It takes a ton of verve, style, and confidence to dress in full glam for work every day.
Flipping the script on business casual with a face-full of makeup, perfectly manicured nails, and a stellar suit to match is Benjamin Smith. Smith is a licensed real estate professional, helping folks find their perfect home in the greater Boston area.
Armed with an encyclopedia of real estate knowledge and expertise, plus a few stunning scarves and killer sunglasses, Smith continues to beautify Boston with his viral real estate-focused Instagram.
We sat down with Benjamin to chat about Boston real estate, his personal style philosophy, his viral home-buying videos, and more. Read our interview below!
So.Gay: You always serve fashion, from your eye makeup to your nails. Can you talk about how you began exploring this side of beauty and how it’s led you through the real estate world and to where you are today?
B.S.: I call this my b***hy backstory. These girls last summer, in their 20s, worked across my office. They spent all day talking about their goddamn TikToks. It would take them days to pick the music, practice dancing; it all became too much. Then it was right after September 1st, the main move-in day in Boston, because of all the schools. So I made a TikTok about it, didn’t care if it looked unpolished.
I would post daily about my listings. My friends liked it. And then I just kept doing it. And I just kept getting better and better at it.
I also think appearance is very important. Not in a vain way, thinking someone’s ugly. It’s about keeping yourself together. It definitely shows you in a certain aura, that you give a s**t about things. So if I rolled up to a showing with what these actually look like underneath *flashes nails*, which are not good because of about seven years of consistent press nail use. They ain’t pretty. They’re not good. If I rolled up in a slobby outfit and not done up and stuff, that’d be nuts.
These people are supposed to be giving me $3,000 or more. So there’s kind of a certain aesthetic… We’re working in business suits and ties and stuff. I choose cardigans and that’s where it kind of got me started. I have always been into makeup and [stuff], like starting with self-tanner. I think my biggest revelation is probably from freshman year of college when I started seeing a guy. He would need to have bronzer and contour his nose, and I’m like, “Oh, you should be spending time contouring your life into something that isn’t s**t.” But okay, I’m interested.
And a lot of fashion comes with being gay. Are you an eyebrow gay, belly button ring crop top wearing gay? Some people just pile it on to look better. I say I wear costumes, not outfits. They’re just kind of like whatever I’m feeling that day. It’s fun to be able to be like, “all right, I’m pissed, but nobody’s gonna know because my blush is gonna be fantastic.” I call it war paint. I don’t even call it makeup. I also have control issues, so I need to be in control of my appearance.
I definitely think I stand out. I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong. I’m just being pretty.
So.Gay: I think you’re being unapologetically yourself, and it’s so refreshing to see on Instagram. Oh, thank you. When did you start posting?
B.S.: I’m so excited that someone gives [a] s**t. This isn’t usual.
I’ve been doing this for about a year. I get a lot of really positive messages, but I also get mean ones. Instagram commenters are significantly meaner than TikTok commenters. TikTok commenters would be like, “Girl, you’re serving #diva. Love it.”
Then on Insta it’s like, what color deck stain did you use? I can’t even fault that. That is so funny. Sometimes I like the negative comments too. I just like the attention. Somebody commented on the day I hope you die. And I was like, well, I thank you for thinking of me.
So.Gay: Sounds like you’re finding empowerment through the way you dress and also all these comments. How does it feel to work in full glam?
B.S.: I just always feel like I’m not like the skinniest person, or the most jacked. But I know I always have an outfit. I have a very good sense of color, perfect sense of fit. I do it for myself. If somebody thinks I’m hot, or somebody thinks I need to die, whatever. That’s all there is to their story. That’s not mine.
I’ve always been empowered. I think as far back as just even being really, really little. I had given no f**ks then, probably never did… The way you present yourself is like 97% more important than what you’re actually saying. That’s a good sales technique. I use that at work and in life.
Like I’ve said, I have very high self-confidence. I’m not going to change. I might as well get used to it. And you all might as well, too.
So.Gay: As a licensed real estate professional in Boston, what are some neighborhoods you would suggest for LGBTQ folks to visit or even move to?
B.S.: All of Boston is very tourist-friendly. When you say gay Boston, most people will say the South End is the original gayborhood. It’s not really south of anything. They just call it that. There’s not really anything that famous there. It’s mostly residential, but there are a lot of really fancy restaurants on the main street. Then a couple other boutiques and [stuff]. Realistically, if you’re a gay couple looking for your next apartment, you better be both pulling in $250,000 annually to live in the South End. It’s all like brown stones.
Somewhere a little more authentic for the lesbian ladies is Jamaica Plain. I always think it’s called Jamaica Plains but there’s only one plain. And that plain is full of lesbians. Lots of lesbians there. And honestly, I think East Boston where I live, there’s a lot of gays here. Or maybe I’m just better at knowing because I can sniff them out. It’s possible the average person wouldn’t notice that because, like in Jamaica Plain, they’re all really hippie feminists, like lesbians and everything. And there’s Salem and Dorchester for the more down-to-earth gays.
Actually, I’m going to be totally honest. I feel like Boston as a whole is a very accepting city. Like it’s a very politically liberal city, like Massachusetts was an early place to legalize gay marriage.
