Suits you sir! Is your dress code your undoing?  

Estate Agents should not all look the same

The Apprentice is back on our screens and I’m sure many of you will be following Lord Sugar’s candidates as they make fundamental business errors on a weekly basis. Of course, with a top-rating TV show come reviews and the irrepressible Jim Shelley writing for the Daily Mail wrote of week one: “Yes it was men against women – or estate agents versus airhostesses as most of them had come dressed as.”

I am not quite sure what Shelley was implying as ‘the boys’, as Lord Sugar likes to refer to them, were wearing suits, not fancy dress costumes.  A suit is a suit – worn across the globe by law professionals, doctors, teachers, bankers and estate agents, among others. To my knowledge there isn’t a particular suit style manufactured especially for the property profession. There’s no sign in John Lewis or Marks & Spencer saying ‘estate agent suits this way’.  Shelley’s remark is quite derogatory, implying that the entrepreneurs had downgraded themselves by looking like property professionals (and air hostesses).

I’ve said a suit is a suit….or is it? Some feel there is a thin line between a respectable, trustworthy well-dressed professional and a smarmy sales guy.  The difference can be as little as the suit the man is wearing.  The property industry is doing its upmost to portray a serious, presentable image and a suit is part of the persona but can a suit be too slim fitting or too cutting edge?  Can shoes be too pointy or too polished? Not many landlords or home movers want a ‘flash man in a shiny suit’ turning up to their property.  Does a slick suit make you look untrustworthy?  And the contradiction? Turning up without a suit makes you look unprofessional and too casual.  Does anyone have the house rules on sartorial elegance in the suit department?

What’s the alternative? Are there any agents who have eschewed suits in favour of the ambiguous ‘smart casual’ dress code?  Is this defined as a long sleeved shirt tucked into jeans with brown leather shoes?  Are country and land agents donning corduroy trousers and checked shirts as they hop into their Land Rover on their way to another valuation?  Is the answer a uniform, like a high street bank?  Or branded ties and corporate-coloured pocket handkerchiefs?  It’s beginning to sound a bit silly, isn’t it?  So what’s wrong with a good old suit?

* Simon Duce is the Managing Director of the ARPM Group, which provides national outsourced lettings and property management services.

 

 

ARPM

Simon Duce is the Founder and Managing Director of ARPM Outsourced Lettings Support - a business designed to help small and start-up letting agents/property managers offer a full suite of property management and tenancy administration services through outsourcing.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

How Long It Takes to Buy a House in the UK: 5 Common Delays That Can Slow Down Your Home Purchase

Wondering how long it takes to buy a house in the UK? The average timeline ranges from 8 to 22 weeks, but even that can stretch significantly due to unexpected delays, especially if you’re a first-time buyer or caught in a chain. That’s why working with experienced professionals like Belvoir — one of the UK’s…
Read More
Love or Hate Rightmove
Breaking News

Rightmove to host Renters’ Rights Bill webinar with Guild of Lettings

Rightmove is hosting a live and interactive webinar session with the Guild of Lettings to help agents get Renters’ Rights Ready. The webinar will take place from 10:00am – 11:00am on Wednesday 23rd April. Susie Crolla, Managing Director for the Guild of Lettings, will be joining Rightmove to help agents with questions they may have about…
Read More
Breaking News

Mortgage completions surged 50 per cent in March amid race to avoid higher stamp duty

March saw highest volume of mortgage completions recorded since September 2021 Homebuyers report now needing an additional £13,530 on top of the property price to cover taxes and fees Three in four have seen housing costs rise, up £126 on average per month Renters’ confidence in their ability to purchase a property within five years…
Read More
Love or Hate Rightmove
Breaking News

Average two-year fixed mortgage rate for 60% LTV now cheaper than five-year rate

The average two-year fixed mortgage rate for those with a 40% deposit (60% LTV) is now cheaper than the average five-year fixed equivalent, the first time this has happened since the mini-Budget The average two-year fixed, 60% LTV mortgage rate is now 4.18%, while the five-year equivalent is 4.19% The gap between average two-year fixed…
Read More
Overseas Property

How UK Property Investors Can Manage Exchange Rate Risk When Buying Off-Plan Overseas

Off-plan purchases are especially common in developing overseas property markets with a high proportion of international investors. In these less mature markets, a significant share of stock is sold directly by developers, making off-plan transactions a natural sales model. These opportunities appeal to international buyers because they typically require less upfront cash due to extended…
Read More
Breaking News

Foxtons Lettings Market Index – March 2025

London rental market gains momentum as new rental listings surge, Foxtons data shows   March saw a 14% increase in new rental listings across London compared to February Applicant registrations rose by 11% month-on-month in March. Year on year, demand was stable, tracking just 2% below March 2024 levels The average rent in March stood…
Read More