luxury realtors – From Ashely Reidy Quinn’s quarterly Botox and six-figure wardrobe to Alex Hall’s reality-TV-funded skincare and Jennifer Gallagher’s nearly all-social-media business, luxury real estate increasingly runs on image—designer budgets, content pressure, and the exp
On a typical day in luxury real estate, the job isn’t only about closing. For Ashley Reidy Quinn, it’s about being seen—clean lines, controlled polish, and a routine she insists is “non-negotiable.”
“Botox once a quarter. That’s non-negotiable,” Quinn, 34, said. The cofounder of the Asset Advisory Team at Coldwell Banker Warburg. a luxury real-estate firm based in New York City. Quinn sells multimillion-dollar homes in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Clients. she said. expect “white-glove service and not a hair out of place.” She links her personal appearance directly to how she shows up for those clients. calling it “part of the full-picture business portrayal of you as an individual.”.
Quinn, who recently sold a six-bedroom, ten-and-a-half bathroom Hamptons home for $59 million, estimates she spent more than $100,000 on clothes in 2025. That includes Rent the Runway rentals and items she bought from designers including Celine and Hermès. Her routine extends beyond the closet: she gets regular laser treatments for her skin. twice-yearly facials. quarterly brow appointments. and a standing manicure appointment every other week. She always chooses the same red polish, describing it as “part superstition, part good-luck charm.”.
She frames the spending not as indulgence but as investment and maintenance. “I tie my personal appearance hand-in-hand with how I show up for a client,” Quinn said. “Beauty is something I think about every single day.”
In a business that sells more than square footage, that approach has become harder to ignore. Several luxury agents say “glow-ups” are now accessible. less taboo. and sometimes expected—while social media and reality television have intensified the scrutiny. For agents, the result is a familiar pressure: look the part, or risk losing the chance even to talk.
Alex Hall, 38, an agent at the Oppenheim Group in Orange County, California, put it bluntly: “I think image might be more important than even knowledge at a certain point.” Hall stars on Netflix’s “Selling Sunset” spinoff “Selling the OC.”
The business case, Hall and others argue, is simple—high-net-worth clients often judge from first impressions. “If you don’t look like somebody that these high-net-worth clients want to work with, then you’re not even going to get the opportunity to have a conversation with them,” Hall said.
Sean P. Salter. an associate professor at Middle Tennessee State University who has studied the role of physical attractiveness in real estate. told Business Insider that people expect luxury realtors to pay significantly more attention to their appearance than those in other professions. “If they’re going to spend that much money to buy a property. they’re going to expect the level of service they’ve seen on television or social media. and that includes everything from the car the agent drives. the clothes the agent wears. and how the agent looks when they walk in the door. ” Salter said.
For Neyshia Go, 35, luxury fashion isn’t just polish—it’s a bridge. Working with ultrawealthy clients in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara as the founder of The Go Group at Sotheby’s International Realty. Go said her fashion conversations can help her land clients. “Beyond just enjoying fashion. I actually find it to be a very big connection point with a lot of clients. ” she said. She described meeting a client and starting an exchange about a jacket—before looking at the property.
Go works with a stylist and several personal shoppers to create her looks. She said her wardrobe functions as a necessary investment in projecting the image her clients expect. with her closet including brands like Manolo Blahnik and Hermès. Chanel is her particular weakness, and she collects ballet flats, typically spending between $800 and $1,500 per pair.
That visible lifestyle also feeds her online presence. Go posts reels walking her more than 8,000 followers through luxury listings in designer suits and stilettos.
The pressure to be visible has reshaped the industry’s day-to-day rhythm. Mike Fabbri. a luxury real-estate broker with The Agency New York. said the demand to produce content online pushed him to invest in his appearance. “You’re constantly being expected to produce content,” Fabbri said. He wears luxury fashion brands, sometimes works with personal stylists, and maintains a “really good” skincare regimen. “You really have to make that product look good,” he emphasized. “Presentation matters.” Fabbri said it has paid off: he has $500 million in career sales.
