Not everyone is cut out to be a Mystery Shopper. Not only do you need to be a good actor or actress, but you also have to know a thing or two about looking for a new home. While anyone can be an independent contractor mystery shopper, there are a few key qualities that every mystery shopper should have.

Do you have what it takes to be a Mystery Shopper?

1. Do you know how to follow directions?

You may be thinking to yourself, “Ummm, yes!” Well there are quite a few details in any given shop contract that can’t be ignored.  All are an integral part of being a Mystery Shopper and successful shoppers will adhere to the shop contract specifications to ensure a.) they are accurately completing the shop and b.) they get paid for their hard work!

2. Are you good at managing your time?

Time management is learned by some and a talent for others, but at the end of the day, we aren’t all good at it! Not only do you have to complete the shop itself, but then you have to write up your report. If you don’t manage your time wisely, you could get behind on the report portion, forget details of the shop, turn in a sketchy report, or end up getting dinged in the money department. It’s super easy to get paid for your shops, but you have to be good at time management.

3. Are you detail oriented?

You are directly responsible for the score of the shop. Forgetting a detail here, forgetting a detail there is not optional. If you don’t remember the details of the shop, your report will be missing components, and the score will be a direct reflection of your lack of detail either positively or negatively. How does that affect the person being shopped? Either they could be reprimanded for a negative score that wasn’t deserved or there might be some areas needing work that would go undetected and the property could suffer as a result. The details, or weeds as I like to call them, are crucial to the success of a shop.

Still wanna be a mystery shopper?…   please continue.

4. Are you punctual?

Being on time is another one of those things that not everyone is good at. Either you’re punctual or you’re not. There are deadlines set in place by the client that the mystery shopping company passes on to the shopper in order to maintain timeliness. Yes, you can always ask for extensions with extenuating circumstances. But, it is important to take all shop contracts seriously and complete the shops by the due date provided. Punctuality is extremely important!!!

5. Are you responsible?

Most people won’t admit if they are irresponsible, but responsibility is another critical piece to the success of a shop. Again, the employee’s fate is in your hands. Mystery shopping – though fun and flexible – is still business and you have to treat it as such. Sure, it’s easy money in your pocket; however, there’s a score being given to a working employee at the end of all this and you have to be responsible with the details, time management, your punctuality, and the ability to follow directions to ensure the accuracy of the shop.

We aren’t all cut out to be mystery shoppers, but the good ones stick around for years. Mystery shopping is fun, easy, rewarding, and a great way to earn extra money in your pocket! Do you have what it takes to join the mystery shopper team?

If you still wanna be a mystery shopper then have a look at what actual shoppers are saying on the Ellis shoppers blog.

-Allison M

WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE IS APPROPRIATE?

Of the many things that professionals in the multifamily industry need to be responsible for, perhaps the most important of all is the monitoring of Fair Housing compliance by the Federal Government.  The Federal Fair Housing Law states that it is illegal to discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.

There are also some states, counties and towns that have additional protected categories.  The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) budgets millions of dollars annually for Fair Housing testing and enforcement (apartment mystery shoppers!) and is expanding such enforcement to non metropolitan areas as well.

Due to such extreme importance and to ensure that employees are educated and practicing compliance at all times, most property management companies require thorough Fair Housing training – oftentimes on a quarterly basis.  Most Fair Housing training cites examples of violations or specific instances in which companies and its employees have been subjected to costly expenses – many times for millions of dollars.   Although continuing education can certainly build a leasing professional’s confidence in understanding the Fair Housing Act, it is no wonder that agents become tense and evasive when clients and prospective residents present questions related to any of the protected classes.  Questions such as “What kind of people live here?” or “Do you allow children?” can make the newest agent panic and the more seasoned agent very uncomfortable.

There have been many fair housing questions related to mystery shopping report writing.  Many mystery shopping reports have a section dedicated to Fair Housing in an effort to document compliance by on-site leasing professionals. So it is important to understand what would be considered an appropriate response to a Fair Housing question.  Equally as important is the way in which the question is presented so as not to jeopardize your identity as a mystery shopper.

Did the agent do or say anything that could be perceived as discriminatory? This is a very broad question and needs to be assessed based on the overall experience.  Shoppers should pay attention to what is being offered to them, if they are being ‘steered’ to a particular area of the community or if it seems they are not being treated the same way as they have observed other customers being treated.  If you feel discrimination was present, thorough and accurate documentation should be included on the mystery shopping report; examples should be specific.

