I seem to be cursed with Ellis shops. If it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have no luck at all.

First one went okay until I tried the the post-visit phone call. Then I discovered that property routes all incoming calls to an answering machine. The return calls, from the property to me, would not get recorded.

(Ellis, I should add, very graciously agreed not to deduct from my fee, as that situation was beyond my control.)

Second one seemed even easier -- shop anyone, no recorded call. Great! What could possibly go wrong? The property having no apartments available, that's what.

Ironically, before moving into my current place, I visited and viewed over two dozen apartment complexes, and I didn't run into any difficulties contacting any properties or viewing their apartments.

Do these shops ever go smoothly? Or was I born under a bad "Now Leasing" sign?

Just because they have no vacasncies does NOT mean that you don't do the shop. You can be shown a mdel or just discuss the floor plans and that will complete the shop, just fine. I did one like that last week.

I've done one or two where I was told there were no vacancies. I asked the leasing agent if I could at least come look at the complex because it was in an area I wanted to live in. They were happy to show me a model or floor plans and put me on a waiting list.

I did one shop where the target refused to talk to me and passed me off to her assistant. This happened after several days of trying to reach the target. I let my "handler" know the situation and, since it was a recorded phone call, they should have been able to hear how rude and unprofessional the target was. I then got an e-mail complaining that I hadn't made any phone calls from a different person. I had to explain that I had spoken to the woman and she refused to speak with me, let alone set up an appointment for me to visit the property. They paid me for the phone call but only half the fee so that was annoying.

walesmaven Wrote:
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> Just because they have no vacasncies does NOT mean
> that you don't do the shop. You can be shown a
> mdel or just discuss the floor plans and that will
> complete the shop, just fine. I did one like
> that last week.

Oh, very true. And even this would not have been a snag, except...I followed the instructions, which said I should state I was looking for a place between two and four weeks from now. Fine, I thought, and told the agent I hoped to move by the end of February, two weeks and four days away. Only after that did I learn they'd have no vacancies until May.

But I had managed to leave myself some wiggle room too, mentioning that I was currently on a month-to-month lease. So I may be able to salvage the shop. I informed Ellis of the situation straightaway and am waiting to hear back.

Then I received a follow-up from the agent. Seems they *do* have an apartment I could view, after all -- one that is not currently rentable due to some sort of maintenance situation. So I updated Ellis again.

But I am beginning to think these shops are maybe just not for me. Maybe it's my own extensive apartment-hunting a year and a half ago that has me in a frame of mind where I think I know what should happen and how things should work. Whatever it is, so far I cannot get my mojo working for Ellis.

Pre-judging "how things should work" is absolutely not the best idea for any shop. We are paid to report objectively, regardless of what transpires.

As to "closing the door" by giving a preferred move-in time frame, I can follow up by saying, "Well I really like the area, so it might work out for me to stay with a friend/sister for a while to get the right apartment. I can come and look at least." That has never failed.