Do luxury vehicles send a negative message to renters/sellers

[Jon W.]

I wanted to get the BP community's take on driving luxury vehicles...

Do you think they send a negative message when meeting with renters or sellers? Do they hurt your negotiating power?

I tend to think luxury vehicles might reduce your ability to negotiate.

What do you think? What is the best vehicle to drive?

[Michael Jobe]

I'll bite. This is my two cents from a real-life real estate agent's experience...

I was a newly licensed agent riding around in my '03 Nissan Altima. I had just sold my "fancy" Chrysler 300 because it was pretty much a turd on wheels. A fellow agent (in South Florida, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area) suggested that I upgrade from the Altima to something a little more upscale because "clients aren't gonna take you serious when you pull up in an old Nissan to show them a six-figure listing."

I never once had an issue with my old Nissan hindering my ability to fulfill my duties as an agent. It is truly unfortunate that we live in a society where we are often judged on our material possessions rather than our ability to fulfill our professional obligations. I know people who drive high end luxury vehicles but don't own a single thing besides the clothes on their back & I also know super successful multimillionaires who shop at Goodwill for clothing and won't purchase a vehicle priced higher than $3000. I guess it goes back to the old adage "don't judge a book by its cover."