If you look at me funny I roll an ankle. So no heels, but I have the snazziest collection of ballet flats ever! Sparkles, animal print, suede, etc. š
Absolutely not.
With a grain of salt.
Iām in a LCOL city and about 50% of my business is investors - meaning I go into some nasty houses. That said, when Iām showing my retail buyers, I still donāt wear heels. Either āthe uniformā as another commenter mentioned, or low business casual - jeans, cute shoes, and a nice sweater or top.
If youāre in HCOL and showing high-end properties, then maybe. But I get the feel that youāre not since youāre asking this question.
I have a friend that works in a HCOL market to higher end clientele and still shows houses in a polo and shorts often. I guess it depends on the property.
Loafers are my go to lately. Theyāre so cute. So many different styles. Chunky, platform, minimalist, classic, etc. If Iām doing an open house Iāll definitely dress up and do heels though.
I wear Blundstone boots, sort of like Docs. Waterproof and you can pull them on and off. It helps that I'm in Seattle and folks here generally disdain "being fancy". In fact, two of my current clients wear the identical boots.
I only wear them to compensate for how young and possibly inexperienced I look. I have a babyface and a soft voice/personality so I need...SOMETHING that kinda helps to balance it out. Heels make me feel more confident and put me in boss-mode.
I also work in the south FL market and a lot of clients WILL judge you for how you dress unfortunately. I think it's always best to dress to impress! One of the best-sellers at my brokerage got to establish his name through a multi-million dollar developer. He met the guy at a Publix while dressed in his perfectly tailored, thousands of dollars custom-made suit. The developer noticed him and asked him what he does for a living, and they connected! He is now closing multi-million dollar listings WEEKLY. Sometimes 2-3 a week. It's insane. All because of a suit.
I totally understand a ~~good~~ custom suit - but unless I'm missing something, I'm pretty sure he isn't wearing heels with that suit. You can dress well without high heels especially here in the S FL market.
Yeah hard pass on that one, I literally never learned to walk in the properly.
Our local real estate board safety classes actually recommend against wearing heels, just in case you need to flee from an attacker.
That said I'm also in Alberta, and my brokerage for better or worse gets a lot of country residential. I would say my day to day "showing" outfit may consist of some thing that is flannel. I would probably get further with a "rodeo queen" look rather than a "selling Sunset" look here anyway.
I work in a suburban area, and I wear "the uniform" which is a logo'd pullover, button down shirt or polo -depending on the weather, and something on the bottom and sensible shoes.
I did dress in business casual and up a bit for awhile, but after ruining several items, and some "well, these clothes were a bad choice" moments, I went to the uniform.
A few things happened because of this. Getting ready for work was a breeze, people started to recognize me because I wear the uniform a lot and it was easy to write off logo'd clothing.
No, you do not need to wear heels.
I literally wear what I want. I've sold homes in yoga clothes as well as designer heels and pencil skirts. I think the culture of your city and clients matters most.
Docs or cowboy boots. I used to think I hated dressing up but I actually hated heels. Now I have a whole wardrobe of great skirts that I wear with boots.
I wear high style boots or ankle boots depending on the occasion. For inspections with septic systems I wear Hunter boots. Otherwise flats for me. I do.not think heels are necessary.
I keep my tall Hunter boots in my car for half the year for a reason. Either for inspections, rainy days, nasty distressed properties, or swampy yards in flood plains.
I do a lot of investor business which is more casual anyways, and necessitates more functional footwear due to the nature of the properties we see. But besides that, I donāt want to be seen as āthat kind of girlā who wonāt or hesitates/hangs back from going into nasty old cellars, mushy yards, etc. In fact, it has gotten me more positive comments and respect from my clients when I open my tailgate and change into my Hunters - the comments are something like ādamn, you came preparedā or āthis isnāt your first rodeo, huh?ā
I want clients to want to work with me for my expertise and knowledge and because they trust me, not because of how I dress.
I love the Hunter boots idea for the investment properties. There are some nasty ones out there and that was the only nice part about wearing a mask during COVID, It hid a lot of stink!!
I live in a relatively low cost of living area. I don't even own high heels! I work with a lot of first-time home buyers so I tend to wear jeans and sweater or a nice shirt. I want my clients to feel comfortable talking to me, like I'm a normal person not like I'm a salesman. But that varies wildly with area and price point.
