an a lender give a real estate agent note pads with the lenders name on it?
Yes. Such note pads with the lender’s name on it would be allowable as normal promotional items. However, if the lender gives the real estate agent note pads with the real estate agent’s name on it for the agent to use to market clients for its real estate business, then the note pads could be a thing of value given for referral of loan business, because it defrays a marketing expense that the real estate agent would otherwise incur.