What kind of people live here?  If you ask this question directly, chances are good that it will indicate to the agent that you are likely a mystery shopper.  Not only are most agents thoroughly trained on how to answer this question, but these days it is not commonly asked – unless they are being shopped.  Be cautious in how you word the question and approach it conversationally and at the appropriate time whenever possible.  Most importantly – document word for word how you asked the question and exactly how the agent answered it.  As an example:  You go on tour with an agent who happens to walk you past a large playground within the community.   As you ask questions about the community you might mention that you notice they have a playground and then ask the agent if there are a lot of kids that live there.   Understand that the agent will react cautiously to your question and might even avoid answering it altogether.  The agent will more than likely answer your question in a manner that does not answer your question – which is exactly the point.  Your question is such that if the agent were to answer directly – they could be in violation of Fair Housing Law.

An appropriate response to questions regarding what type of people live at the community might be something like the following: “It is our policy to lease to everyone who qualifies.  I’m happy to assist you with your apartment needs, but as directed by law, I am unable to answer that question.”

As apartment mystery shoppers we have a responsibility to do our best to approach Fair Housing questions in a way that does not raise a question to the agent that they are being shopped.  Equally as important we need to be clear on why our questions are sometimes avoided, unanswered or responded to evasively. We have to understand that by not answering our questions directly, the agent is actually doing what is appropriate which will be noted favorably on their mystery shopping report.

Finally, because our shopping reports can ultimately become documentation in the event that questions are raised with respect to a community’s compliance with Fair Housing law, accuracy is imperative and documenting exactly what is said and observed is vital.

If you are seeking additional answers to any other fair housing questions then please visit  the Fair Housing Act and Federal Fair Housing Law at http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD.

Being a professional in the multifamily industry for more than 20 years, I learned about apartment mystery shopping early in my career.  Starting out as a leasing consultant, I worked my way up into management and chose to spend a few more years managing at the on-site level getting mystery shopped many times along the way.  I loved managing communities, working with amazing leasing teams and learning more and more about the industry every day.

As my career evolved over the years, policies and procedures changed and technology improved resulting in even more change…more often.  With all of the changes that continued on a regular basis, one thing remained consistent and that was the fact that no matter what position I held, I was responsible for leasing apartments.

As a leasing consultant I was shopped on numerous occasions and I continued to be shopped as a manager.  Over time there were things I came to understand about the apartment mystery shop:

• Being shopped was not something to be afraid of
• Mystery shoppers were not “out to get” me; they were merely giving their honest feedback
• I could actually learn a lot from my mystery shop; it was a great training tool
• The shopping report made it easy for my employer to see areas where I needed additional training
•  An apartment mystery shop was truly an investment in ME by my property management company

Every company I worked for over the years has used a professional shopping company like Ellis Mystery shoppers and has consistently used apartment mystery shops for ongoing evaluation the leasing performance of all the onsite staff.

Growth and advancement go hand-in-hand with self-development

A mystery shop is an opportunity for the leasing agent. It offers the potential for:

• Bonuses like cash incentives
• Rewards like paid time off
• Recognition by management and executives
• Promotions and increased responsibility
• And more

When I was presented with an opportunity to advance to the corporate level as a marketing manager for a large multifamily organization, I was thrilled at the chance for further advancement.  Because I had learned from people who believed in me and invested in my training year after year I was excited and confident in my ability to perform the job well.  I still believe that the most important role in apartment management is leasing apartments – no matter what position you hold within the multifamily industry.  There can never be too much training, and there are skills involved that need to be improved upon and fine-tuned on a regular basis.  An apartment “mystery shop” program is an invaluable tool for any multifamily organization to incorporate into their overall leasing training program.

The most important role in apartment management is leasing apartments

Because my individual circumstances have allowed me to take some time away from the business, I have chosen to be a mystery shopper with Ellis because of their ongoing commitment to excellence and their outstanding credibility within the multifamily industry.

I enjoy being on the other end of the mystery shop and I commit fully to each shop contract that I conduct and to every shopping report that I write.  Being an independent contractor mystery shopper with Ellis is what keeps me connected to the industry and reminds me of how much I was able to grow because of the service that they provide through their mystery shops.  As a shopper, I continue to learn and grow with each evaluation – much like I did as a leasing professional when I was being shopped. As a shopper I get to continue making a difference and contributing to the success of onsite leasing staff by providing objective feedback about my customer experience during the shop.

-Julie S

Mystery Shopping Income:

Independent contractor mystery shoppers can earn extra income

If you already are holding down a full time job and are trying to figure out how you can make extra income then consider mystery shopping income from being an independent contractor with Ellis (EPMS).  EPMS is the perfect choice for someone looking to make extra money on a very part-time basis on top of his or her current income. EPMS offers shoppers a flexible schedule but does not guarantee availability of work. They pay regularly for completed assignments. So you may be thinking to yourself, ‘How do I do it?’

Continue reading “Mystery Shopping Income”