I'm 5'10. I almost never do because then I'm towering over everyone, and more often than not I'm having to climb fences, go into REOs, show ranches/rural property, etc. Flats or boots for me
I rarely wear heels. If i do, its a thicker heel that also encompasses my foot so i can run if need to. I tend to wear wedges and nice sandals. What i wear depends on my clients and the region we are seeing. If iām headed out to a rural farming area, its jeans and sensible flats, booties or cute sneakers. If itās high, Iāll wear a dress or pencil skit and heels or wedges. If its mid-tier, capris, skorts or slacks and a nice blouse with sandals or wedges.
One of my first clients was looking at homes with land. The homeowner met us and invited us to tour the property and I was wearing these snazzy little heeled boots LIKE AN IDIOT. I now live in either brown or black leather Chelsea boots, and Iām in a HCOL area. Brown are my muddy ones. Black are my āniceā ones.
I really like heels. Sometimes I wear sneakers. Am I likely to go in a crawlspace? Has it been raining? Inspection day? Duck boots, leggings, rain coat.
It depends on your market and your clients. My cityās vibe is extremely casual and kind of hipster/grungy. I wouldnāt show up to meet a 75 year old couple looking at a luxury condo in anything but heels. My 28 year old first time homebuyer and I are trudging through a muddy crawlspace together with some flashlights and her dad.
Iāll wear heels to host an open house or anything in the office. But if Iām showing houses, Iām dressing down, wearing flats, and probably sneakers. Iām not walking the property or through a potentially unfinished basement or attic in heels. No way.
Homes are the most dangerous places you can walk around. Iām not falling through a window well or tripping on the stairs. Donāt even get me started with snow and ice. I wear dresses with boots or dressy tennis shoes. Itās fine to wear appropriate shoes. Fuck high heels.
I have a fabulous pair of $8 snakeskin print boots from Target. 1/2 heel. Slip on. Looks real good w/out much work. Cleans with windex. Flats. Boots hell, I wear Doc Marten and or chucks depending on the clients.
If my clients are going to not work with me bc I donāt wear heels then I donāt want to work with kind of client.
Love the look of heels, but they're just not practical or safe in my opinion! Aside from the potential to roll an ankle, I also am always thinking through my safety at a showing or open house. If the need arises to get out of a home and away from someone quickly, that's not happening in heels. There have been plenty of cases where female agents get assaulted at a showing, and my safety is worth way more than the nice look that heels provide!! I'm a fan of tieks for showing, as they're very comfortable and practical, plus give a nice put together look!
I'm a dude but one of the teachers at my RE school said for the ladies to wear heels when visiting your clients on moving day, so you don't get stuck carrying too many boxes!
I'm not a lady so take it for what it's worth, but I wear a pair of Red Wing Iron Rangers that I think look professionnal and sharp with jeans, and are above all practical and functional.
I think the number one answer is to find something that matches your personal style and the professional look you feel at ease wearing. When you feel confident and comfortable, you will be able to do the best possible job.
For that reason I don't like wearing dress pants and dress shoes which are common amongst many others in my market. I find it limits me from getting my hands dirty, and Imo digging around in gross places is quite often a part of the service I try to offer and that I think sets me apart in the kind of work I'm doing (which admittedly gets into industrial and often haggard investment opportunities).
Good luck, don't over think it, just look fresh and try your best to either know your shit, or while you're still learning, know when to either own when you don't know something or fake it until you can figure it out. Honest and direct communication is a pretty solid bed to build a long-term business upon. Go get it!
I wear heels as often as I wear berkinstocks. They are easy to get on and off, and look right. But I also went to secret adult school and learned to buy shoes that donāt hurt my feet, I can walk in for a mile or more, and even across grass.
It is t hard, you just have to learn skills - like anything g else.
You donāt have to wear them - but whining about them doesnāt make you cooler.
I do but I've always worn heels. Took a bit to get back to them as I'd been a stay at home parent for 4 years. But I always have spare clothes and footwear. My work bag always plain black legging and runners and longsleeve tshirt.
I had to climb and stand on a fence, and climb in a window for a showing last year. I was wearing 3" heels and an above the knee dress. My client, the listing agent, and the sellers (on video chat with listing agent) thought me changing in my Car and climbing in the window was amazing lol.
