Mystery shops within the housing and apartment industry are a great way for clients in this space to gain insight into the various parts of their sales and customer service processes. These shops are always very popular with shoppers as they are a straight-profit shop; meaning, that there is no out-of-pocket expense required. These shops are often split into two parts: a call or online inquiry and then a tour of the apartment, condo, house, etc. If you are interested in these types of shops, below are some helpful tips to keep in mind when completing these types of missions.
*These shops will most often require an initial outreach to speak with a rep over the phone or through email, and then a scheduled onsite tour of the property. These shops often take a few days to complete, so it’s important to ensure you are filling out your shop report as you progress with each step and rescheduling the date in the system as needed. The system will automatically remove any shops for inactivity.
*You should take the time to properly prepare for these shops; you will be expected to ask relevant questions as well as answer standard questions that would normally arise in this type of situation. Questions such as, how many bedrooms/bathrooms are you looking for, when are you looking to move, do you have any pets, what’s your budget, etc. If you aren’t prepared to answer these questions, it will raise a red flag with the rep, and you may be outed as a shopper.
*The shops may require a specific scenario to test the rep in ensuring they are obtaining the appropriate information and asking the proper follow up questions. Familiarize yourself with the shop parameters and ensure you are following the situation outlined in your shop instructions.
*While there is no money spent on these shops, and therefore no receipt, it’s important that you obtain the rep’s business card and any emailed documentation sent to you regarding your interest in the property as proof of visit.
*These shops often include photo requirements; the client is looking to see how the area is staged, if it’s clean, etc. While it may seem suspicious to take out your camera during a tour, the reps expect this to occur, and so it’s permitted to do so when the shop requires it.
*Our clients are often looking for employee follow-up on these types of shops; you may be asked to hold your shop for an extended period after the tour occurs to monitor any additional outreach by the rep.
These shops often pay well, and you are always going to make a profit from these shops. They are very detail oriented and require preparation and planning. We set these shops to request only, meaning our schedulers can choose which shoppers they want conducting these shops. If you are interested in becoming certified in apartment and housing shops or have any questions regarding how to properly complete these shops, please don’t hesitate to reach out.