So much of our confidence as professionals is derived from the clothes we wear and the way we present ourselves. Real estate professional attire comes with a unique blend of flexibility and freedom. The perfect real estate agent outfit conveys the message that you’re the authority without intimidating the client or making the client believe that you don’t take your job seriously.
Real estate agents are able to enjoy a certain amount of freedom in the way they dress. On days where you’re working from home, there’s nothing wrong with staying cozy in your favorite pair of sweatpants. When you’re out and about, put together an outfit that will speak to your preferred clients.
How To Match Your Outfit to Your Market
Real estate isn’t the same across the board. You’ll be working with different types of clients in different types of areas. The right real estate agent outfit will match the locale and your intentions.
Selling Luxury Properties
If you’re selling luxury properties, you need to project the image of luxury. Tailored garments give the appearance of luxury, as do accessory pieces like high-end watches and designer shoes. Luxury real estate agents often spend much more than the average real estate agent on outfits for work.
You don’t need to go bankrupt stocking your closet full of high-end fashion. Pick a few designer pieces you can mix and match in a neutral color like black. You can piece together luxury outfits by rotating your tops and bottoms. This is especially easy to do when all of your luxury pieces were made by the same designer or and came from the same collection. Additionally, check out your local consignment stores for deals on the hottest designer brands.
Big Cities
Big city real estate agents typically wear business-formal attire round the clock. Attire doesn’t usually need to be flashy or designer, but it should clearly translate as professional. Big city real estate agents tend to dress like lawyers or bankers, as they fulfill similar roles.
Small Towns
Small town real estate agents usually have a little more freedom in the way they dress. Business casual outfits tend to work well for the suburbs and rural areas. People who live in smaller towns are generally less compelled by formality. They’re down to earth, and they want to work with a real estate agent that matches their energy.
Vacation Destinations
If you’re selling vacation homes or resort condos, wear business casual attire with a twist. If someone is buying a home near their favorite snowboarding destination or on a beach, a real estate agent in a stiff suit takes away a lot of the allure and relaxation they feel when they’re in their happy place.
Pair a business casual outfit with a designer ski jacket, or wear a collared shirt with a fun print under your lightweight blazer. The key is to dress like you live where they vacation.
1. Stay Chic in Monochrome
If you’re one of those people who doesn’t really like the fuss of dressing yourself, it’s better to pick outfits that are less adventurous.
Purchase business casual separates in all black, all tan, or all gray, and make sure the tone matches. Buying coordinating separates will ensure that you don’t wind up with a dark gray jacket and light gray pants.
You can make your outfit a little more fun by choosing a pastel button-down to wear under your jacket or incorporating something like a fun tie or statement necklace. It’s easier to choose one piece to add interest to your outfit than it is to try to work creatively with every piece.
2. Choose a Colorful Piece and Work Around It
Some real estate agents have a power color. They feel their best when they wear blue, red, or even pink.
Pairing a colorful business casual dress, blouse, or business casual shirt with a neutral blazer or neutral slacks gives you a way to express your personality without your outfit reading as “too loud” for the room. Your blazer will tone things down a bit.
3. Wear Denim When You Can
A great pair of jeans is usually regarded as business casual attire. In fact, they’re the backbone of casual Friday. There may be a time when the clients you’re working with would be far more comfortable working with a real estate agent that wears nice jeans with a blouse, button-down, or blazer.
Millennial buyers and sellers may appreciate the more relaxed atmosphere of dressed-up dark wash jeans instead of slacks. Buyers and sellers of rural properties, particularly if those properties are agricultural, might be put at ease by a real estate agent in jeans.
Denim can communicate the message that you understand their lifestyle and their values, which can reaffirm the idea that they made the right decision when choosing to work with you.
4. Wear Some Sneaky Pants
If you’re working long hours, walking around properties, and getting in and out of cars all day, you probably cannot wait to crawl out of your work pants the moment you get home.
Thankfully, women in real estate have options. Several clothing brands have created yoga pants that look and function exactly like business casual pants. Buttons and tight waistbands won’t constrict you all day or leave imprints on your hips. You’ll look like every other agent who works for your brokerage, and the comfort will be your little secret.
5. Try a New Neckline
V-neck, scoop neck, and boat neck blouses and button-downs are a little more interesting than the standard business casual top. A unique neckline can turn an otherwise run-of-the-mill outfit into something a little more special. As long as the neckline isn’t too revealing (i.e., exposing an excessive amount of skin), it translates as a fashionable touch.
In the cooler months, consider a v-neck button-down cardigan instead of your traditional blazer. This unisex fashion tip makes business casual outfits a bit more exciting without breaking the mold.
Your Mindset Is Just as Important as Your Outfit
You could be dressed the best you’ll ever look, but that won’t matter if you aren’t projecting the optimism, drive, and confidence that your clients want to see. The best outfit won’t overcome the wrong mindset. Make sure you feel good about the way you’re presenting yourself and the work you’re doing.
Harris Real Estate University offers comprehensive real estate coaching programs that encompass everything a real estate agent needs to know to be successful. We offer market-tested strategies and proven lead generation systems, as well as information about getting in the right mindset.
You can work with a Harris-certified coach to practice your pitches and feel more comfortable with your own voice. Match your outfit with your personal strength.
Sources:
Can You Wear Leggings to Work? | The Atlantic
A Quick Guide to Professional Dress for Men and Women | Emory University