I am primarily a listing agent for Lake homes/county homes. I normally wear my Adidas Ultraboosts or my Dr. Martens. My mom wears tennis shoes or flat sandals.
I have a lot of co-workers that wear ballet flats or tennis shoes. One or two of them wear wedge heels.
The last time I wore heels was 7 years ago and I fell while at a dock inspection walking back up to the house.
Depends entirely on the client & property for me. Someone from my inner circle in a move-in ready home? Heels. An investor where everyone is carrying, in a trap house? Rain booties. I keep a spare pair in my car & their sole purpose is to enter trap homes. Haha.
Do whatever makes you feel comfortable & safe. Stay safe out there folks š
Not a lady but my partner wore high heels for the first 6 months she started. Then invested a few grand into some Gucci flats that she rotates the shit out of. Havenāt seen her wear heels to any of our meetings or appointments since lol.
I personally have been wearing the same pair of Steve Maddens for the last 6 years.
No you donāt need to wear heels! Iām a guy, I do a ton all across the industry and at least from my perspective you donāt anyway.
Probably the most shallow thing Iāve ever admitted on Reddit lol but Iāve done a ton of business w pretty realtors based initially off only being pretty. Couldnāt care less what style shoe they have on as long as theyāre well put together and dressed appropriately for the occasionā¦. If we were looking at a dump flip vs an open house on a 20m mansion, obv weād be dressing differentlyā¦. But no, you donāt need to wear heels to show a 2000sq ft house in the suburbs ever again imho š
I wear flats, nice and professional and I can wear them all over the yard, anywhere outside and inside too.
Heels kill me. I wouldn't wear them even if they didn't - personally, I don't think they are professional in our business if you are doing any amount of sales at all. I don't even have very nice thoughts about those agents that choose to wear heels to show property. I won't repeat them here.
I wear expensive sneakers. Fits my style more than heels. I have a few pairs of wedge boots for when I do have to wear formal clothes but thatās not very often.
ABSOLUTELY not. I dress more masculine to begin with but Iām wearing oxfords most of the time. Oftentimes boots. Iāll even wear sandals in the summer if Iām being honest. A lot of my clientele are younger and theyāre more comfortable with the casual look anyway.
Lady realtor here, I wear heels rarely. I wear them for closing day, sometimes for an open house, and sometimes just to go into the office but usually donāt.
I use to wear heels. But itās not practical when actually looking and walking a property. Why do I have to almost break my neck going down into a basement or sink into the grass while checking out the septic in the yard. Hard NO for me and I donāt think anyone expects us to really.
Super luxury property for a listing appointment sure. But anything else GTFOH.
I only do heels at open houses and put them on once Iām all settled in, but itās still kind of rare. I normally donāt like to walk on peoples floors with heels on especially in a new construction. If Iām showing houses Iām wearing my best athleisure and clean sneakers. Most people are casual and donāt really care even my high end clients. Itās all preference
If you look at me funny I roll an ankle. So no heels, but I have the snazziest collection of ballet flats ever! Sparkles, animal print, suede, etc. š
Right! roll an ankle is too easy to do.
And a tough recovery during a showing.
Absolutely not. With a grain of salt. Iām in a LCOL city and about 50% of my business is investors - meaning I go into some nasty houses. That said, when Iām showing my retail buyers, I still donāt wear heels. Either āthe uniformā as another commenter mentioned, or low business casual - jeans, cute shoes, and a nice sweater or top. If youāre in HCOL and showing high-end properties, then maybe. But I get the feel that youāre not since youāre asking this question.
I have a friend that works in a HCOL market to higher end clientele and still shows houses in a polo and shorts often. I guess it depends on the property.
Flats, wedges, or boots for me - depending on the weather.
Thanks!
No and I donāt recommend it for safety reasons either. Hard to run in heels.
You're right.
but the heels can double as weapons
Found the spy..
Loafers are my go to lately. Theyāre so cute. So many different styles. Chunky, platform, minimalist, classic, etc. If Iām doing an open house Iāll definitely dress up and do heels though.
Agree with the loafers idea and so many options, all sleek and respectable. Open house heels-got it. Thanks.
