In most professions, what you wear to work can often be an afterthought, not something that has taken careful planning and consideration.
But for an agent, what you wear can sometimes be the difference between whether you win or lose a listing and whether or not you make the sale.
It all comes down to first impressions.
Related articles:
- Why Agents Are Joining Soho
- 11 Traits of a Successful Real Estate Agent
- What You Need to Know About Prospecting
For a vendor, selling their home is a big deal and they want to know that the person representing them and their home is going to be well presented and in turn, present a great first impression to potential buyers.
It’s kind of like the way you present a listing, you want to show it in the best light.
This does not mean that you must wear the latest fashion or even the most expensive, the look you should be aiming for is clean, well presented and simple, professional elegance.
It’s important to remember that a house is often the largest purchase anyone will make in their life and your appearance as an agent can be the difference between having confident buyers and sellers and having a listing that will stay around for months on end.
Of course, this is not the only factor but consider a potential buyer seeing an agent poorly dressed and dishevelled at the door of the property.
Their first thought changes from ‘I wonder what this property is going to be like’ to ‘these owners can’t even afford a decent agent, what’s the property going to be like?’
Everything from your hair to your shoes is up for review so a top to toe approach is best.
What this means in terms of actual attire is largely going to depend on your clientele, the area in which you operate and your target audience.
A general approach is to dress in professional business attire.
For women, a pair of low but stylish heels is best, for men, polished dress shoes.
Of course, if you’re an agent that specialises in selling rural and farm properties, this attire may potentially leave you looking foolish so carefully consider your clients when choosing what is best to wear for your career.
Women should be able to walk confidently in the heels they are wearing so keep this in mind when selecting an appropriate pair of shoes.
Darker coloured business suits are generally considered best and stay away from daring prints.
Consider the fabric of your clothing also, especially in colder and very warm climates. The last thing you want is to be freezing or too hot for that matter as it will affect your confidence and performance throughout the day.
You also don’t want to be the sweaty guy at the front door of the open home…
At the end of the day, your outfit needs to reflect your confidence in your ability to sell the property.
And remember that your outfit should contribute to the first impression of the property, not be the only impression that potential buyers leave with.
