Realtor mystery shops (phone call only)

I signed up for two real estate phone mystery shops with Bare International, paying only $10, but seemed simple enough-a quick phone call to a realtor and an easy to follow buyer scenario. But one thing I did not take into account is that real estate agents don't always answer their phone right away, and I am required to leave a message and be available when they call me back-and if I miss the call, I have to do what it takes to get in touch with them prior to the shop deadline.
The shop also requires three attempts on three separate days, which is really inconvenient for me. I like phone shops for the most part, but when it becomes a matter of playing phone tag, it gets more tedious. I'm wondering if anyone else has done these shops and what you think. I know that Bare is stingy with shopper fees, and I feel strongly that pay should be increased when the shop requires multiple attempts to contact the target.

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The last shop I did for them was also a phone shop that took multiple attempts. By the time it was done, I figure I made maybe $2.50 an hour for my time. Maybe. That is pretty standard with them. I removed myself from their email list.

How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg?
"Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."
-- Abraham Lincoln

I used to do something similar for a different mystery shopping company years ago. It ends up being a lot of work for not a lot of money.

I applied never got selected. Guess that makes me lucky!

It is the same for the Ellis apartment shops. When you have the occasional instance where you cannot reach the target or they no longer work there. Ellis gives you $5.00, for the phone attempts, no matter how many times you attempted. I have had to call some places 5X/day all week and sometimes a whole second week. They have never changed that amount in years, let alone the shop base pay, still the same amount, for years, from a galaxy long ago.

Yeah, I saw those and my interest was piqued - until I read all that phone tag rigamarole they expect us to do. So I passed.

The other thing I should have mentioned about these phone tag shops is that if you don't refresh you memory by checking back through the guidelines every single time you make a call, you are going to miss something. This is especially true if you have other shops in process. I had one that I finally reached on the third call, when I had already moved my focus onto others, because that is where they were on the schedule. I do admit, by that time, I didn't go back so thoroughly through the guidelines on the phone tag shop, and I missed a detail I never would have missed on the first or even the second call. It was rejected. To be successful with these, you pretty much have to do your homework every single time you attempt another call, which means they end up cutting into the time you spend on other work. They should be paying a whole lot more for these phone tag shops than they do.

How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg?
"Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."
-- Abraham Lincoln

I took one and received this ridiculous scenario that's not even feasible. It's a small town in the middle of nowhere, why would I want to find a house 50 mi outside of that town that's only 6 miles around, using that town's agent buying a second house. And they only want me to spend between $125-$175k.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2022 01:53PM by foodluvr.

Just got assigned one and refused it thanks to the comments here. Do not need to play phone tag

I got her on the phone today. It was a total of 10 minutes worth of work for $10. It wasn't bad.

I did a couple. In my case (southern New England), the agents answered right away. On a Saturday! I think it's because the housing market in this area is at a standstill. No one listing their homes because no one could afford to go anywhere if they sold it.Renters who might want to buy what is available can't afford it. So the agents are likely just in their offices, not able to sell in this economy. Other than that I thought one of the questions I had to ask was very oddly worded, and the scenario I had didn't seem very well thought out. I've noticed there have been some cancellations with these.

I just spent over a month on one shop for Ellis. I visited the site three times, I wrote the report, I went beyond for this shop for over 30 days and they said they were only paying me for attempted calls. A total of $5. I did a lot more than attempt a few calls. i'm at a loss. is there anyone I can go to about this? They won't talk to me. They blocked me from taking other shops until i complete this one that they no longer need they say. i
just don't know what to do. I've never been treated so poorly by an MSP.

Yeah. . .I by passed those. Hopefully a home bound person picked them up.

A Dad shopping the Ark-LA-Tex and beyond.

Interesting I regularly get $60 and up per EPM shop. Even a few have been over $100 non video.

@purpleicee wrote:

It is the same for the Ellis apartment shops. When you have the occasional instance where you cannot reach the target or they no longer work there. Ellis gives you $5.00, for the phone attempts, no matter how many times you attempted. I have had to call some places 5X/day all week and sometimes a whole second week. They have never changed that amount in years, let alone the shop base pay, still the same amount, for years, from a galaxy long ago.

A Dad shopping the Ark-LA-Tex and beyond.

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Realtor mystery shops (phone call only)

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