Most people don’t need to think that hard about what they wear to work. They might have to wear a specific uniform, or they might need to adhere to a specific dress code. But as a real estate agent, you’ll have almost unlimited flexibility in what you wear and when you wear it – and at the same time, your fashion choices can have a dramatic impact on the development of your career.
How are you supposed to dress as a real estate agent?
Why Your Fashion Matters
You already have your real estate license. You’re an educated, professionally dedicated expert in this field. So why does your fashion matter?
- First impressions. Whether you like it or not, how you dress and how you look will play a role in determining people’s first impressions of you. If you’re meeting a client for the first time, or if you’re just attending a networking event, your professional image will precede you. Dress well enough, and people will instantly begin to trust and appreciate you. Dress poorly, and they may not want to listen to you, even if you have significant expertise to share.
- Marketing and advertising. Your fashion will also impact the effectiveness of your marketing and advertising materials. In real estate marketing, agents typically include professional headshots of themselves; the right fashion choices can instantly elevate how people see you and help you attract more people to your brand.
- Consistency and image. It’s also important to dress consistently for the sake of maintaining your image. Whenever people interact with you, you need to reassure them that you’re taking your job seriously and that you’re remaining true to your professional values.
Tips for How to Dress as a Real Estate Agent
So what actionable tips can you follow to dress better as a real estate agent?
- Know your audience (globally). First, understand your audience. If you’re trying to sell luxury real estate to wealthy individuals, you should dress in the finest apparel you can afford. If you’re trying to sell farm land to people used to rural living, it may be perfectly acceptable to wear jeans and a nice shirt. Your goal isn’t just to look like a successful real estate agent; it’s to look more relatable and genuinely connect with your audience.
- Know your audience (individually). It’s also a good idea to know your audience on an individual level. You may be selling luxury real estate to a wealthy investor, but that investor may be exceptionally laid back and casual; if so, it may behoove you to dress more casually.
- When in doubt, go conservative and neutral. If you’re not sure how to dress in a given situation, err on the side of dressing conservatively and with neutral colors. Save your fashion statements for an opportunity where you know they’re going to be appreciated.
- Display your success (without being obnoxious). On some level, people will begin to judge your success based on how you look. If you purchase luxury brands, your clothes are custom fitted to you, and you’re wearing expensive jewelry, people will assume you’ve made a lot of money, and therefore that you know what you’re doing. Just don’t be obnoxious with these upgrades.
- Compensate for your age. Young real estate agents sometimes have difficulty establishing trust with new clients; that’s because there’s a bias against young agents. Young agents are often seen as inexperienced and unknowledgeable. If you’re a young agent, you’ll need to find a way to compensate for this, adopting a different hairstyle, style of dress, or professional demeanor to make yourself seem older.
- Have clothes for all weather. Real estate agents are expected to show up to appointments regardless of what’s currently happening with the weather. Accordingly, it’s a good idea to have wardrobe options for any conceivable set of weather conditions, including rain, snow, excessive heat, and bitter cold.
- Be ready to make wardrobe changes. You’re probably going to be interacting with the same clients over and over again, touring different homes and having different conversations. Because of this, you should always be ready for a wardrobe change; don’t simply wear the same thing for every occasion.
- Tend to the little details. Don’t forget about little details related to your appearance. Keep a small grooming kit with you that includes a mirror, breath spray, nail clippers, scissors, floss, and other tools designed to help you polish and perfect your image before going into a meeting or a professional opportunity.
There’s no single dress code for real estate agents, because different situations will demand different approaches. If you’re still having difficulty choosing what to wear in the course of your career, consider talking to a boss or a mentor about the best options available to you.
