To complete a gift of equity, the home's seller must get an official appraisal. A gift of equity is the sale of a residence to a family member or someone with whom the seller has a close relationship.I'm buying a home from my mom, part of this will be a traditional mortgage and the rest will be a gift of equity from her. A gift of equity occurs when the home seller agrees on a price significantly lower than the home's appraised value. The gift represents a portion of the seller's equity in the property. A gift of equity allows a property seller to "gift" part of their equity to the buyer. It's commonly used in family property transfers or sales.