What to Wear as a Female Real Estate Agent?
Real Estate Bees’ editorial team surveyed the industry’s leading real estate agents who shared insight on female realtors’ wear. Our experts share the real estate agent dress code for women and provide suggestions on what should a female real estate agent wear for professional and casual engagements.
With the help of the experts, we recommend 13 must-have realtor attire items for women in professional and casual styles. Visiting retailers of the listed products by clicking links within our content may earn us commissions from your purchases, but we never receive any compensation for the inclusion of products and/or services in our consumer guides. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about our review and rating process.
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What clothing and accessories are essential for female real estate agents?
What Is the Real Estate Agent Dress Code for Women?
Your attire speaks volumes about you as a real estate agent.You want it to convey that you are a highly qualified professional that clients can trust.
That begs the question, “What should a female real estate agent wear to look the part?”
The simplest answer is in the form of an important dress code rule: Consider your target audience and dress to the setting.
You can use the business-casual style as a starting point. But you’ll want to adjust your look to be more business or casual to emulate your market.
Dress the way prospective and current clients do or expect you to.
For example, you’ll want to wear full business attire daily if you work in an upscale market. When showing a farm in the country, you would dial down the formality and up the practicality.
By mirroring client dress and matching the situation, you manage perceptions and help clients feel more comfortable with you, making it easier to build rapport.
Also, you’ll most likely make your best first impression and instill confidence in prospects who will see you as a real estate professional who understands and respects them.
When I have polled experienced real estate agents, a high percentage recommend dressing the way the prospective clients dress. I call it “mirroring and matching.”
When a Zillow comment board asked how real estate agents should dress, answers from several commenters included “it depends on the area of the country.”
In resort communities, for instance, most agents wear semi-casual clothes.
The type of property, weather, or client determines what to wear as a real estate agent woman. Always have a change of clothing ready when the situation requires it.
I want my client to feel like I respect them and view them as a partner, so I try to anticipate how they will be dressed and how they will feel when they see me.
Overdressing for the situation or the income level of your client can alienate them and make them feel like you’re showing off or trying to seem better than them.
On the flip side, dressing too casually could convey that you don’t really care about earning their business or respect.
The more you can anticipate the situations you’ll encounter and specifically dress for those situations, the more it conveys to the client that you know what you’re doing and that they can trust your judgment.
How to dress like a real estate agent woman? A realtor should wear something that is comfortable and weather-appropriate. Something that represents them and the services that their real estate brokerage offers.
I advise my agents to dress professionally every day unless their clients are very casual.
With the help of our experts, we listed down some of the basic realtor clothing and apparel. Agents should have them in their closet to dress for success whether in a casual or professional setting.
Add these to your items of must-have realtor products, or keep in mind as gift ideas for fellow realtors during special occasions.
13 Essential Female Realtor Attire Items
1. Plain Dress Pants
Smart separates like plain dress pants are a basic building block for sophisticated outfits. You can easily mix and match them with other pieces for a look that’s in tune with the situation.
A tailored fit makes you look most refined. Solid, conservative colors are perceived as traditional and the most business professional.
When showing real estate investors downtown condominiums, female realtors could wear a more sophisticated outfit of black pants, shirt and jacket, and clean, polished shoes.
2. Casual Skirt
A cute skirt gives you an alternative to dress pants and can be more comfortable in summer. Watch the length and fit, though.
A straight cut that isn’t too snug and a knee-length hemline help you project a business persona while showing off your feminine side.
3. Pantsuit/Slacks/Wide-Leg Trousers
As a matching ensemble, a well-fitting pantsuit epitomizes professional attire. Wearing one sends a subliminal message that says, “I’m capable, focused, and trustworthy.”
Classic business colors score high on the formality scale. But you can still dress the part in softer shades suitable for warmer seasons or where it’s temperate all year round.
4. Dress Capris
Dress capris are versatile and ideal for spring and summer. Pair them with a classy blouse or your real estate team logo shirt and stylish shoes to elevate them to the high end of the business-casual spectrum.
Also, pay close attention to the length and cut. Aim for the sweet spot that’s most flattering and businesslike.
5. Button-Down Blouse
Dressy tops are a must, and a button-down blouse is a classic you can swear by for always looking put together.
You can wear it with dress pants, a skirt, or a suit and easily transition from business casual to a more formal appearance. And solids and conservative prints work equally well.
If you want to present yourself as a successful female real estate agent, you should dress professionally, with a blouse/dress shirt or button-down blouse, paired with dress pants/skirts.
The way we present ourselves elevates how our profession is perceived. If we go the extra mile, we can convey our level of service and let our clients know that they can always expect the best from us.