Jennifer Gallagher. 41. who works with the Serhant Group in luxury South Florida markets like Delray Beach. Ocean Ridge. and Boca Raton. said she does about 90% of her business on social media—particularly Instagram and TikTok. She said she has a combined following of 91,000 and spends roughly $1,000 a month on clothing to film her videos. “Clothes are definitely an expense,” Gallagher said. “I wear it for work. It’s a uniform.”.
Gallagher insisted the buying isn’t about owning designer labels for their own sake. “I wear it for work. ” she said. adding that the only designer items she owns are three purses and one pair of Louboutins. She ties her spending to confidence and being “on.” “If I don’t like the way I look or how I feel. I’m not going to have as good a day. ” she said.
Ana Ruelas. 55. founder and managing partner of The Agency Austin—whose firm opened its first Texas office—also described a consistent ethos. even as she said expectations vary by region. Ruelas said Austin’s personal style culture differs from Southern California and New York. “Austin has such a unique culture when it comes to personal style,” she said. “A luxury agent still needs to be polished; however. the agent could show up in a beautiful dress with cowboy boots. an Italian suit with loafers. or even elevated denim and flip flops.”.
Still, she said she doesn’t believe she’d be as far along in her career—combining work as an agent, a businesswoman, and a philanthropist—without looking the part.
Social media isn’t the only lens raising the bar. Reality TV has made it visible, frequent, and aspirational. Netflix’s “Selling Sunset” and “Owning Manhattan” turn realtors into celebrity personalities. and the on-camera glam becomes part of the storyline. Hall. who appears on Netflix’s “Selling the OC. ” said the outfits she wears on the show are more “eccentric” than what she typically wears on a listing appointment or to the office.
Reality show budgets for hair and makeup have also been discussed openly by stars. Emma Hernan, one of the “Selling Sunset” stars, told Business Insider in 2023 that she spends “well into the six-figure range” on hair and makeup for each season.
The influence shows up in the workplaces of the agents themselves. Four of the seven realtors interviewed for the story work for agencies that have been featured on a reality series. Fabbri and Ruelas work for The Agency—the brokerage featured on Netflix’s “Buying Beverly Hills,” though in different cities. Gallagher works for the Florida offshoot of Serhant. whose New York office is the subject of Netflix’s “Owning Manhattan.” Hall works for the Oppenheim group. the brokerage that is the focus of both “Selling Sunset” and “Selling the OC. ” the latter of which she has appeared on as a cast member for four seasons.
Hall described how she maintains a polished image even when Netflix’s cameras aren’t rolling. In a typical month. she spends about $1. 000 on skincare. including regular DiamondGlow facials and Botox; another $1. 000 on wellness; and about $500 on hairstyling. That’s before occasional splurges on designer fashion. “It’s one of the most important elements of being in this industry. ” Hall said. adding. “how you’re perceived and what you look like. whether you like it or not.”.
But even in a world where appearance can open doors, it isn’t supposed to replace competence. Shauna Walters. 43. cofounder of Beverly Hills-based Walters Plaxen Estates at Sotheby’s International Realty. said she once felt more pressure to look a certain way—heels. dressing up. hair. and makeup. Now she emphasizes comfort. “Now that I’ve been in the business for over 20 years. comfort is very important to me. as is feeling good. ” she told Business Insider.
Walters said that when she’s with clients, she wears brands like Zara and Revolve, with the occasional piece from Stella McCartney or Prada. In the office, she often opts for minimal makeup and Beyond Yoga pants.
Still, she doesn’t believe presentation alone determines success. “I’ve seen very attractive agents struggle just because they didn’t have the drive,” Walters said. She contrasted that with agents who don’t fit traditional beauty standards but still dominate because they are “sharp and strategic.” Walters said. “Beauty alone doesn’t close multimillion-dollar deals.” In her view. “Presentation might get you in the room. but performance keeps you there.”.
That tension—between the image that gets you noticed and the drive that keeps clients—may be the defining pressure of luxury real estate right now. For agents like Quinn. Hall. Gallagher. Go. Fabbri. and Ruelas. the costs show up in wardrobes. appointment calendars. skincare routines. and monthly content production. In a market where perception is treated as a gateway. staying “polished” has become part of the business model. not a side choice.
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