Apartment Shops
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The ones I have done are well worth the time. The shops themselves are pleasant; simply taking a tour and asking a few clarifying questions. The reports are long and detailed but the pay is good. While we are on the subject, I only get emails from ESPM at this point? Any other MSCs that you have had luck with apt. wise.? Nonvideo.
Do them! Piece of cake. When you are done, go find a nice quiet parking lot and fill out with all your pertinent information
Thank you! I got signed up with the MSC and took my apartment shopping test, so I'm ready to check out what's available.
Just be sure to read the survey beforehand. They are all different. Pretty easy shops.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
I love doing them. The visit is usually 30 minutes and I take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half to complete the report. I average $50 for two hours of work and I didn't have to travel all over town, is good in my book.
I like doing apartment shops, as the pay is usually higher. I'm not sure if it's just me, but I could never finish an EPMS report within an hour or an hour and a half. The form is long, and many questions are repeated. There have been several discussions on this topic, so you could do a search. Completing the report does get easier after a while, but my first one was definitely the toughest report I have ever done. I’m pretty sure I swore to myself that I would never do another job for EPMS, but the fees convinced me otherwise .
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To speed it up, open each page of the report in a different tab on your browser, then copy and paste for they duplicate questions.
Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
Mia,
Until last year, I would have agreed with the above posters, but the problem I've faced since is two pronged: The difficulty of contacting targets, which most shops entail, and the need for alternate personal information, which won't be an initial problem for you*. If, though, you're not a busy person, perhaps the numerous calls that some jobs require won't affect your schedule, but it created havoc with mine. I still accept non-targeted work, but only if I'm not required to list secondary contact information
*Last year, some management companies began recording all visits. For a female, this hasn't been the problem we men have faced. In addition, I don't have a second phone number, which some shops now require.
Until last year, I would have agreed with the above posters, but the problem I've faced since is two pronged: The difficulty of contacting targets, which most shops entail, and the need for alternate personal information, which won't be an initial problem for you*. If, though, you're not a busy person, perhaps the numerous calls that some jobs require won't affect your schedule, but it created havoc with mine. I still accept non-targeted work, but only if I'm not required to list secondary contact information
*Last year, some management companies began recording all visits. For a female, this hasn't been the problem we men have faced. In addition, I don't have a second phone number, which some shops now require.
I am one that doesn't like them......I don't appreciate having to track down a particular person and not being allowed to ask for them....and who cares what color shirt they are wearing down to the shoes??? NOT worth it to me.
The devil lives in the details on most of these. If you can remember every detail, down to the consultant's eye color in some cases, you will come out as an angel. They were my bread and butter for a long time. After awhile, I developed a love/hate relationship. If they pay well and you are ready for the detail challenge, you should jump in. I did and it helped develop my love for the business. You should do it and come to your own conclusions. They do pay more on the front end. You will have to see for yourself if it makes sense once you get home and start entering the report. To each, their own.
I have done a few for EPMS but they are soooo not worth it to me most of the time. Honestly I'd rather hop around from bank to bank, cell phone to cell phone, or gas station to gas station doing 5-10 minute shops before I can deal with how mundane apartment shops become. Many times apartment shops require looking at your drivers license so there are long waits before you can reshop the same place. Then the time spent there is usually at least 15-30 min. Oh god don't even get me started on if it is a targeted shop. Those I RUN from. Its inevitable that the target never answers the phone and by the time you get to them they're totally suspicious. Also many times those places have caller ID and will practically profile you before you even walk in. You can block your number but then they wonder why its private. If its a recorded call you'll probably show up with some weird area code which totally flags you as a shopper.
Then you get home and stared down that report, which is insanely long and redundant.
The only apartment shops I will do are video ones, and that's ONLY if there isn't a report.
Then you get home and stared down that report, which is insanely long and redundant.
The only apartment shops I will do are video ones, and that's ONLY if there isn't a report.