So.Gay: Do you have any advice for some Gen Z or Millennials who are interested in homeownership but feel it might be too hard of a dream to accomplish?
B.S.: I’m in the exact same boat. Stop spending. Do you think you’re gonna own a home if you don’t stop buying stuff? I feel like millennials and Gen Z are much more fluid with cash. Stop buying stuff and save money to buy a house or condo. Or don’t buy a house, buy a two or three-family apartment and get the other people to pay your mortgage for you, because of the down payment. Then your mortgage amount is going to be less than market rate. Rentals in Boston are almost pricier than New York; it’s getting there. It is the second most expensive rental market in the entire country. And for good reason, it’s a great place. So I get it, everyone wants to live here.
I’m not saying that I have been the most financially responsible person my whole life. But once you’re a home buyer, once you’re in, once you have something you can leverage, you can continue to grow a home for yourself. We think it’s out of the picture, and it’s easy just to get obsessed with the memes that we can’t afford anything.
And it’s like, “yeah, OK, this sucks.” It’s definitely more difficult to buy a house or any sort of property, condo, or whatever than it was in like 1974, when you needed $5,000 and a handshake.
Now you need to have like 750 credit and- Oh, wait, but six years ago you missed a bill. No home. It’s way more difficult, but we need to stop thinking it’s like jokingly impossible when it is possible. And it’s possible to be good at it too.
So.Gay: Great advice. I’m wondering what tips you have for anyone who is interested in doing makeup, particularly if they don’t have much experience. Where should they begin?
B.S.: The first part is to hydrate your skin. You don’t need a primer, base, spray, whatever. Make sure your skin’s moisturized. Everything will look better if it’s moisturized.
If you get oily, just blot it off with a paper towel in the bathroom. That’s easier to control than if you don’t have the perfect foundation or you don’t know what your shade is. You don’t know what consistency you need, how much coverage you need. You might not know that yet. It’s easier to fix up and de-shine yourself than it is to just look like a dry husk.
My other thing that drives me wild: do not try to follow a trend, or else you’re going to be the person that everyone’s bored of. They’re going to be like, “Oh, wow, this person jumped on a train; they’re just jumping on a fad.”
And then my other thing is neutral colors. I am the worst at taking my own advice and saying less is more. Things are buildable. Foundations are buildable. Blush is buildable. Don’t go over. Don’t think you can go from one second being a beginner to a bold model. It doesn’t work like that, and it’s going to [mess] stuff up. And that’s totally fine. Just don’t [mess] it up in bright pink and emerald green. Start with the colors that are less likely to get [messed] up.
Go slow. They have so many good neutral nudes and palettes. I just feel like you can’t go wrong with gold. Gold is my thing because it matches basically everyone’s skin tone. It’s kind of always NYX warm neutrals. I love that palette. And I like it because I can screw around with it.
And I know at the end of the day, I won’t have diverted too far from what I was intending to do because they’re all easy colors to blend. Ones that fit human tones. They were definitely made with humans in mind, unlike some bright blues and neon greens. Don’t start with that. That’s for experts. You wouldn’t buy a car and then take it on the Formula One. Immediately, no, no, no, you need to grow into it.
I just love makeup. I just think it’s so much fun that you can just paint and smear goop on your face to look different. That’s so crazy.
The first thing you should do besides hydrating your skin is check the weather forecast. Check the dew point.
And after two or three times wearing a product, you’ll know how it reacts. Some things kind of dry out and crack.
I wouldn’t wear too many cream things in the summer because yeah, the cream’s going to be all down your shirt. It’s hot as [hell] here. To people who think Boston doesn’t get hot: it does.
We are very subtropical from June until September. Hot as [hell]. Oh my God. Anytime I leave the house, I feel like I have to change. I’m sweating.
So.Gay: What is your favorite part about your job that brings you joy?
B.S.: There are a lot of parts that bring me joy.
I like that there is always a listing that can be something new, fun, perfect, and exciting out there. When I hear someone say, “Oh my God, that’s exactly what I was looking for,” it’s really great. I like hyping clients up. I enjoy doing the showings because I like being in charge of stuff.
Another favorite part is when clients get approved. I’ve been in my current agency for seven, almost seven and a half years. I like to call and be like, “This is Benjamin Smith. We are approved for tenancy at 15 McGillicuddy Street, unit eight.” They get so excited. I am so excited for them. I’m having a blast. I love being the bearer of good news, especially when it’s like, “guess who’s not sleeping in the gutter tonight?”
I found something that’s great for them. That’s going to make their life better. Cause you know, your apartment makes your whole life better or worse. I don’t love my apartment right now. Which is weird, right? You think I would have the best apartments.
So.Gay: What makes a good apartment?
B.S.: The person really likes it. It’s about sensing what works for them, what they’ll like versus what they’ll compromise on. Their initial reaction says it all. A lot of times, it’s a reaction of horror. And then, “Okay, well, just wanted to show you this one because it makes the other ones look nicer.”
But when it’s perfect, it just feels so good.
Smith’s authentic videos are fantastic, whether he’s showcasing a buyable Bostonian home or sharing his immaculate outfit for the day between showings.