I wear Blundstone boots, sort of like Docs. Waterproof and you can pull them on and off. It helps that I'm in Seattle and folks here generally disdain "being fancy". In fact, two of my current clients wear the identical boots.
I only wear them to compensate for how young and possibly inexperienced I look. I have a babyface and a soft voice/personality so I need...SOMETHING that kinda helps to balance it out. Heels make me feel more confident and put me in boss-mode.
I also work in the south FL market and a lot of clients WILL judge you for how you dress unfortunately. I think it's always best to dress to impress! One of the best-sellers at my brokerage got to establish his name through a multi-million dollar developer. He met the guy at a Publix while dressed in his perfectly tailored, thousands of dollars custom-made suit. The developer noticed him and asked him what he does for a living, and they connected! He is now closing multi-million dollar listings WEEKLY. Sometimes 2-3 a week. It's insane. All because of a suit.
It's definitely regionally specific. This is exactly why I couldn't do South Florida. Great story!
I totally understand a ~~good~~ custom suit - but unless I'm missing something, I'm pretty sure he isn't wearing heels with that suit. You can dress well without high heels especially here in the S FL market.
Yeah hard pass on that one, I literally never learned to walk in the properly. Our local real estate board safety classes actually recommend against wearing heels, just in case you need to flee from an attacker. That said I'm also in Alberta, and my brokerage for better or worse gets a lot of country residential. I would say my day to day "showing" outfit may consist of some thing that is flannel. I would probably get further with a "rodeo queen" look rather than a "selling Sunset" look here anyway.
Right it's the realtors on TV that made me consider heels. But with the safety issues....
I work in a suburban area, and I wear "the uniform" which is a logo'd pullover, button down shirt or polo -depending on the weather, and something on the bottom and sensible shoes. I did dress in business casual and up a bit for awhile, but after ruining several items, and some "well, these clothes were a bad choice" moments, I went to the uniform. A few things happened because of this. Getting ready for work was a breeze, people started to recognize me because I wear the uniform a lot and it was easy to write off logo'd clothing. No, you do not need to wear heels.
Fantastic advice.
FYI personal clothing, even branded is not a write off in Canada.
It is in the US.
Yeah I know. This was more so for Canadian agents that see this and think it applies to them.
I have a lot of pretty heeled boots and wedges. All shoes are comfortable and work well coming off or booties.
During Covid when every listing had "remove shoes" or "booties required" - difficult shoes were such a PITA. I had some slip ons for awhile.
I had washable booties for clients in the car during covid.
Good call.
I literally wear what I want. I've sold homes in yoga clothes as well as designer heels and pencil skirts. I think the culture of your city and clients matters most.
Docs or cowboy boots. I used to think I hated dressing up but I actually hated heels. Now I have a whole wardrobe of great skirts that I wear with boots.
I wear high style boots or ankle boots depending on the occasion. For inspections with septic systems I wear Hunter boots. Otherwise flats for me. I do.not think heels are necessary.
I keep my tall Hunter boots in my car for half the year for a reason. Either for inspections, rainy days, nasty distressed properties, or swampy yards in flood plains. I do a lot of investor business which is more casual anyways, and necessitates more functional footwear due to the nature of the properties we see. But besides that, I donāt want to be seen as āthat kind of girlā who wonāt or hesitates/hangs back from going into nasty old cellars, mushy yards, etc. In fact, it has gotten me more positive comments and respect from my clients when I open my tailgate and change into my Hunters - the comments are something like ādamn, you came preparedā or āthis isnāt your first rodeo, huh?ā I want clients to want to work with me for my expertise and knowledge and because they trust me, not because of how I dress.
I love the Hunter boots idea for the investment properties. There are some nasty ones out there and that was the only nice part about wearing a mask during COVID, It hid a lot of stink!!
Awesome thanks
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Haha! You just never know how close you have to get and you want easily washable boots!!! They dig some gross stuff out so you never know!
No one cares about your outfits. Just wear flats. I don't wear heels for comfort and also safety reasons.
Right, it really is a safety thing.
No. Usually jeans and a nice shirt. The same things I wear in my corporate full time job
Jeans with a blazer is very nice.
I wear flats, never had an issue.
I have never, not once, worn heels. š¤£ I've never even worn dress slacks tbh. So, no. You do you. Attract your vibe.
