The Mystical Side of the Real Estate Agent: Signs and Superstitions of Realtors

When it comes to selling property, professionalism and analytical skills are, of course, the top priorities. But in the real estate community, there is also room for omens and superstitions. In this article, you will learn everything about the mystical side of real estate trading — good and bad signs, patterns, and unwritten rules. Whether to believe in them or not is up to you.

Good Omens

Experienced real estate agents who have been in sales for a long time have many superstitions and omens that promise good luck:

• Rain on the day of a viewing is almost a guarantee that the client will buy the property from you.
• Finding a coin on the way to the property means it will sell successfully.
• Once you receive a deposit for an apartment, expect a flood of calls from other interested buyers.
• As soon as you start preparing documents for one deal, other properties you’re handling will suddenly attract a lot of viewings.
• If on the day of a successful closing you manage to show another property, someone will most likely pay a deposit for it soon too.

There are also good omens related to client behavior. A deal is very likely to happen if the buyer:

• Sits on the sofa or a chair during the viewing, or has a cup of tea/coffee with the agent in the kitchen.
• Forgets something in the apartment and comes back for it.
• Is overly picky and meticulous — this is seen as a reward for the agent’s patience.
• If the first caller of the day is a man, the day will be successful; if a woman, you definitely won’t be bored.

Many agents follow an unwritten dress code. Red clothing during viewings is believed to energize buyers and encourage impulsive decisions — red is associated with urgency and decisiveness, helping close deals faster. Black, on the contrary, is worn for luxury, high-end properties to project solidity and reliability.

Green is preferred when dealing with difficult clients — it supposedly calms and makes people more open to negotiation. Blue is chosen to emphasize trustworthiness and professionalism, like in banking. Experienced agents even monitor their own mood and pick the day’s outfit color accordingly.

Some agents also carry personal lucky charms to viewings and closings — it doesn’t matter what it is: a pen, ring, coin, brooch, or notebook. The belief is that bringing your lucky talisman guarantees success. It’s not magic, but psychology: faith in the talisman activates certain brain areas and improves the feeling of control over the situation.

Bad Omens

There are plenty of superstitions that make agents wary, for example:

• If after paying a deposit the buyer immediately orders new windows, doors, a kitchen set, or any other major items for the apartment, the deal will almost certainly fall through — expect endless obstacles.
• If during the viewing clients loudly praise the apartment, share detailed plans about furnishing rooms, and immediately ask about deposit details, there’s nearly 100% chance the deal will collapse and they won’t buy it.
• If a couple views the property and the wife doesn’t like it (even if the husband, who arranged the viewing, is happy), the sale won’t happen.

A few more taboos in real estate practice:

• Never save potential buyers’ contacts in your phone book — they will remain only “potential.”
• The agent must always enter second, letting the buyer go first so they “feel like the owner” sooner.
• Until the deal is fully closed, never count, spend, or even plan how to spend your commission.
• Don’t start cleaning right after prospective buyers leave — you’ll “sweep them out” and they won’t return.
• Don’t remove ads and banners until all documents are signed.

Numbers and Digits

Realtors are human too, and numbers matter. The “devil’s dozen” (13) and the “number of the beast” (666) are considered bad. Experienced agents say apartments with these numbers almost always take a very long time to sell, with constant disruptions and unexpected problems.
The 13th of any month is considered unlucky for signing contracts, especially if it falls on a Friday. Agents also try to avoid having exactly 13 clauses in a contract.

Repeating numbers (11, 22, 33) are seen as neutral or positive. In the US, during the 2008 crisis peak, sales of St. Joseph statuettes (patron saint of homes and carpenters) skyrocketed — agents and homeowners buried them in front of properties hoping to speed up sales. The figurines cost $8 and came with prayer cards and instructions.

Days of the Week

Monday and Friday are bad days for signing purchase agreements or scheduling real estate meetings. They say Monday brings inevitable failures — better move everything to Tuesday or Thursday. However, receiving money on Monday is considered a great start to the week. In practice, superstitious clients are ready to postpone a closing because of an “unfavorable” moon phase, even if it costs them money.

Forbidden Actions (Taboos)

The list of things realtors supposedly must never do is long. For example, many refuse to save any potential buyer’s contact in their phone book — even those already in the deal process — because it keeps them “only potential.”

Agents must never take off their shoes in the property being shown, otherwise the house spirit (domovoy) will mistake them for the owner and sabotage the sale. For the same reason, never enter the apartment first — let the buyer go ahead.

Other forbidden actions according to superstitions:

• Refuse the very first client who comes to see a new listing (even in small haggling or concessions) — otherwise you’ll struggle with that property for a long time.
• Count, spend, or plan spending of the commission (especially deposits) before the deal is fully closed. Money received should also “spend the night” at home and not be spent on the same day.
• Remove online ads or banners from the property before all papers are signed — you’ll scare away luck.
• Clean the apartment right after prospective buyers leave — you’ll “sweep away” the chance they return. If it’s slushy outside, just offer shoe covers.
• Wash your hair before a closing (this one probably comes from student superstitions that washing hair before an exam “washes away” knowledge).

Feng Shui and Eastern Practices

In recent years, feng shui philosophy increasingly influences buyers’ decisions:

• East-facing windows are considered the most favorable — symbolizing sunrise, growth, and financial prosperity.
• South and west are less lucky, associated with the setting sun.
• North belongs to Yin energy and is considered bad for health.

Just Omens and Coincidences

There are also many neutral beliefs and observed patterns popular among realtors:

• A rookie agent should buy a leather wallet with their very first commission and keep one bill from that commission inside as “unchangeable money” from deal to deal.
• After receiving a commission, a tradition-respecting agent must treat colleagues at the agency and wave the money over their desks — this “seals” the success and attracts fortune for future deals.
• The contract should be handed to the client with the left hand and taken back with the right.
• An itchy right palm means a deal is coming; an itchy left palm means a profitable deal and money. Many agents train themselves to shake hands with the right while giving the contract with the left — it supposedly symbolizes openness and honesty. Left-handed agents have a natural advantage here.

In Conclusion

Of course, whether to believe in omens is a personal choice. In the end, professional skills and experience decide everything. But remember: superstitions are always based on observations, collective wisdom, and a kind of “folk statistics.” Whether there’s truth in them or not is up to you, but people say that this slightly humorous, fatalistic approach helps agents stay calmer during stressful transactions.