or the deal, the amount, the date. Nothing is painted on, so the piece stays one color.
Short lines read best, under about 25 letters each. Put the wording in your quote request, or ask for a plain base, or none.
The Washington, D.C. office building on a lettered base, nine inches tall with the base and held on one hand. The wording is an example. Generated picture. 
The city hall on a lettered base, at the largest size, nine inches long with the base. The wording is an example. Generated picture.
At the closing dinner, and on the shelf after
Hand it over at the closing dinner or on stage at the awards night, then it goes home to a desk or a shelf. Without a base, it is the building alone.
Handed across the table at a closing dinner: the Washington, D.C. office building, nine inches tall. Generated picture. 
Presented on stage at an awards evening: the Indianapolis warehouse block, nine inches long. Generated picture. 
The city hall at seven inches long, small enough to rest on one hand. Generated picture. 
The Indianapolis warehouse block in a lit shelf niche, beside three books, nine inches long. Generated picture.
Which photo to start from
One photo is enough. The examples below show what carries through from a photo and what is left off.
- One building per photo. Crop out the neighbors, or tell us which building you mean.
- A corner view that shows two sides beats a straight-on front.
- For a building that is not finished, use the architect's rendering, not a photo of the site.
- Signs and logos on the building are left off, along with cars, poles and wires. Any wording goes on the base.
- Glass, metal and brick all come out in the same matte white.
Examples, not orders. In each pair the photo comes first and the preview made from it second. Every photo and drawing here is in the public domain.
A brick mill on a canal in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The windows and the arches at the waterline carry through; the water and the far buildings are left off. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. 
An office building in Washington, D.C. The round corner tower and the balconies carry through; the street, the lamps and the cars are left off. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. 
A modern office building in northern Virginia, mostly glass. The glass comes out matte white, with the grid of the windows kept. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. 
The Cannon House Office Building, from the air. An aerial view works too: the courtyard carries through, and the crane and the neighbors are left off. Photo: Architect of the Capitol, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. 
An architect's drawing of a city hall proposed for New York more than two centuries ago. A rendering works for a building that does not stand yet. Rendering: Benjamin Henry Latrobe, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. 
A warehouse block in Indianapolis. Two buildings in one photo become one piece; the poles, wires and painted sign are left off. Photo: Nyttend, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Ordering for the deal team
One piece, or one for each party and each member of the team. Request a quote with the building, how many pieces, the date of the closing dinner or the awards night, and the wording for the base. We reply by email with the price and the timing.
One piece or one for everyone at the table, on a lettered base or without. We reply by email. From $99 a piece without a base.
Timing
The quote gives you the timing before you commit to anything. If the pieces are for a dinner or an awards night, put its date in the request.
How it works
Send one photo
A photo of the building or the architect's rendering, with how many pieces you need, the date and any wording for the base.
Get a quote
We reply by email with the price and the timing.
Say yes, and it is made
Nothing is made or charged until you approve the quote. Each piece ships with tracking.
Sizes and prices
| Size | Longest side | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Up to 4 in | $99 |
| Medium | Up to 5 in | $189 |
| Large | Up to 7 in | $269 |
| Grand | Up to 9 in | $399 |
Prices are for one piece without a base. A lettered base and sets are quoted. Every size is measured on the longest side. A wide building comes out lower, a tall one narrower.
Questions and answers
- What is a real estate deal toy?
- A keepsake for the people who worked on a property deal, given to mark the closing. Many are clear acrylic blocks with the deal's details inside. A miniature of the building is the other kind: the property itself, small enough for a desk.
- Can it carry the deal's details?
- Yes, on its base: two short lines in raised letters, in the same matte white as the building. The project or the deal, the amount and the date fit well. Or leave the base plain, so the piece suits every party at the table.
- Can you make a building that is not built yet?
- Start from the architect's rendering: a perspective view of the whole building, with nothing standing in front of it. Attach it to your quote request.
- How many can I order?
- One, or one for everyone at the table. Put the count and the date in your quote request, and the quote gives you the price and the timing.
- What is it made of?
- Engineered ceramic, in a matte white finish, finished by hand. It is smooth and cool to the touch.
- What if it arrives damaged?
- Tell us within 14 days of delivery with photos and we remake it free.
Request a quote
Send a photo of the building or the architect's rendering, how many pieces you need, the date, and the wording for the base if you want one. We reply by email with the price and the timing. Nothing is made or charged until you say yes.