Today I was thinking about how important it is to look good in real estate. A lot of people would disagree with me and emphasize that merit alone makes all the difference. I wouldn’t disagree totally with them, but I found myself looking for permission from somebody to tell me to floss a little bit.

Nobody gave it.

I grew up somewhat financially conservative with a father born in 1950 who was very money-conscious and thrifty. So for me to do something like buy a luxury vehicle felt very against my nature. I couldn’t justify doing it, but it seemed like it was becoming more and more important to my business. Part of that is the obsession and delusion around making a substantial purchase that’s inherently not needed. But still.

To the person who says that this idea isn’t important, I would ask whether they would be willing to attend a listing appointment wearing blue jeans with the knees worn out of them and the bottom backs of the pant legs torn and tattered. This isn’t to say the whole business is about looking good, because it’s not. But this does have its place.

We want to make a strong impression. The public isn’t totally aware (if at all) of the statistical reporting from your MLS. Even when competitors publicize it, the consumer is still going to intuit someone’s success from outward things that aren’t necessarily true indications.

Dress sharp, feel sharp, play sharp. This simple notion has been critical for me in the business. I used to dress to the nines. In a fairly rural marketplace, it was what I would now consider over the top. But I felt like I was really on my game, and at the time being really new at this, that was important to me.

I still dress well and wear a collared shirt if I know there’s a chance I’ll be face-to-face with a customer or a client. To some degree, I’m managing their impression of me, but more importantly and practically, I feel good, I feel sharp, I feel like I’m on point. If I don’t have a mostly clean shave, if I’m wearing gym clothes, if my car is filthy or dirty on the outside, I’m not going to feel as confident walking into an appointment or having that interaction in the coffee shop I didn’t expect to have.

Feeling confident is important for us because real estate is a people business, right?

So, I always dress at least pretty well when I go out. And definitely when I go to work. I can’t tell you how many people have made a comment about how “business must be good” and “must be selling lots of homes” because of the car I drive. It puts me in a position of strength rather than feeling insecure — especially around clients or colleagues (the other agent in the deal) that have significantly nicer vehicles.

We have to feel strong in this business. This is an easy way I influence the way that I feel when I’m out there in the trenches.