6. Plain Shirt
It’s a smart idea to have some no-frills shirts among your wardrobe staples. Some female realtors wear them in summer as a substitute for a button-down blouse.
And you can always reach for one in semi-casual scenarios. Either way, stick with a modest neckline and avoid flashy colors.
You can also consider wearing creative real estate agent T-shirts which can help generate leads when worn outside the workplace.
7. Sundress
Conducting business is a lot more comfortable in a sundress when temperatures soar. And doing so is a summer standard in most places.
Be mindful of the style so that you don’t look overly casual. Avoid sheer or clingy fabrics. Also, shy away from distracting colors and patterns.
Hot summer weather allows for dress shorts and dresses as a woman realtor’s attire.
8. Blazer
Blazers are classy and dressy. So you can strike the perfect balance between professionalism and style when wearing one. You can also elevate less formal attire.
The key is to choose the most fitting fabric and color for the occasion and season and to ensure that it fits you impeccably.
9. Sweater
High-quality knitwear is a key piece of an autumn and winter wardrobe. Pullovers and cardigans are excellent alternatives to blazers when layered with a blouse underneath.
You can also do the opposite and swap out your usual tops with pullovers and turtlenecks to vary your outfits without breaking the business-casual mold.
10. Jacket
You’ll want a jacket or two on hand to protect you from the elements, so you can present your best self no matter the weather. Plus, you can seamlessly transition when seasons change.
As outerwear, your jacket layers the rest of your outfit. So, choose the length, style, and material that best completes or upgrades your look.
11. Boots
With a pair of good boots in your closet, you’re ready for times when dress shoes are an ill-fitted choice. Snowy days in areas that get winter weather as one example.
Another is when the utility of your footwear is paramount for safely showing properties such as wooded lots and those with hilly or uneven ground.
I do a lot of mountain properties that have rougher terrain. So, I would not wear high heels in this instance. I would wear some sort of boot.
12. Flat or Low-Heeled Shoes
Dressy flats and low tapered heels let you be professional yet comfortable on days when you’re running around. So say, for instance, when you do open houses, walkthroughs, or showings.
Pointed-toe styles can pump up professionalism even more. So can simple styles.
I believe that it is important to dress professionally and conservatively in most situations. When going to a lot of showings, I wear comfortable shoes.
13. Closed-Toe Pumps
According to image consultants, pumps are perceived as the most professional footwear for female realtors. The caveat is no sky-high heels and color slightly darker than your outfit.
Closed-toe pumps also work for nearly all occasions, and you can easily change in and out of them between appointments if you need to.
If I’m showing move-in-ready homes where we’ll be expected to protect the flooring, I’m sure to wear shoes that easily slip on and off.
Do Successful Female Real Estate Agents Always Dress in Suits?
Suits aren’t an everyday requirement to be a successful real estate agent. Instead, it’s more about wearing them when it’s appropriate.
For example, if you were to ask, “What do female real estate agents wear in major metro areas?”, the answer would generally be a suit. It’s about image and area norms in this case.
A photo of you wearing a suit is among must-have real estate headshot ideas. On your website and in print marketing materials, you need to present yourself in a professional look even if you dress more casually daily.
On the other hand, there are times when suits are just not necessary.
You don’t need to put on a suit to spend the day pushing paper in the office (unless the brokerage policy specifies otherwise).
If you’re meeting with younger or progressive clients, they may feel more at ease if you’re not suited up. And if you’re in an area where suits are an oddity (like when selling a farm or an oceanfront vacation house), you can leave yours at home.
For female real estate agent headshots, a realtor should be as professionally dressed as they feel comfortable. If an agent typically wears a suit and tie, then a suit and tie makes sense to wear for the photo.
Should Female Realtors Wear Jeans?
The sight of a female realtor in jeans doesn’t raise as many eyebrows as it used to. And, in fact, there are some situations where they can be a more appropriate choice than other attire.
For instance, casual clothes may be the mainstay of wardrobes in a rural area where you could look overdressed or too highbrow in business attire. An outfit with jeans may serve you better.
Also, If your market includes ranchers of any description, you’ll be surrounded by buyers and sellers in western-inspired clothing. So donning jeans and cowboy boots makes perfect sense.
Then too, jeans and a plaid shirt signal that you understand the lifestyle if you’re selling farmland. And the choice to do so is much more practical for walking and showing the land.
Selling ranches requires jeans, western shirts, and cowboy boots.
Remember, giving a good first impression is a must whether you’ve been in the business for so long, or just starting your real estate agent career.
Wearing appropriate realtor attire is the best way you can market yourself as a reputable real estate professional.
Keep this in mind when you’re mapping out your next steps after getting your license, or you simply want to elevate your realtor wardrobe.
Make sure to also read our other articles on the topic:
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