Real Estate Outfits for the Style Conscious Agent

So much of real estate relies on appearances—you want to show pristine photos in your listings and keep the interiors and exteriors of your properties neat and clean during showings. And, of course, as an agent you want to represent yourself as confident and experienced through your chosen real estate outfit.

There’s not set rule when it comes to real estate fashion trends. The most important goal to keep in your mind is to look professional while still appealing to your market. To help you get started, we’ve collected real estate fashion tips from agents across the United States.

So, if you’re struggling to figure out what to wear to your showings this year, let us point you in the right direction!

Real Estate Outfit Tips

Appeal to Your Market

You may think that you always have to dress in a $2,000 suit to be taken seriously, but if Silicon Valley CEOs have taught us anything, it’s that appealing to your market and winning listings is most important when it comes to your appearance. After all, Mark Zuckerberg negotiates billion dollar deals wearing jeans and a pair of tennis shoes.

But that’s not to say you can be lazy with your wardrobe. Every choice you make should be deliberate.

Here’s what real estate agent Brian Shepard has to say about appealing to his market in New Orleans over a city like New York or Los Angeles:

“The dress code for real estate agents in New Orleans is different than it would be in LA or New York. New Orleans’s atmosphere is more casual and agents can wear more relaxed clothes.”

New York City isn’t all prim and proper, however; Caliber Associates licensed real estate salesperson Amelia Sargent knows how to show off her personality even while sticking with a more traditional real estate outfit.

“The old fashioned ‘power suit’ is a thing of the past,” Amelia says. “There’s a way to blend professionalism with your own unique style. I like to wear funky jewelry or fun shoes with neutrals and a blazer.”

Amelia points out that there are two mainstay pieces in any real estate agent’s wardrobe:

“The black blazer is your saving grace; you can pretty much wear anything under it and be okay … Also, anything looks better with nice shoes—if you can only choose to invest in a few things, get a nice pair of shoes and a tailored blazer.”

Real estate broker Andrew Hasdal also believes in the power of shoes:

“Shoes make all the difference in the world. People notice them.”

Andrew also understands the importance of dressing up and dressing down depending on his audience:

“Seeing as I primarily show condos and homes in the city of Chicago, I generally wear either a suit/tie combo or dress pants/shirt/tie, and most of my clothing is tailored. However, this may be out of place if you’re showing rural properties or inexpensive apartments: you’ll look out of place or even intimidating to a client which may make them feel less at ease.

But dressing down is never an excuse to look unkempt.

Above all else, you should always look put together, well groomed, and wearing clean clothes,” Andrew says. “This shows your clients that you take your career seriously—that you will take the same care of a listing you have, and lastly, it will give the right impression to other agents. Unless you’re a seasoned veteran in the industry or can drop real estate knowledge like no other, if you’re dressed like a slob, other agents will notice and will take advantage of it.”

Adapt to the Seasons

As much as they would like to, real estate agents don’t live in a weather vacuum; they have to adapt their wardrobes with the seasons just like everyone else. So, how do they keep up appearances while the snow starts to fall, or when the sun becomes brutally hot?

For Amelia, winter solutions are easy:

“It gets so in New York City during the winter— but it’s almost easier to dress in the winter because you can wear anything under a nice coat or sweater and look fine.”

Andrew also believes in the power of coats:

“Fall and spring are my favorite because I can wear my best attire, not sweat, and I don’t need a coat. In winter, I’m wearing the same attire but with a fitted overcoat. No matter what you have on underneath, an ugly coat can kill any impression you want to give with your attire.”

It’s harder to wear your favorite real estate outfit in the summer months since you can’t just throw on a heavy coat and be protected from the elements. That’s when you must be more creative in what you wear, combining style with comfort.

Andrew gets through hot days wearing “more casual pants and a polo on especially hot days” instead of his more tailored suits and ties. But these options are still presentable and show off his professional style, which is why even on the hottest days, he will never resort to wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

Amelia combats the harsh summer temperatures with “ankle pants and looser fabrics.”