"You are judged 93 percent by how you look and act, and seven percent by what you say." Diane Craig, President of Corporate Class Inc. and a leading image and etiquette consultant, provided this shocking statistic.
It takes seconds to make a first impression; it can never be changed. And research shows it takes between 20 and 30 seconds for home buyers and sellers to decide whether to hire you as their Realtor. A good first impression is essential in the real estate business where confidence and trust need to be rapidly established.
Sharon Black, a Real Estate Consultant with Re/Max Kelowna in Kelowna, B.C., sums it up, “As a Realtor, people are assessing you from the minute you meet. If you don't connect in the first few minutes, it can affect whether the person determines to work with you or not. Often you do not have the opportunity for a second chance. Therefore it is imperative to dress appropriately and carry yourself as a professional, clean and neat.”
Exhibit a Professional Image
Certain things are a given to portray a professional image. For men, a pressed shirt and pants, the right jacket, a smart tie, polished shoes, and minimal yet appropriate jewellery such as one ring and a nice watch. A stylish briefcase rounds out the outfit. Women need to wear clothes that are tailor fit but never too tight. Skip the bling – keep jewellery to a minimum. Keep the make-up to a minimum as well. Consider limiting the amount of fur and leather you wear. Both sexes should be well groomed with appropriate hairstyles, not too much perfume or cologne, and clean fingernails. Notice how most successful people look good.
Diane Craig explains, "We are part of a society that expects a certain level of polish to project credibility. The better dressed you are, the more sophisticated you appear and the more believable you are."
Mary-Ann Pelletier, Fine Homes Specialist with Prudential Toole Peet Real Estate in Calgary, shares her thoughts, “For me it is all about client sensitivity. When you wake up in the morning, you need to think about what you are selling that day. If you are selling condos downtown, professional attire is appropriate. If you are visiting a builder in the country, nice jeans and hiking boots may be more appropriate. It’s all about client sensitivity; you can’t wear a ball gown to a hoe-down.”
Pelletier continues, “If you look in the mirror and have second thoughts about what you are wearing, change it. Common sense is vital here. If you lack confidence in your common sense, err on the side of being too professional.”
As an extension of your personal wardrobe, your mode of transportation should reflect the impression you want to make. While you don’t need the newest car on the market, choose one that reflects the image you are trying to portray. Keep it clean. Even a 2007 BMW 650i Cabriolet loses some of its panache when your client sits in a puddle of ketchup. It isn’t just a house or piece of property that you are selling; you are selling yourself. Extend the same care to your office that you give yourself and your vehicle.
Sharon Black shares another bonus of dressing well, “If you know you look good, you feel good. Looking good and feeling good within yourself strengthens your positive attitude and your outward appearance is affected. People generally smile more, seem more sincere and focus better. Looking and feeling good can give you that extra boost of confidence as well as enhancing the professional look we all strive for.”
How you look and what you wear tells your clients more about yourself than you realize. If you are not sure if your image is up to par, consider consulting an image coach.
Consider an Image Professional
Catherine Graham Bell of Prime Impressions, one of only 14 Certified Image Professionals in Canada and the author of Managing Your Image Potential: Creating Good Impressions in Business, explains her challenge, “The real estate market is a difficult market for image consultants to advise because most agents think that they have their image well in hand. In fact, the owner of one of the most successful agencies in my area recently polled his agents to ask if a workshop on how to work a room and image strategies would be of interest, and they declined.”
Bell continues, “Although agents dress well, they may not be aware of the many strategies that they can use to look or act more powerful or approachable, depending upon the requirements of the situation. Also, if the agent's image does not command the total trust of the client, when problems arise in closing the deal, the client may be less patient, more demanding, etc. Image management should be part of any successful business person's strategic plan.”
Toby Welch - Toby is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in magazine articles, online writing, e-books, and manuscript editing.
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