'Suited and booted'
In days gone buy in my former professional life I'd often conduct the viewings still dressed in my work suite so 'suited and booted.' These days I spend most of my time unshaven (what a waste of time shaving is!) and swapping between gym gear and jeans.
Two schools of thought
There are two schools of thought when in it comes to what to wear and how to present yourself to a prospective tenant. If you go in smart, that hopefully sets a tone. It makes the tenant feel that what they are doing i.e. taking on a tenancy is a responsible and serious financial commitment. Also, it gives them the confidence to feel they are dealing with a landlord that is equally as serious and reliable about their responsibilities in managing and maintaining their buy-to-let properties. The other would say if you take a more casual approach, then the tenant will feel less intimidated and is more likely to reveal more about their true character. This enables the landlord to find out who the 'real person' is behind the initial social face we all put on when meeting someone for the first time. Some would argue that it's nothing about what you wear and all about how you conduct yourself. I'd be interested to hear other landlords views?
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I find that turning up in old painting gear has the best reaction because they get the impression you are a hands on type of Landlord and you work hard. When turning up dress like a catalogue boy it gives the impression you have never done a hard days graft in your life and tenants can be resentful that they are putting money into an already rich person's hands. Same applies to cars turn up in a clapped out van or turn up in a new BMW.
ReplyDeleteI don't change my dress code! So if it's a hot summers day and I am wearing flip flops, then this is how I turn up! It's far easier to get get a reaction and break into conversation to reveal who the real tenant is!
ReplyDeleteI always meet tenants looking casual smart. Not a suit but trousers and jacket certainly.
ReplyDeleteIf you want them to look after your property then don't look scruffy! They will think they can be scruffy with your property too and you won't care.