There certainly are regional differences in protocol and whilst Bermuda shorts and a Tommy Bahama shirt might be de rigueur in, well, Bermuda, they certainly can't pass for a showing in Manhattan.  That said, regional and cultural differences aside, I think there has been a substantial lowering of the real estate industry's sense of class and professionalism over the past few decades.  Despite my example, this is hardly relegated to dress.

Anyone that reads blogs here or elsewhere at all knows that REALTORS may be the largest trade organization in the nation, but real estate agents as a whole are also one of the most maligned and disrespected professions in the country.  That's pretty sad, since few people in this country have not used a real estate agent at least once for a purchase or sale of a home, or even a rental of one.  Perhaps if the industry were a little more professional, in so many ways, this would not be the case. 

I subscribe to the Internet Crusade group's (Saul Klein's gang, the guys that do the e-Pro designation) RealTalk Digest.  There was a debate that must have gone back and forth for two months recently about dress code alone as it related to professionalism in the real estate industry.  I should note that there was certainly no consensus of opinion on what really constituted professional dress, not even close.

Our own beliefs and lifestyle aside, there are an awful lot of people in this country that seem to wish things were more like they used to be, and I don't think proclaiming a dedication first and foremost to Jesus is a part of most of their opinion bases.  My life companion, angel, and I wear formal hats when we are outside.  No, it's not just a Jewish thing, it's a gentlemen thing.  You might have heard of a gentleman - or perhaps you (or your parents?) can even hearken back to the days of Carey Grant and the like, when men wore hats (and so did women) and gloves, and suits, even when they were digging up someone's back yard to bury something (like a body - yes, even the murderers had class back then!).   Back to the story, those in their 40s, 50s and older smile and often compliment us on our hats, whereas those in their 20s and 30s have told us we look "peculiar".  That last comment came specifically from a whore who lives in our building, is a medical doctor, and runs around looking like a two bit hooker.  To quote a line from a movie of a younger generation (Ferris Bueller's Day Off) "I weep for the future."

Getting away from just the dress thing, how about not cussing all the time on the phone, does that really make you cool, or as "powerful" as Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's "Wall Street"?  Here's another - return any phone calls or emails you get, even from the competitor you don't like, within 24 hours.  If you can't do that for everyone, at least do that for all your clients and prospects.  For some reason this seems a rather foreign concept to a lot of people in the business, especially the younger generation (the 20 somethings and 30 somethings).  Here's yet one more - show up to all your appointments five minutes early...not 15 (that, too, is rude) and not one minute late, but just in time to be settled down in case the person you are meeting with is ready on time.  And can anyone really say they think it is professional to go into a meeting just after they finished sucking down a cigarette? 

One last one I can even say I'm guilty of having to fight myself at times in the days of the mobile phone - when touring with one client, is the next client or prospect really so much more important than the one you are with that you have to take their phone call in the middle of someone else's sentence?!

So many people today seem to want to make endless promises, but deliver rarely.  What ever happened to under promise, over deliver?  It's a very simple concept, a combination of managing expectations and just plain old being true to your word.  I can speak from more experience than my years should indicate that this will save you an awful lot of explaining when things go wrong and you can't meet expectations, because clients, even other agents, will not believe that it was your fault (even if it was). 

Here's another I'm adding after the original blog post:  is it so hard to say "thank you" and "you're welcome"?

This topic is one that could fill a book, so I saved most of the filler for people to comment, because I just wanted to throw out a few starting point peeves of mine as it relates to professionalism.  Being professional is something of a lost art, if you will, to me, and one that could sure stand a good strong comeback.