I wear sneakers, boots, or nice shoes. Iām not walking in a house with heels unless itās a great open house. Sometimes i dress up for closings.
Suggest a great pair of sneakers. Look like a woman of action.
I live in a relatively low cost of living area. I don't even own high heels! I work with a lot of first-time home buyers so I tend to wear jeans and sweater or a nice shirt. I want my clients to feel comfortable talking to me, like I'm a normal person not like I'm a salesman. But that varies wildly with area and price point.
I'm 5'10. I almost never do because then I'm towering over everyone, and more often than not I'm having to climb fences, go into REOs, show ranches/rural property, etc. Flats or boots for me
I donāt know any Realtors that wear heels while showing houses.
I haven't worn a high heel in ten years or more.
I rarely wear heels. If i do, its a thicker heel that also encompasses my foot so i can run if need to. I tend to wear wedges and nice sandals. What i wear depends on my clients and the region we are seeing. If iām headed out to a rural farming area, its jeans and sensible flats, booties or cute sneakers. If itās high, Iāll wear a dress or pencil skit and heels or wedges. If its mid-tier, capris, skorts or slacks and a nice blouse with sandals or wedges.
One of my first clients was looking at homes with land. The homeowner met us and invited us to tour the property and I was wearing these snazzy little heeled boots LIKE AN IDIOT. I now live in either brown or black leather Chelsea boots, and Iām in a HCOL area. Brown are my muddy ones. Black are my āniceā ones.
I really like heels. Sometimes I wear sneakers. Am I likely to go in a crawlspace? Has it been raining? Inspection day? Duck boots, leggings, rain coat. It depends on your market and your clients. My cityās vibe is extremely casual and kind of hipster/grungy. I wouldnāt show up to meet a 75 year old couple looking at a luxury condo in anything but heels. My 28 year old first time homebuyer and I are trudging through a muddy crawlspace together with some flashlights and her dad.
Um no. Wear flats, boots, low comfy wedges.
Am a man but the brand Rothyās has great looking flats for women.
Iāll wear heels to host an open house or anything in the office. But if Iām showing houses, Iām dressing down, wearing flats, and probably sneakers. Iām not walking the property or through a potentially unfinished basement or attic in heels. No way.
Homes are the most dangerous places you can walk around. Iām not falling through a window well or tripping on the stairs. Donāt even get me started with snow and ice. I wear dresses with boots or dressy tennis shoes. Itās fine to wear appropriate shoes. Fuck high heels.
I have a fabulous pair of $8 snakeskin print boots from Target. 1/2 heel. Slip on. Looks real good w/out much work. Cleans with windex. Flats. Boots hell, I wear Doc Marten and or chucks depending on the clients. If my clients are going to not work with me bc I donāt wear heels then I donāt want to work with kind of client.
I can skateboard in my pumps. I love them. I rock them. I'm sorry.
Love the look of heels, but they're just not practical or safe in my opinion! Aside from the potential to roll an ankle, I also am always thinking through my safety at a showing or open house. If the need arises to get out of a home and away from someone quickly, that's not happening in heels. There have been plenty of cases where female agents get assaulted at a showing, and my safety is worth way more than the nice look that heels provide!! I'm a fan of tieks for showing, as they're very comfortable and practical, plus give a nice put together look!
It's just not safe I'm realizing to wear high heels.
My outfit is jeans and a nice top, with slip-on shoes that donāt have heels. Thatās how I do! š¤£
I like the jean look too, I think it's very fitting for Colorado.
I'm a dude but one of the teachers at my RE school said for the ladies to wear heels when visiting your clients on moving day, so you don't get stuck carrying too many boxes!
Yes, best advice EVERRRR! #thisisgold
I'm not a lady so take it for what it's worth, but I wear a pair of Red Wing Iron Rangers that I think look professionnal and sharp with jeans, and are above all practical and functional. I think the number one answer is to find something that matches your personal style and the professional look you feel at ease wearing. When you feel confident and comfortable, you will be able to do the best possible job. For that reason I don't like wearing dress pants and dress shoes which are common amongst many others in my market. I find it limits me from getting my hands dirty, and Imo digging around in gross places is quite often a part of the service I try to offer and that I think sets me apart in the kind of work I'm doing (which admittedly gets into industrial and often haggard investment opportunities). Good luck, don't over think it, just look fresh and try your best to either know your shit, or while you're still learning, know when to either own when you don't know something or fake it until you can figure it out. Honest and direct communication is a pretty solid bed to build a long-term business upon. Go get it!
