“Train your people on an above-average smile, above-average handshake, above-average dress, and above-average interest in other people. That is company policy.”
In real estate team leadership, most are shooting way past the target. They’re pushing advanced scripts, complex objection handlers, and tricky closing techniques… while skipping over the very foundation that actually wins clients’ trust.
No matter how skilled the sales pitch, poor business etiquette will sink conversion.
The Truth No One Talks About
The Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, Hilton — these are brands built not just on service, but on exquisite etiquette. Their teams are trained to notice, connect, and exceed expectations in the smallest moments — the smile that arrives before the handshake, the polished appearance, the genuine interest in the guest’s story.
The Harvard Negotiation Project’s Getting to Yes teaches us that the highest-stakes deals are won not by manipulation, but by building trust, finding common ground, and respecting the other party. The same is true in real estate.
Manners Are the Basis of All Virtues
Aristotle said that virtue is formed in habit. In sales, that habit is etiquette. The main virtues — prudence, justice, temperance, courage — show up every day in how you speak, dress, listen, and respond. If your agents elevated their character virtues, do you think they’d sell more homes? If they raised their professional etiquette, would their conversion rates rise?
Yes. Absolutely.
Why Confidence Is the Common Thread
Every top producer has one thing in common: confidence.
And confidence isn’t an accident — it’s trained. Ask the military. Boot camp is not about exercise; it’s about transforming recruits into disciplined, uniformed professionals.
Professional standards are the bedrock of discipline. In real estate, that means:
- Above-average smile – practiced, warm, and genuine
- Above-average handshake – confident grip, eye contact, calm energy
- Above-average dress – one level above the client’s expectations
- Above-average interest in others – ask more, listen longer, remember details
Make It Company Policy
Stop leaving etiquette to chance. Build it into your onboarding, your training, and your daily culture. Practice it like you practice scripts. Because no script can overcome poor manners — but great manners can often replace the need for one.
In a competitive market, professional etiquette is your unfair advantage.