I used to do them a great deal of the time. I do not mind the targeted shops. I write or call the scheduler to let them know that I do not reach the target. Most of the time, they will tell me to ask for the target and then tell them you were referred by a friend.
The last company took way to long to pay me and I had to call and call and e-mail to the MSC. The reports are detailed like everyone tells you on the forum.
Best wishes if you still decide to do them. Remember, this is just side money, not your salary.
The last company took way to long to pay me and I had to call and call and e-mail to the MSC. The reports are detailed like everyone tells you on the forum.
Best wishes if you still decide to do them. Remember, this is just side money, not your salary.
This isn't just side money for some of us.
Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
The ones here are target only and that gets timely having to call throughout the day. I did three recently, and yes,
reports are long and memory must be sharp, remembering room decorations, eye color, etc. I do them, but for me,
pay breaks down to about 12.00 or less an hour counting everything. Try one, not for all, but, I do enjoy seeing the
models (when available), and we have some great buildings in my town, so that part is fun.
reports are long and memory must be sharp, remembering room decorations, eye color, etc. I do them, but for me,
pay breaks down to about 12.00 or less an hour counting everything. Try one, not for all, but, I do enjoy seeing the
models (when available), and we have some great buildings in my town, so that part is fun.
Live consciously....
Yes this isn't side money for me either. My husband's job doesn't have a very good salary and we literally couldn't pay our bills every month if I don't make X amount of dollars. Luckily there are a couple of companies that can give me a few hundred dollars worth of shops each and I can just use fillers to try to up that. But ohhh I do depend on MSing money and if I lose a route, I pretty much go into crisis mode looking for something different to make up the $$ lost.
Thanks, everyone! I'm going to try one and see how it goes.
While this is a second income for me, it has definitely become income and not pocket money. I don't have a lot of spare time, so I try and choose my shops wisely.
While this is a second income for me, it has definitely become income and not pocket money. I don't have a lot of spare time, so I try and choose my shops wisely.
Apartments are like any other shop, you will decide if it is worth it or not. That said, if your income is a vital part of your day to day living, you owe it to yourself to try a few. For all the inherent hassles, they can also be lucrative.
Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
Like @amie068 said, apartment shops are a love/hate relationship. Some companies have simple reports, while others require you to know the eye color, weight and what the agent was wearing.
I have been doing apartment shops with EPMS. SOmetimes I have done as many as 25 in a billing cycle. I have a love/hate relationship with the shops as well but for $40 bucks a shop and sometimes a route shop would pay $50 it lured me in. In the beginning I loved doing them but now it seems like I take forever to do the report. Some of those reports are very lengthy and also when doing audio reports I really don't see why you still have to fill out the report it's like double work. I was often late lately so EPMS lowered the shops I can take however I think I have shopped so many properties in the DC/MD and VA that I'm barely eligible for any of them anymore.
The apartment shop can be easy but you have to learn some tricks and have a system. I figured out several systems on how to reach a target and etc. Also I would take on so many because I was greedy. After you do about 3 shops you will get the hang of it.
The apartment shop can be easy but you have to learn some tricks and have a system. I figured out several systems on how to reach a target and etc. Also I would take on so many because I was greedy. After you do about 3 shops you will get the hang of it.
I love the pay, like the shops, hate the forms. I've done probably 50 or so. The ones for EMPS are the most detailed, and pay the best. I do a few at a time, then lay off for a while because I can't handle doing the forms on a regular basis.
I had a phase where I actually liked apartment shops. I then had one where I called and called and called and no one ever answered. EPMS kept sending me emails asking me for an update on the shop. I kept saying that no one will answer the phone. I called a few times from my phone without going through the recording thing just to see if someone would pick up if it just showed as a local number on caller ID. I got nothing. After a couple weeks of constant calling, they finally pulled the job. After all of those phone calls, I got nothing as far as pay. It's not like it was a huge amount of time all total, but it was still a constant distraction for a couple weeks. I don't think I've done an apartment shop since. I don't get many offers in my area though.
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