What Does Shopping For a Suit and Real Estate Have in Common?

Last week I stopped by a local suit shop to check out a new spring suit. This winter has been pretty harsh and as a real estate agent we wear out clothes faster than the average office worker.

When I got to the store, a sales person approached me and asked what I was interested in. I told him I like Hugo Boss (I have a number of Boss suits) and that I wouldn’t mind trying on a Canali while we were at it. The sales person ran off and started bringing in suits just as I requested. I tried on a few and really liked one in a grey tone. I told the sales person I would take it but that i thought it needed to be altered in the back. He started to measure me and proceeded to pin the suit where the alterations were being made. While all this was going the manager was watching intently, not saying anything but watching. Finally when we were done he politely interrupted:

Manager- Excuse me Sir, can you just do me a favour and try on this suit?

Me- Sure

I tried the suit on and looked really nice, he noticed me look at the higher price tag and before I could comprehend he said,

Manger- Look at the way this fits you. Now put on the suit you just has on… see the difference?

My trip to get a suit turned into a lesson on style, cut and fit of a suit.

I was shocked. After trying on the suit he suggested and then going back to the one I liked previously I could see what he was alluding too. The cut was all wrong and did not flatter my body type. Sure it was the brand I asked for but the suit itself wasn’t for me. He explained that while the original suit I picked was fine, it wasn’t special. He argued that buying a good suit should be an experience, something that makes you feel good.

I totally agreed because that’s the way I approach real estate. While many of my clients know what they want, whether it’s neighbourhood, home type, service level, or whatever, I think it is my job to truly understand my buyers and sellers and present options that are a best fit for their lifestyle and needs. Sometimes it ends up being exactly what they asked for and sometimes it doesn’t.

Think of real estate like a suit. Some brands fit you and some don’t. They may be all desirable and nice but at the end of the day there is not, ‘one size fits all’.

I ended up buying 2 suits that day and I’m super happy. A good sales person gets me every time!