A London estate agency director has publicly disagreed with recent industry commentary advocating for formal business attire, arguing that professionalism in property services is not determined by clothing choices.
Ellie Rees, founder and director of Brickworks, a London-based estate agency, has responded to a previous article published on The Negotiator that suggested estate agents should adopt more formal dress standards, particularly suits.
Changing client expectations
According to Rees, the traditional suit no longer necessarily signals authority or competence to modern clients. “Knowing your client matters. And for many today, the symbolism of a suit no longer signals authority, seniority or competence. If anything, it can suggest distance,” she stated.
Rees drew on personal experience to illustrate her point, recounting a property valuation appointment where she attended wearing jeans and trainers whilst carrying her infant daughter in a sling. She suggested this approach may have helped secure the instruction due to relatability with the client, who was also a new parent.
Industry inclusivity concerns
The Brickworks director connected the dress code debate to broader questions about industry inclusivity. She referenced the agency’s involvement in the “Dear Sirs” campaign, which successfully challenged the use of gendered language in professional correspondence. The Law Society subsequently issued guidance on the matter.
“At its heart, that conversation was about questioning who our industry has historically been built for — and who it has quietly excluded,” Rees said, drawing parallels between formal language conventions and dress code expectations.
Rees clarified that her position does not advocate banning suits or any particular dress code, but rather questions the assumption that formal attire is inherently more professional. “Clients don’t trust us because of what we wear; they trust us because of how we speak to them, how we advocate for them, and how we meet them,” she stated.
Industry context
The debate reflects ongoing discussions within the UK property sector about professional standards and client engagement approaches. Estate agencies have increasingly adopted varied approaches to workplace culture and client interaction as the industry seeks to modernise its image and attract diverse talent.
The discussion follows wider workplace trends across professional services sectors, where formal dress codes have been relaxed or eliminated in many organisations over recent years.