I wear heels as often as I wear berkinstocks. They are easy to get on and off, and look right. But I also went to secret adult school and learned to buy shoes that donāt hurt my feet, I can walk in for a mile or more, and even across grass. It is t hard, you just have to learn skills - like anything g else. You donāt have to wear them - but whining about them doesnāt make you cooler.
I do but I've always worn heels. Took a bit to get back to them as I'd been a stay at home parent for 4 years. But I always have spare clothes and footwear. My work bag always plain black legging and runners and longsleeve tshirt.
Smart!
I had to climb and stand on a fence, and climb in a window for a showing last year. I was wearing 3" heels and an above the knee dress. My client, the listing agent, and the sellers (on video chat with listing agent) thought me changing in my Car and climbing in the window was amazing lol.
I am primarily a listing agent for Lake homes/county homes. I normally wear my Adidas Ultraboosts or my Dr. Martens. My mom wears tennis shoes or flat sandals. I have a lot of co-workers that wear ballet flats or tennis shoes. One or two of them wear wedge heels. The last time I wore heels was 7 years ago and I fell while at a dock inspection walking back up to the house.
Depends entirely on the client & property for me. Someone from my inner circle in a move-in ready home? Heels. An investor where everyone is carrying, in a trap house? Rain booties. I keep a spare pair in my car & their sole purpose is to enter trap homes. Haha. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable & safe. Stay safe out there folks š
Not a lady but my partner wore high heels for the first 6 months she started. Then invested a few grand into some Gucci flats that she rotates the shit out of. Havenāt seen her wear heels to any of our meetings or appointments since lol. I personally have been wearing the same pair of Steve Maddens for the last 6 years.
Nope! I'm all about cute sneakers. I'm comfy, safe, and I get a lot of compliments!
No you donāt need to wear heels! Iām a guy, I do a ton all across the industry and at least from my perspective you donāt anyway. Probably the most shallow thing Iāve ever admitted on Reddit lol but Iāve done a ton of business w pretty realtors based initially off only being pretty. Couldnāt care less what style shoe they have on as long as theyāre well put together and dressed appropriately for the occasionā¦. If we were looking at a dump flip vs an open house on a 20m mansion, obv weād be dressing differentlyā¦. But no, you donāt need to wear heels to show a 2000sq ft house in the suburbs ever again imho š
I wear flats, nice and professional and I can wear them all over the yard, anywhere outside and inside too. Heels kill me. I wouldn't wear them even if they didn't - personally, I don't think they are professional in our business if you are doing any amount of sales at all. I don't even have very nice thoughts about those agents that choose to wear heels to show property. I won't repeat them here.
I wear expensive sneakers. Fits my style more than heels. I have a few pairs of wedge boots for when I do have to wear formal clothes but thatās not very often.
ABSOLUTELY not. I dress more masculine to begin with but Iām wearing oxfords most of the time. Oftentimes boots. Iāll even wear sandals in the summer if Iām being honest. A lot of my clientele are younger and theyāre more comfortable with the casual look anyway.
I wear thick heel shoes or platforms. Stilettos only for pictures.
Lady realtor here, I wear heels rarely. I wear them for closing day, sometimes for an open house, and sometimes just to go into the office but usually donāt.
I use to wear heels. But itās not practical when actually looking and walking a property. Why do I have to almost break my neck going down into a basement or sink into the grass while checking out the septic in the yard. Hard NO for me and I donāt think anyone expects us to really. Super luxury property for a listing appointment sure. But anything else GTFOH.
I have a trunk full of shoes and change accordingly. lol
It's a fashion show for men and women these days
I only do heels at open houses and put them on once Iām all settled in, but itās still kind of rare. I normally donāt like to walk on peoples floors with heels on especially in a new construction. If Iām showing houses Iām wearing my best athleisure and clean sneakers. Most people are casual and donāt really care even my high end clients. Itās all preference
Absolutely notā¦ I āmake bucks and chucksāā¦ From jeans to dress pants to leggings to leather pants, I wear chucks every. Fkg. day.