LOSE THAT TIE! Just how do YOU dress for work?

Mirela, I love working at the beach.  For me it is dress pants and a polo type shirt almost daily.  My ties and dress shirts are saved for church!

Most of the time, I'm business casual...nice dress pants and shirt/sweater combo or a jacket...heels or no heels depending...there are times though when I'm out showing horse property or land that I definitely wear jeans and my clean paddock boots....you never know what you'll be stepping in at the farms! lol

I always try to wear a full suit for the first face to face appointment.  It shows them that I take this seriously and usually puts me a notch above any other agents that they may have already spoken with or met with.  After that it depends on the client.  I have had clients tell me several times to stop the suit and tie thing, but a lot of times I have appointments right after meeting with them or right before.  Settlement day is a definite time to dress your best!  I can't tell you how many times I have been to settlement and had the other agent show up in attire that is just completely unprofessional and looked like they just stopped doing yard work to come to settlement.  Come on at least clean yourself up for PAYDAY!  I have even had the other agents clients make comments about how well I looked compared to their agent.  When they are ready to sell will they call their old agent or the one who impressed them?

Most of the Time i'm dressy/casual... heels or flats either one... and yes when i'm showing farm property i'll wear my boots and blue jeans... and i'm like you if i know the clients personality i try to dress right...

I am also in 2 resort areas. Vancouver Island and Bucerias, Mexico and casual is the norm. However like you say, one needs to dress for the situation. Board room would be shirt and tie, beach lots would be shorts and sandals.

Even jeans will be fine.  When I do not feel like putting slacks on, I start off by apologizing for my blue jeans by saying I had to put up a couple of listing signs prior to coming over.  I hope you don't mind....

I don't live in a resort community, but I do live in a laid back environment.  I have asked the same question here on AR and the response that I liked the best was to dress one step better than your client.  So if your client wears jeans and a t-shirt, put on a designer pair of jeans and some great shoes!

Hi Mirela,  Resort destination here also.  Most of our customers come in off the beach so the agents usually wear shorts, golf shirt and casual shoes.  Yes, one does wear socks with his shorts !  Flip-flops ?  Na way !

I try to stay with nice pants or skirt. Never jeans or sweats. I do see agents meeting clients like that or showing property, but I do not feel that shows that I am a professional, and that I take my job seriously. We are far from any resort destinations, so casual just doesn't seem to be appropriate.

It depends on what market you're in. We typically like to dress casual but a tie is necessary in some situations. Know what kinds of clients you are catering to.

In a new agent real estate class a wise teacher told us to dress one step up from the client

So if my clients are in shorts & flip flops  I try to wear a skirt & sandals I do agree I do dress for the client on a listing appt. I want them to feel comfortable

I agree with the above comment, but I do live in Maryland, in what I would consider a fairly conservative area where there are a lot of government workers who do dress up for work.  I would not consider showing property in jeans unless it was a really good friend and we were friends before being client/agent and I would wear dark, nice jeans, heels, and a blouse or blouse/jacket.  I will dress up even with clients that I know are going to wear shorts and a t-shirt because I think it says something about your professionalism.  I hear Realtors sometimes talk about how they want to be compared to lawyers or doctors but if you present yourself in a t-shirt and jeans, I have a hard time feeling a professional vibe.  I do understand the cases above where there is an understood dress code like in a resort area or Hawaii though.  If an agent is in Maryland/VA and similar areas, I would absolutely say at a minimum business/professional dress, suit and tie to settlement, if they want to be seen as a serious professional.

My office has a dress code...having said that though, I try to dress appropriately for each client.  I work with many young first time buyers, and wearing jeans is more in line with what they identify with.

I never get any more casual than "business casual" I hate when people come in the office in Shorts or Jeans.. it just isnt professional enough.

If I know the client, I will step down to no tie... Dress pants and a button down. But for the most part if I am meeting a client I will wear a tie.... I have stepped back and dont wear a suit that often, (almost never in the summer) but Dress pants and a tie are a staple...

In the office w/o appointments... no tie.  But always a collared shirt!

Mirela,

I have not worn a tie on a regular basis for quite some time.  I did not even wear a tie for the Corporate position I use to hold unless it was a board meeting.  I dress depending on the weather and client.  If I am with an investor and we are looking at investment property it is going to be jeans and polo.  If it is a normal day then it is slacks or khaki's and loafers and either a polo or button down.   The only time I would wear a tie is for a Preview's listing appointment.  Around 1 million.

The only time I have ever worn flip-flops to the office is when I am 'hiding' and not meeting clients or attending an office meeting.  I love dresses, skirts and high heels but only own one suit which I have worn maybe 3 times.  I am not big on the cold though so my winter wardrobe is mostly pants and a sweater, not all that exciting.  The heels I love to wear unless I know I will be showing property because I sunk into mud once with good heels on and that was one time too many.